Although the Wymondham Rotary Club supports many local charities, Rotary is an international organisation. Our club donates each year to the Rotary campaign to end polio worldwide, responds to appeals from disaster areas and has assisted families from Ukraine. However, for the last 3 years, the club has been working with its twin club - Amsterdam Nieuwendam - to fund the creation of a plastic recycling centre in the western Indian province of Andhra Pradesh.

This province is very heavily polluted with plastic waste, much of it seaborne. The beaches are becoming suffocated with plastic. Years' worth of accumulated non-degradable plastic lies in thick layers around the coastal villages.

In 2023, a small group from Wymondham Rotary visited Amsterdam to discuss the scheme and view the most up-to-date processing equipment. This equipment is able to convert waste plastic into tiles, bricks and other building materials.

Impressed by the environmental benefits of the project, the Wymondham Club raised funds and encouraged other East-Anglia-based clubs to contribute. Grant applications were made to the Rotary District and International bodies.

In addition to the cost of the equipment and building (the land was donated), monies were required to train the operatives, raise awareness of the risk of plastic to health and the environment, and promote the importance of recycling. The target was £142,000. This goal was reached last year. The centre is now complete and officially open.

The carbon footprint of the plant will be kept as low as feasible. The processes do not require water, and electricity is provided by solar power.

The production process involves collecting bags of plastic. There is no need for the waste to be cleaned. The plastics are melted in an agglomerate machine, and the melted plastic goes into an extrusion plant to be formed into planks and tiles which can then be used in local building schemes.

The Wymondham Rotarians participate in various local and international environmental enterprises and have an Environmental Officer. For further information regarding the Wymondham Club and its activities or if you would like to attend a meeting, see the club’s website.