Plastic recycling and reuse in refugee camps · 2019-11-17 · plastic waste in a more productive...

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Plastic recycling and reuse in refugee camps RECYCLING OF PLASTIC WASTE IN MELKADIDA AND JIJIGA REFUGEE CAMPS, ETHIOPIA

Project NO. 2018002-R REV.NO. 0 / 0

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Document no.: 2018002-R Date: 2018-08-20 Rev.no.: 0 Page: 2

Project

Project title: Plastic recycling and reuse in refugee camps

Document title: Recycling of plastic waste in Melkadida and Jijiga refugee camps, Ethiopia

Document no.: 2018002-R

Date: 2018-08-20

Revision no. /rev. date: 0 / 0

Client

Client: UNHCR

Client contact person: Andrea Dekort

Contract reference: Agreement with EWB Norway

Project Team

Team members: Cathrine Eckbo, EWB Norway

Sten Paltiel, EWB Norway

Anna Østby, EWB Norway

Demissew Eshete, UNHCR Melkadida





Executive summary

UNHCR is aware of the potential environmental impact of refugees and is increasingly

investigating opportunities to minimize the environmental impacts and maximize

sustainability in refugee operations. UNHCR’s traditional solid waste management

approaches have been focused primarily on avoiding the accumulation of garbage to

prevent vector borne diseases. However, UNHCR now seeks to address the issue of

plastic waste in a more productive manner centered on the promotion of income

generation activities, which target recycling and reuse of plastic waste.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the UNHCR objectives of Natural

resources and shared environment better protected and self-reliance and livelihood

program in recycling plastic waste. Consequently, the project intends to implement

plastic recycling business through the provision of recycling infrastructures, establishing

production cooperatives and skill development for both refugee and host community.

The finished recycled product encompasses plastic building materials, furniture,

household equipment and protracted plastic bags or cocoons for raising seedlings in a

clear commercial business model. Another alternative is to produce plastic shredded

material for recycling industries in Addis Ababa. This concept note gives an overview

of technical and economic aspects involved in these activities; it is intended primarily

for entrepreneurs thinking of setting up their own plastic recycling business and for

organisations dealing with communities in refugee and host communities of low-income

areas and who seek opportunities either to create or to increase employment.

A plastic waste generation assessment has been conducted an concluded that the main

types of plastic available in the Melkadida and Jijiga area is plastic water bottles (PET),

plastic jerry cans from cooking oil and water (HDPE) and plastic bags (LDPE). There is

sufficient generation of waste materials to sustain production of plastic produce in the

proposed recycling businesses. Three different business cases has been proposed in this

report; 1) Melt and mould, large scale collecting, shredding, melting and producing

products being sold locally, 2) Small scale production, collecting and producing simple

products that don't need any complex machinery and 3) Shred and sell, collecting,

shredding and selling the shredded plastic to recycling companies in Addis Ababa. The

recommended business model that will give the highest return when economic,

environmental and community benefits are assessed is business case 1) Melt and

mould.

The business implementation strategy will be a two year startup phase with an

implementing partner (NGO) and smooth handing over the business to plastic recycling

community cooperatives. Proposed infrastructure setup for the different areas are:

Melkadida:

Two plastic waste collection and production business cooperatives will be set-

up at Melkadida and Dollo equipped with all required recycling machines and

production facilities





Small scale plastic waste collection and supplying cooperatives in each camp of

the other four refugee camps (Buramino, Hilwayen, Kobe & Bokolmayo).

Two trucks that collects shredded plastic material from the camps and host

communities to central production centres

Jijiga:


up at Sheder and Kebribeyah equipped with all required recycling machines

and production facilities

The plant to be set-up in Sheder will also serve for Awbare refugee camp &

host communities.

There is a need for environmental sound solutions as environmental considerations gain

ground legislation changes all around the world. Sustainable development is at the top

of all agendas in the UN, EU and national governments. Better solutions for the rapidly

growing amounts of plastic waste are in demand. High prices of virgin materials will

also make recycling attractive.

Recycling plastics has many benefits, it contributes to energy savings and the reduction

of greenhouse gas emissions. It also saves non-renewable sources like oil and gas. In

addition to that, recycling provides livelihood for millions of people and families in

developing countries, either in the form of formal employment or informal economic

activities. It is therefore recommended to start plastic recycling activities in the refugee

areas.





What is plastic? - Different plastic types.

The information in this chapter has been obtained from the precious plastic manual on

plastic recycling.

Plastics are synthetic chemicals extracted mainly from petroleum and made of

hydrocarbons (chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms). Most plastics are polymers, long

molecules made up of many repetitions of a basic molecule called a monomer. This

structure makes plastic particularly durable and long lasting. Plastic is causing serious

environmental concerns regarding its slow decomposition rate (recent studies say 500

years) due to its strong bonding molecules.

Thermoset and thermoplastics

There are two main categories in the world of plastics: thermoplastics and thermosetting.

Thermoplastics are the plastics that can be recycled. Thermoplastics can be melted back

into liquid and moulded multiple times. Thankfully, thermoplastics make up to 90% of

global production. Thermosets can melt and take shape only once; after they have

solidified, they stay solid forever. In the thermosetting process, a chemical reaction

occurs that is irreversible.

Plastic types

Thermoplastics are further grouped in seven different subcategories often referred to as

plastic types. Each plastic type has its specific chemical composition, properties and

applications and is given a specific number, called SPI code to differentiate between

them. Today, most manufacturers should follow this coding system and place the SPI

code on their products, usually moulded at the bottom of the product.

Knowing what plastic type you’re working with is crucial when working with plastic

recycling. The different plastic types are:





1. PET (polyethylene terephthalate)

This is a very strong plastic that can be easily recognised for its transparent look. All

beverage bottles containing sodas are PET. This plastic is also used in many other

products like jars, combs, bags, tote bags, carpets and ropes. Items made from this plastic

are commonly recycled. Most recently, PET is often recycled into yarns to make clothes.

2. HDPE (high-density polyethylene)

This plastic is often used for food or drink containers. Items made from this plastic

include containers for milk, motor oil, shampoos, soap bottles, detergents, and bleaches.

Many toys are also made from this plastic.

3. PVC (polyvinyl chloride)

This is toxic and we do not work with it. PVC is most commonly found in plumbing

pipes and releases chloride when heated up. Do not use with when recycling plastics.

4. LDPE (low-density polyethylene)

Plastic wrap, sandwich bags, squeezable bottles, and plastic grocery bags all are made

from LDPE. Usually, LDPE is not recycled from the industry but works rather good with

the recycling recommended in this report

5. PP (polypropylene)

This is one of the most commonly available plastic on the market. This type of plastic is

strong and can usually withstand higher temperatures. Among many other application,

it is consistently used for products that get in contact with food and drink (Tupperware,

yoghurt boxes, syrup bottles etc.).

6. PS (polystyrene)

PS is most commonly known as Styrofoam. PS can be recycled, but not efficiently;

recycling it takes a lot of energy, which means that few places accept it. Disposable

coffee cups, plastic food boxes, plastic cutlery and packing foam are made from PS.

7. Other mix

This code is used to identify other types of plastic that are not defined by the other six

codes. ABS, Acrylic or Polycarbonate are included in this category and can me more

difficult to recycle.





Contents

Terms of reference and methodology 10 The assignment 10 Terms of Reference 10 Assignment methodology 11

Project introduction 11 Area description 12

Refugees Settlements and Their Impacts 13 Project background 13 Problem analysis 14 Plastic waste stream assessment 15

Objective 15 Methodology 15 Current plastic waste management 15 Plastic waste generation 19 Summary 20

Assessment of relevant recycled plastic products for production 21 Objective 21 Methodology 21 Demand assessment 21 Calculation of plastic waste needed 24 Summary 27

Plastic recycling technology assessment 28 Objective 28 Methodology 28 Existing plastic recycling machines on the market 28 Existing machines in the project area 28 Energy demand of plastic recycling machines 30

Technical design and equipment 30 Objective 30 Methodology 30 Desirable machines and solutions for the plastic recycling business 31 Energy demand 37 Energy acquisition – cost estimates 39 Summary 41

Business cooperative strategy 42 Melkadida 42 Jijiga 43

Ownership and sustainability 43 Financial and commercial analysis 44

Melkadida 44 Jijiga 46

Viability analysis 48 Melkadida 48 Jijiga 49 Implementation strategy 49





Environmental and social impact 50 Conclusions 52

Table

Table 1: Plastic waste generation 19 Table 2: Plastic waste generation summary Melkadida 20 Table 3: Plastic waste generation summary Jijiga 21 Table 4: Demand assessment 21 Table 5: Amount of plastic needed for production estimate 24 Table 6: Summary of plastic needed for production 27 Table 7: estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the shredder for the collecting points 33 Table 8: estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the washer for the collecting points 34 Table 9: estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the oven for the collecting points 35 Table 10: estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the extruder for the collecting points 36 Table 11: Estimated energy need 37 Table 12: Estimated capacity need 38 Table 13: Cost calculations Jijiga 40 Table 14: Investment costs Melkadida 41 Table 15: Investment costs Jijiga 41 Table 16: Activities needed in Melkadida 42 Table 17: Activities needed in Jijiga 43 Table 18: Business models for Melkadida 45 Table 19: Business models for Jijiga 47 Table 20: Viability analysis Melkadida 48 Table 21: Viability analysis Jijiga 49 Table 22: possible negative impacts and mitigation measures 52

Figure

Figure 1: Pictures of plastic waste Melkadida 16 Figure 2: Pictures of plastic waste Melkadida 17 Figure 3: Pictures of plastic waste Jijiga 18 Figure 4: Pictures from the demand assessment 24 Figure 5: PET shredding factory in Addis Ababa 29 Figure 6: Plastic waste shredder 29 Figure 7: Plastic shredder 32 Figure 8: Moulding machine (left) and extruder (right) 34 Figure 9: Metal working equipment found on NRC training centre in Melkadida 36

Appendix

Appendix A Activity plan Appendix B Business plan Melkadida





Appendix C Business plan Jijiga Appendix D Bill of quantity Appendix E Factory and collection point set up





Terms of reference and methodology

The assignment

This report has been prepared by Cathrine Eckbo, Sten Paltiel and Anna Østby from

Engineers Without Borders Norway and Environment Officer Demissew Eshete from

UNHCR Melkadida sub-office. A plastic waste and reuse opportunity assessment has

been conducted in Melkadida and Jijiga refugee camps and host community in Ethiopia.

The Engineers has been brought in by UNHCR to do this assessment.

The objective of this mission as per Terms of Reference is to carry out in-depth

assessments of the existing plastic waste generation trend in the refugee camps and host

communities and provide clear recommendations for a well-functioning program where

waste is recycled or reused all while generating income for the refugee and host

population.

Terms of Reference

The Terms of Reference of the assignment are as follows:

Both parties agree that the Engineers will contribute with the technical

engineering expertise for an in-depth assessment, planning and advice with

regards to the plastic waste situation in refugee camps in Ethiopia. They will

collaborate closely with UNHCR, the local government and the refugees

themselves in this process.

The Engineers will aid in developing an overall project plan by organizing

workshops and focus group discussions with UNHCR employees, refugees and

local government and in conducting a mapping of existing plastic waste solutions

and related technology currently available.

The Engineers will provide with technical engineering expertise to provide a

mapping of available technology in UNHCR Somali situation refugee operation

areas, Ethiopia. They will provide expert advice and propose the appropriate

technological solutions in order to develop a system for recycling and reuse of

plastic waste which also should be an income generating activity for the refugees.

The Engineers will contribute to the project development addressing each step

of the project cycle for income generating activities (IGA project) and conduct

an analysis of the required resources and external services for product

development and technology (Value chain analysis).

The Engineers will contribute to and provide advice on possibilities of funding

from the private sector and possible investments needed to develop small scale

business for recycling and reuse of plastic waste in the refugee camps.

The engineers will develop a finalized project proposal document for UNHCR

Somali situation refugee operation areas, Ethiopia which includes all parts of the

project cycle including a Results Framework for measuring the expected results.





All the analysis conducted shall be included in a separate report with clear

recommendations for teams that will provide similar analysis in other countries

where UNHCR have their refugee operations.

Assignment methodology

The assignment was conducted by the engineers together with the Environmental Officer

in Melkadida sub-office. Methodology of the assignment was as follows:

Desktop review and remote consultations with UNHCR country operations to

identify potential Somali refugee operations and host communities that have a

context conducive for plastic waste to value, named as “Trash in to Cash” trials.

Field visit to Melkadida and Jijiga refugee camps and host communities to

survey and quantify the total plastic waste generation. It encompasses visit to

local plastic waste recycling factories in Addis Ababa and stakeholders’

consultation at all levels.

Value chain mapping in each of the identified trial refugee camps and host

communities: to identify existing business operations and functions around

plastic waste products, chain operators and their linkages, as well as the chain

supporters within the value chain.

Technology mapping and infrastructure need assessment: based on the finding

of the value chain analysis, researching on the best technological solutions to

move to a plastic waste recycle and recovery system, based on a social business

model in the refugee camps and host communities.

Labour analysis of waste value chains in each of the target refugee operation

areas: to assess selected technology value chains products and link performance

in terms of economic efficiency and livelihoods development potential.

Impact investment needs: hinging on the results of the value chains and

technology mapping exercise, the mission together with ground project focal

person will analyze on the needs and opportunities for impact investment to

begin waste to value operations. This includes an analysis of opportunities for

private sector investment to begin or upscale micro-enterprises and community

cooperatives based on plastic waste.

Project introduction

With more than 928,663 registered refugees, Ethiopia remains the largest refugee

hosting country on the African continent. The Government of Ethiopia continues to

provide access to asylum, and UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies are allowed to

implement mandate related activities. The government of Ethiopia however maintains

its reservations to the 1951 Convention regarding the right to work and freedom of

movement, relaxed recently in its statement to the 20th September 2016 Obama Leaders

Summit on Refugees, in which the Ethiopian Government indicated its willingness to

provide significant employment opportunities to refugees, through for example, the

development of 100,000 ha irrigation agriculture. Ethiopia adopted its “Refugee





Proclamation” in 2004, and it is the main national legislation governing refugee issues.

Refugees continue to arrive mostly from South Sudan, Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and

Yemen. Most refugees are granted refugee status prima facie. The majority of the

refugees are accommodated in camps, while only a smaller percentage of the refugee

population is permitted to reside in urban areas.

Socio-economically, Ethiopia has been severely impacted by the effects of the El Nino

meteorological phenomenon and experienced one of the worst droughts in decades in

2015/2016. It is estimated that some 83% of refugees are located in drought-affected

areas, with approximately 50% of persons of concern hosted in the most critically

affected areas. While rains resumed in early 2016, the loss of livestock and production

assets will continue to have an impact on the country. The general security situation is

considered stable; and although violent protests in parts of the country affect road travel,

areas hosting refugees are generally not directly impacted.

Presently, Somali refugees from Central and Southern Somali are recognized prima

facie in Ethiopia, while Somalis coming from other regions undergo RSD procedures.

Somalis represent the second largest group of refugees in Ethiopia, living across refugee

camps in Jijiga (Sheder, Awbarre and Kebrebeyah) and Dollo Ado (Buramino, Kobe,

Hilaweyn, Melkadida and Bokolmanyo), and to a smaller extent, in Addis Ababa.

As of 31st July 2018, about 218,9291 refugees are living in five camps in Melkadida and

36,916 refugees are living in the three camps in Jijiga.

Area description

Dollo Ado is one of the four Woredas in Liben Zone of Somali Regional State in Ethiopia5. It is located South East of Ethiopia bordering Kenya in the South and Somalia in the South East. It extends from 3.966619o to 4.822247o North and 40.775571o to 42.065945o East with a total land area of about 9,444 square kilometre. The longest width of the Woreda is 157 km in the direction of South East-West while the North-South distance is about 96 km. The average elevation of Dollo Ado is 254 masl even though the altitude varies from 200 m to 1,000 m. The land is generally plain with an average slope of less than 2%. The agro-climate is categorized to low land, Desert, with a mean annual rainfall of less than 200 mm.

1 UNHCR July 2018, population statistics





Without including refugees, the current population of Dollo Ado (including Boklomayo), based on the CSA population forecast for 2016, is 141,698. The urban population accounts for about 35% of the total. However, according to Dollo Ado Woreda Administration, the population, including Dollo Ado and Boklomayo, is estimated at173,000. Jijiga is the capital of the Somali region of Ethiopia and has a population of 125,876. According to the major, this number is much higher. The climate of Jijiga is a subtropical highland climate. In total, there are 20 urban and 10 rural Kebels in Jijiga.

Refugees Settlements and Their Impacts

Following a couple of decades of civil unrest in Somalia, hundreds of thousands of Somalians sought refuge in Ethiopia. This situation created a load which is beyond the carrying capacity of the desert ecosystem which was already under stress due to increasing population of the host community. This has had an impact on the environment particularly on the biomass resource base due to over dependence for supply of cooking fuel. Firewood has now become a scarce resource over which the host communities and refugees get into conflict. The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia took the initiative of including protection

of public health and Environmental pollution in the 1995 National Constitution.

According to both the Constitution Article 90 and the Environmental protection Policy

provide strong legislative and policy underpinning to “developing safe disposal of

human, household, agricultural and industrial wastes and encouragement of recycling”.

Besides, safe solid disposal and recycling initiative is well aligned to the UNHCR global

strategic priority, UN sustainable development goal and CRRF.

Project background

UNHCR SOMEL is located close to the borders with Somalia and Kenya, in the Somali

region of Ethiopia. Currently, together with the government counterpart ARRA, the

office looks after 214,080 Somali refugees in five refugee camps, established all along

the Dollo Ado-Negelle road within 90 km radius. For new arrivals, a reception centre is

established in Dollo Ado, approximately two kilometres from the Somali border. In

addition to the regular refugee programme, UNHCR SOMEL has also been engaged

with host communities through local woredas, with the aim to foster peaceful

coexistence. Boklomayo is the first refugee camp established in February 2009 in Dollo

Ado Woreda. As the influx of refugees increased over time, the other four camps,

Melkadida, Kobe, Hilaweyn and Buramino were consequently established until the end

of 2011. Of the five SOMEL refugee camps, two of them, Buramino and Hilaweyn, are

located in Dollo Ado Woreda hosted by three kebeles - Buramino, Aminow and

Hilaweyn each with a population of 4,500, 4,300 and 4,700 respectively. The other three

camps: Kobe, Melkadida and Boklomayo are found in Boklomayo Woreda hosted by

five Kebeles namely: Sub-leli, Boklomayo, Melkadida, Kobe, and Hawal Haji. The





proportion of refugees to host communities in the Kebeles affected is six to one. The

average population density in Genale-Dawa riverine livelihood zone is about 170

persons per square kilometres of which 64 % are refugees.

UNHCR Sub- Office Jijiga (SOJ) was established in 1998 with main objective of

supporting 600,000 refugees from Somalia whom were displaced due to ethnic based

conflict after the fall of the Siad Barre regime. Jijiga is located in eastern Ethiopia, 630

kilometres away from Addis Ababa. Together with the government counterpart ARRA,

the office assists 37,188 individuals in three camps, namely Kebribeyah, Awbarre, and

Sheder.

The disposal of plastics products at both the refugee operations, Melkadida and Jijiga

contributes significantly to environmental impact. Most plastics are not biodegradable

and can persist in the environment for many years. The generated plastic wastes are

blocking the drainage systems and resulting in water logging, flooding and spread of

waterborne diseases. With more and more plastics products, being disposed of soon after

their purchase, the landfill space and animal grazing area required by plastics waste is a

growing concern and has resulted in the death of unconfirmed number of animals over

the last few decades.

UNHCR’s operation in Melkadida and Jijiga are intending to implement “Trash into

Cash” initiative that augment the ongoing refugees’ self-reliance in order to decrease

dependency on humanitarian aid. The upcoming key activities of this initiative be

planned and implemented in line with the national “Growth and Transformation”

development plan, and ensure sustainability of the investment, as well as serving to

address both economic and ecological demands for the refugees and the host community.

Problem analysis

Generally solid waste is becoming a bigger problem in the refugee areas each year.

Households are producing more waste, so disposal sites are filling up and new sites are

further away from residential areas. All the solid wastes except plastic waste are

collected and transported to Addis Ababa for wholesale. There is no nearby recycling

facility around the refugee operation area and the householders have to dispose of plastic

waste themselves selling in low price for moving to Addis. Introduction of plastic

recycling facilities will increase the amount of revenue that they obtain in selling raw

plastic waste that has to be disposed of helps to reduce these problems.

Nowadays, there is a rapid growth in plastics consumption in both Melkadida and Jijiga

operation areas, particularly due to the increasing demand for plastic bottles from

potable water suppliers, oil Jerri cans, it is promising to recycle business. Though the

plastics waste generation in each specific area needs detail assessment, there is a much

wider scope for recycling in these areas due to several factors:

Available labour by both the refugees and host communities, including

trained youths.





There is an existing trend of selling the plastic waste to recycling companies

that reuse and recycling, with the associated system of collection, sorting,

cleaning and reuse of ‘plastic waste’ or used materials.

There is often an ‘informal sector’ which is ideally suited to taking on small-

scale recycling activities. Such opportunities to earn a small income are

rarely missed by members of the refugee and host communities

There are fewer laws to control the standards of recycled materials. (This

is not to say that standards can be low – the consumer will always demand

a certain level of quality).

Transportation costs are often lower, with hand or donkey carts often being

used.

Low cost plastic raw materials give an edge in the recycling business.

Innovative use of plastic waste collection from camps and nearby towns

often leads to low entry costs for processing or recycling.

In the proposed areas, both at Melkadida and Jijiga the scope for recycling of plastics

will grow as the amount of plastic being consumed increases. Therefore, collecting,

sorting and recycling plastic waste will become a viable business activity benefiting the

refugee and host communities.

Plastic waste stream assessment

Objective

The objective of the plastic waste stream assessment was to identify current plastic waste

management in the area as well as quantify the plastic waste streams in the refugee

camps and host community. This was an important part of the project as it laid the basis

for the feasibility of plastic recycling businesses in the area.

Methodology

All quantification of plastic waste are estimates and based on visual observation and

information given by the local communities, refugees, water bottle and plastic bag

wholesalers and UNHCR country operations.

Current plastic waste management

In the refugee camps in both Melkadida and Jijiga, it is clear that plastic waste is a real

issue. There are few waste management operations implemented in the two areas and so

the plastic waste is abundant in the streets, in trees, along fences and in people's

backyards. There are a few plastic waste collectors in both operations that mainly collect

plastic jerry cans and some PET water bottles for resale to trucks that go to Addis Ababa.





In the following we will review the plastic waste management in the five refugee camps

in the Melkadida area, Dollo Ado town, the three refugee camps in the Jijiga area and

Jijiga city.

Melkadida

Solid waste management in Melkadida camps is through organised and unorganised

collection. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is in charge of the WASH

program in the camps which includes collection of solid waste in the common areas. The

waste is being collected in half barrel receptacles and transported through donkey carts

to a semi-permanent landfill at the periphery of each camp zone. Melkadida camps solid

waste generation rates are generally low and waste types ranges from plastics, tin and

biodegradables (human, animals and little food wastes). The refugees are responsible for

putting their waste in different stationed waste bins or at the established waste dumps.

Despite the organised waste collection there is still a lot of plastic around in the

environment, mainly plastic bags, but also different kinds of plastic wrapping and some

water bottles. The plastic bag issue is mostly due to wind in the area that blows the

plastic bags from bins and waste dumps. This results in the same waste being collected

numerous times.

There are several individuals, both from the refugee and host community that collects

and sell plastic waste to trucks that brings it to Addis Ababa to sell to recycling

companies. The plastic waste is mainly jerry cans because the collecting individuals get

paid per kilogram and the jerry cans weigh more than PET bottles. There are some who

collects PET bottles, but few in relative to the jerry can collectors.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has previously been a part of a plastic recycling

project that looked into different alternatives for plastic recycling. In this project

recycled plastic products were produced for a short period. Unfortunately, the project

was never properly started due to unfortunate timing and no one to drive the project

forward.

Figure 1 and Figure 2 shows pictures from the field work in Melkadida.

Figure 1: Pictures of plastic waste Melkadida





Figure 2: Pictures of plastic waste Melkadida

Jijiga

Jijiga camps and host communities present a more densely populated settlement in the

tune of a small town. Solid waste in these camps are also managed through simple pits

dug in the outskirt of the camps. There are no organized way of collecting and managing

solid wastes except in Jijiga city where it is managed by the government as well as

private businesses. There are huge generations of plastic recyclables in Jijiga city

including the refugee camp Kebribeyah which is about 15km from Jijiga city.

There is a company that is working on setting up a waste management system in the city

that includes recycling of plastic. They have started collecting as well as acquired some

necessary equipment, but need some more funding to fully implement the recycling

business. They estimate that there is a total of 200,000 kg of plastic waste being

generated in Jijiga and surroundings each month. For the sake of not disturbing private

initiatives and creating unnecessary competition, The project will not focus on plastic

waste recycling in Jijiga city. The plastic recycling businesses will mainly be placed in

the refugee camps and will support and coexist with the private waste management

company in Jijiga City.

The waste management in the three refugee camps are managed through the WASH

program which is managed by ARRA and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). There

are several waste pits in the refugee camps where all solid waste are being disposed of,

but many of them are getting full. Some places they also burn the waste.





In the refugee camps of Jijiga there are a few traders of plastic waste jerry cans that sell

jerry cans to trucks that takes it to Addis Ababa and sells it to recycling companies. Most

people sell the jerry cans to small trucks that buys the jerry cans from the camps, brings

them to Jijiga City and sell them to trucks that goes to Addis Ababa. There are also some

people who take the plastic jerry cans to Jijiga City themselves by donkey cart.

Figure 3 shows pictures from the field work in Jijiga.

Figure 3: Pictures of plastic waste Jijiga





Plastic waste generation

Table 1 summarises the quantification of the plastic waste jerry can generation in the

five different refugee camps in the Melkadida area, Dollo Ado town and the three

refugee camps in Jijiga. Note that a full waste audit has not been conducted in the area,

so the quantifications must be considered as estimates.

Table 1: Plastic waste generation

Area

Type of plastic

waste

Generation of

plastic waste

in kg/month Comment

Dollo Ado Plastic jerry

cans 15000 kg

Dollo is the biggest area and has a total of ten

jerry can traders, where one of them is slightly

bigger than the others. The estimate is based on

information from the trades about what amount

they collect and sell each month. The estimate is

conservative.

Bokolomayo

refugee camp,

Melkadida

area

Plastic jerry

cans 3500 kg

Bokolomayo represents a mid size area an has a

total of five jerry can traders in the refugee camp

and host community. The estimate is based on

information from the trades about what amount

they collect and sell each month. The estimate is

conservative.

Melkadida,

Kobe,

Hilaweyn and

Buramino

refugee

camps,

Melkadida

area

Plastic jerry

cans 4000 kg

Melkadida, Kobe, Hilaweyn and Buramino

represents small refugee camps and has few

jerry can traders. It was not possible to get

accurate information from the traders about how

much they collect and sell. The estimate is

therefor based on estimates from the other

camps in relation to size of the camps. The

estimate is conservative.

Kebribaya

refugee camp,

Jijiga

Plastic jerry

cans 3000 kg

Kebribaya refugee camp is the biggest camp in

Jijiga and has a total of six jerry can traders. The

estimate is based on information from the trades

about what amount they collect and sell each

month. The estimate is conservative.

Awbare and

Sheder

refugee camp,

Jijiga

Plastic jerry

cans 4000 kg

Awbare and Sheder refugee camps are smaller

camps in Jijiga and has few jerry can traders. It

was not possible to get accurate information

from the traders about how much they collect

and sell. The estimate is therefor based on

estimates from the other camps in relation to

size of the camps. The estimate is conservative.





PET bottles and plastic bag waste has been estimated based on information from the

PET bottle and plastic bag wholesalers:

Melkadida:

4,500 kg PET bottle waste per month

500 kg plastic bag waste per month

Jijiga:

3000 kg PET bottle waste per month

500 kg plastic bag waste per month

Summary

Plastic waste amounts in the Melkadida and Jijiga area have been calculated based on

interviews with plastic waste collectors and traders, PET bottle wholesalers and waste

management NGOs. The estimates include plastic jerry cans, PET water bottles, and

plastic bags. The estimates will be higher if other types of plastic waste like soft drink

bottles and plastic wrapping is included.

Melkadida area

Table 2 shows an overview of the plastic waste generation in the Melkadida area. Based

on the available the estimated waste generation is 27,500 kg of plastic waste per month.

Table 2: Plastic waste generation summary Melkadida

Area Dollo Ado Bokolomayo Melkadida, Kobe,

Hilawein, Buramino

Jerry cans (kg) 15,000 3,500 4,000

PET water bottles (kg) 4,500

Plastic bags (kg) 500

Total plastic waste generation (kg) 27,500

Jijiga area

Table 3 shows an overview of the plastic waste generation in the Jijiga area. Based on

the available the estimated waste generation is 10,500 kg of plastic waste per month.





Table 3: Plastic waste generation summary Jijiga

Area Kebribaya Awbare Sheder

Jerry cans (kg) 3,000 2,000 2,000

PET water bottles (kg) 3,000

Plastic bags (kg) 500

Total plastic waste generation (kg) 10,500

Assessment of relevant recycled plastic products for

production

Objective

The objective of assessing different types of recycled plastic products for production

was to make sure that the products being made are useful and excepted by the

community. It is important to include both refugees and the host community in this

decision to ensure that the products being made are in demand.

Methodology

The assessment was conducted by the engineers together with UNHCR country

representatives. The data collection method included field visits to market areas to

observe different plastic items sold on the market, visits to refugee households to see

what type of plastic products they acquire, interviews with shop keepers and refugees

and focus group discussions with refugee representatives.

Demand assessment

Melkadida

Table 4 outlines the different products that was considered the most appropriate in regard

to market demand.

Table 4: Demand assessment

Products Description

Market potential

Type of plastic

Wall tiles

Today some people use metal sheets for protection on the outside of their house walls. These can be replaced by plastic tiles.

Medium PET, HDPE






Market potential

Type of plastic

Water tanks 25 litre

A problem identified in the camps was lack of water tanks outside of public and household latrines for handwashing. Today the refugees only have small size jerry cans for this. When they are empty they are seldom refill. A bigger water reservoir could improve hand hygiene among the refugees.

Big, UNHCR can be the buyer

HDPE

Plastic furniture; chairs and tables

Use of plastic chairs and tables are very common among the refugees and the host community. Especially plastic chairs is widely used. It is important to find a good design that is easy to make and comfortable to use

Big PET

Roof sheets

Metal sheets are used today as roofing for refugee houses. These metal sheets can be replaced with plastic sheets. It is important to design a good solid uniform product. It is possible to add colour if preferable

Big HDPE

Seedling pots

UNHCR have a plant nursery where they use seedling pots to grow their plants. These pots are bought from Addis Ababa and transported to Melkadida. These can be replaced with locally produced pots. It is desirable to make both pots with a closed bottom for plants and open bottom for seedling growth.

Medium PET, HDPE

Rope Ropes for different use. Medium PET, plastic

bags






Market potential

Type of plastic

Household appliances; wash basins and brooms

In the market place a lot of plastic wash basins are sold. This can be made locally. Due to local culture it is not possible to make appliances from reused plastic that are in contact with food or drinking water.

Big PET, HDPE

Woven Bags and mats

These products are easy to make and does not require much processing. Woven mats to sit on outside or bed mats are also in high demand.

Medium Plastic bags

Figure 4 shows pictures from the field of different plastic products that was assessed.





Figure 4: Pictures from the demand assessment

Calculation of plastic waste needed

Table 5 gives an estimation of the total amount of plastic needed for the different

products that is proposed in the demand assessment. It is important to note that the

quantifications are estimates and not adapted to final design of the products.

Table 5: Amount of plastic needed for production estimate

Products Product specification Area Raw material calculations

Wall tiles

0.3 x 0.3 m in size. 1-2 cm

in thickness as a start, but

this needs to be tested out.

Melkadida and

Jijiga

One m3 of HDPE equals

approximately 1000 kg of HDPE.

Given the thickness of 1.5 cm per tile

the amount of plastic needed is:

30 cm x 30 cm x 1.5 cm = 1350 cm3

1 m3 = 1000000 cm3

1350 cm3 * 0,001 kg = 1.35 kg/tile

The amount of plastic needed is

approximately 1.35 kg of

HDPE/tile. This equals about seven

5 litre jerry cans. To account for

wastage it is estimated 10 5 litre

jerry cans per wall tile.






Water tanks

25 litre

Plastic barrels are made of

HDPE. The barrels can be

reused 25 litre waste plastic

jerry cans that are washed

and modified to a water tank

by installing a tap. Another

possibility is to melt and

mould small jerry cans to a

25 litre water tank. The taps

needs to be made separately.

At this time the project has

not looked into making the

taps locally.

Melkadida

It is most desired to make medium

size water barrels of 25 litres. One 25

litre barrel weighs approximately 1

kg. It is possible to reuse the 25 litre

waste jerry cans as they are, wash

them and modify to a water tank by

installing a tap.

To mould a 25 litre water tank the

estimated need of raw material is:

25 l water tank = 1 kg

5 l jerry can = 0.2 kg

1 kg / 0.2 kg = five 5 litre jerry cans

per 25 litre water tank.


approximately 1 kg of

HDPE/water tank. To account for

wastage it is estimated six 5 litre

jerry cans per 25 litre water tank.

Plastic

furniture;

chairs and

tables

A standard plastic chair has

a sitting area approximately

40x40 cm and a total height

of 80 cm. A suggested size

of a table is 100x60+70 (l x

w x h). It is recommended

to look further into the

design of the chair and table

to make sure that the design

fits the criteria of the buyer.

Melkadida and

Jijiga

A standard plastic chair of the given

size weighs approximately 3 kg. To

mould a plastic chair the estimated

need of raw material is:

plastic chair = 3 kg

0.5 litre PET bottle = 0.012 kg

3 kg / 0,012 kg = 250 PET bottles

per chair.


approximately 3 kg of PET/chair.

To account for wastage it is

estimated 300 PET bottles per

chair.

A plastic table of the given size

weighs approximately 4 kg. To

mould a plastic table the estimated

need of raw material is:

Plastic table = 4 kg

0.5 litre PET bottle = 0.012 kg






4 kg / 0.012 kg = 333 PET bottles

per table.


approximately 4 kg of PET/table.


estimated 350 PET bottles per

table.

Roof sheets

Suggested size of the roof

tiles are 0.5 x 1 m, with an

initial thickness of 1-2 cm.

It is recommended to aim

for a final thickness of 0.5

cm, when the technique for

production is incorporated.

It is recommended to try

different designs to fit for

purpose

Melkadida and

Jijiga

One m3 of HDPE equals

approximately 1000 kg of HDPE.

Given the thickness of 1 cm per tile

the amount of plastic needed is:

1 x 1 m x 0.01 m = 0.01 m3

1 m3 HDPE = 1000 kg

0.01 m3 * 1000 kg = 10 kg/plastic

sheet


approximately 10 kg of

HDPE/plastic sheet. This equals

about 50 5 litre jerry cans. To

account for wastage it is estimated

35 5 litre jerry cans per roof sheet.

Seedling

and plant

pots

It is desirable to make both

pots with a closed bottom

for plants and open bottom

for seedling growth.

Melkadida

The seedling and plant pots can be

moulded or made from modified

plastic waste cans and PET bottles.

The size of the pots needs to be

specified according to demand by

UNHCR.

Rope

It is possible to make

different types of rope from

PET water bottles and

plastic bags using different

techniques. The methods are

simple and do not require

any machinery

Melkadida and

Jijiga

To make a rope from plastic bags

you need approximately 7

bags/meter of rope.

The length of rope from one PET

water bottle depends on the chosen

thickness of the rope.

Household

appliances;

wash basins

and brooms

Most common was 10 – 15 l

wash basins with a diameter

and height of approximately

30 cm. Brooms can be made

from PET bottles.

Melkadida and

Jijiga

5 1.5 litre PET bottles per broom is

estimated. Amount can vary with

design.

The weight of one plastic wash

basin is approximately 2 kg. This

equals about 10 5 litre jerry cans.







estimated 15 5 litre jerry cans per

wash basin.

Woven

Bags and

mats

Different designs of bags

and mats (for the bed and

for outside/inside sitting)

are available. The designs

should be made in

collaboration with the

refugees and host

community.

Melkadida and

Jijiga

Quantification depends on final

design.

Summary

Table 6 shows the following products are recommended for the plastic recycling plants

in Jijiga and Melkadida:

Table 6: Summary of plastic needed for production

Product area Amount in kg/item*

Plastic furniture Melkadida, Jijiga 3,6 kg PET bottles per

chair

4.2 PET bottles per table

Building materials Melkadida, Jijiga 2 kg jerry cans per wall tile

6 kg jerry cans per roof

sheet

Water tanks Melkadida 1.2 kg jerry cans per water

tank

Seedling/plant pots Melkadida To be decided when final

design is chosen

Household appliances Melkadida, Jijiga 0.15 kg PET bottles per

broom

3 kg jerry cans per wash

basin

Rope Melkadida, Jijiga 0.4 kg plastic bags per 10

meter rope

Bags and mats Melkadida, Jijiga To be decided when final

design is chosen *Calculation of kg is based on the following weights: one 0.5 litre PET bottle = 12 grams, one 5 litre jerry can = 200

grams, one plastic bag = 5 grams





Plastic recycling technology assessment

Objective

The objective of this section is to decide on the best technical solution for the factories.

In addition an evaluation on existing plastic recycling machines has been conducted.

Methodology

The study has been a desktop study of globally existing technology as well as meetings

with key institutions for the project, visits to relevant factories and manufacturing

training centers, and talking refugees and host community residents.

Existing plastic recycling machines on the market

The recycling scheme that will be assessed in this report is mechanical recycling.

Mechanical recycling includes shredding, melting and moulding. Globally, plastic

material recycling has commonly been conducted on a very big scale. For instance, most

plastic in Norway has been sent to Germany to be recycled. Therefore, recycling

machines are often complex. A machine can for example both shred and wash in one

machine, either together or the one operation after the other. This is also applicable for

plastic bags.

There are different ways of collecting plastic materials for recycling. Today both source

segregation, and manual and optical sorting at waste facilities are commonly used. Also

to segregate the different types of plastics, both manual sorting and optical sorting is on

the market. With big and complex machines, plastics can be recycled into clothes, water

barrels, rope etc.

Existing machines in the project area

Addis Ababa

There are some machines related to plastic recycling that you can find locally. There is

an estimated 10 recycling factories in Addis Ababa, which probably use different

machines for their operation. Most of these machines are imported from China, and other

countries. There are machine building companies in Addis Ababa who can make the

machines needed for plastic recycling provided they get detailed information about how

the machine should be built. Some of the machines from one of the PET shredding

factories in Addis Ababa are illustrated in Figure 5.





Figure 5: PET shredding factory in Addis Ababa

Somali region

According to different sources, there are no recycling factories in the Somali region in

Ethiopia. One of the bottle factories that the team visited had installed a little plastic

shredder some years ago, but they do not use it because of low demand for the shredded

material. Figure 6 shows a picture of the plastic waste shredder.

Figure 6: Plastic waste shredder





Energy demand of plastic recycling machines

Approximately 1,032 kg of HDPE packaging boxes give 1,000 kg shredded material,

with a total use of 340 kWh electricity. Even though these numbers are specific for that

type of plastic, and also the machine used, it can be used as an estimate for other plastic

types. In general, less dense materials use more energy to be shredded, per kg material.

These numbers will be used later in the evaluation of electricity needed for the whole

recycling process.

Technical design and equipment

Objective

To recommend technical solutions in the plastic recycling factories, this chapter

describes the different machines that are found to fit the production in the camps, and

assesses the need of electricity.

The product demand assessment concluded that three main products should be produced

in Melkadida and Jijiga. The products are floor- and roof-tiles, wash basins and chairs

and tables.

Methodology

A desktop study has been conducted to find different solutions to make the desired

products. For the products to be technically desirable to make, four main criteria have

been chosen and used to decide whether a solution will be feasible for the project or not.

The criteria are:

Durability: The machines used for production should last long, and be easy to

repair when they break.

Easy to handle: The machines should be user friendly and possible to handle

for employees with limited training.

No health risk: The machines should be safe to use.

Produce proper products with quality and good design: The outcome of the

process should be high quality products that creates demand

Bill of materials for the machines are attached in appendix D. Suggestions to setups of

the factories and collection points are attached in appendix E.





Desirable machines and solutions for the plastic recycling

business

There is an online community called “Precious Plastic”, where one main person has

started to make plastic recycling machines and to spread knowledge about these, and

plastic recycling in general for everyone to learn and be able to do plastic recycling. He

makes instructions and blueprints available for free. For many of the recycling machines,

the specifications from this web-page and download-kit has been used to get estimates

on machine size and price. When building the machines, it is important to first determine

the sizes and amounts of plastic that should be recycled, in order to be able to scale the

machines accordingly to take all the plastic that is required in the camps.

The machines and processes that are found to be necessary and possible are:

Pre-wash, label removing and sorting

Shredding

Washing

Moulding in oven

Moulding with an extruder

The machines that are found to be desirable to build in the factories and collecting points

have been assessed in different chapters, where both the description of the machine, the

scaling, costs and energy demand are assessed. Everything is summarized in the chapters

about energy need, and investment costs. Blueprints to the machines can be found on

the precious plastic website.

Pre-wash, label remover and sorting

When the plastic is brought into the factories and the collection points, some of it will

probably be dirty with soil and maybe some remaining food, oil etc. will stick to it. This

should be washed off before starting the shredding process, so that the shredder

machines last longer. This can be done manually with appropriate safety equipment such

as: 1) water resistant working clothes, 2) washing brushes and 3) gloves. There will

probably be no need for soap in this process. It is assumed that cold or luke warm water

is sufficient.

In the same process, labels and caps should be removed. The bottle caps which are

probable made out of PP, should be taken off, and sorted as an own fraction. The labels

that are made of plastic should be collected and used in a compression moulding, as will

be explained later in this chapter. After this the plastic should be sorted by plastic type

(HDPE, PP, PET, etc.), and maybe also color, to be able to choose the output of the

process better.

During the implementing period, it should be evaluated whether this process can actually

be done manually, as suggested, or if an automatic process is required due to the

amounts. It is assumed that the costs of electricity for this purpose is neglectable.





Plastic shredder

To break the plastic into small pieces to be able to melt them in moulds to whichever

shape is wanted, they should be taken through a shredder. The shredder can be used for

both PP, PET and HDPE which are planned to be recycled in this process. They should

be shredded separately, or in different shredders to be able to keep the materials sorted.

A shredder (Figure 7), typically has rotating metal blades that crush the plastic between

the metal wall of the machine and the blades, or between more rows of metal blades.

When they have been crushed into small enough pieces for the purpose, the pieces fall

through the mesh in the bottom of the machine. If the plastic piece is not small enough

to fall through this mesh, the rotating blades grabs the piece of plastic one more time

and take it through the process over again. The holes in the mesh are adapted to the

desired size of the plastic shredded material. The smaller the size, the higher the energy

demand, due to several rounds of shredding.

Figure 7: Plastic shredder

To calculate the installed capacity needed in the plants and energy need for the same

machines, estimates from three different sources has been used. These have been

compared, to establish an estimate that is as good as possible. It is assumed a need of 7

kW shredders in Jijiga area and 10.5 kW shredders in Melkadida area. The calculations

of shredder size is attached in appendix E.

It is recommended to scale up the shredding machines from Precious Plastic to 3.5 kW,

and install two machines in each of the locations in Jijiga, and three in the locations in

Melkadida, to get a higher reliability of the plant.

Precious Plastic estimates that a shredder with 2kW installed capacity will cost

approximately 200$, based on second hand materials and not including labour. The

actual price will therefore be higher based on the need for larger machines and for the

need of a new generator. The cost is therefore estimated to be USD $1,000 for a 3.5 kW

shredder. It is recommended to find a good source with specific information regarding





capacity to shred plastic, or to first install a 3.5 kW machine, and test the capacity, before

deciding on the exact quantity of shredders to install, and to evaluate whether the

shredders should be scaled up or down.

Table 7 shows the estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the shredder for the

collecting points. Estimates are per machine.

Table 7: estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the shredder for the collecting points

Area Installed

capacity (kW)

Energy use (kWh) Estimated price

(USD)

Jijiga 2 x 3.5 320 2000

Melkadida 3 x 3.5 1700 3000

Washer

Washing is more effective when the plastic is shredded in small pieces. The desired

washing machine is not complex (open basin with a propel or screw in it). It is assumed

that such a machine can be developed and build in the machine factory in Addis Ababa.

In choosing detergent it is important to consider HSE regulations. Caustic soda is

recommended, which is effective and can easily be neutralized, before being released

into the environment. The water with caustic soda can be neutralized by going through

a small pool with lime solution. It is recommended to use as little caustic soda as possible

in the process, as it is corrosive at high concentrations. An estimate from the PET

shredding factory in Addis Ababa, was that 4000 L of water and less than 300 kg of

caustic soda, gives 25 tons of washed plastic. They had a 5.5 kW washing machine for

this purpose, and washed 100 tons of plastic each month. Jijiga and Melkadida is

assumed to have 3.3 and 5 tons of plastic waste on each site each month. It is therefore

assumed that the washing machine in the sites can be more than 20 times smaller. In this

analysis a 0.5 kW motor is assumed, and it is assumed that the machine run 50% of the

time in all places.

The water in the washing process should be reused back into the machine if possible.

Appropriate safety equipment is required for the employees working with chemicals.

There is a need for warm water in this process. It is recommended to have a water tank

on the roof to get as much hot water as possible from the sun. For cloudy days, it should

still be an opportunity to warm the water with electricity.

Price of the washer is estimated to be USD $1,000 including a wash basin to neutralize

the water after the washing process.

Table 8 shows the estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the washer for the

collecting points. Estimates are per machine.





Table 8: estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the washer for the collecting points

Area Installed

capacity (kW)


(USD)

Jijiga 0.5 40 1000

Melkadida 0.5 40 1000

Melting and moulding

There are two ways to melt and mould new products. Both of these processes have been

assessed to give value to the factories that are going to recycle the material. It is

recommended to have two machines, in case one of them needs repair.

It is recommended to use the shredded products with the correct color for the end

product, when deciding which plastic to use in the production. If the desired color is

different from the plastic products coming in, it should be assessed in the implementation

period if paint should be used in the process or the products should be painted afterwards.

For the moulding process, it should be investigated whether a “mould release” is needed,

to get the products out of the moulds when finished. This will probably depend on which

metal is used for the moulds, and the plastic type used. It should be produced more of

the same moulds for each machine, so one can start to produce a new product while the

last product is cooling down inside the mould. Figure 8 shows a picture of a moulding

machine and an extruder.

Figure 8: Moulding machine (left) and extruder (right)

Oven to mould in:

A moulding oven looks much the same as a normal cooking stove, where one turn up

the temperature to a specific degree (it depends on the plastic type used which

temperature it should be), and a mould filled with shredded plastic is put inside the oven.





While the plastic is melting, the oven presses the mould up against the “roof” of the

oven, so that the plastic inside the mould is pressed out into every corner of the mould.

This works because the top sheet of the mould can move down into the mould, and make

the mould so small that all room is filled up.

For the factories, it is recommended that these ovens are build big enough to mould

0.5x1 m roof sheets. The oven should therefore be a bit more than 1 x 1 m in width and

depth, and at least 0.5 m high, to be able to make other things with different shapes also.

The oven can also be used to make other products, such as water barrel parts, flower

pots, floor tiles, and furniture parts etc.

To be able to melt at least PET, PP and HDPE, which are the main plastic types in the

area, it is assumed that an oven that can heat up to 280 degrees Celsius is needed. It is

assumed that this oven will use approximately 5 kW of power. It is assumed that it will

take no longer than 30 minutes to mould one tile. It is recommended to acquire two

ovens in Melkadida and one oven in Jijiga to be able to process the amount of plastic

waste available.

For energy use calculations it has been assumed that the extruders in Melkadida and

Jijiga run on 90% of their capacity based on amount of waste available and production

amount per month.

Price of the 1 x 1 m compression oven is estimated to be USD $1,000. It is assumed

that a smaller oven will be installed in all collection points. This is assumed to run 50%

of the time.

Table 9 shows the estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the oven for the collecting

points. The energy use is based on 20 working days of 8 hours each month.

Table 9: estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the oven for the collecting points

Area Installed

capacity (kW)


(USD)

Jijiga 1 x 5 720 1 000

Melkadida 3 x 5 2400 3000

All collection points 1 x 4 320 900

Injection moulding with extruder:

Injection moulding is a process where the plastic melts inside the injection machine,

before it gets pushed into a mould. The mould is cold, so that the plastic cools down and

stiffens when pressed into it. The moulds can be shaped as a beam (for furniture

construction), flower pots, floor tile, etc.

For the machine a motor with 70 rpm is needed and it is assumed that this will require a

2 kW installed capacity. To make one beam of one meter would take approximately 10





minutes. This makes it possible to make a set of legs to either chairs or tables in

approximately 40 minutes. Assuming a weight of 2 kg per beam an estimated amount of

480 kg of plastic can be processed per extruder in one month based on eight hour work

days, 20 days per month. It is recommended to acquire three extruders in Melkadida and

two extruders in Jijiga to be able to process the amount of plastic waste available.

For energy use calculations it has been assumed that the two extruders in Jijiga run on

50% of its capacity based on amount of waste available and production amount per

month. In Melkadida the extruders will run on 100% of their capacity.

Price of the extruder is estimated to be USD $1,100. Table 10 shows the estimated prices,

capacity and energy use of the extruder for the collecting points. The energy use is based

on 20 working days of 8 hours each month.

Table 10: estimated prices, capacity and energy use of the extruder for the collecting points

Area Installed

capacity (kW)


(USD)

Jijiga 2 x 2 330 2 200

Melkadida 3 x 2 960 3 300

Equipment for making moulds:

Many moulds can be made relatively easy with metal working machines, such as

welding machines, metal cutter and a sander. This equipment was found on the NRC

training facility in Melkadida area, as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9: Metal working equipment found on NRC training centre in Melkadida

It is recommended to use metal for the moulds due to its high heat capacity and to avoid

the plastic sticking to the sides of the mould. It is also recommend to have these small

machines on the main factories, to let the cooperative make their own moulds when they

want to. They should also get training to know how to use these machines. The collecting





points can ask for moulds to be made at the main factories. It is assumed that the energy

use for this is neglectable.

Blow moulding:

To make water barrels, it is normal to use a technique called blow moulding. In this

process it is necessary to have a finished product of plastic to put into the blow moulding

machine, before it gets heated up and blown into the correct shape. This can probably

also be produced at site, but the process seems too complicated to be reliable at the

factories in Melkadida and Jijiga.

Another way to make smaller barrels is to make both sides in two different moulds, and

then melt the parts together. This needs to be looked further into.

Energy demand

Amount of energy needed for the machines has been assessed and is summarised in

Table 11. It is assumed 0.5 installed capacity to cover the lighting need and other small

equipment.

Table 11: Estimated energy need

Site Shredder kWh/month

Washer (kWh/month)

Oven (kWh/month)

Extruder (kWh/month)

Lighting

etc. (kWh/month)

SUM

Jijiga area

Sheder

factory

1120 40 720 330 80 2300

Kebribayah

factory

1120 40 720 330 80 2300

Awbare

collecting

point

1120 40 320 - 80 1600

Melkadida area

Melkadida

factory

800 40 2400 960 80 4300

Dollo Ado

factory

800 40 2400 960 80 4300

Bokolomayo

Collecting

point

800 40 320 - 80 1200

Kobe

collection

point

800 40 320 - 80 1200

Hilwayen

collection

point

800 40 320 - 80 1200





Buramino

collection

point

800 40 320 - 80 1200

The capacity needed for all machines and equipment in all different locations are

summarized in Table 12.

Table 12: Estimated capacity need

Site Shredder kWh/month

Washer (kWh/month)

Oven (kWh/month)

Extruder (kWh/month)

Lighting

etc. (kWh/month)

SUM

Jijiga area

Sheder

factory

2 x 3.5 0.5 1 x 5 2 x 2 0.5 17

Kebribayah

factory

2 x 3.5 0.5 1 x 5 2 x 2 0.5 17

Awbare

collecting

point

2 x 3.5 0.5 1 x 4 - 0.5 12

Melkadida area

Melkadida

factory

3 x 3.5 0.5 2 x 5 3 x 2 0.5 27.5

Dollo Ado

factory

3 x 3.5 0.5 2 x 5 3 x 2 0.5 27.5

Bokolomayo

Collecting

point

3 x 3.5 0.5 1 x 4 - 0.5 15.5

Kobe

collection

point

3 x 3.5 0.5 1 x 4 - 0.5 15.5

Hilwayen

collection

point

3 x 3.5 0.5 1 x 4 - 0.5 15.5

Buramino

collection

point

3 x 3.5 0.5 1 x 4 - 0.5 15.5

Operational time of machines

Shredders – 100 %

Ovens – 90 %

Washer – 50 %

Extruders – 50 % (Jijiga) and 100 % (Melkadida)

It is recommended that enough capacity is installed for all the machines to run at the

same time. It is possible to lower the installed capacity with a couple kW, and still get

everything through the machines.





An estimated need of capacity of 17 kW is assumed for the factories in Jijiga, and

27.5 kW in Melkadida. In the collecting points 12 kW will be needed in Jijiga, and

15.5 kW will be needed for the collecting points in Melkadida area.

Energy acquisition – cost estimates

When deciding between solar panels and diesel generator, it is important to take

environmental impact into consideration. Using solar power is recommended because it

is environmentally friendly and dependable. A solar technician cooperative established

locally in the Melkdadida area will also create local value. In Jijiga it is also assumed

that someone in the town works with solar panels, and that is will create local value there

as well.

Three cases has been assessed in this report:

1) Only solar panels

2) Solar panels and diesel generators (for when it is cloudy)

3) Only diesel generators

A solution using a battery has not been assessed at this stage, due to the batteries short

life span in harsh environments, and with non-optimal charge and discharge of the

batteries. This way electricity can also be given to the people living in the area, when

there is excess electricity on sunny days. It is also assumed that operation of the plant

will happen during the day.

Solar panels

It is assumed that on cloudy days, the solar panels produces 50% of the installed

capacity. If installing only solar panels as the energy source it is recommended to install

twice as much solar capacity as is needed on a sunny day. A cost of USD $1500 per kW

installed capacity of solar panels is assumed.

To find the required area for the solar panels, a thumb rule that 10 m3 space is needed

for one kW installed capacity. For the biggest factory, in the Melkadida region, 550 m3

land will be needed for installation of panels. In Jijiga the factories will need 340 m3

land for this purpose, and the collecting points need 310 m3 and 240 m3 respectively in

Melkadida area and Jijiga area. Further assessments should be done to find the optimal

dispatch between solar panels, batteries and diesel generator, depending on the available

space for solar panels.

Solar panels and diesel generator

In the case with solar panels and diesel generator, the solar panels are scaled to produce

just enough electricity when the sun is shining, and when it is cloudy diesel generator

will be used. The diesel generator is scaled to be able to take half of the energy

production when it is cloudy. Hence, the installed capacity should be half of the total

capacity need.





Diesel generator

For the diesel solutions, a cost of USD $ 5 500 is assumed for a 5 kW diesel generator,

and a cost of USD $ 14 500 for a 20 kW diesel generator. The sizes between these two

have been extrapolated linearly. It is also assumed that a litre of diesel costs USD $ 0.8

per litre, and that the generators can produce 3 kWh with 1 L diesel, due to the bad

efficiency it is on electricity production from fuel.

Cost estimates

Table 13 shows the calculations of costs for Jijiga:

Table 13: Cost calculations Jijiga

Jijiga Oversized solar Solar and small

diesel

Diesel generator

installed

capacity/month

34 kW 17 kW solar

+ 8.5 kW diesel

17 kW

Costs/month 51 000 $ 25 500 $ + 7

500 $

+ 460 $

fuel/month

12 500 $ + 1840 $

fuel/month

The solar panel solution will be more profitable than the solar + diesel case when the

fuel costs exceeds USD $ 18,000. With fuel costs of USD $ 460 per month, it will take

3.3 years for the solar panel solution to be more profitable. The solar panels are also

dimensioned to produce twice as much electricity as needed when sunny. For the case

using only a diesel generator it will take 1.7 years for the solar panel solution to be more

profitable.

The results seems to be pointing so strongly in one direction, that it is assumed that the

solar panels will be the cheapest solution for all factories and collection points, and only

calculations for solar panels have been investigated further. It is still recommended to

have a diesel generator at the sites, in case the solar system fails. This is assumed to cost

USD $ 5,500 in addition to the solar panel installation. Cost estimates for solar panel for

the rest of the factories/collection points are:

Melkadida factory:

Installed capacity 55 kW

Costs USD $ 82,500

Melkadida collection point:


Costs USD $ 46,500





Jijiga collection point:


Costs USD $ 36,000

Investment costs

Total investment costs for Melkadida and Jijiga are estimated in Table 14 and Table 15.

Table 14: Investment costs Melkadida

Bokolo-

mayo

Melkadida Kobe Hilwayen Buramino Dollo

Ado

Power supply 18,000 60,000 18,000 18,000 18,000 60,000

Shredder 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000

Washer 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000 1,000

Oven 900 3,000 900 900 900 3,000

Extruder 3,300 3,300

Sum 22,900 70,300 22,900 22,900 22,900 70,300

Table 15: Investment costs Jijiga

Sheder factory Kebribayah

factory

Awbare

collecting point

Power supply 56,500 56,500 41,000

Shredder 2,000 2,000 2,000

Washer 1,000 1,000 1,000

Oven 1,000 1,000 900

Extruder 2,200 2,200

Sum 62,700 62,700 44,900

Summary

It has been found technically feasible to make floor- and roof tiles, furniture and flower

pots out of the plastic material. Before moulding the plastic needs to be shredded and

washed.

All Jijiga cooperatives need two shredders of 3.5 kW, while all Melkadida cooperatives

needs three of the same type. One moulding oven is enough in all receiving points and

the factories in Jijiga, while the factories in Melkadida needs two ovens to be able to

produce products of all the plastic material. Furthermore Jijiga factories needs two

extruders, while Melkadida needs three.

The most cost effective solution, of the options available in the areas, is to build solar

panels which provide enough electricity also when cloudy.





Business cooperative strategy

The aim of the project is to encourage as many as possible to be part of the value chain

created from the plastic waste. Setting up cooperatives in each camp will be the best

platform to achieve this. Although not discussed in this chapter, it is recommended to

also consider making houses or community buildings from Ecobricks (PET bottled filled

with sand). A business plan for this is attached in appendix B.

Melkadida

The businesses will be organized through separate cooperatives in each refugee camp as

well as Dollo Ado town

Establishing the cooperatives will be done during the first year of the project which is

the implementation phase. After that a one year production trial will commence. One

NGO should have the responsibility for setting up the cooperatives and follow up in the

implementation and production trial period. There should also be allocated funds for a

follow up after this period to be able to do necessary adjustments.

The activities needed will be distributed between the different cooperatives according to

Table 16.

Table 16: Activities needed in Melkadida

Steps

Bokolomayo Melkadida Kobe Hilaweyn Bur-

Amino

Dollo town

Collecting

plastic

waste

Individuals collect and sell

To local project collection stations

Processing

Sorting,

washing,

shredding

and simple

production

Main

processing

plant.

Including

sorting,

washing,

shredding

and

processing.

Also

collection

of

shredded

material

Sorting,

washing,

shredding

and

simple

production

Sorting,

washing,

shredding

and

simple

production

Sorting,

washing,

shredding

and

simple

production

Main

processing

plant.

Including

sorting,

washing,

shredding

and

processing.

Also

collection

of shredded

material





It is recommended that Melkadida cooperative have an overall responsibility to follow

up and coordinate the total activity at the different cooperatives.

Jijiga

Due to possible conflict of interest with private enterprises in Jijiga town it was decided

not to include Jijiga town in the following business models.

The businesses will be organized at separate cooperatives placed in two of the refugee

camps, Sheder and Kebribayah. The activities needed will be distributed between the

different cooperatives according to Table 17.

Table 17: Activities needed in Jijiga

Steps Kebribeyah Sheder Awbare

Collecting plastic

waste

Individuals can collect and sell to local project collection

stations

Transport to local

processing

plant

Project do the necessary transport

Processing

Two main plants sorting, washing,

shredding, moulding

Sorting and

production of hand

crafts.

Ownership and sustainability

Implementing the cooperative strategy with long term support, will result in a business

that is solid and sustainable for the future. It is important that the employers feel

ownership to the business and in that way will do the extra effort sometimes needed to

keep a business running successfully for many years.

The main guarantor of sustainability is the level of engagement in and ownership of the

project at community level in business model approach.

The plastic waste recycling business will be operational through registered cooperatives

composed of both host and refugee communities. The cooperatives will be registered at

Ethiopia Somali Bureau of cooperatives as a community based business enterprises. The

business is run by and executive committee elected by the members of the community

based business cooperatives.

The business will be operational at a medium scale, collection and sorting of plastic

waste, producing diversified recycled plastic articles and products in a sustainable

business model. The plastic recycling business cooperatives in collaboration with the

local administration appeal to own for the factory land acquisition, for this purpose.





To run the business, the Cooperatives will appoint a board of directors who will in turn

appoint a managing director. A sales and marketing manager, quality control manager,

personnel manager and a financial accountant are other planned key personnel. The first

year will mainly deal with plastic waste collection, sorting and shredding activities and

in the following years, recycled plastic product diversification will commence.

By promoting increased self-reliance of the refugees and building resilience of the host

communities, UNHCR expects this project will give the refugees and host communities

the opportunity to participate in Environmental protection and livelihoods self-reliance

programmes that will reduce poverty levels, in line with the Ethiopian Government’s

National Development plans, UN sustainability development goal, and CRRF.

Eventually, this will ensure the community empowerment and sustainability of the

investments made in Melkadida and Jijiga.

Financial and commercial analysis

Melkadida

Based on the baseline mapping and previous discussions we see the following viable

business Ideas:

Complex moulding of building materials, furniture, wash basins, water tanks and

plant pots

Producing less complex articles from plastic waste like ropes, brooms, bags and

mats

Collecting, sorting, shredding and washing plastic waste and sell to plastic

recycling company in Addis Ababa

Table 18 outlines the business models along with costs and revenue per site. Complete

business plans are attached in appendix B. All costs and revenue are based on estimated

selling amounts per month, required raw material, selling price, monthly salary and other

costs. All numbers are estimates.





Table 18: Business models for Melkadida

*There will also be private collectors that will benefit from the business, by selling collected plastic waste to the cooperatives.

**Based on estimated prices and selling amount of selected products

Business Number of employees

Investment costs Monthly costs

Monthly revenue

Number of CBOs involved

Environmental impact

b

Melt and mould the plastic

waste to identified needed

products

15 employees* USD$ 275,200

USD$ 2,444 including: -Labour -Materials -Electricity USD$ 5,000

Two main cooperatives in Melkadida and in Dollo Ado.

-Reuse of plastic waste -Less import of goods

c Produce less complex

articles from plastic waste


Must be calculated when deciding on final products and design. USD$ 790**

All of the cooperatives


d

Collecting, sorting,

shredding and washing and

selling to recycling

companies in Addis Ababa


USD$ 14,015 including: -Labour -Materials -Electricity

USD$ 20,453 Assuming sales of all monthly produced plastic

All of the cooperatives

-Plastic waste clean up





Jijiga

Based on the baseline mapping and previous discussions we see the following viable

business Ideas:

Complex moulding of building materials, furniture and wash basins

Producing less complex articles from plastic waste like ropes, brooms, bags and

mats

Collecting, sorting, shredding and washing plastic waste and sell to plastic

recycling company in Addis Ababa

Table 19 outlines the business models along with costs and revenue per site. Complete

business plans are attached in appendix B. All costs and revenue are based on estimated

selling amounts per month, required raw material, selling price, monthly salary and other

costs. All numbers are estimates.





Table 19: Business models for Jijiga

Business Number of employees

Investment costs Monthly costs

Monthly revenue

Number of CBOs involved


b

Melt and mould the plastic

waste to identified needed

products

15 employees USD$ 113,300

USD$ 2,420 including: -Labour -Materials -Electricity USD$ 4,840

Two main cooperatives in Sheder and Kebribeyah


c Produce less complex

articles from plastic waste


Must be calculated when deciding on final products and design. USD$ 790** All sites


d

Collecting, sorting,

shredding and washing and

selling to recycling

companies in Addis Ababa


USD$ 4,830 including: -Labour -Materials -Electricity

USD$ 6,885 Assuming sales of all monthly produced plastic

Two main cooperatives in Sheder and Kebribeyah

-Plastic waste clean up





Viability analysis

When selecting a business case it is important is to select a case that’s economically

sustainable after the initial 2 years implementation and production trial period that gives

as much positive back to the refugees and host community as possible. Table 20 and

Table 21 outlines a viability analysis of the two main different activities that has been

proposed in this report.

Melkadida

Table 20: Viability analysis Melkadida

Business Monthly

costs Monthly revenue

Bottom line


Community impact

a Collect, shred,

melt and

remould

USD$ 2,444 USD$ 5,000

+ USD$ 2,556

Recycling of plastic waste,

environmental clean up, less

burning of plastic waste, less transport

High local benefit, possible

employment of many

refugees and host

community residents,

local produce, skill development

b Collect, shred,

wash and sell

USD$ 14,015

USD$ 20,453

+ USD$ 6,438



burning of plastic waste

Moderat local benefit,

possible employment

of many refugees and

host community residents

* Wage 40$/month/worker (based on 1000Birr/month)

Based on Table 20 Case b is the most economically viable alternative, but gives less to

the local community and has less environmental benefits.





Jijiga

Table 21: Viability analysis Jijiga

Business Monthly

costs Monthly revenue

Bottom line


Community impact

a Collect, shred,

melt and

remould

USD$ 2,420 USD$ 4,840

+ USD$ 2,420



burning of plastic waste, less transport

High local benefit, possible

employment of many

refugees and host

community residents,

local produce, skill development

b Collect, shred,

wash and sell USD$ 4,830

USD$ 6,885

+ USD$ 2,055



burning of plastic waste

Moderat local benefit,

possible employment

of many refugees and

host community residents

Based on Table 21 Case a is the most economically viable alternative.

Implementation strategy

The business cases needs to be implemented in different sequences starting with basic

processing like washing/shredding to get the organization and technology in place. It is

recommended to select one site to test the different technologies suggested before

implementation and to choose one technology development partner (to make machines

etc.).

The strategy will adopt the implementation of the initiative relies heavily on community

engagement and youth economic empowerment. Emphasis will be placed on both the

host and the refugee community as the key implementers and co-owners of the

programme in order to ensure the business sustainability. The role of UNHCR and

implementing partners is important for this process in the initial stages, but the goal will

be to try to phase out their direct involvement as systems and processes are put in place

for the communities to take over. The exercises undertaken with communities to assess

strengths are inspiring and motivating as they help people realize that they are not





helpless, but rather have power in decision-making, which can, in itself, result in

increased active participation. The business operators will be linked to micro-finance

institutions to enlarge the plastic recycling business and the varieties of finished

products.

On the other hand, the Woreda, Zonal and Regional authorities involvement will

be optimised to introduce local guidelines that will sanction the use of non-reusable

plastic sheets for any purpose through the introduction of relevant taxes and

mobilization of the community to minimise the generation of the valueless plastic

waste and replace it with more environmental friendly use such as own shopping

bags, preferably made of cloth or Kaki bags and other recycled material rather than

thinner plastic bags.

Environmental and social impact

The construction and operation of the proposed plastic waste recycling facility will have

both positive and negative impacts as outlined in the preliminary assessment. However,

the study has established that the negative environmental impacts can be ameliorated

through implementation of mitigation measures that are outlined in this report. It is thus,

recommended that the project be allowed to go on provided the mitigation measures

outlined in this report including the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) are fully

implemented and adhered to. It is also recommended that the proponent of the project

fully complies with all statutory and regulatory requirements required of such projects.

Considering the many benefits of the project, it is recommended that the national and

regional Environmental protection authorities will presumably approve and grant the

environmental impact assessment licence for it to continue. The aim of carrying out the

Environmental Impact Assessment is to ensure that development projects do not

negatively affect the environment.

A project of this magnitude is bound to have environmental impacts. These impacts have

been categorized into two: (1) Impacts on the natural environment and (2) impacts on

the human and animal environment. Impacts on the natural environment include those

on land, air and water. The human impacts are largely social and economic in nature.

Further classification of the impacts have been done based on the project life cycle i.e.

impacts during construction, operation and decommissioning stages of the project. The

identified potential negative impacts during construction and operation phases include

change in land use, clearance of vegetation and crops, emissions from construction

vehicle, noise and vibrations, excess soils from excavation, dust generation, risks of

accidents and injuries to workers, habitat alteration, alteration of micro climate,

interference with the river’s ecosystem and erosion of the river bed and banks among

others.

In order to ensure sustainability of the project, several mitigation measures have been

suggested. Suggested mitigation measures during construction phase include sprinkling

of the ground with water to minimize dust, proper servicing and tuning of the machinery

to reduce noise and vibrations; and the provision of construction workers with the





necessary protective gear to ward off risks of accidents and injuries. Thereafter adequate

landscape management will be undertaken to create balanced environment. There will

be environmentally sound disposal of waste water through ultra-modern septic tank that

will be provided. Solid waste would be disposed of in well-designed dust bins which

will be emptied by the building management from time to time. A system for continuous

monitoring of the project will be in operation throughout its life cycle. The

implementation of the suggested mitigation measures will ensure that the significant

impacts of the project are controlled to a large extent.

Besides, a comprehensive environmental management plan has been prepared to guide

the proponent and contractor in addressing the identified adverse environmental impacts

of the project. Strict adherence to the environmental management plan provided is

recommended to ensure environmental sustainability of the project.

Reuse can be very helpful for disadvantaged people who cannot afford to buy new

goods. These could include clothing, building materials, and business equipment. Reuse

centres that collect and distribute reusable goods can also provide community benefits

by engaging in job-training programmes and general training for the long-term

unemployed, disabled people and young people.

By reusing materials rather than creating new products from raw materials, there are

fewer burdens on the economy as a whole – especially if reuse results in a reduction in

raw material and product imports. Reuse is an economical way for many people to

acquire the items they need. It is almost always less expensive to buy a used item than a

new one.

Reusing something uses little or no water, energy or other resources and is unlikely to

cause pollution. As well as these benefits, reuse eliminates the environmental damage

that would have been caused if the item had been disposed of, rather than reused. In

contrast, manufacturing a product from raw materials (and, to a lesser extent, recycling)

consumes resources, causes pollution and generates wastes

The intention of the project is to improve both social and environmental aspects. This is

done through beating plastic pollution in the project areas, creating jobs for both refugees

and host communities and improving the livelihood of communities. The project

contributes towards the development of local economy and improving ecology.

Possible negative impacts and Mitigation measures are shown in Table 22:





Table 22: possible negative impacts and mitigation measures

Impacts Mitigations

Interfering in business opportunities in

host communities

Discuss with host community to insure this

don’t happened.

Air pollution from diesel generator Use solar energy where possible

Ground pollution from washing water Implement a cleaning system for washing

water

Tension between host community and

refugees

Insure that also host community also

benefit from project

Tension between people getting work

and others

Try to involve as many as possible in

activities connected to the business

Conclusions

There is a need for environmental sound solutions as environmental considerations gain

ground legislation changes all around the world. Sustainable development is at the top

of all agendas in the UN, EU and national governments. Better solutions for the rapidly

growing amounts of plastic waste are in demand. High prices of virgin materials will

also make recycling attractive.

The project’s objective is to provide support to the refugee and host communities to

recycle plastic wastes in a business model, in order to decrease their dependency on

external aid and to ensure that a significant level of self-reliance is achieved once return

to Somalia becomes possible. This goal will be accomplished by applying best practices

and innovation to livelihoods/self-reliance and education activities, and ensuring

sustainable development to benefit the refugee and host communities. An area of intense

focus in this initiative will be to address sustainable economic and ecological

development needs by exploring plastic waste recycling business. The introduction of

plastic recycling business helps to create more employment opportunity in addition to

its significant merit to protect environmental pollution in and around the Melkadida and

Jijiga Refugee camps.

Recycling plastics has many benefits, it contributes to energy savings and the reduction

of greenhouse gas emissions. It also saves non-renewable sources like oil and gas. In

addition to that, recycling provides livelihood for millions of people and families in

developing countries, either in the form of formal employment or informal economic

activities.

It is recommended in this report to set up plastic recycling businesses in Melkadida and

Jijiga area to collect, recycle and reuse plastic waste, produce local products to be sold

on the local market and create jobs and business opportunities for refugees and host

community alike. The businesses should be led by an NGO in the first two implementing

years, before handed over to the plastic recycling community cooperatives. The final





number of employees will be decided after the 2 year implementing phase. It is

recommended to use the implementation phase of the project to test which types of

plastic that can be used for different production materials and to be open to look into the

possibilities of other moulds than the ones recommended in this report.

Suggested infrastructure in the two areas are:

Infrastructure set-up for Melkadida:


up at Melkadida and Dollo equipped with all required recycling machines and

production facilities

Small scale plastic waste collection and supplying cooperatives in each camp of

the other four refugee camps (Buramino, Hilwayen, Kobe & Bokolmayo).

Two trucks that collects shredded plastic material from the camps and host

communities to central production centres

Infrastructure set-up for Jijiga:


up at Sheder and Kebribeyah equipped with all required recycling machines

and production facilities

The plant to be set-up in Sheder will also serve for Awbare refugee camp &

host communities.

Throughout the implementation period it should be established if the estimated

production amounts assumed in this analysis was correct and if it is necessary to invest

in more machinery.





Appendix A

ACTIVITY PLAN





Melkadida and jijiga

Activity Responsible

Select implementation partner NGO UNHCR

Select a technology partner to help design

machines EWB, UNHCR

Select a local firm to produce machines.

This firm will be responsible for training

of staff to operate the machines and

maintenance EWB, UNHCR

Select areas for setup of production plant.

Decide layout and architectural design. EWB, UNHCR

Select key personnel and involve them in

the implementation process UNHCR

Get the shredder and washer in place

early to start training of the basic process.

Get this working at one site and then

implement on the other sites NGO

Implement HSE inspection program for

all production sites NGO, UNHCR

Start the implementation of the collection

process when the basic processes are

ready NGO, EWB

Use the first stages of the project to get a

better overview of the plastic waste

quantities. NGO, EWB

Start implementation of the production

process when the basic processes are in

place. Make sure it works in one place

before expanding. NGO, EWB

After one year do an assessment of

business viability and make necessary

adjustments EWB, UNHCR

Second year production phase NGO

Transfer business to established

cooperatives NGO, UNHCR

After two years do another viability

assessment and make necessary

adjustments EWB, UNHCR





Appendix B

BUSINESS PLANS MELKADIDA

Contents

Melt and mould 57 Product 57 Marked 57 Marketing Plan 57 Design 57 Operational Plan 57 Financial Plan 58 Risks/Challenges 59 Health, Safety and Environment aspect

regarding production, use and disposal 60 Collect, shred and sell 60

Product 60 Marked 60 Marketing Plan 60 Operational Plan 60 Financial Plan 61 Risks/Challenges 62 Health, Safety and Environment aspect

regarding production, use and disposal 63 Collect and produce simple items 63

Product 63 Marked 63 Marketing Plan 63 Design 63 Operational Plan 63 Financial Plan 64 Risks/Challenges 65 Health, Safety and Environment aspect

regarding production, use and disposal 65





Melt and mould

Product

Suggested products; chairs, tables, roof plates, water tanks, wash basins

Marked

There is high demand for simple chairs both in the refugee camps and the host

communities. Chairs are also needed in schools.

Water tanks are also in high demand and are easily sold both on the open market

and through UNHCR. The main use of the water tanks will be for handwashing

in latrines.

There is high demand for building materials in the area. Suggested materials are

roof plates and wall tiles since they are versatile and can be used for many

purposes

Marketing Plan

The products needs to be introduced to the community. This can be done by organising

events where prototypes are presented and production method is explained.

Design

It is important to design furniture that is easy to produce, has good sitting

comfort, good quality and is modular for easy repair.

The roof plates could be both full size (2x1 m) and half size plates.

The wall tiles are 0.3 – 0.3 m in size.

The tank will be a 10 – 20 liter plastic water tank with a tap.

Operational Plan

Skills/training

Skilled operators and one mechanically trained operator

Equipment

The design of the plastic furniture will reflect the machines required.

Process

Shredded and washed material is feed into the production line.

Organisation





The cooperatives will be set up in Melkadida and Dollo Ado with a total of 15 employees

per site.

Financial Plan

Costs has been calculated using plastic amount estimates in this report. All costs are in

USD. Assumed costs for raw material is:

- PET bottles $ 0.15/kg (4 Birr)

- Jerry cans $ 0.5/kg (15 Birr)

Investment Cost

Investment Costs in USD ($) Assumptions

Machines 10,300 See table in report, investment costs machines

Power supply 60,000 See table in report, investment costs machines

Training 3000

transport 40,000 Need to acquire one lorry per site for collection of plastic raw material

Total investment costs 113,300

Monthly costs

Amount of produce is estimated on the basis of what is realistic to make in a given time.

This can vary. The costs of seedling- and plant pots will be calculated when final design

is chosen.

Activity Costs per month (USD $) Assumptions

Labour 600 15 workers, pay $1.5/day

PET bottles

Plastic chairs

32

216 kg PET bottles to make 60 chairs. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors

Plastic tables

38 252 kg PET to make 60 tables. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors

Jerry cans

Roof sheets

1100 2,200 kg jerry cans to make 200 roof plates. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors






Wall tiles

200

400 kg jerry cans to make 200 wall tiles. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors

Water tanks

24

48 kg jerry cans to make 40 water tanks. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors

Wash basins

150 300 kg jerry cans to make 100 wash basins. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors

Other costs 300 Electricity, maintenance, transport

Total costs 2,444 Costs will vary with amount of produce

Income (pr. month)

Product selling price (USD $) amount sold Revenue (USD $)

Roof plates 11 200 2,200

Wall tiles 5 200 1,000

Chairs 11 60 660

Tables 13 60 780

Water tanks 4 40 160

Wash basins 2 100 200

Total income 5,000

The total balance in the project is positive USD 2,556.

Risks/Challenges

- Shortage of raw material

- Not enough sales

- Not enough production

- The challenge with the tank and the roof plates are to get good quality products.





Health, Safety and Environment aspect regarding

production, use and disposal

Positive Negative

Health A good chair is good for physical health

Roof plates and wall tiles gives dry housing

Water tanks and wash basins increases hand hygiene.

Careful that possible harmful fumes are not inhaled during production

Safety Injuries during production

Environment Reuse of waste plastic

Reduction of waste

Positive effect on the environment

Collect, shred and sell

Product

The shredded plastic can be sold externally or internally to the Coop for local production

Marked

There is a market in the bigger cities to sell the plastics to factories that produce

plastic articles

Marketing Plan

Important to find the best market price and transport for the sorted and shredded plastic

Operational Plan

Skills/training

Skilled operators

Equipment

Shredder and washer





Process

Plastic is collected, sorted, washed and shredded

Organisation

Six sites (one in each camp + Dollo Ado) with six employees on each site. A

total of 36 employees.

Financial Plan

All costs are in USD. Assumed costs for raw material is:



Assumed selling price of shredded and washed raw material is:



The financial plan is made for all of the six sites put together.

Investment Cost

Investment Costs in USD

($) Assumptions



transport 7,200 Donkey cart investment for the collection and processing plants. One cart including a donkey is 1,200 USD

Training 3000 Estimate






Monthly costs


Labour 1440 all sites

6 employees per site, 36 employees in total, pay $2/day

PET bottles

675 4,500 kg bottles collected. Amount of PET bottles are based on calculated PET waste.

Jerry cans

11,500 23,000 kg jerry cans collected. Amount of jerry cans are based on calculated jerry can waste..

Other costs

400 Electricity, maintenance, transport

Total costs

14,015

Income (pr. month)


PET bottles 0.45 4,050* 1,823

Jerry cans 0.9 20,700* 18,630

Total income all sites 20,453

*Assuming 10% production waste


Risks/Challenges


- Not enough sales








Positive Negative

Health Reduce exposure to dangerous fumes by no longer burning plastic



Reduction of waste


Collect and produce simple items

Product

These are articles that are simple to produce like ropes, bags, brooms and mats

and also articles that are pure artistic.

Marked

There is a high demand locally for household items like ropes, brooms and mats.

For more artistic products there is also demand trough UNHCR as "products with

a story to tell"

Marketing Plan

Important to find the best market price and design for the products

Design

The design of the products will be explored during the implementation phase of

the project.

Operational Plan

Skills/training

Skilled operators/artists needs training on how to make the articles

There is already a lot of skill in the community





Equipment

A simple shredder and moulding equipment for more complex things

No machines needed for products that does not need melting and remoulding

Process

Plastic is collected, sorted, washed and processed either by melting and

remoulding or by remoulding without melting.

Organisation

Depending on demand it is possible to set up one or more cooperatives. The

cooperatives can be organized in groups of 10 people. Workers are payed by

numbers of sales and not as employees.

Financial Plan

The financial plan is made per cooperative. Monthly costs must be calculated once the

design of the products are in place. Since the workers will get paid by number of sales,

there will be no labour costs. Amount sold and selling price are estimates for selected

items.




- Plastic bags $ 0,1/bag (3 birr)

Investment Cost


($) Assumptions

Machines 3900 Assuming acquiring a shredder and an oven. It is also a possibility to not use machines

Power supply 6000 Assuming acquiring a shredder and an oven

Donkey cart 1,200 One donkey cart investment for collection of plastic raw materials







Income (pr. month)


Rope 10 m 14 20 280

Bags 7 10 70

Mats 11 20 220

Broom 11 20 220

Total income all sites 790

Risks/Challenges


- Not enough sales




Positive Negative




Reduction of waste


Ecobricks – building houses from plastic bottles filled

with sand

Product

The product will be supplying sorted clean bottles filled with sand and the service

of building a house or other structures

Marked

UNHCR are planning to build permanent stone brick shelters for the refugees.

An option could be to build some of the houses from Ecobricks.

The refugees should get some incentives to choose the Ecobrick house.

Another alternative is to build community houses from Ecobricks





A pilot project where different houses are built to introduce the concept to the

refugees.

Design

The design of the houses/structures should be explored during the

implementation phase of the project.

Operational Plan

Skills/training

Skilled operators needs training on how to make the houses

There is already a lot of skilled masons in the community

Equipment

No machines needed for this business, only small tools

Cement

Process

Plastic PET bottles is collected, sorted and transported to the building site. The

bottles will be filled with sand and the house constructed

Organisation


cooperatives can be organized in groups of six people.

Financial Plan

The financial plan is made per cooperative. All costs are in USD. Assumed costs for raw

material is:


- Cement $ 0.18/kg (5 Birr/kg – 500 Birr/Quital, incl. transport costs

from Addis Ababa)

Investment Cost


Prototypes 800 Lorry 40,000 One lorry per cooperative

Training 3000 Equipment 200






The monthly costs are based on the cooperative building 20 houses/month. In one house

it is estimated to be 60% bottle bricks and 40% cement-sand mix.

Monthly costs


Labour 240 6 employees per site, pay $2/day

PET bottles

144 To build one house that is 18 m2 you need approximately 4000 bottles* this equals approximately 48 kg**.

Cement 3,960 The total amount of cement per house is 1,100 kg using a sand/cement ratio of 3:1.

Other costs

200 Small equipment

Total costs

4,544

*The calculations are based on a report from EWB Australia who did a small scale pilot.

**Based on one 0.5 litre bottle weighing 12 grams

Income (pr. month)


House 18 m2 400 20 8,000



Risks/Challenges


- Not enough sales


- It must be an incentive for the refugees to choose a plastic bottle house before a

stone brick house, which they are used to.







Positive Negative

Health Reduce exposure to dangerous fumes by no longer burning plastic bottles

Strong and safe shelters

Safety Solid house Injuries during production


Reduction of waste


If the bottles are not handled correctly if/when the house is demolished





Appendix C

BUSINESS PLANS JIJIGA

Melt and mould 70


regarding production, use and disposal 73 Collect, shred and sell 73

Product 73 Marked 73 Marketing Plan 73 Operational Plan 73 Financial Plan 74 Risks/Challenges 75 Health, Safety and Environment aspect

regarding production, use and disposal 76 Collect and produce simple items 76


regarding production, use and disposal 78 Ecobricks – building houses from plastic bottles filled

with sand 78 Product 78 Marked 78 Design 79 Operational Plan 79 Financial Plan 79 Risks/Challenges 80 Health, Safety and Environment aspect

regarding production, use and disposal 81





Melt and mould

Product

Suggested products; chairs, tables, roof plates, wash basins

Marked

There is high demand for simple chairs both in the refugee camps and the host

communities. Chairs are also needed in schools.

There is high demand for building materials in the area. Suggested materials are

roof plates and wall tiles since they are versatile and can be used for many

purposes

Marketing Plan

The products needs to be introduced to the community. This can be done by organising

events where prototypes are presented and production method is explained.

Design

It is important to design furniture that is easy to produce, has good sitting

comfort, good quality and is modular for easy repair.

The roof plates could be both full size (2x1 m) and half size plates.

The wall tiles are 0.3 – 0.3 m in size.

Operational Plan

Skills/training

Skilled operators and one mechanically trained operator

Equipment

The design of the plastic furniture will reflect the machines required.

Process

Shredded and washed material is feed into the production line.

Organisation

The cooperatives will be set up in Kebribeyah and Sheder with a total of 15 employees

per site.





Financial Plan

Costs has been calculated using plastic amount estimates in this report. Costs are

calculated per site. All costs are in USD. Assumed costs for raw material is:



Investment Cost


Machines 10,300 See table in report, investment costs machines for 2 production sites


Training 3000

transport 40,000 Need to acquire one lorry per site for collection of plastic raw material


Monthly costs

Amount of produce is estimated on the basis of what is realistic to make in a given time.

This can vary. The costs of seedling- and plant pots will be calculated when final design

is chosen. Costs are calculated per site.


Labour 600 15 workers, pay $1.5/day

PET bottles

Plastic chairs

32

216 kg PET bottles to make 60 chairs. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors

Plastic tables

38 252 kg PET to make 60 tables. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors

Jerry cans

Roof sheets

1100 2,200 kg jerry cans to make 200 roof plates. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors

Wall tiles

200

400 kg jerry cans to make 200 wall tiles. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors





Wash basins

150 300 kg jerry cans to make 100 wash basins. Raw material will be bought from the other cooperatives or private collectors

Other costs 300 Electricity, maintenance, transport

Total costs 2,420 Costs will vary with amount of produce

Income (pr. month)


Roof plates 11 200 2,200

Wall tiles 5 200 1,000

Chairs 11 60 660

Tables 13 60 780

Wash basins 2 100 200

Total income 4,840


Risks/Challenges


- Not enough sales


- The challenge with the tank and the roof plates are to get good quality products.







Positive Negative

Health A good chair is good for physical health

Roof plates and wall tiles gives dry housing

Careful that possible harmful fumes are not inhaled during production



Reduction of waste


Collect, shred and sell

Product

The shredded plastic can be sold externally or internally to the Coop for local production

Marked

There is a market in the bigger cities to sell the plastics to factories that produce plastic

articles

Marketing Plan

Important to find the best market price and transport for the sorted and shredded plastic

Operational Plan

Skills/training

Skilled operators

Equipment

Shredder and washer

Process

Plastic is collected, sorted, washed and shredded





Organisation

Two sites with six employees on each site. A total of 12 employees.

Financial Plan




Assumed selling price of shredded and washed raw material is:



The financial plan is made for all of the two sites put together.

Investment Cost


($) Assumptions



transport 2,400 Donkey cart investment for the collection and processing plants. One cart including a donkey is 1,200 USD







Monthly costs


Labour 480

6 employees per site, 12 employees in total, pay $2/day

PET bottles

450 3,000 kg bottles collected. Amount of PET bottles are based on calculated PET waste.

Jerry cans

3,500 7,000 kg jerry cans collected. Amount of jerry cans are based on calculated jerry can waste.

Other costs

400 Electricity, maintenance, transport

Total costs

4,830

Income (pr. month)


PET bottles 0.45 2,700* 1,215

Jerry cans 0.9 6,300* 5,670


*Assuming 10% production waste


Risks/Challenges


- Not enough sales








Positive Negative




Reduction of waste


Collect and produce simple items

Product

These are articles that are simple to produce like ropes, bags, brooms and mats

and also articles that are pure artistic.

Marked

There is a high demand locally for household items like ropes, brooms and mats.

For more artistic products there is also demand trough UNHCR as "products with

a story to tell"

Marketing Plan

Important to find the best market price and design for the products

Design

The design of the products will be explored during the implementation phase of

the project.

Operational Plan

Skills/training

Skilled operators/artists needs training on how to make the articles

There is already a lot of skill in the community





Equipment

A simple shredder and moulding equipment for more complex things

No machines needed for products that does not need melting and remoulding

Process

Plastic is collected, sorted, washed and processed either by melting and

remoulding or by remoulding without melting.

Organisation


cooperatives can be organized in groups of 10 people. Workers are payed by

numbers of sales and not as employees.

Financial Plan

The financial plan is made per cooperative. Monthly costs must be calculated once the

design of the products are in place. Since the workers will get paid by number of sales,

there will be no labour costs. Amount sold and selling price are estimates for selected

items.




- Plastic bags $ 0,1/bag (3 birr)

Investment Cost


($) Assumptions

Machines 3900 Assuming acquiring a shredder and an oven. It is also a possibility to not use machines

Power supply 6000 Assuming acquiring a shredder and an oven

Donkey cart 1,200 One donkey cart investment for collection of plastic raw materials







Income (pr. month)


Rope 10 m 14 20 280

Bags 7 10 70

Mats 11 20 220

Broom 11 20 220

Total income all sites 790

Risks/Challenges


- Not enough sales




Positive Negative




Reduction of waste


Ecobricks – building houses from plastic bottles filled

with sand

Product

The product will be supplying sorted clean bottles filled with sand and the service

of building a house or other structures

Marked

UNHCR are planning to build permanent stone brick shelters for the refugees.

An option could be to build some of the houses from Ecobricks.

The refugees should get some incentives to choose the Ecobrick house.

Another alternative is to build community houses from Ecobricks





A pilot project where different houses are built to introduce the concept to the

refugees.

Design

The design of the houses/structures should be explored during the

implementation phase of the project.

Operational Plan

Skills/training

Skilled operators needs training on how to make the houses

There is already a lot of skilled masons in the community

Equipment

No machines needed for this business, only small tools

Cement

Process

Plastic PET bottles is collected, sorted and transported to the building site. The

bottles will be filled with sand and the house constructed

Organisation


cooperatives can be organized in groups of six people.

Financial Plan

The financial plan is made per cooperative. All costs are in USD. Assumed costs for raw

material is:


- Cement $ 0.18/kg (5 Birr/kg – 500 Birr/Quital, incl. transport costs

from Addis Ababa)

Investment Cost


Prototypes 800 Lorry 40,000 One lorry per cooperative

Training 3000 Equipment 200






The monthly costs are based on the cooperative building 20 houses/month. In one house

it is estimated to be 60% bottle bricks and 40% cement-sand mix.

Monthly costs


Labour 240 6 employees per site, pay $2/day

PET bottles

144 To build one house that is 18 m2 you need approximately 4000 bottles* this equals approximately 48 kg**.

Cement 3,960 The total amount of cement per house is 1,100 kg using a sand/cement ratio of 3:1.

Other costs

200 Small equipment

Total costs

4,544

*The calculations are based on a report from EWB Australia who did a small scale pilot.

**Based on one 0.5 litre bottle weighing 12 grams

Income (pr. month)


House 18 m2 400 20 8,000



Risks/Challenges


- Not enough sales


- It must be an incentive for the refugees to choose a plastic bottle house before a

stone brick house, which they are used to.







Positive Negative

Health Reduce exposure to dangerous fumes by no longer burning plastic bottles

Strong and safe shelters

Safety Solid house Injuries during production


Reduction of waste


If the bottles are not handled correctly if/when the house is demolished





Appendix D

BILL OF QUANTITY





Appendix E

FACTORY AND COLLECTION POINT SET UP

- Calculation of shredder





The layout in the factories is suggested as shown in the following figures.

Factory setup in Jijiga area

Setup for shredding and washing point in Jijiga area





Setup for factories in Melkadida area

Setup for shredding and washing points in Melkadida area

Assessment of size of shredder

Estimate from Solid Waste technology and management

As written in the general chapter on recycling technology globally, production of 1000 kg

shredded plastic uses 340 kWh. For PET-bottles 340 kWh is probably a bit too low, because in

general more energy is needed to shred 1 kg of material if the material is less dense, and this

estimate is for HDPE. Still, this estimate is used, both because there is a little amount of PET

compared to HDPE cans in weight, and also the process is not expected to be as good as in

factories working on a big scale with complicated machines.




Document no.: 2018002-R Date: 2018-08-20 Rev.no.: 0 Page: 88 In Jijiga there are 10 000 kg each month to be shredded in three different sites. An equal split

of material is assumed in this analysis, and this gives a need of 3 300 kg to be shredded in each

site. 3 300 kg gives an energy use of 340 kWh x 3.3 = 1 100 kWh in each of the sites. When

assuming that the plant will run for 8 hours 20 working days in a month, this gives a capacity

need of 1 100 kWh / (8 h x 20) = 6.9 kW =>7 kW.

In Melkadida area, the amount is 30 000 kg of plastic each month, divided into 6 receiving

points. That gives a average need for shredding of 5 000 kg in each location each month. The

installed capacity needed in each of the locations in Melkadida is therefore 340 kWh x 5 = 1700

kWh -> 1700 kWh / (8 h x 20) = 10.6 kW installed capacity.

Shredding plant in Addis Ababa

This is controlled with numbers given from a shredding plant visited in Addis Ababa. They

receive 100.000 bottles per month, and have a 75 kW shredding machine. That is 10 times more

than each of the loction in Jijiga will need to shred, and it is assumed that a ten times smaller

machine would have been sufficient. This is a 7,5 kW machine, and 7 kW therefore seems like

a good estimate, taken into account that the working hours during a week is planned to be

shorter in Jijiga than in Addis.

Daadab refugee camp

We have also been informed that the shredder used in Daadab refugee camp in Kenya is ca. 20

kW, and can take 3 tons per day. Hence, the shredder Precious Plastic have made with about

2kW capacity, can probably take up to 300 kg plastic per day. In Jjijiga, which have an

estimated amount of 3.300 kg/month per receiving point, an average of 165 kg plastiv should

be shredded every day with 20 working days a month. A capacity of 300 kg per day is almost

twice as much as needed. Hence, according to this estimate, only 1 kW installed capacity is

almost sufficient to shred all the plastic in these camps.

In Melkadida, the total plastic amount is estimated to be 30.000 kg each month, and this gives

the six receiving points a need to shred approximately 5.000 kg every month. This is almost

two times more than the estimate for each collecting point in Jijiga, less than 2 kW installed

capacity on the shredders are sufficient here, according to the estimates from Daadab camp.

Conclusion

Since the two first estimates give approximately the same answer, and the third estimate gives

a much lower installed capacity need, it is decided to use the estimates that have two different

sources giving the same answer. This is also better to use, because it is better with a too high

cost estimate than too low.



Plastic recycling and reuse in refugee camps · 2019-11-17 · plastic waste in a more productive...

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