U-Recycle Initiative Africa, a youth-led non-governmental organisation, has introduced an educational comic book titled Kola & the Plastic Bottle to help students better understand environmental issues and develop practical solutions to plastic pollution.
The comic, launched as part of an initiative supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and the Global Environment Facility, is designed to educate young people across Africa about sustainability and responsible waste management.
According to a statement released by the organisation on Wednesday, the publication is the result of more than three years of research and aims to translate complex environmental concepts into simple lessons that students can easily understand and apply in their daily lives.
The organisation explained that the comic uses storytelling and behavioural science to help reshape students’ attitudes toward waste and environmental responsibility. Through engaging narratives, the book simplifies environmental challenges and encourages young people to adopt practical actions both on their campuses and within their communities.
Written by Oluwaseyi Jesuton and illustrated by Mike Asukwo, Kola & the Plastic Bottle also serves as a key learning resource within PlasticWize 2.0, the organisation’s flagship programme focused on turning university campuses into centres for environmental education and sustainability.
The story helps students understand what happens to plastic waste after it is discarded and highlights how everyday decisions can either contribute to environmental problems or help solve them. It also brings attention to issues of environmental injustice that often remain overlooked.
U-Recycle Initiative Africa noted that it has implemented more than 80 projects across 11 African countries, reaching over 25,000 young people through various educational and sustainability programmes.
As part of its continued educational efforts, the organisation also announced plans to host a hackathon in the coming months. The event will bring together university student teams from across Africa to design eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics using locally available materials.
The initiative aims to equip students with the knowledge, creativity, and motivation needed to address environmental challenges and contribute to sustainable development across the continent.
