Flipflopi turns plastic waste into beautiful Kenyan boats

Abstract

In 2015, Ben Morison founded the Flipflopi Project to tackle plastic waste washed up on the shores of the Lamu archipelago in Kenya. Each year, 35 to 40 tons of single-use plastic waste wash up on Lamu’s gorgeous sandy beaches. The plastic waste ranges from beverage bottles to flip flops, the most prevalent form of plastic waste. The dhow also features a sail made of 1,500 plastic bottles and a patterned hull. The project is under construction. The research and development team is working to improve the vessel. The team is also working to build on their vernacular knowledge of boat-building and blend it with contemporary materials and processes. In doing so, this will create a closed-loop system by recycling community waste. Also, this initiative will tackle key socio-economic and environmental challenges pertaining to the local context.