These fishing boats made with 1000 plastic PET bottles in Cameroon are no joke

One man in Cameroon is making boats from plastic trash — and they’re no laughing matter.

MADIBA & NATURE: THE CAMEROONIAN NGO TRANSFORMING PLASTIC WASTE INTO BOTTLE BOATS AND MORE…

The vision of the non-profit NGO is to reach an Africa where “the circular economy contributes to the creation of jobs, protection of nature through recycling and recovery of plastic waste, development of renewable energy, management of aquatic landscapes, urban areas and protected areas “, and it all began with a bottle-boat.

MADIBA & NATURE ARE TRANSFORMING CAMEROON’S PLASTIC WASTE INTO BOTTLE BOATS, HOMES & FURNITURE

Around the world and around the clock a staggering 1 million plastic bottles are sold every minute, and many of those end up in the ocean instead of recycling bins. A new and different way of reusing plastic bottles, this innovative “bottle-boat” could help redefine fishing methods in the Kibri region of Cameroon.

Each canoe is made from 1000 discarded plastic bottles and can carry three people up to a total weight of 270 kg or 595 lbs. 

The canoe is the brainchild of young entrepreneur Ismaël Essome Ebone, who created non-profit Madiba & Nature to fight the devastating effects of waste plastic on the environment.

Ismaël’s actions are based on the circular economy model, with the aim of reusing and recycling all the waste that pollutes the towns and cities in Cameroon, in order to ensure the conservation of nature and its biodiversity.

The idea of designing a boat made from recovered and recycled plastic bottles came to Ismaël in 2011, when the student was forced to take shelter from heavy rain and observed plastic bottles floating past. He began by gathering 1,000 plastic bottles collected in the drains of Douala, the financial capital of Cameroon, and assembled them into blocks of ten connected by wire. This enables the finished structure to flex like a caterpillar with the motion of the waves. To make an entire boat takes about a week.

Aside from helping the environment they also provide locals with seaworthy vessels for fishing.

“There is a real lack of canoes for fishing here. Many young people would like to fish but it’s too expensive. The wooden canoe costs between 150 and 450…750 euros. We can promote and recycle these canoes for use in simple fishing activities and encourage young people to get into the fishing industry.” Said Ismaël.

And the bottle boat is no laughing matter, either — the innovation has impressed even the most seasoned of fishermen, with one saying, “The boat is well made. It looks good. In the beginning we thought it was a joke, but then we realised it’s a seaworthy vessel. It’s a good, strong boat.”

While there’s a need for strong and seaworthy fishing boats in the Kibri region, Ismaël isn’t stoping there. The 27-year-old also makes beds, furniture and tourist holiday homes from discarded and cleaned bottles. However, Ismaël’s ultimate goal is to create a system that enables vulnerable people in Africa to make use of waste products to build homes.

Some of Madiba & Nature’s achievements since inception in 2016:

Madiba & Nature describe themselves as ‘green business researchers and entrepreneurs. We are a non-profit organization and work to promote the circular economy to ensure the conservation of nature and its biodiversity.’ Since it’s founding in 2016 the non-profit NGO has been making headway.

Innovation: In the development of an ecological model of recycling and recovery of plastic bottles by building infrastructures (pirogues, buckaroos, chandeliers, garbage bins);

Development: A waste management system based on local populations in the ISH campus in Yabassi from sorting, pre-collection through storage to recovery;

Support: Technical, advice and support of local cooperatives and associations (COODEL Londji-Kribi, GRAK-Kekem) in their environmental management programs;

Development: A program of awareness and environmental education and energise a large community on Facebook and Twitter.

Launch: A training program for young students and engineers in personal development, leadership and entrepreneurship in the field of green business.

Sharing their experience with the world through mini-courses on the recycling of plastic waste into useful objects such as plastic canoes, furniture, decorative objects, or eco houses. We also assist individuals, communities, associations, companies or states in promoting the principles of the circular economy to ensure the sustainability of systems and build a greener world.

Ecotourism: Madiba & Narure also offer guided tours on different coastal areas.

Source: MadibaNature.com