Global Impact – September 2026

45% less plastic collected and recycled than the previous month:
7 tonnes, equivalent to 963,000 plastic bottles and sachets

26% fewer meals enabled than the previous month:
1,417 meals

The reason for the lower figures: The monsoon stopped our plastic-for-meals events in Mumbai. Nevertheless, a lot has been happening: Things are looking better than ever in our search for a plot of land for our own recycling plant in Ghana. In Nicaragua, we have started a new project with a women’s cooperative. And in India, more and more schools want a collection container, but funding remains a challenge.

Ghana
For exactly one year, our team in Ghana has been looking for a plot of land for our larger recycling plant, and time and again, a plot that looked promising turned out to be unsuitable. Now things are looking better than ever. 15 out of 16 requirements are met for this piece of land, and we are currently waiting for the final confirmation. In addition, Rory Dickens, CEO of Sustainable Design Studio, our team for a five-day technical workshop in Ghana. During the workshop, our team learned how to operate our new recycling machines and make products such as combs and sunglasses from recycled plastic.

India
A video about our work in India went viral: 4.8 million views and over 550,000 likes and 15,000 comments on Instagram. Since then, even more schools have expressed interest in a collection container. In September, we installed 10 new ones, giving another 15,000 students access to recycling. However, funding the containers remains a challenge. If you have an idea of how we could fund the containers, or have contacts with potential partners, please get in touch!

Nicaragua
In September, we officially launched a new project with the Las Tejedoras women’s cooperative. The women transform collected plastic bags into unique products such as bags, rugs, and artworks. We support them not only in production but also in developing sales channels and marketing their products. In this way, we specifically promote women’s entrepreneurship and enable them to earn their own income. The project is funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.

Switzerland
Our sponsor run on September 28 was a great success: together, we raised almost CHF 10,000 in donations. Thank you to everyone who ran, cheered, or donated. And our golf tournament was also a great success! We are already looking forward to the next edition on June 4, 2027. If you would like to take part, you can register here.

In addition, Shakti Yadav, our co-founder and Country Manager from India, is currently visiting us in Zurich. The Plant for the Planet invited him to their Youth Summit in Frankfurt and paid for his flight from Mumbai. Shakti will be in Zurich until October 22. If you would like to meet him in person and learn more about our work in India, please let us know.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please feel free to contact me anytime.

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Warm regards,
Anna & the whole team

Buy Food with Plastic®

PS: Here are a few more highlights 📸

During the workshop with Sustainable Design Studio, our team in Elmina learned how to use the injection molding machine to make new products, see the hair combs on the top right.

Marked in red: the plot of land in Elmina where we want to build our recycling plant. It is around 10,000 m² and 15 out of 16 requirements for the purchase have already been met. Here is the link to the exact location.

Shakti Yadav with children from Mumbai: The video was shared over 170,000 times and received 576,000 likes.

The women of Las Tejedoras in El Astillero, Nicaragua, with their bags handmade from old plastic bags.