Starting from zero…
Zero is where we began and we’re proud of where we came from. When we realized there was a way to create something useful from all those single-use plastic bottles, no one else wanted to listen. Big brands turned us down, none of the machinery we needed existed, and there were more than a few people who thought it would take too long to be worthwhile. 850 million recycled bottles later (and still counting) we want to share with you how we proved them all wrong…
It all began by leaving a comfortable life in academia and going in search of a way to make a difference in the world. The trash mountains in Addis Ababa brought a tear to our eyes and showed us that something had to be done. We began trying to make fibers out of the PET bottles, but the material they offered was two rigid for any machine we could find. We could have given up right there and then. Instead, we took a step back, started welding, and built machines that did exactly what we needed. Along the way there were many setbacks and adjustments, but holding that first fiber in our hands is something we will never forget.
From there we set out to speak to the bottle pickers, workers, farmers, and everyone else who would benefit across Ethiopia. Our journey took us through intense civil unrest, violent mobs, and got us stuck in the mountains more than once. But as we kept going we found more and more people who would give us their bottles rather than burn them in the open air. With each new member of our sustainable community we grew in confidence and found a new ally in our mission to make the world a little bit better.
Now that our mission is working in every corner of Ethiopia, we’re going to continue to grow. With a new branch in Dubai focusing on changing attitudes and opening minds, we’re ready to start a new journey from the very beginning.