Johana Sanabria

Engineered eco-friendly plastic recycling solutions using Colombia's ocean waste

Johana Sanabria is a Colombian environmental engineer whose innovative recycling methods have turned ocean plastic into durable building materials. Founder of Plastic Rebuild Company, she developed a patented process to transform discarded fishing nets and ocean plastics into bricks for affordable housing. By 2025, her company had constructed over 200 homes in coastal communities using this technology, diverting 500 tons of plastic from oceans annually.

Her breakthrough came in 2021 with the invention of PlasticCrete, a material 30% stronger than traditional concrete that requires no cement production - a major carbon emitter. This innovation won her the 2023 Global Innovation Award at the UN Climate Summit. Sanabria's Plastic Academy program has trained over 1,500 workers in 12 countries to implement her recycling techniques, creating a global network of ocean plastic upcycling hubs.

In 2024, she partnered with the Colombian government to launch Playa Limpia, a coastal cleanup initiative that pays communities to collect ocean debris. This program reduced marine plastic pollution in participating areas by 65% while providing income to 8,000+ families. Her work has been featured in National Geographic's 2025 documentary series "Ocean Solutions" and inspired similar projects in the Caribbean and Southeast Asia.