RECYCLING AND UPCYCLING – The Sands Thinking Green

For the first time in the history of Diani, a company called Kwale Plastics Plus has set-up recycling collection points up and down the Diani Beach Road. This is a huge step for Diani and for Kenya as the lack of recycling facilities has been one of the biggest weaknesses and causes of environmental damage for far too long.

A huge thanks to this company for setting up the much needed collection points.

Just imagine that other than a hugely over-used land fill site at Mwabungo, Diani has never had a good waste management system in place. Waste from the many hotels and private houses has for years been mixed up and dumped. Once the waste bin is empty, few people want to consider where this waste has gone or what further impact it may have on the social and natural environments.

Separation bins- add a peddle bin for fruit and veg and another for carbs, proteins.

It is the law in Kenya to separate waste and we at The Sands believe that adhering to this law and taking responsibility for waste management is a vital step forward in reducing our impact on the environment. You can too, ask yourself, ‘where is this ending up?’- Separate it, Weigh it, Record it, Recycle it and improve it. If you produce it, take responsibility for it.

After a successful five months of separating, weighing and recording waste, it is now time for us to begin looking for ways to further reduce the weight and bulk of our waste and the impact this has.

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE WASTE already goes to The Sands organic farm to make compost and feed the chickens and the worms in the wormary.

GLASS BOTTLES from the restaurant have been stockpiled and used over the years making art pieces, raised growing beds or in building projects in place of bricks.

PAPER, CARDBOARD AND FOOD WRAP PLASTICS are burnt in The Sands’ own medical grade incinerator.

Yesterday, we dropped off our first PLASTICS and METALS at the Kwale Plastics Plus recycling collection point. (This is also weighed and recorded.)

Next up – PROTEINS, CARBOHYDRATES AND STARCHES. Watch this space!

One of the Kwale Plastics Plus collection points.