'Kenyan factory recycles plastic waste into bricks that are stronger than concrete'

Nzambi Matee is a 29 year old Nairobi Entrepreneur, who set up a waste plastic recycling factory in 2020 - Gjenge Makers. Matee is committed to combatting this global crisis by recycling bags, containers and other waste products into bricks, which can be used for patios and other types of construction projects.

Before launching her company,, Matee worked as a data analyst and oil-industry engineer. She became frustrated with the amount of waste plastic items she saw accumulating on the streets of Nairobi, so decided to quite her job to attempt to tackle this issue. Mattee ''ran out of patience waiting for the government to solve the problem of plastic pollution.'' Due to her enthusiasm and innovative idea, Matee received a scholarship to study in the materials lab at the University of Colorado Boulder. Here, she developed a prototype for the machine that now produces the textured bricks.

The bricks are made from a combination of plastic and sand and are 7 times more durable concrete. Matee and her team source much of the raw product from factories and recyclers and donations by individuals. This enables the company to sell their product at an affordable price for schools and homeowners. So far, Gjenge Makers has recycled more than 20 tons of plastic and created 112 job opportunities in the community. Currently, the company generates between 1,000 and 1,500 bricks per day - Matee hopes to expand across Africa. 

Source: https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2021/02/nzambi-matee-plastic-bricks/