Bricks of the Future: How Nelson Boateng is Paving Ghana with Recycled Plastic

Nelson Boateng began his career working in a plastic recycling plant; however, he felt the traditional methods were insufficient for the scale of Ghana's waste problem. He spent years experimenting with a specific ratio of sand and shredded plastic waste to create a new kind of building material.

The process involves melting down soft plastics; often the discarded "sachet" water bags found on the streets; and mixing them with sand to create a paste. This mixture is then pressed into molds to create paving blocks that are more durable, cheaper, and more flexible than concrete.

Boateng has since scaled this innovation to build entire affordable houses: proving that the solution to Africa's housing deficit might just be found in its recycling bins.

Lessons Learned

1. Innovation via Necessity. 2. Industrial Scalability. 3. Environmental Integration.