VSD‘s help Charity Build First Ever Dhow Boat from Waste Plastic

Here at Quantum Controls, we are very proud to support our local communities and environment.  For a long time we have been focused on helping organisations become more sustainable through lower carbon emissions and costs via energy saving Variable Speed Drives.  In addition to saving carbon emissions VSDs also help prevent waste, by extending the life of motors, pumps, fans and other applications.  This helps create less waste in the long run.  So, we’ve been delighted to work with the like-minded organisation, The Flipflopi Project who are also committed to reducing waste and helping the environment and people of East Africa!

Charitable organisation, the FlipFlopi Project describe themselves as a circular economy movement in East Africa who built the world’s first 100% recycled plastic sailing dhow. Through Flipflopi’s dhow and innovation hubs in East Africa, they are able to showcase alternate uses of waste plastic and are bringing locally-grown circular economies and the practice of plastic boat building to the world. ‘We adopt a full-systems approach to beating plastic pollution: inspiring plastic-reuse innovation, education through activism, and influencing policy change to end single-use plastics.’

We all know that plastic pollution is a huge environmental problem, this became clear to Flipflopi founder Ben Morrison back in 2015 when he was struck by the amount of plastic waste littering various beaches, in particular, he found many flipflops on the coasts he loved so much.  Ben decided to do something about this and show that plastic could have a second life, he quickly realised that building a boat from this plastic waste would be an effective way to celebrate the centuries old traditional craft of dhow building that is a cornerstone of Swahili culture.

The project recovers and recycles plastics, offers vocational training courses, locally manufactures high grade plastic lumber, and creates prototypes for marketable products including traditional Lamu furniture, doors, hand carts, and new plastic boats.

Whilst melting the plastic and producing the boats can be a difficult and energy consuming process. The FlipFloppi Project aims to keep energy savings and carbon emissions in mind, therefore they require VSDs from Quantum Controls to stay as economical as possible.

Kevin, Quantum’s Managing Director said ‘We met FlipFloppi when we they approached us for support specifying variable speed drives for their plastics recycling, the staff are a pleasure to work with and we are delighted to be a small part of the excellent work these guys are doing”