By Obiabin Onukwugha
Plastic waste has become a growing concern. As non-biodegradable. wastes, and plastics are contributing in no small measure to environmental pollution. When they find themselves in landfills and water bodies, these plastic wastes become harmful to living organisms.
It is reported that global plastic waste generation has more than doubled from 2000 to 2019, increasing to 353 million tonnes. Also, nearly two-thirds of plastic waste comes from plastics with lifetimes of under five years, with 40% coming from packaging, 12% from consumer goods and 11% from clothing and textiles.
The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), notes that though plastic has valuable uses, we have become addicted to single-use plastic products with severe environmental, social, economic and health consequences.
It said that one million plastic bottles are purchased every minute globally, while up to five trillion plastic bags are used worldwide yearly.
According to the UNEP, half of all plastic produced is designed for single use. This has contributed significantly to the problem.
However, with young entrepreneurs using innovative methods to solve environmental problems, a young Ethiopian entrepreneur, Kidus Asfaw, is now converting plastic waste into building products.
It was gathered that Asfaw, CEO and co-founder of Kubik, a startup with offices in Kenya and Ethiopia, transforms recycled plastic waste into interlocking building materials, including bricks, beams, and columns.
Recently, the company commenced its operations in Ethiopia, targeting the affordable housing market.
The country currently faces a housing deficit of around 1.2 million units, with a need for 381,000 new housing units annually as against the 165,000 units produced each year.