The Kenyan start-up, Kuza Freezer, turns plastic waste into solar-powered freezers

In Kenya, a company is exemplifying the saying “one person’s waste is another person’s treasure” by transforming plastic waste collected from a Mombasa beach into innovative freezers. Kuza Freezer, a youth-led company operating in Mombasa, repurposes plastic waste by breaking it down into pellets and moulding it into cold storage units. These eco-friendly freezers, equipped with batteries charged by solar panels, aim to provide cold storage solutions to small-scale businesses in the fish value chain, reducing post-harvest losses and improving income sustainability.

Purity Gakuo, CEO of Kuza Freezer, explains the company’s mission, by saying: “We are focused on providing cold storage solutions to small-scale businesses in the fish value chain and enabling them to sustainably improve their income and reduce post-harvest losses.” Over the past three years, Kuza Freezer has delivered more than 350 machines to various customers, including fish traders, poultry and milk vendors, and ice salespeople.

The company produces a range of freezers, from static units for fishing boats to those suitable for installation on premises. Notably, they have developed a motorcycle-mounted freezer with a 70-liter capacity, facilitating efficient fish delivery. Kuza Freezer provides free installation, training, and a tracking device on each unit to monitor maintenance needs.

Sold for Ksh 100,000 ($700), with the option of installment payments, these freezers have found favor among customers seeking effective cold storage solutions. Fishermen like Abdalla Ali highlight the challenges they face with storage and transportation, emphasizing the positive impact of these freezers on reducing losses due to inadequate storage conditions.

Nickson Otieno, CEO of a Nairobi-based sustainability consulting firm, recognizes the broader impact of Kuza Freezer’s approach on Kenya’s challenges. He states, “The issue of food security resulting from food losses and the problem of waste, especially plastic waste, are addressed by them taking up this waste, recycling it, and using it to make the external body of the freezers.”

In other words, Kuza Freezer’s innovative use of recycled plastic not only provides practical cold storage solutions but also contributes to addressing environmental concerns and promoting sustainable practices in the country.