Taking advantage of being nearby, I spontaneously took another matatu to Malindi before going back to Mombasa to see how Regeneration Africa are producing fencing posts and paving tiles out of recycled plastic.

To begin with, they buy plastics by the kilo from the local wastepickers, which are sorted and washed in the factory, and then crushed in a shredder.

A mixture of sand and shredded plastic is then heated up in an extruder and the viscous mass is filled into moulds. Wait for it to cool - and you have a finished fencing post!

To achieve a more homogeneous surface, the products are painted as a last step, though I kind of like the untreated outcome as well.

Being cheaper than concrete or metal posts as well as resistant to termites, strong and sustainable, the recycled posts are a very convenient alternative, helping the environment through reducing solid waste and deforestation on top!

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