Posted on :Tuesday , 30th March 2021

Plastic waste from factories and businesses is turned into extremely powerful paving bricks by a Nairobi-based social enterprise.

Nzambi Matee founded Gjenge Makers after becoming frustrated with how little was being done to address the pressing issue of plastic pollution in her country.

Her and her team were named Young Champions of the Earth for 2020 by the United Nations Environmental Programme for their resilient building materials.

Plastic waste from factories and businesses is turned into extremely powerful paving bricks by a Nairobi-based social enterprise.

Nzambi Matee founded Gjenge Makers after becoming frustrated with how little was being done to address the pressing issue of plastic pollution in her country.

Her and her team were named Young Champions of the Earth for 2020 by the United Nations Environmental Programme for their resilient building materials.

Since plastic is fibrous by nature, it transforms the brick into an incredibly strong and resilient material by increasing its compression power. Furthermore, the Gjenge Makers' bricks are lighter than normal bricks, allowing for quicker transportation and installation.

The team has recycled 20 metric tonnes (44092.5 lbs) of plastic in the three years it has been in service, and it hopes to increase that to 50 metric tonnes (110231 lbs) by the end of the next financial year. It also aims to extend its sales outside of Kenya, to other African nations, and eventually to the rest of the world.

Paving bricks are currently available in a variety of colours, including green, blue, and red. The team plans to transition to standard building bricks in the future, but its paving bricks are currently being used as footpaths in local schools.