By Kabahukya Hellen
For Seven years, John Mary Kavuuma has tried to solve the plastic waste problem in Uganda by recycling plastic into construction materials. In Mpigi district, stands a community of houses built from plastic materials, and fashionable fabrics blended with plastic waste.
A double storey made out of plastic bottles at Social Innovation Academy-Mpigi.
On any construction site there are materials that will remain as debris due to architectural restraints, the same happens even in plastic house construction. Many of the plastics are either unusable or they are cut off to make the perfect design.
“The plastic waste brought at the site is for building houses, however much of it cannot be recycled, so we turn it into different types of fuel,” he says.
As has been his practice, Kavuuma has moved a step ahead to recycle the plastic debris into valuable fuel, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and domestic gas for homes in Uganda.
Kavuuma received five poly fuel processors through a partnership with Empowered Solutions for Environmental Sustainability (ESES). This innovative approach helps to tackle plastic waste while also providing an alternative energy source.
“As a climate change activist, I am always looking for ways into what else plastic waste could be used for. A partnership with Empowered Solutions for Environmental Sustainability (ESES) provided an opportunity to further my cause of fighting against plastic waste.”
John Mary Kavuuma- Founder Upcycle Africa
The plastic waste problem in Uganda has been exacerbated by the increasing consumption of soft drinks and mineral water packaged in plastic bottles. Big beverage companies like Coca-Cola, Riham, Crown beverages and many other bottling companies have been transitioning from glass bottles to plastic, leading to a surge in plastic pollution.
Uganda imports 8.6 million pieces of pre-form PET bottles per day. Globally, 438 million tons of new plastic are produced every year with only a meager ten percent (10%) being recycled, according to the United Nations Development Programme.
Reports from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) of the 600 tonnes produced every day throughout the country. Only 40% of this waste is collected and disposed of properly, the remaining 60% finds its way into the environment leading to a number of problems.
“51% of the plastic garbage in the city is not collected and ends up in drainage channels, wetlands, natural watercourses, manholes, undeveloped plots, and on the roadside.” Dr. Barirega Akankwasah the Executive Director of NEMA noted.
Plastic Waste Management in Uganda. (Data Viz)
Plastics play an important part in all aspects in the day to day lives of people. Their favorable characteristics have prompted applications in a wide range of fields due to their low cost and adaptability. Disposable plastics are frequently utilized in supermarkets, parties, hotels, and packaging. The affordability and durability of plastics, coupled with their resistance to biodegradation, contribute to their extensive use and persistence in the environment.
Improper disposal practices worsen the situation, with plastic garbage being visible everywhere, blocking drainage systems during the rainy season, and creating mountains of waste in dumpsites.
Piles of Plastic at Namboole Stadium along the Railway Channel.
The uncollected plastic waste in Uganda amounts to approximately 9.948 tons annually, as reported by a study conducted under the GKMA PET Plastic Recycling Partnership. The Ministry of Water and Environment acknowledges the disastrous impact of plastic waste in both urban and rural areas.
In an effort to address the plastic waste challenge, the Uganda Plastic Manufacturers and Recyclers Association (UPMRA) advocates for the enforcement of the National Environment Act 2019.
“This act aims to conserve the environment through effective plastic waste management and impose penalties, such as a 10 million shillings fine, on corporate companies that contribute to plastic waste pollution,” UPMRA spokesman Moses Ategeka
He adds that the full implementation of the act has been lacking, and no prosecutions have taken place under its provisions thus far.
Is recycling a viable solution?
An employee breaking down plastic for recycling at Social Innovation Academy-Mpigi.
Recycling plastic waste is often seen as a solution, but the reality is more complex due to various factors. While plastic is technically recyclable, plastic needs to be sorted, transported to recycling facilities, and undergo a complex recycling process. Moreover, the additives present in most plastic products, such as dyes, colorants, fillers, UV light protectants, flame retardants, and plasticizers, make recycling even more difficult. These additives, while enhancing plastic’s performance, complicate the reuse of recycled materials from post-consumer plastic in manufacturing processes.
These challenges are more pronounced in developing countries like Uganda, where limited infrastructure makes collection, sorting, and recycling nearly impossible. Improperly managed garbage dumps like the Kiteezi landfill offer little improvement over directly dumping plastic waste into ditches, as lightweight plastic items can easily be swept away by wind and rain, ending up in waterways.
“We need a multifaceted approach that establishes efficient waste collection systems that prioritize proper separation and disposal of plastic waste,” UPMRA spokesman Moses Ategeka advised.
Could Turning Plastic into Biofuel Be the Answer?
John Kavuuma collects fuel into a plastic bottle. Find more here
Immediate solutions are necessary that are affordable, user-friendly, safe, and durable. One viable solution is converting plastic waste into fuel oil, which can be utilized in diesel engines, kerosene lamps, and cookstoves.
John Kavuuma in partnership with a research team at the University of Kentucky and Engineers for Sustainable Energy Solutions (ESES), has incorporated the Trash-to-Tank processor in his plastic recycling.
The low-cost and easy-to-operate unit is designed to convert plastics into fuel oil. Specifically, it can process Type 2 (High-Density Polyethylene), Type 4 (Low-Density Polyethylene), and Type 5 (Polypropylene) plastics commonly found in shopping bags, bottle caps, food storage containers, and plastic furniture.
“This conversion process breaks down the plastic completely, permanently removing it from the environment” Kavuuma explains “We put plastic waste into the Polyfuel processor and that’s where the pyrolysis process takes place and fuel is produced. So, depending on the heat, you can get different products of fuel, “he adds.
While the chemistry behind this process has been well established, developing a simple and low-cost process suitable for the developing world poses a challenge.
Image detailing the process of a single-unit polyfuel processor source;Poly-Processor
Kavuuma’s processor uses high temperatures between 250 and 900 degrees Celcius to heat plastics in the absence of oxygen to produce liquid. The process, called pyrolysis, generates liquid fuel such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and domestic gas.
Since he is a renowned plastic recycler, the community collects plastic waste from all over and brings them to the organization.
“We are well known here in the community, so people bring plastic to us at a small fee.” Kavuuma says.
The project is currently being trialed in Mpigi district and unlike other people that have previously done this same project, Kavuuma strictly uses electricity, and the reactor is fashioned in a way that prevents any carbon dioxide from escaping during the pyrolysis
The two-hour process is quite simple, the processor has to be tightly sealed. For those that use reactor drums aluminum foil paper is used to help shut off any hole that will allow in oxygen, which in turn will react with hydrogen to produce water. However, the Polyfuel processor is mechanized and only needs to be bolted with a thermometer that helps to measure the heat during the process.
Turning plastic to fuel dates back to many years ago in Uganda. For the last five years research has been made on using firewood based reactors to convert the plastic to fuel. Kavuuma, has recently joined the initiative with his reactor depending solely on electricity.
“Many use firewood, but that contributes to carbon footprint, so we use electricity and leave the plastic to boil to up to 300°C, during which the plastic will be broken into compounds of carbon and hydrogen, hence producing a vapor that is cooled down into fuel.” Lukyamuzi Didas, an employee with Upcycle explains.
A Polyfuel processor at the site of Empowered Solutions for Environmental Sustainability (Photo Courtesy E.S.E.S)
He further adds that the temperature is automated at the beginning of the process to determine the fuel needed.
“If you want kerosene, the temperature must be moderate and higher if you are going for diesel which is heavier than petroleum and kerosene”, He adds.
Albeit being a very resourceful venture, plastic fuel still has a long way to go. The production of fuel still remains on the low and still cannot match with the production of fuel by oil companies. The users still struggle to access outside the area of production making refills hard to reach.
“My challenge is, it’s not accessible, I have to buy it at the site, there are no vendors to sell it to us like how you see Shell.” Nakalyowa Justin, a kerosene user.
The development of such innovative and accessible solutions, like the Trash-to-Fuel processor, holds promise in addressing the immediate challenges of plastic waste accumulation. By converting plastic waste into fuel oil, this solution offers a way to permanently remove plastic from the environment while providing an alternative energy source.
However, broader efforts are still required to reduce plastic consumption, improve waste management infrastructure, and promote sustainable alternatives to tackle the plastic waste problem effectively.