Upcycle Africa

Johnmary was 19 when his Grandma’s home collapsed due to flooding caused by plastic pollution, killing her in the process. This inspired him to find a solution to the causes of this personal tragedy. Having acquired experience in construction and explored solutions to plastic waste pollution through his participation in the Social Innovation Academy, he founded Upcycle Africa.

Formally established in December 2015, the organisation has four key processes which act as the foundation for the organisation’s work. One primary aspect is sensitising local communities on dangers of plastic waste and practical solutions. Since foundation, they have educated an estimated 20,800 students in 52 different schools. 

The second is a waste pickers programme which recovers plastic waste to ensure a safe and clean environment. The team has recovered over 3,000,000 plastic bottles.
The third is waste compaction, whereby after categorisation, plastic is used in construction of Upcycle’s buildings or sold to recycling companies. As a result, over 100 tonnes of plastic has been sustainably repurposed. 

The final aspect of their work is the construction of affordable housing. The organisation empowers marginalised communities through training them in sustainable construction. The organisation has built 117 houses for families including 11 from marginalised communities. In total, over two million people have been sensitised around Upcycle Africa’s slogan “waste is not waste until it’s wasted”. 

In 2020, Johnmary aims to spread the range of Upcycle Africa’s impact to two more countries in East Africa.