SOS Addis Projects
Plastic Waste Collection & Recycling Project
Overview
SOS Addis trains and organizes financially disadvantaged women as collectors of waste plastics (especially flimsy plastic bags) from the streets of Addis Ababa. These waste plastics are sold to Oxford Polyethylene PLC (plastic manufacturer) or a private enterprise owned by an Ethiopian inventor, Mr. Dawit Bekele (Addis Raye Waste Recycling and Disposal Project) for recycling at 1.50 Birr/kg (0.16 USD/kg). Since plastic wastes are abundant in Addis Ababa, one collector can collect around 500kg of plastic waste in one month! Sales of the waste plastics are used to cover the wages and equipments (such as gowns and masks) required for collection.
Oxford Polyethylene recycles the waste plastics to produce pellets of plastics which can be used to produce other plastic products; the machine invented by Mr. Dawit Bekele safely melts and molds the waste plastics to produce different products such as computer desk and a photo frame.
See pictures from plastic waste collectors' training
Funded by
- Private donations and SOS Addis membership fee
- Sales of waste plastics to Oxford Polyethylene PLC and Addis Raye Waste Recycling and Disposal Project.
If you are interested in funding this project, please contact SOS Addis Office to obtain the project proposal.
Achievements
- Collected 83,850kg of plastic waste for recycling between the years 2006-2007, earning 117,415 Birr (12,491USD).
- Job opportunity for 80+ financially disadvantaged women as collectors of plastic waste from streets
Challenges
- Currently, the project is totally dependent on the capability and willingness of the receivers of waste plastics, over which SOS Addis does not have direct control. Due to this situation, the project had to be completely stopped between Q3 2007 to Q2 2008.
- The biggest challenge is to find a way to make this project sustainable.
Future Plans
As explained in "Challenges" above, it is crucial to increase the sustainability of this project by attaining reliable capability to recycle the waste plastics. SOS Addis tries to work towards this by following means:
- To strengthen the partnership with Oxford Polyethylene PLC and Addis Raye Waste Recycling and Disposal Project to realize continuous recycling of waste plastics.
- To obtain a recycling machine which is owned by the organization, or which can be operated exclusively for the organization. (Aiming to start full operation by Q1 2011).
- To increase the amount of plastic waste to be recycled (after ensuring the sustainability of the recycling activity)
- Expand the collection activity to all sub cities of Addis Ababa by Q4 2013.
- Set up 5 collection points at different organizations by Q4 2011.
- Support the formation of recycling cooperatives by the beneficiaries. (Target: To form the cooperatives by Q1 2012)
- Conduct research to incorporate new ways of effectively utilizing the waste plastics. (Target: To conduct once research programme per year starting from the year 2010.)
How You Can Help This Project
Back to top- Are you a plastic manufacturer in Ethiopia? Then please receive our plastic waste for recycling!! You don't have to be based in Addis Ababa.
- Does your organization produce a lot of waste plastic bottles? Or other plastic packages? Then become a recycling partner to provide us with plastic waste for recycling!
Download the proposal for "Recycling Partners"
- Make donations for this project! Small money can help us a lot! Here are some project costs:
USD 5.00 |
buys 10 plastic gloves; we need 1000 gloves per year |
USD 7.00 |
buys 10 masks; we need 510 gloves per year |
USD 10.00 |
buys one wheelbarrow; we need 25 per year |
USD 15.00 |
buys a fork and a spade; we need 25 of each per year |
USD 30.00 |
buys one plastic barrel; we need 20 per year |
USD 25.00 |
trains one trainer; we plan to train 30 TOTs per year |
Please send your donations to the bank account of SOS Addis.
Eco-friendly Bag Project
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Overview
In an attempt to encourage the public to refuse the plastic bags, SOS Addis has launched a project to train financially disadvantaged women in sewing and weaving to produce eco-friendly bags. These bags are to be sold at supermarkets as alternatives to flimsy plastic bags. By creating eco-friendly bags with various messages against flimsy plastic bags, SOS Addis hopes that bearers of our eco-friendly bags will not only help reduce the usage of flimsy plastic bags, but also act as an "awareness raising medium" to even wider public.
Funded by
- African Women's Development Fund
- Austrian Embassy
- Sales of the eco-friendly bags
Achievements
- Trained 11 women in sewing and weaving.
- Sold 431 bags, earning 5,312 Birr between January 2006 to June 2008.
Challenges
- Currently our production cost is too high, so we are only able to sell the bags to people with higher income. This situation must be changed, so that the alternative to plastic bags will be available to wider public.
Future Plan
- In order to achieve our goal, we must make these eco-friendly bags widely available to the general public as an attractive alternative to flimsy plastic bags. For that purpose, SOS Addis will try to strengthen our production capability and distribution channels, while partnering with sponsors to lower the price of the bags.
- Production Capability: Attain the capability to produce 800 bags/month by Q2 2009, and 3000 bags/month by Q4 2011. Currently, SOS Addis only has the capability to sew, weave, and to embroider the bags; with the support from Austrian Embassy, SOS Addis will also attain the capability to print. This will allow us to mass produce bags with custom messages.
- Distribution Channels: Distribute the bags in 3 supermarkets by Q4 2009, and in 10 supermarkets by Q4 2011.
- Price of the Bags: Partner with sponsors who could cover the cost of the bag, so that by Q4 2009, more than 50% of the bags can be sold at less than 10 Birr.
- Support the formation of eco-friendly bag sales cooperative by the beneficiaries (target to form the cooperative by Q1 2012).
How You Can Help This Project
- Are you a supermarket in Ethiopia? Then please volunteer to sell our bags near the cashier, to promote people to use our bags instead of those flimsy plastic bags! This will also help you save the money you spend on the flimsy plastic bags!
- Interested in contributing to our project while promoting your company? Then please cover part of the production cost of the bags in tern for an advertisement on the bag. This will allow us to distribute the bags cheaper to wider population! We will print your company's logo on the bags that you sponsor. The minimum quantity is 200 bags at 10 Birr/bag.
- Are you living in Ethiopia with unused sewing machine? Then, please consider donating it to SOS Addis, so that our beneficiaries can produce more bags! (Non electronic ones are preferable, since they can work in a place where there is no electricity.)
- Make donations for this project! Although the project itself is funded by the grants, your donations will help us expand this project! Here are some project costs:
USD 21.00 |
buys one iron |
USD 213.00 |
buys 1 sewing machine |
USD 105.00 |
trains one sewing trainee |
USD 316.00 |
trains one weaving trainee |
USD 1021.00 |
rents a training/production space for one year |
Please send your donations to the bank account of SOS Addis.
If you are willing to help us in these projects, please contact us at the SOS Addis Office.
