A new initiative to fight plastic waste can give hope to Ivorian school children.
ADVERTISEMENTPlastic litters the streets of the coastal city of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. UNICEF says that more than 280 tonnes of plastic waste (approximately the weight of 150 cars) is produced each day in the capital, with only about 5 percent recycled.
An innovative project now seems to give a new life to the enormous amount of plastic bottles and bags: they are transformed into bricks. UNICEF partnered with Colombian social enterprise Conceptos Plasticos to use this technology for building much-needed schools for Ivorian children.
The first plastic building in the country was built after the Sakassou School in western Ivory Coast was destroyed by a storm last year.
According to the international organisation, the country needs 15,000 classrooms to meet the needs of children without a place to learn. Hence UNICEF dedicated this partnership to provide school buildings for more than 25,000 children across Ivory Coast, who currently have no place to learn. Conceptos Plasticos have been building a factory in the country to convert plastic waste into bricks.
The project will also give employment to women in low-income neighbourhoods, says UNICEF.
Click on the video player above and find out more about this project.
