Upcycled glass left behind on island

Zanzibar is like a dream! You imagine yourself in luxury with a cocktail in your hand, a view of the azure blue sea, feet in the pearly white sand. You take home a suitcase with memories and souvenirs. Only the empty bottles of your favorite drink are left behind… All packaging of the consumed food and drinks will never leave the island…

Cleaning up the island and creating employment

Like many other tropical islands, Zanzibar has a poor waste management system, which means that mountains of empty (wine) bottles end up in the environment. The Zanzibar Chako sees an opportunity here. An opportunity to clean up their beautiful island, provide employment and create beautiful products.

Upcycling pur sang

Chako is Upcycling pur sang. With minimal input (by which we mean without a complicated technical process that costs a lot of energy) beautiful products are created and at the same time it provides solid employment. Chako mainly employs young people and women, a group that would otherwise find it difficult to find a job.

Local woodcarving culture through upcycling

Chako's mission is simple, clean up trash and provide a decent income for locals! In recent years, Chako has grown from a simple 'shed' behind a hotel in Stone Town to a clean, spacious workshop, where nearly forty employees now earn a good income. Chako trains new employees to become true craftsmen in glass processing or woodworking. In this way, the local woodcarving culture is preserved.