Environment
We set up plastic collection and recycling centres in Africa, a continent that has become the dumping ground of Western countries and where disposal is practically non-existent. Ninety per cent of the rubbish is left on the streets and burnt, a practice that generates poisonous substances for people and the environment. In our centres we give priority to female employment, as women play a central role in the community and its well-being. In addition, we develop environmental education practices to raise public awareness on the defence and respect of the territory.
The Kampala centre was opened in autumn 2019 and produces PET eco-balls for the local market. The quality of the product leaving the centre is high, thanks to the careful manual labour of the women in sorting and washing the bottles.
In Accra, despite slowdowns due to the pandemic, the first Associazione Zenzero centre was inaugurated at the beginning of 2021 with a major innovation: the plastic shredder. This machine allows the production of PET flakes with a higher market value and higher productivity. The decision to equip the centre with a shredder was motivated by demand from companies across the country and the desire to develop the "Zenzero Model" towards an increasingly high-performance circular economy system.
In recent years, recognizing the importance of empowering communities, we have also started collecting paper and cardboard, aluminum cans and other metals.
Other materials
The numbers, although still relatively small, represent a further step forward in environmental protection through waste recycling .
This means creating projects that are sustainable over time and providing the skills needed for fairer progress.