The Flipflopi Project: Kila Kitu Inawezekana

A dhow made entirely out of recycled plastic sets sail on the shores of Lamu, Kenya. Built by the Flipflopi Project, from waste collected within the community, the vessel is more than just a boat; it is a declaration that change is possible. The Flipflopi Project was born out of the growing plastic pollution crisis threatening the island, and today it transforms approximately 10–12 tonnes of plastic each month into usable products. In doing so, it embodies the principles of the circular economy, turning discarded material into a floating symbol of Lamu’s deep cultural heritage. Their vision was compelling enough to draw support from global conservation partners such as IFAW (discussed further below).

The Wave that Started It All

Ben Morrison, one of the co-founders of The Flipflopi project, conceived the idea of building a dhow from plastic waste. This idea had sparked after noticing that tides of plastic are slowly overtaking Lamu’s clean, white beaches.

The biggest challenge while starting up was that no one believed in the grand idea of making a functional dhow out of plastic. After approaching several craftsmen, Ben Morrison found Ali Skanda. As a custodian of a five-generation legacy of traditional dhow craftsmanship, and with the "kila kitu inawezekana" (translated from Kiswahili to "anything is possible") mindset, the idea took a significant leap forward.

As plans shifted from paper to practice, they faced another hurdle. Without a local recycling facility, the collected plastic had to be processed off-island. The first prototype, mixed with sand, was brittle. The second prototype, made entirely out of plastic, developed air bubbles that risked structural failure.

Therefore, to make the dhow functional, a compromise had to be made — its size was reduced by half. After two and a half years of extensive back-and-forth between the Flipflopi team and the company producing the beams, alongside Ali painstakingly shaving bubbles off the beams, piece by piece, the recycled planks came together to bring ‘Flipflopi Ndogo’ to life.

Flipflopi Ndogo (translated from Kiswahili to “little Flipflopi”): 40% flip-flops and 10 tonnes of plastic waste.

The Three Pillars Powering Flipflopi

1. Innovation

Creativity is an element of Flipflopi that stands out like a sail catching the first wind. This is illustrated by Ali’s ability to build a dhow from scratch, without any reference. Generational expertise has brought out his unique, innovative skills, allowing his dhows to have both structural integrity and a distinctive appearance.

The Flipflopi project places innovation in the hands of local artisans. Manufactured plastic is carved into pieces of art by Lamu’s proficient craftsmen, bringing an aspect of creativity to a once plain plank of plastic. These techniques are typically reserved for wood, yet the adaptation to an entirely different material proves to be a meeting point between tradition and transformation.

2. Education

Locally, Flipflopi achieves its main goal of awareness by targeting the spread of information from the grassroots level. This involves community outreach programs, such as teaching the locals of Lamu how to separate different types of household trash, therefore simplifying recycling. Another form of community outreach is visiting local schools to explain the impact of plastic pollution on the surrounding environment.

Globally, Flipflopi has made various short films, a children’s story book, and implemented an open-source policy, as outlined below:

“We are outsourcing everything we learn. We are proud to know that everyone does not have to start from scratch. Start where we have reached.” ~ Ali Skanda, co-founder of The Flipflopi Project

Ali emphasizes Flipflopi’s unique aspect of sharing with the world every step of their process. By sharing their mistakes, methods, and creativity, every individual can learn and build on their progress, hence accelerating meaningful change.

An admirable aspect of Flipflopi is its commitment to giving back to the community. In order to carry innovative skills forward to Lamu’s community, vocational training was introduced. Extensive training surrounding ways to incorporate boat-craftsmanship alongside circular economy-based creativity has been effective in training 84 students to date, with more on the horizon.

3. Influence

FlipFlopi’s final pillar is influence. Initiating change was one of their most significant achievements in spreading awareness. This change successfully contributed to the implementation of concrete measures combating plastic pollution through rules and regulations, as outlined below:

2017 Ban on single-use plastics - Then Kenya’s Minister for Environment, as well as IFAW Board member and Flipflopi advisor, Professor Judi Wakhungu, implemented a nationwide ban on the use, manufacture, and importation of single-use plastic bags in Kenya. This legislation has substantially reduced plastic pollution in both land and marine environments by promoting the transition to reusable alternatives.

2020 Government ban on single-use plastics in protected areas - In 2020, the Kenyan Government further strengthened its stance by implementing a ban on the entry of single-use plastics in protected areas such as national parks and national reserves.

These transformations over the years highlight how grassroots and community-led initiatives such as Flipflopi can collectively influence policy and behavioural change on a national level.

Closing the Loop: From Waste to Use

A net bag actively in use to collect waste from the village area

The Flipflopi project has adopted various methods to collect plastic. One of which includes having locals drop off plastic at the processing site in return for money. For example: 15ksh($0.12)/kg of hard plastics collected.

Another idea they brought to the table is setting up net bags around highly polluted areas to intercept waste. They collect plastic waste from net bags as well as village households during their door-to-door collecting service, occurring around 3-4 times a week around the villages. This process collects approximately 10-12 tonnes of plastic per month.

Once collected and weighed, the plastic gets sorted into its 7 types (examples shown in brackets):

1. PET (plastic bottles)

2. HDPE (jerikans)

3. PVC (pipes)

4. LDPE (Plastic bags)

5. PP (diapers)

6. PS (Styrofoam)

7. Miscellaneous (DVDs)

Sorting is the most delicate part of recycling, because different types of plastic have different melting points and physical properties (hardness or softness). This means that the plastic must be sorted efficiently to ease the melting process. Without proper sorting, the cooled plastic solidifies into clumps, producing a weak, low-quality material that is often unrecyclable and ultimately deposited in landfills.

Sorting of various plastics into their respective types

Once sorted, PETs, LDPEs, and rafia bags are individually taken to a machine known as the baler. During the initial phases of the Flipflopi project, it was observed that processing PET in a crusher proved to be far more challenging than using a baler, primarily due to the toughness of PET and the high cost of frequently replacing the machine's blades. Consequently, the team opted to invest in a baler. The baler works by pushing plastic against a wall inside the chamber with immense strength, expelling air, and reducing its volume significantly. This process is crucial as it enables larger quantities of plastic to be transported at once, lowering costs due to the compacted bales occupying less space. It is also time-efficient because plastics do not have to be sorted by color. The crusher is still used to crush hard plastics such as HDPs and PPs only once they have been sorted by color and type.

LDPEs are processed in the agglomerator, which is a machine that crushes plastics into small flakes for easier processing. Thereafter, the plastic flakes are put into a washline, where chlorine is used as treatment to remove the odour, and are finally dried in the sun.

The plastic flakes are processed either using a sheet press or an extrusion machine. Flakes from the agglomerator are fed into the extrusion machine, where they are melted at their respective melting points and molded into beams or planks. Once formed, the plastic is cooled and stored, ready for use in carpentry.

Beams and Planks made from flakes of recycled plastic

The sheet press machine is an important factor in the R&D sector of Flipflopi. Since any form of plastic can be pressed into a sheet, using the sheet press has enabled a greater understanding of how different plastics behave, thereby allowing them to develop new ideas for recycling plastics. Magunia, which are plastic woven sacks, are an example of a material that can only be pressed into sheets. Due to their high abundance in East Africa, it is essential to find ways to recycle them, hence highlighting the importance of using the sheet press machine.

Produced from recycled plastics, lies a traditional Lamu chair

Once the plastic has been molded into beams and planks, the carving process begins.

This is an aspect of Lamu’s culture that has been integrated into the Flipflopi project.

Traditional craftsmen have been brought together to create intricate, unique designs.

The beauty of it revolves around the fact that the craftsmen simply go with the flow while carving – no practice, no template.

Omari Shali: The only blacksmith in Lamu, making carving tools for the craftsmen

Offcuts from carpentry are crushed into smaller pieces, then melted and molded by a smaller extruder, thereby exemplifying Flipflopi’s embodiment of a circular economy.

The craftsmen's tools are made by the only blacksmith in Lamu: Omari Shali. From creating a fire to molding metals into various shapes, he can craft precise and personalized carving tools that allow for the most accurate detailing.

Where Plastic Pollution Ends, Conservation Begins

A traditional Lamu door made entirely out of recycled plastic waste

Every piece of plastic recycled is a turtle freed from entanglement, a child spared from toxic exposure, and an ecosystem saved from silent destruction.

As an organization creating a lasting social change, inspiring environmental action, and protecting wildlife and its habitats, the Flipflopi project stands as a role model for future generations.

By advocating for conservation as a shared responsibility, the children of today will be inspired to carry the legacy forward and set more eco-initiatives afloat.

What Can You Do?

1. Sign the petition to ban the manufacture of single-use, destructive plastics in the East African Member States

2. Donate to support The Flipflopi Project or the International Fund for Animal Welfare

3. Adopt small daily changes: use reusable plastic, recycle, and change destructive consumption behaviour

4. Initiate and support local clean-up initiatives

5. Spread awareness: Be a voice amplifying Flipflopi’s message

   
   

Continuing the Wave of Change

Despite the nationwide ban on single-use plastic bags, challenges persist when ocean currents bring in plastic from surrounding countries. Flipflopi’s next wave of change builds on its legacy of influence and tackles this problem by advocating for a ban on non-essential, single-use plastics that cannot be recycled fully, or at all, in East Africa. By omitting materials that cannot re-enter the production process, Flipflopi aims to further close the loop from a linear to a circular economy.

Following Flipflopi Ndogo, their next eco-initiative is a dhow that can sail across the globe — a 24-meter beast made from 70 tonnes of plastic! They aim to scale their expeditions from along the East coast with Flipflopi Ndogo, to across seas with their next breakthrough in creation.

Uniting for Impact

Grassroots innovations rarely thrive in isolation. Scaling impact requires partnership, which can be seen through Flipflopi’s collaboration with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). As a global force in conservation, IFAW works to protect wildlife and habitats through advocacy, rescue and rehabilitation efforts, community engagement, and strategic partnerships.

By partnering with Flipflopi, IFAW has successfully scaled its impact and influence, demonstrating how its commitment to habitat protection and community engagement can amplify local initiatives such as The Flipflopi Project into a global force in conservation. Together, they prove that protecting our oceans and wildlife is not just the responsibility of large organizations or policymakers, but also of communities and individuals. The partnership illustrates that when innovation, dedication, and strategic collaboration converge, even the most daunting environmental challenges can be met with evident, lasting impact.