A Laikipia environmental crusader has started recycling face masks, carrier bags and plastic bottles wastes into cabros.
Speaking to KNA at Nanyuki dump site, Francis Thuti said that during the Covid-19 period there was a lot of environmental pollution from masks and he wanted to find a solution to the menace, thus the idea of coming up with the concept.
“During this Covid-19 time there are a lot of face masks lying all over. People are saying the masks are driven by floods into our rivers. We can stop that by doing something to the masks,” Thuti said.
“I heard people say they cannot be recycled and there is nothing that can be done about it. So, I did research on them and they can be recycled. I have recycled them,” he added.
Thuti stated that after heating them at a temperature of 360 to 420 degrees Celsius he was able to melt and merge them with plastic bottles, cullet and carrier bags, a mixture he uses to make cabros.
“I got a small plant that I have started crushing the glass bottles because they are lying all over. They are not very nice to the environment. I collected all sorts of plastics, face masks that are not recyclable in our facilities in Nairobi and left to rot in the landfill,” said Thuti.
“I heat them to a temperature of 360 to 420 degrees, then condense them into very nice Cabros,” added the environmental crusader.
Thuti further stated that his concept is targeting to create a conducive environment, free from environmental hazards that has created panic around the world.
“Basically, what we are doing is that we have brought a concept of zero waste, nothing like waste, everything can be turned into raw materials that can be recycled and go back to our people in a better form. We are writing history by cleaning the environment entirely. This will be a win-win to the environment. As we clean it, we too construct roads by use of Cabros,” he posed.
He said his cabros products have been tested by the State Department of Infrastructure Material Testing and Research, Nyeri office.
“This cabros have been tested at government facilities in Nyeri. They have come up with a comprehensive strength of 16.8 kilo newton per metre cube,” he said.
He is now appealing to government and research institutions to help him with research funds.
“I am appealing to the government to support us with funds and technical back up on research. With the little resource I have, I developed the prototype that you see here. If our university students who are doing environmental science can bring in their expertise, we will go far as a country,” he appealed.
According to Thuti, when he starts mass production of cabros, he will employ at least 200 people.
“We will need a lot of people who will be sorting out the wastes, collecting and bringing them here. We are going to come into mass production and the project will employ 200 people at every dump site, as we expand to other counties across the country,” he said.
By Muturi Mwangi
