Plastic bricks in Kenya - NZAMBI MATEE - Young Champion of the Earth 2020 for Africa

Summary

Zambi Mate, founder of Django Makers Limited, addresses the global plastic waste crisis by converting plastic into building products. In Nairobi, 500 metric tons of plastic waste are generated daily, with only a small fraction recycled. Django Makers not only helps companies dispose of waste at a cost but also upcycles it into strong, lightweight bricks. With a current capacity of 1000-1500 bricks daily, the company aims to recycle 50 metric tons by next year. The Young Champions of the App award serves as a motivation booster, propelling them to scale their solution across Africa and inspire youth to act for nature.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Zambi Mate is the founder of Django Makers Limited, a company addressing the global issue of plastic waste.
• 🏙 Nairobi generates approximately 500 metric tons of plastic waste daily, with only a small portion being recycled.
• 💡 Django Makers Limited converts plastic waste into building products, offering a solution to companies that need to dispose of waste.
• 🔨 The company uses a process involving an extruder and press to mix plastic waste with sand at high temperatures, creating strong, fibrous bricks.
• 🚚 Their bricks are lighter, which reduces transportation and installation costs.
• 🔝 Django Makers Limited has the capacity to produce 1000 to 1500 bricks daily and has recycled 20 metric tons of plastic so far.
• 🎯 The company aims to increase its recycling capacity to 50 metric tons by the end of the next financial year.
• 🏆 The Young Champions of the App award serves as a significant motivation for the team, acknowledging their hard work over three years.
• 🤝 Django Makers Limited is seeking partners to scale their solution across Africa and inspire youth to take similar initiatives.
• 🏗️ The company plans to expand from making paving blocks to producing actual building blocks.
• 💪 Zambi Mate's personal motivation stems from a desire to actively combat plastic pollution, embodying the spirit of taking bold action for the environment.

Q & A

What is the main objective of Django Makers Limited?

Django Makers Limited aims to convert plastic waste into building products, addressing the global issue of plastic pollution.

How much plastic waste does Nairobi generate daily?

Nairobi generates about 500 metric tons of plastic waste every single day.

What percentage of the generated plastic waste in Nairobi is recycled?

Only a fraction of the 500 metric tons of plastic waste generated daily in Nairobi is recycled.

How does Django Makers Limited's approach benefit companies?

Companies have to pay to dispose of their waste, and by using Django Makers Limited's service, they can solve their waste disposal problem.

What materials are used to make the bricks produced by Django Makers Limited?

The bricks are made by mixing plastic waste with sand, where the plastic acts as a binder.

What is the role of the extruder and press in the brick-making process?

The extruder mixes plastic waste and sand at high temperatures, and the press compresses the mixture to form bricks.

Why do the bricks made by Django Makers Limited have a stronger compression strength?

The bricks have a stronger compression strength because plastic is fibrous in nature, which enhances the structural integrity of the bricks.

What is the current daily production capacity of Django Makers Limited?

Django Makers Limited has a capacity of producing 1000 to 1500 bricks a day.

How much plastic waste has Django Makers Limited recycled so far?

So far, Django Makers Limited has recycled 20 metric tons of plastic waste.

What is Django Makers Limited's goal for the next financial year?

By the end of the next financial year, Django Makers Limited aims to increase their recycling capacity to 50 metric tons.

How does the Young Champions of the Earth award impact Django Makers Limited?

The Young Champions of the Earth award serves as a motivation booster for Django Makers Limited, validating their efforts and hard work over the past three years.

What are Django Makers Limited's future plans for expansion?

Django Makers Limited plans to scale their solution not just in Kenya but all over Africa, and they also aim to start producing actual building blocks in addition to paving blocks.

What motivates the founder of Django Makers Limited to tackle plastic waste?

The founder, Zambi Mate, was tired of being a bystander to plastic pollution and decided to take action, even without a clear plan at first, to make a difference for nature.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Tackling Global Plastic Waste

Zambi Mate, the founder of Django Makers Limited, introduces their initiative to convert plastic waste into building products. The company addresses the global issue of plastic pollution, highlighting the significant amount of waste generated daily in Nairobi, Kenya. Despite the vast amount of waste, only a small fraction is recycled. Django Makers Limited offers a solution by turning waste into valuable resources, helping companies dispose of their waste and in turn receiving the plastic for free. The process involves mixing plastic with sand, using an extruder and press to create bricks with high compression strength. The company has already recycled 20 metric tons and aims to increase production to 50 metric tons by the next financial year. They are motivated by the Young Champions of the App Award and are looking to scale their solution across Africa and beyond, transitioning from paving blocks to actual building blocks.

Keywords

💡Plastic Waste

Plastic waste refers to the discarded materials made of plastic that are no longer useful for their intended purpose. In the video, it is highlighted as a global problem, with Nairobi generating about 500 metric tons of plastic waste daily. The video's theme revolves around the innovative approach of converting this waste into valuable building products, thereby addressing the environmental issue and turning a liability into an asset.

💡Recycling

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. It is a key concept in the video as it discusses the limited recycling of plastic waste and the potential to increase it. The founder's initiative to recycle plastic waste into building products exemplifies how recycling can be both an environmental solution and a business opportunity.

💡Django Makers Limited

Django Makers Limited is the company founded by Zambi Mate, as mentioned in the script. It is a real-world example of a business entity that is directly involved in the theme of the video, which is converting waste into a resource. The company's activities are central to the video's message, showcasing a practical approach to tackling the plastic waste problem.

💡Building Products

Building products in this context refer to the construction materials that Django Makers Limited produces from recycled plastic waste. The video emphasizes how these products are made stronger due to the fibrous nature of plastic, which acts as a binder when mixed with sand. This term is crucial as it illustrates the practical application of the recycling process and the creation of sustainable construction materials.

💡Plasticquest

Plasticquest seems to be a term coined in the video to describe the mission of addressing the plastic waste problem. It is used to emphasize that the issue is not confined to Kenya but is a global challenge. The term is integral to the video's narrative as it encapsulates the broader goal of the company's operations and the video's advocacy for environmental action.

💡Extruder

An extruder is a device used in the video to mix plastic waste with sand at high temperatures. It is a critical piece of equipment in the production process described, as it facilitates the transformation of waste into a usable material for construction. The term is technical but essential for understanding the manufacturing process highlighted in the video.

💡Compression Strength

Compression strength refers to the ability of a material to withstand heavy pressure without breaking or deforming. In the video, it is mentioned that the bricks made from recycled plastic have a stronger compression strength due to the fibrous nature of plastic. This term is important as it highlights the superior quality of the building products made from recycled materials compared to traditional ones.

💡Paving Blocks

Paving blocks are a type of construction material used for creating pathways, driveways, and other outdoor surfaces. The video mentions that Django Makers Limited currently produces these blocks from recycled plastic. This term is significant as it provides a specific example of the building products that the company manufactures, showcasing the practical outcomes of their recycling efforts.

💡Young Champions of the App Award

The Young Champions of the App Award is mentioned as a motivation booster for the team at Django Makers Limited. It seems to be an accolade that recognizes their innovative work in recycling and environmental conservation. This term is relevant as it underscores the recognition and support that such initiatives can receive, which in turn can inspire others to take action.

💡Scalability

Scalability in the context of the video refers to the ability to increase the production capacity or expand the reach of the solution provided by Django Makers Limited. The video expresses a desire to scale the solution not just in Kenya but across Africa, indicating the potential for growth and the broader impact of their recycling initiative.

💡Motivation

Motivation is a driving force that encourages individuals or teams to take action or continue with their efforts. In the video, the founder expresses being tired of passively witnessing plastic waste and being motivated to take direct action. This term is central to the video's message, as it conveys the personal and emotional impetus behind the initiative and the importance of being proactive in addressing environmental issues.

Highlights

Zambi Mate is the founder of Django Makers Limited, a company that converts plastic waste into building products.

Plastic waste is a global issue, with Nairobi generating about 500 metric tons of plastic waste daily.

Only a fraction of the plastic waste in Nairobi is recycled.

Django Makers Limited offers a solution by converting plastic waste into building materials, benefiting both the environment and businesses.

Companies pay Django Makers to dispose of their waste, making the rest of the process essentially cost-free.

Plastic waste is mixed with sand to create a binder for making bricks.

The company uses three machines to mix, heat, and compress the plastic and sand into bricks.

Plastic's fibrous nature contributes to the brick's strong compression strength.

The bricks made are lighter, reducing transportation and installation costs.

Django Makers has the capacity to produce 1000 to 1500 bricks daily.

The company has recycled 20 metric tons of plastic waste and aims to increase this to 50 by the next financial year.

The Young Champions of the App award serves as a motivation booster for the Django Makers team.

The journey of Django Makers has been a three-year endeavor, with the award acknowledging their efforts.

The company is looking to scale its solution across Africa and find partners to expand its impact.

Django Makers plans to move beyond paving blocks to producing actual building blocks.

Zambi Mate's personal motivation stems from a desire to actively combat plastic waste, leading to the creation of Django Makers.

The company's mission is to act for nature, turning a problem into a solution.

Transcripts

let's turn trash

into cash

my name is zambi mate i'm the founder of

django makers limited

and we convert plastic waste into

building products

plasticquest is not just a kenya problem

but it's a worldwide problem

and here in nairobi we generate about

500 metric tons of plastic waste every

single day

and only a fraction of that is recycled

we decided what more can we do

instead of just sitting in the sidelines

and complaining essentially companies

have to pay to dispose the waste

so we solve their problem the rest

essentially comes for free

this is the plastic quests we get from

batteries with this we mix with

sand as the plastic is like the binder

we have three machines the extruder does

the mixing of plastic waste the sand

at very high temperatures and then the

press

compresses it plastic is fibrous in

nature

and so therefore the brick ends up

having a stronger compression strength

does that look like waste it's almost

half the weight

so therefore during transportation and

installation it's faster in terms of

cost implication

we right now have a capacity of

producing 1000 to 1500 bits a day

so far we have recycled 20 metric tons

and we are looking to push that value to

50 by the end of next financial year

we think the young champions of the app

award is a huge motivation booster for

us

as a team it's been a long three year

journey and so this was like someone

saying i see what you're doing and i

appreciate that

and with this platform we're looking to

see how we can get on both partners

to scale this solution not just in kenya

but all over africa just to start

and in addition to that be able to

impact and motivate other people and

other youths to do similar things in

different places

so right now we are just making paving

blocks but we now want to make actual

building blocks

as i like saying you have to be true to

your why why are you doing this what is

the motivation behind it

for me i was just tired of being in the

sidelines of seeing plastic

i ideally jumped in off a cliff without

even a parachute i was building it as i

was falling down

but isn't that how great things are done

so act

for nature

[Music]

you