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Kampala, Uganda | Julius Businge | Flipflopi, the world’s first sailing dhow made from 100% recycled plastic, is embarking on a world-first expedition by circumnavigating Africa’s largest freshwater ecosystem – Lake Victoria – taking its vital message up-stream and calling for an end to unnecessary single-use plastic threatening the region, its executives said on March 20 in Kampala.
The Flipflopi project is a circular economy initiative based in East Africa whose vision is a world without single-use plastic. The project is showcasing alternative uses of plastic waste and the possibilities of circular economy approaches.
Lake Victoria, supporting 40 million East Africans, symbolises the catastrophic effects of climate change, and has been under increased pressure from mismanaged waste and pollution, which threatens the health and livelihoods of communities.
Executives said, a recent study estimated that 1 in 5 of the fish in Lake Victoria had ingested plastic. Another recent study ubiquitously recorded microplastics in surface waters in several sites of Lake Victoria.
At the heart of the plastic waste problem is the linear ‘take-make-dispose’ model of consumption, as products get manufactured, bought, used briefly, and then thrown away, the project implementers said.
Over a three-week period, Flipflopi will circumnavigate the lake from Kisumu, Kenya, to several locations in Uganda, finishing in Mwanza, Tanzania, to bring attention to the environmental problems affecting the lake, inspiring communities to adopt circular-waste solutions and facilitating cross-border discussions on how to beat pollution.
The project is aligning with Uganda Water and Environment Week (UWEWK) 2021 and supported by Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment and several other stakeholders.
Flipflopi’s Lake Victoria expedition will include some 10 stops around the lake that will engage school children, community leaders, conservationists, business leaders and policymakers, demonstrating alternative uses of waste plastic, highlighting other circular waste models and calling or an end to single-use plastics.
Ali Skanda, co-founder of the Flipflopi project and builder of the world’s first recycled plastic dhow, said: “Flipflopi was built to show the world that it is possible to make valuable materials out of waste plastic, and that single-use plastic really does not make sense.”
He added: “By sailing around the lake, we hope to inspire people to create their own waste-plastic innovations and adopt circular waste management solutions that help build greener businesses, whilst also taking plastic out of the environment. Together with communities across the Lake Victoria region we hope to bring awareness and innovative solutions to beat pollution and support a green recovery in East Africa”
