Gjenge Pavers

We are addressing plastic pollution, which is a local and global challenge. Locally, in Nairobi, Kenya, communities are affected by environmental degradation caused by approximately 300 million tons of plastic waste generated yearly, with less than 10% being recycled. In Nairobi alone, over 2,400 tons of waste are generated daily, with plastic waste constituting around 20%, leading to pollution and public health issues. 

Our solution directly tackles these challenges by recycling plastic waste into durable, eco-friendly building materials. This innovative approach helps to mitigate the environmental impact of plastic pollution and also addresses the country's infrastructure challenge by providing affordable and durable paving blocks. While concrete pavers are normalized, people are unaware of the scale of the effects of cement production on the environment due to GHGs emitted. This is before considering the effects of the mining of raw materials.

In summary, we contribute to reducing the volume of unrecycled plastic, which is a significant factor in environmental pollution, while simultaneously offering a sustainable solution to the building sector. Our work directly impacts the communities we operate in by also providing sustainable decent  job. Generally, our model offers a scalable solution to the crises of waste, air pollution, and infrastructure, paving a pathway to sustainable waste management and economic empowerment.

Gjenge Pavers are made from an innovative process that transforms plastic waste into sustainable, durable building materials. We partner with industries and community based organizations, CBOs, to collect plastic waste, which is then crushed and mixed with sand at a 30/70 ratio. This mixture is heated and mixed then compressed, creating high-quality pavers.

The core technology behind our solution consists of; a plastic crusher, an extruder and a hydraulic press. The extruder melts the plastic waste, which is mixed with sand, ensuring the mixture achieves the desired consistency. The hydraulic press molds this mixture. Our unique process allows us to create building materials that are up to five times stronger than traditional concrete bricks, while being lighter and more flexible.

Our solution stands out not only for its environmental impact but also for its contribution to sustainable construction. We have currently paved more than 10000 square meters across the country. The materials we produce are cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and up to 5 times stronger than their concrete counterparts, which makes them suitable for a wide range of application, from homes to commercial spaces. 

Our solution serves multiple key groups :

1. Communities in Urban and Semi-Urban Areas: 

Particularly in Nairobi, Kenya, our solution directly impacts local communities dealing with the challenges of plastic waste pollution. These communities are often underserved in terms of waste management and infrastructure. We have currenty recycled more than 200 tons of plastic. By converting plastic waste into building materials, we are not only reducing pollution and associated health risks, but also provide them with more affordable, durable paving materials. We have served more than 60 city dwellers with our solution.

2. Waste Pickers and Informal Recyclers: 

This group is crucial in the waste management ecosystem, especially in developing countries, yet they are often marginalized and operate under poor conditions. Our solution offers them a consistent income stream and fair price for collected plastic waste, improving their income stability and working conditions. Last year alone, we collected more than 50 tons, creating jobs for more than 200 waste collectors.

3. Women and Youth: 

Our initiative provides employment opportunities in both the recycling process and the manufacturing of building materials. By focusing on hiring from these demographics, we directly impact their lives by offering equal opportunities, decent jobs, skill development, and economic empowerment. Women and youth are often the most affected by economic downturns and are also a demographic heavily involved in the informal waste collection sector. Our company has a female population of more than 40%, which is outstanding for a construction products company. 

4. Builders and Homeowners: 

They are currently underserved by the high cost and environmental impact of conventional building materials. Our building materials offer a cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternative for construction, reducing the overall carbon footprint of new buildings and making sustainable living accessible to more people. We have sold our solution to more than 70 clients since we began operations.

5. Government and Municipalities: 

Facing the challenges of waste management and sustainable urban development, our solution aids these entities by providing a scalable model for recycling that can be integrated into broader waste management and urban planning strategies, thus contributing to cleaner, more sustainable cities. We have worked on one project with the government, showing their commitment to innovative solutions to plastic waste

Our team is representative of the communities we aim to serve. Born and raised in Kenya, our founder, Nzambi's firsthand experience with the challenges of plastic waste and the need for sustainable development set the vision for Gjenge Makers. Our management team's composition mirrors the diversity of our community, with a huge representation of youth, over 90%, and women, over 40%, ensuring a wide spectrum of perspectives and experiences that advise our approach and solutions.

Our team's strength lies in our collective experience. Over 80% of our workforce reside in Nairobi Eastlands area, where waste management is virtually nonexistent and where Dandora dumpsite, the biggest dumpsite in East Africa is. We've experienced the problem firsthand and shared in the community's frustrations. We have constructed a materials recovery facility in Dandora dumpsite, and we use this to not only ease our logistics but to get closer to the community we are serving.

This close proximity has fostered a strong sense of trust and collaboration, enabling us to engage directly with community based organizations for waste pickers, and local businesses to understand their challenges from experience. Our solution's design and implementation are significantly influenced by ongoing dialogue with these stakeholders, ensuring that our approach is not only technically sound but also culturally resonant and socially inclusive.

We're constantly looking for ways to empower CBOs and currently we're looking at ways we can make CBOs and contract workers more involved in our production process, by hiring labor and skills. This will be under the G-PRO which is Gjenge's Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme. The scheme will partner manufacturers and recyclers to create a circular plastic value chain and create more incentive and fair compensation for waste pickers.

We selected the Growth stage because Gjenge Makers has established a scalable solution with proven impact in Kenya, showcasing a design and approach that's ready for expansion. Our accomplishments to date include:

1. Established Solution: We've developed and refined an innovative process for recycling plastic waste into durable, eco-friendly building materials. This solution has been consistently applied across various projects, demonstrating its effectiveness and adaptability to different community needs, businesses, individual, and government as well. We have paved more than 10000 square meters.

2. Community Impact: To date, Gjenge Makers has successfully recycled over 200 tons of plastic waste, producing building materials, directly contributing to cleaner communities and reducing the impact of plastic waste (SDG 12). 

3. Beneficiaries Served: Our products have reached a wide array of customers, including individual homeowners, businesses, and government entities, serving over 68 customers. We've indirectly supported the livelihoods of over 200 informal workers through decent jobs (SDG 8).

We are applying to Solve because we recognize it as a unique platform that can offer more than just funding—Solve's holistic ecosystem of support, collaboration, and innovation aligns with our growth objectives and mission. Our decision to apply is driven by several challenges we aim to overcome with Solve's support:

1. Technical Advancement: 

While we have established an effective process for recycling plastic waste into building materials, continuous improvement and innovation are vital to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance product quality. We are also ready to increase our products offering which means we'll need more molds and more advanced machines. Solve's network of technical experts and innovators can provide the guidance and collaborations needed to refine our technology and explore new applications for our idea.

2. Scaling and Market Expansion: 

Our goal is to expand our impact by entering new markets and communities, both within Kenya, in Africa, and the rest of the world. Solve can assist in overcoming market entry barriers by connecting us with partners, mentors, and potential customers in these new markets. We are also looking at franchising as a means to increase our impact in different regions worldwide. This network can also offer insights into local regulations, cultural nuances, and market dynamics, facilitating smoother and more effective expansion. 

3. Legal and Regulatory Navigation: 

As we expand, navigating the legal and regulatory landscapes of new regions can be daunting. We need guidance with both local and foreign policies on environmental requirements for operation in new countries. This will help with support to ensure compliance and mitigate risks.

4. Sustainability and Impact Measurement: 

To ensure the long-term sustainability of our solution, we seek to refine our impact measurement and sustainability practices. Solve's ecosystem offers access to partners and tools that can help us better measure our externalities, social return on investment, and overall sustainability, enabling us to communicate our value more effectively to stakeholders. This also includes the technical aspect of our impact, since we are always looking at ways to reduce our negative impacts, e.g. GHG emissions (scope 1, 2, 3) reduce non-renewable energy, improve our product's lifecycle, etc.

1. Material Innovation: 

Our process transforms plastic waste into high-quality, durable building materials. By combining plastic waste with sand, we create pavers that are stronger, lighter, and more versatile than conventional materials. Our tests show that our light duty paver is up to 3 times stronger than concrete while our heavy duty is up to 3 times stronger. 

2. Environmental Impact: Our solution directly addresses the environmental crisis of plastic pollution by repurposing plastic waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or oceans. We have not only removed more than 200 tons from the environment, but also reduced the demand for cement and concrete, contributing to a decrease in overall carbon emissions.

3. Economic Empowerment: By sourcing waste materials from local communities and engaging them in the production process, our solution creates economic opportunities for waste pickers, women, and youth. Last year alone, we created more than 250 jobs for informal waste pickers. 

4. Scalability and Replicability: Our solution's design allows for scalability and replicability across different regions and contexts. The simplicity of the technology and the presence of the waste problem it addresses make it possible to implement our solution in various geographic locations. We are currently in the finalization process of getting the rights for our Intellectual Property. We already have communities in Cameroon, Egypt, and Spain looking to collaborate with us on a franchising framework.

5. Market Transformation: Our solution has the potential to transform the construction market. It challenges the status quo of building practices, encouraging the industry to adopt more sustainable, eco-friendly materials. Out of the more than 60 B2C clients we've had, more than 70% have been referrals, which shows the satisfaction level for our customers. 

Our theory of change is grounded in the transformation of plastic waste into sustainable building materials, aiming to address both environmental degradation and the infrastructure crisis. 

Activities:
- Collection and Recycling of Plastic Waste: We partner with local communities, waste pickers, and recycling centers to collect plastic waste all under an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) arrangement. Currently, we have partnered with CBOs granting us a workforce of more than 200 waste collectors. We project this number to increase to more than 1000 when the EPR Act is enforced.
- Production of Building Materials: We process the collected plastic waste and sand into durable, eco-friendly pavers and tiles. We've made more than 40000 pavers since we began.
- Community Engagement and Education: We conduct workshops and awareness campaigns to educate the community about sustainable waste management and recycling practices. Our social media handles have more than 40000 followers in total, FB, IG, X, Tiktok, and Threads. Most of our content is centered on recycling and sustainable building.

Outputs:
- Reduced Plastic Waste: Our activities directly lead to a significant reduction in plastic waste, having done more than 200 tons at the end of 2023.
- Increased Access to Affordable Building Materials: By producing cost-effective, sustainable building materials, we provide builders and homeowners with alternatives at similar market rates to concrete pavers.
- Empowered Local Communities: Through job creation and education, we empower local communities, particularly waste pickers; women and youth, improving the livelihoods of more than 250 workers last year alone.

Outcomes:
- Stimulated Economic Growth: The creation of new jobs particularly in underprivileged areas. We are projecting more than 1000 jobs created with the implementation of the EPR scheme.
- Enhanced Sustainability Awareness: Our community engagement efforts lead to increased awareness and adoption of sustainable practices, fostering a culture of environmental stewardship. Our mandate as a PRO. (GPRO), is also to create consumer awareness about their role in plastic waste management. We will have more than 40,000 people educated online in addition to our physical workshop visits and speaking engagements.

- Improved Environmental Health: The reduction in plastic waste contributes to cleaner, healthier environments, reducing the risk of pollution-related health issues. We are on our way to 100 tons of recycled plastic waste this year.

Long-term Impact:
- Sustainable Urban Development: In the long term, our solution contributes to the development of more sustainable, resilient urban areas, where affordable housing is built with eco-friendly materials, and communities are actively engaged in waste management.
- Market Transformation: We envision a shift in the construction and waste management industries towards more sustainable practices, influenced by the demonstrated viability and benefits of recycling plastic waste into building materials.

Evidence to Support:
- Data from our initial projects show reduction in plastic waste and an increase in affordable paving materials available to builders. By extrapolating, our projections based on this data shows an increase of jobs, building materials, and more reduced waste.
- Interviews with our stakeholders have validated the demand for both job opportunities in recycling and sustainable building materials.

Environmental Impact: 

W aims to reduce plastic waste by recycling it into building materials, thereby mitigating environmental pollution and promoting sustainable resource use. The company has recycled more than 200 tonnes of plastic waste into paving bricks since its inception. This effort aligns with SDG 12, focusing on responsible consumption and production patterns.

Economic and Social Impact: By creating job opportunities for the local community, including garbage collectors, women, and youth groups, Gjenge Makers contributes to SDG 8. We have created over 200 jobs last year alone, fostering decent work and economic growth in the region. Furthermore, the company’s commitment to gender equality (SDG 5) is evident as we employ a significant number of women, providing them with decent employment opportunities in a sector where they are often underrepresented.

Innovation and Infrastructure: Our company’s innovative use of recycled plastics to produce stronger, lighter, and cheaper construction materials addresses SDG 9. This initiative not only introduces new materials to the construction industry but also encourages the adoption of innovative and sustainable techniques (WIPO).

Measurement of Progress: We measures its impact through the volume of plastic waste recycled, the number of sustainable products created, and the jobs generated through its operations. 

Ours is a combination of Modern and Traditional Technologies: Our company has developed a method to convert plastic waste, a modern-day pollution problem, into durable construction materials like paving bricks, which are traditional construction materials.

Application of Science and Engineering: The process involves mixing and heating recycled plastics with sand under high heat to produce polymer concrete. This concrete is then molded into various forms for use in construction. This innovative approach uses three machines, the crusher, the extruder, and the hydraulic press. We also have a water pumped cooling bath in the system. We custom built these machines through trial and error and we continuously iterate and develop them according to changes in technology and our needs, for instance, our extruders are IoT enabled and we can monitor heat and emissions which help in our reporting. 

Full-time staff - 27 (As of March 2024)

Part-time staff - 0

Contractors/Temporary jobs - 223 (For the year 2023)

Starting our operations in 2019, we have been in operation for five years, this year being our sixth year in operation.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are at the core of our organizational philosophy and reflect in every aspect of our operations, from team composition to leadership decisions. 

Diversity in Leadership:
Our leadership team comprises of individuals of different genders, ethnicities, and professional backgrounds. Our founder is a woman and we have 3 women as supervisors for our teams, we have four production teams. This diversity fosters a culture of creativity and innovation, enabling us to approach challenges from multiple angles and develop more comprehensive solutions.

Goals for Enhancing DEI:
We are continuously working towards becoming even more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Our goals include:
- Increasing representation from underrepresented groups in all company levels, especially in leadership positions. Currently, our management team has members who are all less than 35 years old.
- Enhancing our recruitment and retention strategies to ensure they are inclusive and equitable. For our permanent employees, we have 41% of our workforce being women, and our average age is 24 years. We are targeting 50% gender balance, with the same average age.

Actions Taken:
To achieve our DEI goals, we have implemented several initiatives:

- Inclusive Hiring Practices: We utilize equitable recruitment processes that aim to minimize unconscious bias, ensuring a wide range of candidates have the opportunity to join our team.

- Safe and Supportive Environment: We foster a culture where open dialogue is encouraged, and all voices are heard. We have weekly team meetings and feedback sessions ensure that issues are addressed promptly and effectively.
- Community Engagement: Our projects and initiatives aim to have a positive impact on diverse communities, reinforcing our commitment to social equity and environmental sustainability.

For Gjenge Makers, the social business model can be detailed as follows:

Key Resources
- Recycled plastic waste as a binding agent
- Sand as the strengthening agent
- Machinery for production (plastic crusher, extruder, and hydraulic press)
- Skilled labor force
- Partnerships with waste collection agencies and plastic production companies

Key Activities

- Collection and processing of plastic waste
- Manufacturing of pavers from recycled plastic
- Quality control and product testing
- Marketing and sales
- Community engagement and education initiatives

Type of Intervention

- A product-based intervention: eco-friendly building pavers made from recycled plastics.

Segments
- Beneficiary: Local communities and the environment benefit from waste reduction.
- Customer: Construction companies, municipalities, and individual homeowners looking for sustainable building materials.

Value Proposition
- User Value Proposition: Providing a sustainable solution to plastic waste management and contributing to greener construction practices.
- Impact Measures: Volume of plastic waste recycled, number of sustainable jobs created, square meters paved using our products.
- Customer Value Proposition: Durable, eco-friendly, and cost-effective alternative to conventional building materials.

Channels
- Direct sales to builders and contractors
- Partnerships with government for urban development projects
- Online marketing and sales platforms
- Community workshops and direct engagement

Cost Structure
- Raw materials procurement (plastic waste and sand)
- Manufacturing and operational expenses (e.g. maintenance)
- Marketing and distribution costs
- Research and development

Surplus
- Reinvested into expanding manufacturing capabilities
- Development of new sustainable products

Revenue

- Sales of eco-friendly pavers to construction companies and direct consumers
- Potential franchising of manufacturing process to other regions
- Government contracts for sustainable urban development projects

- Education and workshop visits.

Gjenge Makers’ financial sustainability plan is built on diversifying revenue streams while ensuring alignment with our core mission of environmental sustainability. Here’s our multifaceted approach:

Sales of Recycled Pavers: The primary source of income is from the sales of our recycled plastic pavers to construction companies, government projects, and individual consumers seeking sustainable building solutions.

Service Contracts: We actively seek service contracts with local governments and municipalities to install the pavers, leveraging our eco-friendly products for public infrastructures such as sidewalks and community spaces.

Partnerships: Strategic partnerships with environmental organizations and waste management companies ensure a steady supply of raw materials and potential co-funding opportunities for recycling initiatives. This will be enabled by our EPR scheme.

Grants and Donations: We apply for grants focused on environmental impact and sustainable development, targeting both international and local organizations. These grants often support research, development, machine fabrication, and partnerships to provide fairer wages to recyclers.

Investment Capital: To scale our operations, we pursue investment from impact investors who are interested in environmental ventures, offering them a stake in the company for capital investment.

Evidence of Success:
- Revenue Generation: To date, Gjenge Makers has sold over 10,000 square meters of pavers, demonstrating market demand.
- Grants Received: We have been awarded grants from environmental foundations, including Spheres of Change, Impacc, CFYE, supporting our initial setup and expansion.
- Government Contracts: Secured contracts with the Ministry of Transport, for a project in Jogoo Road in Nairobi, for supplying and installing Gjenge pavers.

Our financial approach has been validated by our growing sales, successful grant applications, and investments received, indicating a clear path towards long-term financial sustainability. By balancing these revenue streams, Gjenge Makers aims to continue expanding its impact while maintaining financial health.