Ivory Coast Unveils Africa’s First-of-its-Kind Factory that Makes Bricks From Plastic Waste

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): The African country of Ivory Coast unveiled a new factory that converts plastic waste into modular plastic bricks. The first-of-its-kind factory in the entire African region broke grounds last week. The factory is being built by Columbian enterprise Conceptos Plasticos in partnership with UNICEF.

Upon full operation, the plant will recycle nearly 9,600 tonnes of plastic waste every year. These plastic will be used to create bricks, which in turn will be used to construct classrooms at schools. As per estimates, Abidjan- the country’s major urban center produces more than 280 tonnes of plastic waste every single day. Out of this only around 5% is recycled, with the rest ending up in landfill sites or polluting environment and waterways.

According to Conceptos Plasticos, the bricks made from 100% plastic will be fire resistant. Moreover, they are significantly cheaper and lighter and have proved to last longer than conventional building materials. In addition, the bricks are easy to assemble, waterproof and well insulated. It has already built nine classrooms in Gonzagueville, Divo and Toumodi using plastic bricks made in Colombia.

The project is expected to address the acute shortage of classrooms in Ivory Coast schools, thereby creating a better world for children. In addition, the job opportunities offered by the project will help to lift women out of poverty.

The Columbian social enterprise has plans to expand the project to other countries in the region and also beyond West and Central African region.