EcoVentures International

Project Goal: Creation of youth employment through the development of plastics recycling and refuse reuse in Soni, Lushoto, and Lukozi.  Additional impacts will be the disease control through removal and control of solid and liquid waste and improved education concerning waste management.

Mr. John Orio became very interested in plastics recycling as a form of waste management during EcoVentures International's Environmental Enterprise Development Initiative.  Mr. Charles Lugenga, a plastics recycling expert of the future EEDI-Dar, visited Lushoto and demonstrated a number of techniques and opportunities with plastics reuse and recycling.  Mr. Orio then contributed to research on plastics recycling in Lushoto, which was incorporated into the April EEDI Capacity Building Workshop, and also used this information in the formation of his project proposal. Plastics recycling has become a well-known practice in Lushoto town as a result of the EETP, but residents are unable to participate as a result of a lack of facilities.

The project proposes the building of a plastics recycling center in Lushoto Town, the district government seat, coinciding with a month-long visit by Mr. Lugenga, who would be invited as an expert on the plastics recycling, to train youth in Lushoto as they are trained in Dar.  Within the proposal is also a three-year minimum employment of ten Lushoto youth to run the recycling center and deal with collection, sorting, and transportation of wastes.

The second part of the proposal focuses on rain water harvesting for the purpose of irrigation of town flower gardens, and for household use.  The proposal calls for the building of collection tanks in the main commercial part of town, most importantly in the marketplace as there is poor drainage among the stalls and the liquid is a prime breeding ground for disease.