Plastic money: How group is making millions from waste

 Entrepreneurs making school furniture out of plastic waste.[Photos: Silas Nyamweya]

Who are the founders of Twendegreen and what did they study?

Twendegreen was founded by a group of four passionate individuals: Faraj Ramadhan, Lawrence Kosgei, Churchill Muriuki, and Zainab Mahmoud. I, Faraj Ramadhan, have a background in Information Technology (IT). I manage our technological needs and our finances. Lawrence Kosgei, our mechanical engineer, brings expertise in designing and maintaining the machinery required for our recycling operations. Churchill Muriuki, with a background in chemical engineering. He has been instrumental in understanding the technical aspects of plastic recycling and ensuring the processes we use are efficient and sustainable. Zainab Mahmoud, a medical student, adds a unique perspective on health and environmental sustainability, highlighting the interconnectedness of a clean environment and community well-being.

Tell us briefly about Twendegreen Eco-cycle.

Twendegreen Eco-cycle is a social enterprise that collects plastic wastes, particularly from informal settlements and the beach shores of Mombasa and recycles them into eco-friendly, durable eco-desks.

Where did you get the inspiration to start this venture? Our inspiration came from our personal experiences and our passion for the environment. Growing up in Mombasa, each of us experienced firsthand the dual challenges of environmental degradation and inadequate educational resources. By merging these two pressing issues, we envisioned a solution that would not only clean up our environment but also support the educational needs of our community.

Kindly take us through the journey since you started until now.

Twendegreen was born out of the Mombasa Plastics Prize, an initiative that brought together young innovators from across Mombasa county to develop creative solutions to combat marine plastic waste. Our team emerged as the overall winner of this competition, which validated our vision and provided the initial impetus to turn our concept into a reality. So far, we have managed to sell our desks to private schools within the county. The county government has also shown interest in our desks. It has indicated willingness to give us the tender to supply our desks to the early childhood development (ECD) centres.

Where are you located and where do you get customers?

We are located in Majengo at the Kanu youth workshop. We get customers through leveraging of social media platforms and our website. Most of our customers are nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), junior secondary schools, corporate entitles and private schools. We also have a sales and marketing team that does direct sales. 

How much do you make in a good month?

For now we have not sold much as we are new to the market and trying to get new clients. We don’t have steady monthly income because we are still trying to streamline our processes and get steady and repetitive customers.

Any challenges so far?

Our biggest challenge so far is to convince schools to adopt eco-desks and overcome resistance to change.

Which specific skills, knowledge and experience do you need in making the kind of products at your workshop? Where did you get the skills and experience from? You need to understand the processes involved in collecting, shredding and recycling plastic wastes. You should also have skills in designing and assembling eco-desks. We got these skills and experience through the Mombasa plastic prize incubator programme.Our diverse career backgrounds have also played a role in the advancement of our company. 

Do you have plans of expanding to other counties? Yes. Our vision includes scaling operations to serve a broader market both locally and internationally and make a positive impact on the environment and education.

How much do you sell a desk?

Our products are priced competitively, ranging from Sh5500 to Sh6200.

Your parting shot?

Twendegreen is driven by a passion for sustainability and a commitment to providing quality educational furniture. Our journey has been marked by significant achievements and we are excited about the future. We believe in the power of innovation and collaboration to create a better world. We are dedicated to making a lasting impact through our work.