Korean waste recycling firm sets sights on Zambia

ZAMBIA – Sinyang Technology, a South Korean waste recycling company, has expressed interest in expanding its waste management and recycling operations to Zambia.

The company’s CEO, Gun Lee, has also offered to build capacity for Zambians by introducing their technology for manufacturing and installing waste recycling facilities.

During a visit by Zambia’s Ambassador to South Korea, Andrew Banda, Mr. Lee stated that the company is ready to collaborate in addressing environmental challenges related to waste management in Zambia.

Ambassador Banda thanked Sinyang Technology for its potential to solve Zambia’s waste management issues, create jobs, and maintain a clean environment.

He emphasized that the Zambian government is eager to address environmental problems, especially in urban areas where waste is not adequately recycled.

In 2019, a Chinese firm, Hongsen Investment Limited, established a recycling plant in Zambia that converts plastic bottles into finished plastic products such as dishes, cups, hangers, brooms, and buckets.

This initiative has benefited local waste pickers by providing them with a source of income.

Hongsen Investment Director Yan Qingguo noted that the decision to set up the recycling factory in Zambia was driven by the lack of commercial recycling facilities to address environmental management issues.

“When we first came to Zambia, we discovered a lot of plastic waste. And you know, plastic waste does not easily decompose and threatens the environment. And since no company was doing the recycling business, we thought of establishing one within Lusaka,” Yan said.

He added, “For now, I am proud to say it is working out well because we have created jobs for the local people, who have found something to do by supplying us with this stuff.”

Yan further explained that the company’s overall objective is to collaborate with the government to strengthen the Keep Zambia Clean Campaign.

Hongsen administration officer Thandiwe Chaaba described their recycling process: “We recycle waste plastics. We get it from our suppliers in the surrounding community, and when they deliver it here, we have a machine that washes, and after that, there is another machine that completes the manufacturing cycle through shapes of plastics such as cups, combs, dustpans, plates, and so on.”

This collaborative effort by international companies like Sinyang Technology and Hongsen Investment demonstrates the potential for innovative solutions in waste management, creating jobs, and fostering environmental sustainability in Zambia.

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