Kenyan woman finds a way to recycle plastic waste into bricks that are stronger than concrete

SOURCE: 

Catherine Garcia
THE WEEK

Using her ingenuity and engineering skills, Nzambi Matee found a
way to help the environment by converting plastic waste into
building materials.

In 2017, Matee opened a factory in Nairobi called Gjenge
Makers, where workers take plastic waste, mix it with sand, and
heat it up, with the resulting brick being five to seven times
stronger than concrete. The factory accepts waste that other
facilities "cannot process anymore, they cannot recycle,"
Matee told Reuters. "That is what we get."

The bricks are made of plastic that was originally used for
milk and shampoo bottles, cereal and sandwich bags, buckets,
and ropes. Every day, Gjenge Makers produces about 1,500
bricks, in different sizes and colors. Matee is a materials
engineer, and she designed the factory's machines after
becoming sick of waiting for government
 officials to do something about plastic pollution. "I was tired of
being on the sidelines," she told Reuters.

Since opening, Gjenge Makers has recycled 20 tons of plastic
waste, and Matee plans on adding a larger production line that
will allow the factory to triple its output.

This is one of Heartmenders Magazine Media Inc's communication tools.