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As a former archaeologist, he found his passion in environmental preservation by repurposing around 250,000 water sachets monthly into reusable bags.
Over one million tonnes of plastic packaging waste are produced in Ghana annually, leading to pollution of streets, beaches, and sewage systems. To address this problem, Elvis and his team reuse water sachets to produce reusable bags. Collectors bring the water sachets they find on the streets to the factory and receive 2 cedis per kilo.
The bags go through several steps before processing, which include washing, cutting open, and sun-drying. They are then transformed into various products, such as school backpacks.
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Trashy Bags Africa works in collaboration with many charitable enterprises in Ghana, including providing backpacks to local school children, equipping them for their future education.
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Processing of the water sachets at the factory of Trashy Bags Africa in Accra
Elvis was part of the founding team when Trashy Bags Africa started back in 2008. He discovered his dedication to the environment during his work as an archaeologist in both Ghana and Europe. At that time, Elvis was aware that not many people know about the environmental impact of plastic, so he wanted to share this knowledge more widely.
Today, Trashy Bags Africa has recycled over 30 million water sachets. Elvis and his team not only turn them into school bags but also into shopping bags to discourage people from using even more single-use plastic bags.
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School backpack made out of recycled water sachets
"My ultimate dream is to be a part of a positive team like Trashy Bags Africa and to build collaborations with other positive teams, locally and globally, ultimately aiming to achieve a greener planet," says the 47-year-old. Elvis Aboluah finds happiness in driving positive change for the environment, which is what makes him most passionate about his job.