EcoAct Tanzania - Building Materials, Tanzania

Project name: Transforming Waste Plastics into Building Materials

Project location: Daressalaam, Tanzania

Website: http://www.ecoact.co.tz

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EcoActtz

Project description:

EcoAct Tanzania is a social enterprise established to tackle the challenges of post consumer plastic pollution, waste management, deforestation and climate change.

We use our innovative plastic extrusion technology called “ Waxy 2 technology” to recycle and transform post consumer waste plastics into durable and long lasting plastic lumbers, Plastic lumbers are affordable alternative to timbers, hence reduces the need for building material manufactured from wood, helping to preserve forests and cut down on deforestation and further mitigation of Climate change. Plastic lumbers which are ideal product for building, construction and furniture making are normally made in 10 ft on average and shaped either round or square. Our chemical free technology ensures our manufactured plastic lumbers do not rot, are termite resistant, are water proof and lasts more than 40 years without replacement whether used in sunny areas, marine or in water applications.

Goal and purpose of the project:

- Reduce environmental pollution by recycling and transforming post consumer waste plastic from landfills into building hardware ( plastic lumbers )
- Curb deforestation by providing alternative product in replacement of timber
- Providing an urban waste management solution for cleaner and healthier environment.
- Reduce the effects of climate change, by reducing deforestation we conserve our forests which helps removing CO2 from the atmosphere hence mitigating climate change.
- Reduce child mortality rates, by providing Medical insurance to families that provides us with their weekly domestic plastic wastes.
- Create Job opportunities to youths in marginalized communities especially women.

Motivation of the applicant / applicant team:

According to UNEP Report 2017, More than 8 million tonnes of waste plastics ends up in ocean every year, causing danger to marine life and if nothing is done now by 2050 there will be more plastics than fish in the oceans. Our motivation is brought about our determination of being part of the solution, as social entrepreneurs who are always amazed by coming out with local solutions than in big picture fixes the global challenges. Our innovative technology which transforms waste plastics into plastic lumbers, does not only provide solution to the waste plastics challenge, but also saves our forests as every 25 plastic lumbers we sell we save a fully matured red cedar tree that would have been cut, it motivates us more to see our solution tackling the environmental challenges while creating job opportunities.

Use of prize money:

We will use the prize money to establish another 4 waste collections centers, which will provide 35 direct and 70 indirect job opportunities to youths especially women, We shall also buy high production capacity machines, so that we are able to produce at least 300-350 plastic lumbers per day so as to meet out current market demand and expand to other regional markets.