200-metre long board-walk made out of recycled plastic launched in Gazi, Kwale County

KEFRI Director, Dr Joshua Cheboiwo officially hands over the refurbished mangrove boardwalk to Gazi Eco-tourism Ventures Women's Group. Flanking him is Head of Sustainability and Responsible Business Partnerships, Absa Bank Kenya, Jane Waiyaki-Maina and Ecopost Limited’s Stephen Musyoka. Looking on is Base Titanium Environmental Programmes Superitendent, Micah Muema. [Courtesy]

By now you must be aware that of all trash, plastic trash has the greatest potential to harm the environment, wildlife and humans. This debris harms physical habitats, transports chemical pollutants, threatens aquatic life, and interferes with human uses of river, marine and coastal environments. But how would you dispose of three tonnes of plastic waste? Build a bridge perhaps? That is exactly what Absa Bank Kenya did to the mountain of waste that had been generated after they rebranded from Barclays Bank. Rather than bin the waste, however, the company through a partnership with Ecopost Limited found a novel way to give the waste practical use. On November 14, 2020, thus, a 200-metre boardwalk made out of recycled plastic and other metallic waste was unveiled in Gazi area of Msambweni Constituency, Kwale County.

“As we re-introduced ourselves to Kenyans early this year, we made a commitment to do more in order to make a difference and transform lives. This commitment led us to a refreshed sustainability journey that has enabled us to contribute to various initiatives that drive sustainable economic growth as well as support the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  This project, therefore, sits close to our sustainability agenda, as it is attached to the recycling initiatives that we initiated following our brand transition, which generated thousands of kilogrammes of plastic and other waste”, Head of Sustainability and Responsible Business Partnerships, Absa Bank Kenya, Jane Waiyaki-Maina told Travelog.