Inside the teen-led PlastiFund that’s tackling plastic pollution in Ghana

Each week, One Earth is proud to feature a Climate Hero from around the globe who is working to create a world where humanity and nature can thrive together.

Living in Ghana, students Lila Favilli and Arshia Lakhiani noticed a persistent problem: plastic waste was overwhelming the country’s vibrant landscape. It clogged rivers and roadsides, harming both animals and the environment. Much of this waste was low-density polyethylene (LDPE), the material used in bags, bottles, and water sachets, which is notoriously difficult to recycle.

Only about 2–5% of LDPE produced in Ghana is recycled each year. When exposed to sunlight, it emits greenhouse gases like methane and ethylene, degrading air quality and accelerating climate change.

In cities such as Accra, Kumasi, and Tema, discarded plastic bags and sachets clog gutters, increasing flood risks during the rainy season and spreading diseases like cholera. “After much research into Ghana’s history with plastics and the psychology of ingrained behaviors, we realized that awareness campaigns don’t do much,” said Lila. “Single-use plastics play a vital role in the Ghanaian economy, and water from plastic sachet bags is often the most affordable way to get clean drinking water.”

Recognizing that eliminating plastic use wasn’t realistic, the teens searched for another way forward, one that could align public health, environmental goals, and business incentives.

Turning waste into opportunity

Lila and Arshia studied the economics of recycling and proposed a novel solution: connect large manufacturers and recycling plants with local orphanages, creating a circular economy that rewards plastic collection. After lobbying recycling companies and negotiating a fair price per pound, the PlastiFund project was launched.

Today, PlastiFund operates across 10 orphanages and schools in Ghana, engaging more than 1,100 children and collecting over 1,200 pounds of plastic. Trucks collect the sorted waste every few months, delivering it to recycling facilities where it is washed, shredded, melted, and extruded into uniform pellets. These pellets can be molded into new products such as trash bags, reducing the need for virgin plastic and decreasing landfill waste.

“The best population to target was children,” explained Lila. “It is much easier to break habits from the ground up.” By tying financial incentives to proper disposal, PlastiFund enables orphanages to earn income while instilling environmental awareness in young Ghanaians. Businesses benefit too by cutting costs on raw materials and improving their community impact, a win for both people and the planet.

Resilience and collaboration

Launching PlastiFund wasn’t easy. “Negotiating with big businesses and orphanages and trying to connect them was very difficult,” said Lila. “We were rejected many times, sometimes not taken seriously because we were two young girls, but ultimately it taught us how to handle rejection when it came about, and keep trying to overcome setbacks and stereotypes.”

Persistence paid off. Their growing network of supporters and partners demonstrates how collaboration across generations and sectors can unlock local solutions to global problems. “Honestly, how all of our research and reading actually ended up becoming something tangible,” said Lila. “Working together, combining our interests and strengths to try to solve a problem that we saw so vividly affect our surroundings, was very rewarding.”

Scaling impact across Ghana

With PlastiFund now established, the founders are exploring new frontiers in chemical and mechanical engineering. “Arshia and I are working on a joint article on catalytic pyrolysis as an alternative way to repurpose low-density polyethylene into fuel,” Lila shared. Their research could provide developing economies with new methods to convert waste into clean energy.

For now, they are focused on expanding PlastiFund to more orphanages, schools, and eventually adult communities across Ghana. Their message is clear: persistence matters. “At the end of the day, it only takes one ‘yes’ to get something going, even after many ‘nos’,” said Lila.

“If you truly care about something, keep trying. Eventually, someone will recognize your efforts. The biggest problems can only be solved through collaboration.”