Rethinking plastic for a sustainable future

Challenge

Kaoplast addresses the major environmental challenge of plastic waste management in Senegal. The country faces a growing accumulation of plastic waste, much of which is not recycled, thereby contributing to environmental pollution.

Innovative solution

Kaoplast offers innovation on three levels:

Business model innovation: Kaoplast relies on a circular economy by reusing waste to produce flakes sold to local companies. In addition, production residues (plastic dust) are resold as fuel, maximising material utilisation.

• Product innovation: Kaoplast specialises in producing plastic flakes from recycled plastic waste. The company also plans to diversify its products by producing plastic pellets with a new extruder as part of its expansion project.

• Process innovation: The company has implemented a decentralised collection model based on a network of 300 local collectors. They work directly in major municipal dumps, performing an initial sorting of plastic waste by color and type. Once sorted, the plastics are gathered at various collection points and then transported to the company for processing. This system optimises recycling from the earliest stages, improving both the quality of collected materials and the overall efficiency of the process.
• Business model innovation: Kaoplast relies on a circular economy by reusing waste to produce flakes sold to local companies. In addition, production residues (plastic dust) are resold as fuel, maximising material utilisation.

Impact

• Income generation for 200 local collectors
• A 15% increase in collectors’ income
• Recycling of 1,450 tons of plastic waste over the project duration
• Reduction of 3,335 t CO₂eq/year in carbon emissions

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