Sustainable packaging business owner in DR Congo awarded

Jérémie Kazingufu launched Paper Bags back in 2017. His recyclable packaging business earned him a prize on Saturday among the 10 laureates of the ‘Challenge Entreprise’ competition organized by the Congolese government and the Congolese Business Federation.

In Goma, DRC , an anti-single-use plastic revolution is underway. It is in the western city of the Democratic Republic of Congo that CEO Jérémie Kazingufu has launched Paper Bags. The business produces sustainable paper packaging solutions.

Thanks to this machine and a secret formula, the company offers an alternative to plastic bags. Every day, around 100 biodegradable packages are produced there. The business idea has proven successful five years after the launch of the company.

“Our mind-set from the very beginning was to produce packaging that could replace single-use plastic bags. We also noticed that it could come in different forms that is why we set our minds on manufacturing paper packaging. It means Paper Bags Entreprise offers a sustainable solution in addition to a varied range of packages.“

Jérémie Kazingufu is not the only one happy with this alternative. Many Goma residents like Rosine Shamirimbi have made a habit of using biodegradable bags: “Thanks to these sustainable paper packages, I can carry many things. Instead of using single-use plastic bags, I use these. Since they decay naturally, it protects the environment.“

If the green packaging market is still in its infancy, existing legislation already prohibits the production or the import of films and other plastic bags. However, old habits die hard. That is why Emmanuel Kamanzi, another resident has chosen to support the initiative: “When the biodegrable packaging arrived we breathed a sigh of relief because he heard there was a ban on the use of plastic packages. These biodegradable bags help us reduce pollution and beyond that, they will enable us to keep our city clean.”

The journey to clean streets may be long but sustainable paper bags could be the small step paving the way for to a giant leap in the battle against plastic pollution.