3.6million syrian refugees are currently living in Turkey, and millions more seek refuge in temporary shelters across the Middle East.
With winter approaching, camp living conditions worsen, placing millions of lives at risk.
Planned and improvised shelters lack long-term provisions for cold climate conditions.
Current approaches to winterization assistance relies heavily on distribution of blankets, stoves and fuel. This increases the living costs of families, incurs health risks and negatively impacts their environment.
The Waste for Warmth partnership is developing and testing a new approach to shelter winterisation by making tent insulation in the field.
The insulation is made from recycled plastic, using our technology.
Plastic waste is an abundant material in refugee camps across the world, as a byproduct of the humanitarian responses. Upcycling local waste gives discarded and single use plastics materials a new life as insulation products.
Setting up local production offers work opportunities for displaced people to generate income. Localized responses also alleviate the need for shipment of material from afar at great cost and environmental impact.
Improvised as well as planned shelters for displaced people lack long-term provisions for winter conditions. Living conditions are made worse by the need to burn unclean fuels for heating. Solutions to retrofit existing tents with insulation material are cost efficient and reduces the need for fuel.
Video made by our project partner Field Ready.
