Recycling Lab was recently awarded the Africa Tourism Leadership Youth Innovation Award for its initiative in sustainable architecture and waste management.
The Namibian recycling initiative founded by local interior architect, Luzé Kloppers, was the only representative of southern Africa which made it to the top five of the competition. In the competition Recycling Lab went up against initiatives from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and many others from other countries.
The initiative strives to provide solutions as well as build networks to establish long-term waste solutions to assist people to dispose their waste – especially plastic – responsibly.
The newly established Recycling Lab received its award last week from the chief executive officer of Africa Tourism Partners, Kwakye Donkor, during Kloppers’ visit to South Africa.
The Recycling Lab was established during 2020’s lockdown, and Kloppers says that after travelling to over 15 countries she was intrigued by the global plastic waste challenges and she decided to address the problem.
According to The Namibian, Kloppers told them ‘I decided it was time to change that. Not only is the dumping and burning of plastic waste polluting the environment, killing animals and adding to global warming, but it’s also money and job opportunities we are throwing away,’
She says sustainable waste-management approaches should be an environmental, economic and public health priority for Namibia to achieve the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
Recycling Lab is currently running a pilot project at Uibasen at the Twyfelfontein Conservancy in the Kunene Region due to its huge waste challenges.
PICTURES: Facebook
