Wanjiku Mathews

A Kenyan environmental activist who pioneered innovative waste management solutions to combat plastic pollution in East Africa.

Wanjiku Mathews, born in Nairobi, Kenya, emerged as a pivotal figure in environmental advocacy during the 2010s. In 2015, she co-founded Green Initiative Kenya, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming plastic waste into affordable building materials. Her initiative addressed both environmental degradation and urban poverty by employing marginalized communities to collect and process discarded plastics. By 2018, the project had diverted over 10 million plastic bags from landfills and created hundreds of jobs. Wanjiku’s approach blended grassroots mobilization with technological innovation, such as developing eco-bricks made from compressed plastic and sand. Her work gained international recognition through the United Nations Environment Programme’s 2017 Climate Innovation Award. Beyond Kenya, her model inspired similar ventures in Rwanda and Uganda, demonstrating how local solutions can tackle global environmental challenges. Wanjiku also advocated for policy changes, leading to Kenya’s 2017 ban on single-use plastics. Her TED Talk "Turning Plastic Waste into Housing" (2019) reached millions, cementing her legacy as a global environmental leader.