Built From Waste: Meet the Brands Turning Africa's Plastic Trash Into Treasure
Source: https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/brands-turning-africa-plastic-trash-into-treasure/
Author: Ayobami Adedinni
It’s now a global industry valued at $522.6 billion - production is expected to reach 1.1 billion tons by 2050. Plastics are even finding their way into our bodies: Infants born today have 10 to 20 times higher microplastic concentrations in their stool than adults, a study published by the American Chemical Society shows. In response, nonprofit groups and brands in Africa are stimulating industry-led innovation, dialogue and collaboration to find new ways to use plastic waste that cuts down on pollution and meets the needs of a population facing some of the worst effects of climate change. Though environmentally sound end-of-life management of plastic waste through recycling and energy recovery is still in an early stage in many African countries, innovative recycling projects in Kenya and Nigeria offer a glimpse into what could be possible with more coordination between brands, government agencies and nonprofits.