Kenya: The country generates a lot of electronic waste, which help create an eyesore in terms of environmental degradation.

But for Alex Mativo, a student at the University of Nairobi, this waste is as good as gold because he has discovered how to turn it into cash.

Mativo, 20, a third-year computer science student, transforms the waste into innovative products through his E-lab project, which aims to eradicate electronic waste in Kenya and Africa.

“At E-lab, we use art as a platform for this initiative; we look at different ways to transform the hazardous waste into innovative products, which include art pieces and sculptures for the art industry,” he told Wednesday Life in an interview.

The rapid growth in the use of mobile phones and other electronics has presented e-waste as a serious problem in the country.

Mativo and his co-founder Simon Mumo, who is studying architecture at the same university, spend ten hours a week at their Athi River studio creating art pieces and sculptures from electronic waste.

Mativo says the rubber and recycled plastic found in electronic devices are used to make jewellery and shoes. The shoes can be used to fight jiggers in rural Kenya.

“Copper and any other metal is channelled to the ‘jua kali’ industry, our local artisan industry, to produce metal money boxes that E-lab aims to use in a campaign to sensitise young entrepreneurs on saving money,” he explains.

Through the innovation, he says, the environment will be clean and residents will be safe from diseases like cancer, which has been associated with e-waste. It will also curb unemployment, a major challenge in Kenya and Africa.

Mativo says the idea struck him in August 2013 when he came across reckless dumping of electronic waste in his community.

“I am passionate about art, which has always been my way of expressing myself fully to my peers and anyone else since it is a language without barriers. When I came across a huge problem; a nuisance in my community where people were dumping electronic waste that was non-biodegradable and hazardous, my love for art pushed me to do something about it. E-lab was born,” he says. Responsible e-waste disposal has been his duty in addition to involving the community. E-lab has an e-waste collection venture that involves a door to door system.

They have strategically placed e-bins in households and institutions. Dump sites also provide material for their work as well as local entrepreneurs who deal in repairing electronic equipment.

They clean up the waste with appropriate chemicals and carefully extract the components found in the obsolete electronic devices.

“We have two design teams; one works on design and production of jewellery using capacitors, copper wires, chips and circuit boards. The other team works on diverse artwork including sculptures made exclusively from e-waste, and functional objects such as key holders.”

Mativo says the finished products are then marketed on social media platforms and delivered to clients who place orders.

Consequently, the innovative solution of making art, fashion items and other products out of e-waste will create numerous opportunities in the art, fashion and local industrial artisan trade.

For their efforts, E-lab was featured among the top 50 most innovative start-ups in the world during the Global Entrepreneurship Week in 2013.

Business
Premium Burdened Kenyans walk into Easter weekend broke
By Brian Ngugi 57 mins ago
Business
Premium Looming crisis as top lenders stare at Sh500b in bad loans
Business
Premium Water PS Korir put on the spot over Sh14m dam land
Business
Premium Ruto's food security hopes facing storm amid fake fertiliser scam