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After months of construction and machinery installation, the first plastic recycling factory started production in Jalalabad, Nangarhar province. The Shaharyar Plastic Recycling Factory is currently the only factory of its type in the country to recycle used plastic bottles, containers, and other materials.

Hundreds of adults will collect bottles and other plastic waste and get paid approximately 25Afs per kilogram when they deliver them to collection centers throughout the country. The waste is then transferred to the factory and turned into plastic beads, which are sold to producers of plastic jugs and other plastic product products. The factory offers three major benefits – employment, waste reduction, and import substitution.

Plastic beads have been imported from China, Iran and Pakistan. However, transportation problems often prevent the importation of the beads. According to Mr. Naeemullah, Vice President of a factory that produces plastic pots, “We have been importing the plastic beads from Peshawar but we have faced many problems such as a shortage of beads, transportation issues, and low capacity production of the beads. With the start of the recycling company in Afghanistan, the aforementioned problems will be solved, and we will get the plastic beads quicker and reduce our cost by saving transportation expenses.”

The factory’s 17 employees will produce over one ton of plastic beads per day. Additionally, the factory will produce plastic rope and string.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) assisted Shaharyar Plastic Recycle Company both financially and technically through its project to develop small and medium enterprises.