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Plastic infrastructure & self-portability
Expansion of the proven plastics infrastructure
In November 2021, we and our local team set up the very first plastic upcyclingfactory in the small fishing village of El Astillero in Nicaragua. There, plastic waste (HDPE & PP) is now recycled into new products every day. This initiative has created a sustainable cycle as the products are reintroduced into the production chain. However, the capacity of factory in El Astillero is already reaching its limits. In order to save larger quantities of plastic from the environment in the future and to be able to close the cycle completely, it is necessary to build an additional, larger factory in the capital Managua .
Both plants are to function independently in the long term and create more employment opportunities for the local population. For the expansion of factory we need additional equipment for the cleaning of the plastic and the production of new products. With the expansion, we want to create 25 full-time and 48 part-time jobs to improve the economic situation of the employees.
In addition, we are establishing 18 new plastic collection points in the communities where we operate. This motivates residents to dispose of plastic bottles even without an incentive. We have already had good initial experiences and would now like to expand the infrastructure further. By setting up collection points and expanding our infrastructure, we can also strengthen the independence of the communities concerned.
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Community Events
Distribute meals, collect plastic bottles & raise awareness
With our Buy Food withPlastic project, we have set ourselves the goal of holding community events in 10 communities in the Tola region of Nicaragua by the end of 2025, at which the local population can pay for a hot meal with 20 plastic bottles . A total of 54 events are planned by 2025, at which more than 10,000 meals will be served to people who otherwise have little access to food. At the community events, the approximately 25,500 participants will also be educated about the effects of plastic waste. At the regular community events, we will be able to collect around 216,000 plastic bottles by the end of 2025.
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Acute assistance in the event of natural disasters
But it's not just at our events that we want to provide food to families in need; we also provide emergency aid in the event of natural disasters. During local hurricanes, for example, local communities are often cut off from the outside world. During the last hurricane in October 2022, for example, our local team was able to provide more than 1,800 meals in the form of food parcels. We intend to continue providing this emergency aid in the future.
