Kenya: Islanders Recycle Plastic Debris that has Washed Up into Boats

47-year-old Usmail gathers plastic on the island of Lamu off the coast of Kenya, which he then sells to the Flipflopi Project.

2016 saw the founding of the NGO. It recycles the garbage to make furniture and boats.

Mountains of plastic trash are a problem in Lamu; part of it washes up on the island’s beaches and is produced by locals.

Usmail says, “We started collecting plastics a while ago.”

“Lamur, this used to be a very plastic-heavy neighborhood. We do not have a job; instead, we gather the plastic debris and sell it to the group for Ksh16 per kilogram, or around 16 cents. That is where we earn the money we need to support our family and our children’s education.”

The Flipflopi Project purchases plastic garbage from locals using funds that it receives from other non-governmental organizations.

The co-founder explains how this facility’s procedure works.

“We go to the community, and because we have some grant, we buy from the community,” begins Ali Skanda.

“Our transport agents also deliver the plastic to us.” Our sorters, who classify into various types and colors, come in after the pre-sorting. Following the separation, we send them to the stage of shredding, where we break them into tiny pieces known as flakes. After that, we obtain some lumber in various shapes, such as square and round pieces of wood, and we select the lumber in various colors to create furniture.”