Flipflopi is the first boat that is entirely made with plastic picked up from the beaches invaded by plastic waste on the Kenyan coast. The idea came to project founder Ben Morrison in 2015 after he was struck by the amounts of plastic, littering the same beaches he was marketing as luxury holiday destinations.
Carrying on a message about plastic’s danger
The boat is made from 10 tonnes of shredded plastic waste, molded and compacted to form the hull, keel, and ribs, the mast being made entirely of wood. It is covered with a patchwork of 30,000 brightly colored flip flops which, like the rest of the raw material, have been harvested from beaches and towns in Kenya. The nine-meter-long Flipflopi was built by hand by traditional dhow craftsmen, using rudimentary techniques perfected for almost three years, but which can now be easily copied.
Kenya is largely involved in the reduction of single-use plastic
The mission is to engage and inspire local, regional, and global communities and to raise awareness about the dramatic impact of the lack of recycling. The project was funded by personal funds (including Ben Morison), crowdfunding, and, later, by the United Nations environment program. James Wakibia, who is credited with launching the popular movement that led to the banning of plastic bags in Kenya in 2017, also traveled to Watamu to support Flipflopi, which he sees as the next step in raising public awareness of the threat of plastic. Recycling is also Zeloop’s goal, a start-up that is currently developing an application that should be operational by the end of the year in France after a test phase carried out in Dubai during the spring. This gaming application will contribute to recycling plastic bottles by bringing them to a collection point and will reward users of the applications. ZeLoop will also own a forum where your tips to contribute to the circular economy could be shared. The more you collect and contribute to the community, the more you receive rewards.