EAST AFRICA – Takazuri has teamed up with global chemical giant BASF to introduce innovative, sustainable building solutions in East Africa, designed to promote climate resilience and long-term durability.
This collaboration focuses on creating environmentally friendly construction materials that utilize locally sourced, post-consumer waste, combined with BASF’s custom additive packages tailored for the region’s unique climate.
The core of this partnership lies in Takazuri’s Climatile technology, which incorporates recycled materials and is designed to withstand harsh weather conditions while promoting sustainability in construction.
“Sustainability is at the core of our business,” said Maria Schlesinger, co-founder and CEO of Takazuri. “Our products are designed for high performance and multi-functionality, utilizing locally collected waste, and soon, ocean plastics from Kenya’s coast.”
The collaboration between Takazuri and BASF is aimed at providing affordable, climate-resilient construction solutions to meet the growing demand for housing, healthcare, education, and commercial spaces across Africa.
The African Development Bank projects that the continent’s population will double by 2050, driving urbanization and increasing plastic waste.
By leveraging local resources and innovative partnerships, Takazuri seeks to address these challenges while contributing to Africa’s sustainable development.
Climatile, Takazuri’s flagship product, offers roofing and cladding solutions that improve indoor temperatures through enhanced insulation, solar reflectance, and emittance.
The material is also corrosion-resistant, making it suitable for rainwater harvesting. A unique feature of Climatile is its upgradable system design, which integrates seamlessly with frameless solar panels and biophilic elements, offering a versatile solution for climate-resilient construction.
“BASF has been an invaluable partner, assisting with process optimization, thermal stabilization, and extending the service life of post-consumer recyclates. Their expertise has been critical in developing additive packages suited for East Africa’s harsh weather conditions,” Schlesinger added.
Alongside BASF, Takazuri has also partnered with Gabriel Chemie, a leading European masterbatch producer.
Gabriel Chemie provides customized Combi-Batch solutions containing colors and stabilizers that improve the dispersion and homogeneity of polymer materials during Climatile’s production process.
The additives provided by BASF are essential to stabilize the recycled plastics used in Climatile, ensuring they can withstand thermal and photo-oxidation over long periods of outdoor exposure.
These stabilizers play a crucial role in enhancing the durability of post-consumer plastics, which are central to Takazuri’s vision of sustainable construction.
Bettina Sobotka, head of global marketing and development for BASF’s Plastic Additives division, praised the collaboration, “We worked closely with the Takazuri team to understand the technical requirements and market needs of Climatile.
“This allowed us to design the optimal additive system to meet the challenges of using recycled materials for long-term outdoor applications. We hope this collaboration will benefit the construction sector and local communities in East Africa, fostering economic growth.”
Takazuri’s innovative approach, combined with BASF’s technical expertise, is setting new standards for eco-friendly construction in Africa, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient future across the region.
Sign up to receive our email newsletters with the latest news updates and insights from Africa and the World HERE
