The TUI Care Foundation and social enterprise Chako have teamed up to help create a cleaner Zanzibar. So far, already 5,100 kg of plastics and 1.8 million kg of glass waste has been upcycled. The new plastic upcycling station collects 550,000 tonnes of plastic each year – over 20% of the plastic waste on the island.

As well as helping to tackle the waste and plastic challenges the island faces, the project plays an important role in creating jobs. It also focuses on empowering women by helping them to find employment. 50 new roles are created at the upcycling station where local women, young people and artisans will create products made of recycled plastic to support the island’s communities.

Tourists and local community groups can take tours of the factory and make their own products, and there’s an onsite boutique and café which has the full range of handcrafted and up-and recycled products on sale. So, there’ll also be numerous other job opportunities for kitchen staff, tour guides, drivers and handymen. And through its product sales, the workshop aims to be financially self-sustaining by the end of the project phase.

Last but not least, an educational programme for primary and secondary schools helps the younger generation learn more about sustainability. So far, over 300 students have already been reached to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling and the dangers of waste being burned or ending up in the environment.