Green Phenix: Curacao

Green Phenix is a social enterprise that addresses plastic pollution. Waste plastic is collected and transformed into high quality resources as well as end products. It also offers a “learn and work program” for 24 people with a distance to the labor market. They learn about all the processes involved with recycling plastic, like sorting, cleaning, shredding, extrusion and 3d printing. The proposed project will enable the organization to also process ocean plastic into an attractive end product.

This innovative social enterprise is helping reduce plastic waste on this Caribbean island. Plastic waste is collected and transformed into high quality resources as well as end products. It also offers a “Land and Work” program for 24 people with a distance to the labor market where they learn about the plastic recycling process. The project enables the organization to process ocean plastic into an attractive end product. The organization facilitates beach cleanups, which benefit juvenile green turtles living in Caracao’s waters and creates new jobs for local residents.

Project Updates

May 2022

On the island of Curacao, Green Phenix organizes regular beach cleanups, educational tours and converts collected ocean plastic into new products. Founded in 2019, Green Phenix grew from a project in a backyard to an organization with 8 employees and 24 participants in a “learn and work program” in a beautiful facility that has reached over 5,000 kids with educational presentations. Their project offers people that have been unemployed for a long time the opportunity to join the “learn and work program” for 1 year.

Since October 2021, they have collected a staggering 7,660 kg (16,800 lbs) of trash with 269 kg (~600 lbs) marked for recycling through regular beach cleanups with the support of funds from SEE Turtles. In their plastic bakery, collected beach plastic is transformed into new products. Current efforts are focusing on using newly acquired molds to convert beach plastic into standardized high-quality souvenirs. Four team members have been trained to operate the 3D printers so far. They also produce products that are handcrafted and extruded.