Kenyan Engineer Converts Invasive Water Hyacinth into Bioplastic Packaging

During a 2022 field trip on Lake Naivasha, Joseph Nguthiru’s boat became entangled in water hyacinth, prompting him to seek a use for the invasive plant that blocks oxygen and devastates fisheries. Leveraging his civil-engineering studies at Egerton University, he developed a method to convert the harvested weed into a biodegradable plastic, founding the startup HyaPak. The company now removes about eight hectares of hyacinth annually, works with local fishing communities for collection, and produces packaging that replaces single-use plastic, including bags for the Jaza Miti tree-planting program.

HyaPak’s products extend shelf life of food and supply seedling bags that decompose in soil. Nguthiru’s achievements have been recognized with the UN Young Champion of the Earth award, an Obama Foundation leadership role, and a Presidential Innovator award, and he plans to replicate the model in nations such as El Salvador, India, South Africa, Mexico and Nigeria. He also co-founded M-SITU, which uses solar-powered AI sensors to detect illegal logging and fires, cutting ranger response times in Kenya’s Ngong Forest.