加纳用废塑料铺路，变污染为可持续基础设施
In the bustling capital of Accra, discarded plastic bags, bottles and wrappers have long choked drainage channels and littered the streets. But a growing number of these waste mountains are now being given a second life—as sturdy construction blocks that pave roads. A local social enterprise has developed a method to mix shredded plastic with sand, press it into interlocking bricks, and use them to surface streets and parking lots across the city. The result is a low-cost, weather-resistant alternative that quietly turns an environmental headache into a community asset.
The process begins with informal waste collectors, who gather plastic from homes, landfills and gutters, selling it to collection points. The material is cleaned, shredded and then heated with sand to form a thick paste. Hydraulic presses mould the mixture into hexagonal blocks that lock together without cement. Unlike traditional asphalt, these plastic pavers allow rainwater to seep through, reducing flood risk—a crucial advantage in a city where severe downpours regularly bring traffic to a halt.
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