Scaling Eco Brixs for People and Planet 🏗
- Andy Teale
- Oct 31
- 3 min read
We had a busy couple of months at Eco Brixs HQ in Masaka! In September, we shut down our line to install additional machinery and expand our factory complex, where we turn plastic waste into new Eco-Products.
Throughout 2025, we consistently recycled around 150 tonnes of plastic a month, providing regular green jobs for over 4,000 Plastic Collectors. But with so many more people still in need of work and countless tonnes of plastic waste still being burnt or dumped across Southern Uganda, we've decide to expand our impact to the next level.
We're aiming to create a facility that can, by mid-2026, recycle a huge 250 tonnes of plastic every month—a 66% increase in what we recycle!
But during the factory upgrade, we never stopped buying plastic from the community. With processing paused, we accumulated over 200 tonnes of plastic at our Sorting & Receiving Site!
Then, as of October, the work was completed and the new machine line switched on. You can watch this video here to see the team operating the expanded line:
Our team loads plastic onto a conveyor belt. It passes through a Label Remover, and then our new, powerful Crushing Machine shreds it into small flakes.
The plastic is funnelled through to the Float Separator. This step uses density to sort the plastic: the PET (bottles) sink, and the lighter, harder plastics (like bottle tops) float.
The clean flakes then pass through the dryer and are bagged. These flakes are now ready to be used for our Eco-Products or sell to other manufacturers
There’s still a long way to go before we consistently hit our target of recycling 250 tonnes a month, but we now have a strong foundation in place. In the coming months, we'll be busy working to recycle the mountain of plastic we accumulated whilst the machinery was turned off 😅
By buying more plastic and recycling more, we can create more jobs for people like Babirye and Abdul, who are using the income from plastic collecting to transform their lives…
STORIES OF IMPACT FROM THE COMMUNITY
Mother of four, Babirye Scovia, was struggling to feed her children and was falling into debt while keeping up with rent and healthcare costs. Thanks to a regular income from plastic collection, she can now support her family and work toward financial independence.
“I can pay my rent on time, afford healthcare, and buy what my family needs, without going into debt,” she affirms.
When Ssemakula Abdul faced poverty because the craft he loved—bricklaying—no longer provided enough income to survive, he turned to Eco Brixs. Thanks to his new income, he can now grow his small farm, pay his bills, regain confidence, and even find love.
“Eco Brixs taught me financial management. I started planning better, budgeting wisely, and gradually took charge of my life and expenses,” he says. “The financial pressure eased and with it, so did my worries.”
CELEBRATING UN DAY AND BUILDING SUSTAINABLE CHANGE 🎉
Last week, the world marked United Nations Day, a reminder of the global goals guiding us toward a fairer, greener future.
At Eco Brixs, we’re proud to contribute to several of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (1, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13) and are a member of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Through this partnership, we campaign for reducing plastic usage and for the fairer treatment of plastic collectors worldwide, including better pay and safer working conditions.
Our work with communities to recycle plastic, generate income, and build sustainable livelihoods helps make these goals a reality.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO CREATE IMPACT:
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