Mismanagement and plucking up of plastics dumps pose an unprecedented problem as it hastens climate change driven by huge solid deposits and smoke.
Meanwhile plastic items, including bottles and flasks are expected to be returned to respective suppliers who bear recycling, recovery, and storage.
However, it seems none is held accountable for river and lakes’ banks have become the main ends-up of plastic wastages.
The heat of pollution has been felt as rivers continue to sweep nearby infrastructures or the lakes’ water flooding its shores leaving thousands of people homeless.
Today, Burundi’s social entrepreneurs have joined the battles as far the fight against plastic pollution is concerned.
Youth have invested in waste management which led to a pavement tiles manufacturing initiative.
In Gitega political capital, Jeni Eco Company recycles plastic dumps. Out of it, they produce strong and heavy tiles.
“The idea came when I realized the city was dirty. I wanted to clean it”, said Jean Marie Nizigiyimana,the executive director of Jeni Eco Company while speaking to NUKU a hub of Burundian entrepreneurs.
I wanted to collect every plastic bottle in each corner, he added. Then, I challenged myself to make good use of the collected items, he said.
“I could not have made it alone, i shared my initiative with friends then we started in 2019”, said Nizigiyimana.
But it is in 2020 that they witnessed the first fruits from their sweat.
Jeni Eco company has already paved around 170 square metre(sqm). One sqm equals between 25 or 26 pavements. The aggregate reaches up to 4 250 pavements.
In addition, 75 pavements can be derived from 125 kilograms of wastes including bio or non-biodegradable.
As of cost,10 kilograms of plastics cost around BIF 700 (around 0.4USD) whereas one sqm of pavement costs BIF 25, 000 (around 13 USD).
Jean Marie has got assistance from local associations who collect plastic wastes from their respective regions.
“We partnered with cooperatives to gather bottles mainly of water, as well as other plastics”, he said.
Not only them [associations] but also other third parties mainly kids who gather dumps for money.
Jeni Eco company tiles combine various efforts including processing plastics and other products such as sand.
The tick mixture is then molded to shape it through, he explained. From there on, the tile is ready.
According to him, the initiative came to foster environment protection via sustainable plastic waste management through recycling, including mitigating smoke released to destroy the ozone.
Also, protect rivers and lakes from plastic pollution and hence contribute to biodiversity preservation in general, he concluded.
