2024 highlights: a year of impact, innovation, and scaling solutions to end #plasticpollution

 

2024 has seen every pillar of our movement grow enormously thanks to the support of our partners, donors and supporters. We've officially recovered 300,000kg of plastics from our oceans, commenced on the Kubwa boat-build, taken our bill to entry-level EAC tables for review and had 86 students come through our training centre for various courses!

2025 is about doing even more but before we dive into that, we’re reflecting on our highlights from last year!

Strengthening, empowering and equipping communities through education:

In 2024, we ran our first-ever accelerator program, supporting 10 collectors from our community network with tailored training led by Mtaa Safi and access to micro-finance through the SMEP Program. By equipping them with technical, business, and leadership skills, we aim to empower plastic collectors who are mostly from the poorest communities to have pathways out of abject poverty.

We also welcomed a delegation of government officials from West Pokot as part of an inter-county learning exchange showcasing our recycling and innovation facility as a centre of excellence that could be replicated across similar rural and shoreline counties in Kenya. 

In addition to our 3 month course that is offered free of charge to Lamu youth at the Polytechnic thanks to the Kays Foundation, interest for tailored made courses continues to grow. We facilitated a course on basic plastic waste management for over 60 youth through the Red Cross IOME lab and also partnered with KCIC offering practical training for young entrepreneurs in the waste management sector.

On a global scale, we hosted the first international knowledge exchange program with a mix of students from Jomo Kenyatta University, and Newcastle and Northumbria in the UK. This was a dream come true to gather young people from Kenya to work alongside like-minded students from other parts of the world and the results were incredible! A huge thanks to Simon Benson for bringing this together and watch this space for more! 

We are also incredibly excited to have relaunched our young student program with a new pilot project in Siyu village thanks to our ongoing partnership with CMA CGM. We are now working with the primary and secondary school teachers to support and enhance existing waste management knowledge in the national curriculum as well as revitalise environmental clubs in schools as part of our zero-waste community program. We have had several schools already visit our facility and this year, we take off at the schools. 

Our educational centre is committed to unlocking Africa’s inherent circular economy potential and with less than 5% of Lamu’s residents having any sort of technical and vocational training, there is a huge opportunity to economically empower communities through circular innovation.  You can learn more about our Education Programs here.

Building a circular heritage based solution for our archipelago 

In 2024, our furniture social enterprise took off. From decking and furniture in the lush Emboo Camp to showcasing at local craft bazaars, launching the Flipflopi designs web page and creating over 80 unique products, we’ve repurposed our island waste into durable and lasting products that are now living longer and more meaningful lives across Kenya!

As demand for our furniture and lumber grows, it means we can expand our plastic recovery network even further and establish systems to reach areas which are inundated with plastics continuously washing up on our shores. It’s cheap to buy a bottle of coke but it's expensive to make sure that bottle of coke doesn’t end up as microplastics leaching into the mangrove soils!

Thanks to the Ocean Grant secured last year, we’re planning to establish 4 additional plastic recovery and transit stations on Pate Island serving a population of 40,000 people who have little to no access to manage their own waste let alone marine litter washing up on their shores. 

As a not-for-profit organisation, we aim to ensure we can subsidise the costs of avoiding plastic pollution using a business model that maximises the socio-economic and environmental benefits for the people that are most affected by it. Thanks to joining the Repurpose plastic verified recovery program, we can now subsidise the costs of recovery ensuring that everyone involved in the value chain from community collectors to carpenters are compensated fairly for their efforts. 

Pioneering innovation and building a blueprint: 

The soul of Flipflopi will always be in our colourful plastic dhows. We were extremely honored to contribute to global advancements in naval architecture, with our team presenting key learnings to hundreds of industry experts at the International Marine Design Conference in Amsterdam last year and publishing our findings in partnership with long standing friends at University of Newcastle and Northumbria.

In Lamu, our recycled plastic taxi dhow was officially certified as sea-worthy, powered by the first solar-engine in the archipelago which now ferries our team back and forth to work not just saving time and money but reducing greenhouse gas emissions every metre it moves. We’re now testing the dhow’s strength and durability so we can make even more!  

After a series of renovations, our world first sailing dhow - Flipflopi Ndogo was put back on the water, stronger than ever and now ready for use for educational and eco-tours (and of course nothing is better than finishing the day sailing as the sun sets in Lamu). If you are keen to learn more click here to see what’s on offer.

And yes, our vision to sail across the open seas is finally turning into a reality! Kubwa trials are underway and we have managed to successfully extrude a beam that possibly breaks world records: weighing 160 kg, 7X7 inches thick and 6mts long, we had to break a hole in the wall to get it out.

Joining forces to turn the plastic tap off: 

Our policy advocacy has gained significant momentum. By joining the Global Business coalition for a Plastics Treaty as well as the Innovation Alliance for a Global Plastics Treaty and co-hosting the Waste is Wealth conference in Kenya, we’ve strengthened partnerships and shared our insights across sectors and borders advancing efforts towards a legally-binding global plastics treaty that advocates for reduction in primary manufacturing of plastics. There is no other option.

On a regional level, our Draft Bill is being reviewed by the East African Community’s Committee on Agriculture, Tourism and Natural resources as we build a compelling case that will pave the way towards harmonised legislation on single-use plastics across the East African Community. 

With all the confidence, support, lessons and inspiration gained last year, our sail is high as we navigate towards a #plasticpollutionfree world!

Taking an East African Plastic Revolution across the world

In the spirit of driving inspiration to innovate, spreading hope and making a difference, we’re grateful to have been recognised with 5 awards over the year! 

We don’t take this for granted and well aware of what is ahead of us. This is just the beginning but it certainly helps to get some assurance that we are on the right track. 

Thank you for all your support!

 
The Flipflopi Project