By Natalya Sarkari
Just a few short months ago, the Empowered Solutions for Environmental Sustainability (ESES) field team partnered with the ChemiChemi Foundation and Treeside Special School in Nairobi. During this trip, we delivered and installed one of our Polyfuel Processors, a small but powerful system that converts waste plastic into usable fuel oil. Read all about it here: https://eses-plastic.org/blog/eses-travels-to-nairobi-kenya/
Now, only a few months after our return, we are thrilled to share an exciting update: Treeside Special School has successfully produced high-quality cooking fuel using their processor!
The numbers and data
According to a recent report from our partners on the ground, the Treeside team has been running the processor for about three hours at 385 degrees Fahrenheit (196 degrees Celsius). This consistently yields around one liter of fuel oil per run.
These metrics align with our scientific benchmarks that show roughly one pound of plastic produces one liter of fuel oil- read about some of the scientific research done by our team! This is a remarkable confirmation of both the technology’s efficiency and the team’s dedication.
What’s next for Treeside?
What makes this achievement even more inspiring is the initiative Treeside has taken since our visit. Their next goal is to compare fuel yields and quality across different plastic types. Because different types of plastic are composed of different polymers, running a second test with completely different fuel stock and comparing the results can help deepen the community’s understanding of the fuel, the plastic waste it produces, and the processor. The best part? It also empowers the school to take ownership of its environmental innovation!
When we first met the faculty and staff at Treeside, they were using traditional three-stone fires for cooking. This method, while affordable, is both inefficient and physically harmful due to smoke/ash emissions. Today, they are transforming plastic waste into clean-burning fuel that helps power their daily meals.
From Nairobi’s classrooms to the global stage, the story of Treeside Special School shows what’s possible when science, sustainability, and community collaboration come together. Empowered Solutions for Environmental Sustainability is looking forward to returning next summer to check their progress and assist them in helping make the world a better, cleaner place.
Karadimas D, Garner E, Seay J. A sustainable approach to plastic waste management in the Global South. Cambridge Prisms: Plastics. 2023;1:e4. doi:10.1017/plc.2023.5