Plastic 2 Paint – Insect repellent paint from recycled plastics

_{Photo: © Tony Dočekal}

The student-led startup from Nigeria recycles plastic sachets into paint, and adds an organic insect repellent to fight malaria.

Most people in West Africa do not get their drinking water from the pipe at home but buy water packaged in “sachets”, thin plastic bags. After use, the sachets end up in the garbage – or the countryside. The student-led social startup P2P from the Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria tackles this problem. They use plastic as a raw material to produce a high-quality wall paint – Plastic to Paint. This reduces the environmental impact and makes efficient use of scarce raw materials.

The student founders go one step further: They add a natural insect repellent made from orange peel. That is truly innovative. The additive is unlikely to provide protection forever. But the students could prove its effectiveness already for at least 6 months.

Plastic to Paint shows how students develop innovative, sustainable business models even under challenging conditions. The Ahmadu Bello University is located in the northern part of Nigeria, which has suffered from attacks by militant groups in recent years. Plastic to Paint emerged from the university’s Enactus Startup Program with the support of thirty students. As a finalist in the ActionWithAfrica competition sponsored by the German Ministry of Cooperation, the start-up has attracted international attention despite its local focus.

^{Photos: © Tony Dočekal}