Via the Geographical Magazine
Eco Brixs BBC Radio 4 Appeal
Eco Brixs, a rapidly growing social enterprise in Uganda, have been in touch with Geographical to let us know they will be broadcasting their first ever BBC Radio 4 Appeal this coming Sunday 14 December at 7.54am and 9.25pm.
In the appeal, Liz Earle reflects on her many visits to East Africa and how, over recent years, she has witnessed the chronic plastic waste mounting across the region, destroying landscapes and waterways.
She also highlights the dangers faced by marginalised communities scavenging unsafe landfill sites for waste plastic that can earn them a few pence.
Liz Earle is supporting the work of Eco Brixs and the vital work the enterprise is doing to clean up the environment and empower marginalised women, youth (over the age of 16), people living with disabilities and refugees to earn vital income from plastic waste safely.
Uganda has one of the fastest growing populations globally.
With massive industrial investment and development and no formal waste collection service, the plastic situation is only set to get worse.
Currently, over 600 tonnes of plastic are being disposed of every day across the country, the majority in unsafe landfills. The remainder is being burnt recklessly, sending toxic fumes into the environment, dramatically impacting on people’s health.
Since Eco Brixs was established in 2017, it has recycled over 2,900 tonnes of plastic waste and created sustainable livelihoods for over 4,700 community members. In October, Eco Brixs hit a new record, processing and recycling 200 tonnes of waste plastic in a month. Community members are paid per kilo of plastic they collect and take to a recycling hub. They are provided health and safety training, financial management training, IT literacy skills and are provided with the PPE they need to conduct their job safely. Eco Brixs never purchases waste collected from landfill sites.
The plastic waste is taken to the Eco Brixs processing hub, where it is recycled into 17 different eco-products to date, including bricks, fence posts, boats and more. This virtuous cycle creates green jobs and cleans up the environment in unison.
Could make a useful case-study of practical action and hopeful geography.
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