Reusing Plastic Waste to Help Build a Better World

We all know that plastic waste is a problem but we can’t seem to agree collectively on what to do about it. Recycling is a widely adopted method but that doesn’t mean it is the perfect solution. Many types of plastic are currently unrecyclable, whilst others are simply too expensive to make the process cost effective. There are also the arguments that we produce far too much waste for our recycling centres to keep up with whilst in many less developed countries, the infrastructure to deal with modern mountains of waste is simply not available. Therefore, many advocate reuse as one of the best methods of tackling plastic waste and there are stacks of ingenious, resourceful people around the world who are not only reusing plastic trash to help the environment but also help build a better world for local people. From storm shelters to school bags and even roads, let’s look at some of the brilliant ways our unwanted rubbish is being used to improve living conditions around the globe.

Let’s begin in the heart of Africa in Uganda, where an astonishing 600 tonnes of plastic waste is produced every day. In the capital, Kampala, 51% of this is left uncollected in the streets and when the rains arrive, the waste simply travels with the flood water to become stuck in drains, gutters and sometimes even people’s homes. In a bid to clean up the streets, particularly in the slums, a group of women have formed Reform Africa. Each day, their small team collect bottles and bags discarded in the streets before washing and drying the materials. These are then turned into rucksacks, shopping bags and toiletry bags which are sold across six shops and online. The outcome is bright, uniquely patterned bags whose material is described as a sustainable leather. If turning our waste to useful wash bags wasn’t enough, the company is heavily involved in helping improve the lives of local people and for each bag sold, a child in rural Africa receives one for free. Often, kids are sent to school with a flimsy carrier bag to keep their books in which by the end of the day is either torn or lost altogether. The schoolbags which Reform Africa design are sturdy, secure and waterproof, helping keep precious school materials safe. Their designs are so popular that NGOs in the country are purchasing rucksacks to donate to families who would otherwise not be able to afford them.

RUR Green in India is similarly focussing on turning waste into a resource which can benefit schoolchildren in poorer regions. They have teamed up with TetraPak India to ensure their cartons are recycled rather than directed to landfill. In many countries, TetraPak is a difficult material to recycle as whilst they are 70-90% paperboard, they also contain a thin aluminium layer as well as some plastic. However, RUR Green’s mission is giving these tricky items a good reason to be recycled as they transform the cartons into benches, desks and chairs. So far, over eight million cartons have been recycled and the multicoloured desks and chairs have been bought online and donated to government schools in the country.

Jumping over to Peru, it seems that Lima is now becoming a hub for innovative farming as they tackle two of their biggest local problems; plastic waste and a lack of space to grow vegetables. Peru experienced some of the strictest lockdowns back in 2020 and many of Lima’s residents, many of whom have roots in the rural areas, took online classes in vertical horticulture. This brilliant method sees old plastic bottles turned into plant pots by cutting a hole in the side, hanging it upside down from a wall and filling it with soil. In these bottles, you can grow an astonishing variety of vegetables, from spinach to radishes, lettuce to carrots and even beetroot! The walls of the city’s oldest recycling plant are now covered in neat lines of 220,000 plastic bottles which stretch for 700 metres. Every few weeks, the produce is harvested and donated to soup kitchens, helping them provide a cheap meal to those who need it the most. It seems this initiative has combined reducing plastic waste, feeding the population, greening the city and cultivating new hobbies all in one!

Now let’s jet over to the UK where MacRebur are hoping to build a new road to a sustainable future; quite literally! The company want to reduce our reliance on oil and have started using single use plastics in their tarmac instead of polluting fossil fuels. Roads are normally made from 90% limestone, rock and sand with 10% bitumen which is derived from oil. In MacRebur’s design, tiny plastic pellets replace the majority of the bitumen and the end result is a surprisingly sturdy road which is less likely to develop pot holes, lasts longer and is even cheaper than our current design. The idea actually came on a trip to India where they witnessed locals pouring plastic into potholes and then burning the plastic in order to fix the holes. The plastic in this new asphalt mix comes from everyday household waste as well as commercial waste normally destined for landfill and even agricultural waste, such as the black plastic wrapped around hay bales. These roads are already being laid in Cumbria, so maybe one day soon you could be driving over your old unwanted milk bottles.

In Kenya, a similar idea has taken shape as discarded rubbish is being turned into sturdy paving tiles. Gjenge Makers are a community-orientated business which has not only created over 100 local jobs but are also hoping to fill the gap in the market for affordable, sustainable construction materials. In its early days, the business simply collected, sorted and sold plastic onto recycling companies but when they began collecting waste faster than it could be dealt with in conventional methods, they decided to find a new solution which would add value to our trash. By combining recycled plastic with sand, they have created paving tiles, paving blocks and manhole covers which are twice as strong as traditional concrete! Their sturdiest tile can carry 164 metric tonnes whilst the blocks themselves are much lighter than the usual alternatives, making them cheaper to transport. These tiles which contain old milk bottles, buckets, sandwich bags and rope have already been laid in schools and businesses around the country and one day they hope to expand into building blocks too.  

Protomax is one business which has already accidentally created living shelters made from waste. The UK firm had the initial goal of wanting to return unrecyclable plastic back into the economy and started out by designing a simple sheet. The process sees plastic ground down into small pieces before being put inside their very own bespoke ‘waffle’ machine where it expands to create a solid waterproof panel made from pure rubbish. Since then, they have teamed up with the University of Bath to take these sheets one step further and started creating shelters for refugees, initially concentrating on those displaced by natural disasters, such as hurricanes. The result are Storm Boards which are easy to make into housing shelters and are a marked step up from a tent as they provide better insulation and security. Their ‘waffle’ machines are also available to buy so that small mobile factories can be built, allowing waste plastic from inside refugee camps to be turned into boards to make homes, an incredible idea as normal resources such as wood and tools are often in short supply.

Last but not least is a slightly different approach but a great way to make both an environmental and social impact. Many companies and authorities around the world are now paying fishermen to collect plastic as well as fish whilst others are paying local people on land to collect plastic waste too. This is providing an alternative source of income which can be especially crucial in some fishing communities where fish stocks are falling due to overfishing and pollution. For example, the Plastic Bank operates in several countries such as Haiti, Brazil and the Philippines and aims to help impoverished communities gain a reliable income. Individuals can collect plastic and drop it off at a local collection bank where they are given above market price for the amount of waste they have picked. Not only does this prevent plastic waste ending up in our environment and help more to be recycling into new useful products but it also gives these families an income, health insurance, access to banking services and social assistance, all hoping to give them a path out of poverty.  

There are so many inspiring and pioneering initiatives taking place around the world and these are just the tip of the iceberg. Maybe tackling multiple issues at once is the best way for us to make real positive environmental, social and economic change around the world. Have you felt inspired by these stories or have they sparked a new ingenious idea within you?

By Neve McCracken-Heywood