Pineapple crowns…

Water hyacinth…

Sugarcane peels…

All these agrowastes have one thing in common…

They’re rich in fibre – cellulose to be precise.

But how’s fibre useful?

It’s good for packaging, kitchenware, pads and making paper.

Ever heard of ‘kiondos’?

They are basket bags indigenous to Kenyans.

But besides kiondos, Turkana baskets are another example of bags made out of naturally occurring plant waste material.

What does this tell us?

If only we can extract fibre from crop waste, our possibilities are as far as the eye can see.

This is not wishful thinking.

Takawiri enterprises is run by Mr Michael Otieno who focuses on extraction of conversion of invasive water hyacinth into folders, envelopes, notebooks and gift bags.

In other words, he converts what’s waste into value.

But plant waste is also useful in making sustainable kitchenware.

Just picture the plastic waste generated after a function.

This plastic could be substituted with naturally occurring wastes converted into kitchenware.

Rice husks seem very beneficial in this regard.

They are small in size (and could be reduced further).

Afterwards, a natural binder like starch could help mold them into plates, spoons, Lunch boxes etc.

Again it’s not wishful thinking since some entrepreneurs are selling such products on credible outlets like AliBaba.

Olpro shop is also an online shop specialist on selling quality rice-husk based camping tableware.

Manufacture of sustainable kitchenware is not only confined to rice husks.

Other entrepreneurs have used sugarcane bagasse and pineapple waste with some degree of success.

However most of these startups are in South Asia or South America.

There’s opportunity in Africa also given the mounds of sugarcane bagasse and pineapple waste we generate.

Take for instance the banana stalks and stems we get rid of.

Some enterprises are making sanitary pads out of them.

All it takes is some basic chemical and processing knowledge (which could be learnt through YouTube DIY videos and practiced in ones backyard).

So take that step and make something out of waste.

Create wealth out of something that’s looked down upon.