The ‘Flipflopi vessel’ is the world’s first sailboat made entirely out of recycled plastic and flip flops. In March 2021, this multi-colored boat set sail on Lake Victoria in Kenya to promote an awareness campaign about plastic pollution.
Activists on board met with community leaders, business leaders, and school children in three countries on this journey (Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya). Their goal was to inspire and educate people about the impact of pollution on human health and the marine environment.
Over the last four years, the Flipflopi movement has joined forces with the United Nations Environment Programme to advocate against marine pollution. They have already made several expeditions with this colorful ship and launched circular economy start-ups and innovation hubs.
Dipesh Pabari, the FlipFlopi project’s co-founder, said:
We’ve actually set up waste management projects on the South Coast of Kenya, in Lamu, and now we’re opening one in Kisumu with the recycling machinery. Our point now is to see whether we can stimulate a circular economy surrounding waste as well.
The 9-meter-long sailing boat is made entirely of 10 tons of waste collected from local beaches in Kenya, including 30K multi-colored flip flops. The FlipFlopi project founders hope to create a movement where people build boats and other ships entirely out of recycled waste.
Pabari added:
Our hope over time is to create a ‘Jua Kali’ sector industry where people are able to build small boats, traditional boats, canoes, ngalawas, jahazis, also from recycled waste.
Watch the video below for more information.
