Transform plastic waste in pavers in DRC

Plastic pollution is one of the most visible and urgent challenges facing communities in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. In many urban neighborhoods, plastic bottles and other non-biodegradable waste are left in streets, drainage channels, rivers, and surrounding ecosystems. During heavy rains, blocked drainage systems contribute to flooding, while plastic waste carried into waterways can interfere with hydroelectric infrastructure and threaten aquatic ecosystems. At the same time, many families struggle to access affordable and durable construction materials.

Our project, “Turning Plastic Waste into Pavers in DRC,” aims to turn this environmental challenge into an opportunity for communities. With a total budget of $100,000, the initiative will collect plastic waste and transform it into affordable, durable paving materials while creating opportunities for local skills development and green livelihoods. At this stage, we are in the preparation and mobilization phase, including the identification of qualified trainers and potential learners who will participate in the future training and production activities. The project is expected to begin in November 2025, with implementation designed to gradually strengthen community capacity, plastic recovery, and local production.

To date, the project has mobilized $0 in direct donations, making support from our partners and the wider donor community more important than ever. We are deeply grateful to GlobalGiving for providing a platform that connects this local initiative with people around the world who believe that communities deserve practical and sustainable solutions. Through this collaboration, we are confident that we can move closer to our fundraising goal and turn the project from a promising idea into a tangible community solution.

We invite individuals, foundations, companies, and organizations to join us in making this vision possible. Your contribution can help us train community members, recover plastic before it reaches rivers and lakes, develop local production capacity, and create useful construction materials from waste that would otherwise remain in the environment. This is more than a paving project—it is an investment in cleaner communities, stronger livelihoods, environmental protection, and a more circular future for the DRC. We thank every donor and supporter who chooses to stand with us. Together, we can turn waste into opportunity and give plastic a second life.