From Waste to Wealth: AgroPlast’s Sustainable Solutions for Lives and the Environment
By Ange de la Victoire DUSABEMUNGU
AgroPlast Ltd, a waste recycling company located in Gahanga Industrial zone in Kicukiro District, was founded by Mr. Leon Nduwayezu in 2015 with a focus on collecting plastic wastes to protect the environment and recycle them into various materials used in daily life. The company currently manufactures products such as Trash bags, Sheeting, agricultural tubing, and Energy Saving Cookstoves.
According to AgroPlast Manager, Mr. Bucyensenge Jean Claude, the company works with individuals in cooperatives who collect plastic wastes nationwide and bring them to the factory for recycling. He stated, “We have people working with us in cooperatives where they collect plastic wastes around the country and bring them to us and we pay them.”
AgroPlast Manager, Mr. Bucyensenge Jean Claude
Before being sent to the factory, the plastics are cleaned and separated based on their intended use. This process creates jobs from waste collection to factory work. Bucyensenge mentioned that AgroPlast employs around 85 workers, with 30 of them being women.
While some view the collected materials as waste, for AgroPlast, they are raw materials that provide income. Bucyensenge explained, “We could say they are wastes that give the money.”
The factory recycles approximately 1.5 tons of plastics per day, totaling about 540 tons per year. This effort has a significant impact on the environment by reducing plastic wastes that harms ecosystems.
Clementine Murekatete, a worker at AgroPlast, finds joy in sorting plastics at the factory as it contributes to environmental protection and the country’s economy. She emphasized the importance of their work in preserving the environment.
Jacques Sibomana, a technician at AgroPlast, highlighted the positive impact of the factory on their livelihoods. He stated, “Work is important to us because we are able to pay for Health Insurance, we are able to send our children to school, and we are able to support our family.”
Agroplast produces trash bags that can be used in various places such as hospitals, restaurants, etc….
To ensure sustainable use of their products, AgroPlast works with relevant authorities to license equipment users. Manager Bucyensenge mentioned, “We are working with the relevant authorities because we cannot give anyone our plastic products without showing us the permission given by the responsible authority.”
In addition to recycling plastic waste, AgroPlast produces environmentally friendly cookstoves that utilize pellets instead of firewood. This initiative not only protects the environment but also creates employment opportunities at the factory.
Dieudonne Kwizera, a cookstove maker at AgroPlast, expressed gratitude for the factory’s role in supporting his family. He explained how the use of pellets in cookstoves helps reduce firewood consumption and environmental impact.
AgroPlast collaborates with organizations like Practical Action Organization and the Swedish Development Agency-Sida to distribute cookstoves, including to refugee camps across the country. The company is also planning to expand its operations to produce plastic pipes for electrical installation and construction materials like pavers and plastic bricks.
Dieudonne Kwizera, a cookstove maker at AgroPlast
Clementine Murekatete, a worker at AgroPlast, finds joy in sorting plastics at the factory
Jacques Sibomana, a technician at AgroPlast,
A sample of the trash bags produced by AgroPlast Company
Trash bags can be used in different places such as hospitals, restaurants and hotels among others
A machine turning wastes into valuable resources
Some of the produced Energy saving cookstoves
The company plans to start making pavers and bricks from plastic wastes
