Senegal’s plastic waste crisis meets a 3D-printed solution
A Senegalese entrepreneur is recycling discarded plastic bottles into school supplies and farming tools in an effort to tackle the country’s growing waste crisis.
Self-taught engineer Francois Mbengue heats, cuts and processes bottles before using a 3D printer to produce rulers, plant pots and hospital equipment.
Senegal produces about 250,000 metric tonnes of plastic waste each year, but only 11% is recycled.
“We noticed that every year, tons of plastic bottles are thrown into the wild,” Mbengue said. “Unfortunately, we cannot transform them all. Even if recently there have been many companies active in this area. And these bottles are a threat by nature. They are thrown away and do not disappear,” he told Viory.
“Our main targets are schools, farmers and hospitals,” he said. “For schools, the idea is to create didactic objects that students can use. This will prevent us from importing items such as rulers and other materials used by students. For agriculture, the idea is to make pots for farmers.”
Senegal is ranked among the world’s top contributors to ocean plastic pollution. The West African nation faces pressure to improve waste management.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
