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Cleaning up Congo - 5th November 2021

Kinshasa is the Democratic Republic of Congo's largest city and it is famous for its piles of rubbish and plastic pollution. However, one local company is turning this waste into wealth.

Clean Plast is the first company in the country to offer recycling services. It gathers all types of plastic from the city which helps with the pollution situation.

Alexander Bamanisa, director of Clean Plast explains.

Alexander Bamanisa: "Plastic waste takes the longest time to decompose in nature, between 100 and 1,000 years. So it was important for us to contribute and to look for a sustainable solution to this waste problem."

By collecting the waste plastic materials, they can be given a second life by creating new products. The sustainability of the project is not just in what it collects but who collects it.

All the employees of the company are locals who have been trained in the key tasks of the recycling chain. They also employ independent collectors who are paid by the kilo. This helps support the local economy.

Jeanne Bopena is an independent collector.

Jeanne Bopena: "I collect plastic waste from the dustbins and also from people who chuck litter all along the roads. Today I sold 6 kilos of plastic waste for 1,500 Congolese francs (about $0.75) (to Clean Plast)."

Plastic waste is also collected directly from businesses and industries. The variety of plastic can be recycled in different ways, helping to reduce the cost of raw materials.

Bamanisa hopes this will motivate businesses to practice recycling.

Alexander Bamanisa: "Depending on the type of plastic waste, the process will be different. We will either compact it, grind it, wash it to make it into a reusable raw material. The raw material that we make is what we call 'next virgin'. It's raw material that is pure and can be reused in any industry that produces plastic goods."