Takataka Plastics
Takataka Plastics is a Uganda-based recycling social enterprise, founded in 2020 in Gulu, that converts discarded PET plastic bottles into construction wall tiles and consumer goods, serving local contractors and hardware shops while employing at-risk youth.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersGulu, China
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Takataka Plastics does
Takataka Plastics is a Uganda-based recycling social enterprise founded in January 2020 in Gulu City by Paige Balcom (PhD, Mechanical Engineering, UC Berkeley) and Peter Okwoko (MSc, Aalborg University). It converts discarded PET plastic bottles — a low-value waste stream that is largely landfilled or openly burned across East Africa — into construction materials (primarily TakaTile wall tiles, with prototype pavers) and ancillary consumer goods such as TakaSlate learning aids, flower vases, key holders, phone stands, and coasters. Its core technology is a set of locally fabricated processing machines that cost roughly 1/20th of imported equivalents, enabling full-scale production of tiles that are reported to be more than twice as strong as conventional ceramic tiles.
The company operates a vertically integrated collection-to-production model: a network of 200+ community collectors feeds plastic waste into an Elephante Commons collection center, where the material is processed and shaped into products at a single Gulu production facility staffed by 48 full-time employees. Its customer base is split between direct sales to construction contractors and reseller distribution through hardware shops serving builders, all within Uganda's $3 billion construction industry that is growing at over 10% annually against an estimated 8 million-unit housing shortage. Distribution is single-country (Uganda), with no disclosed enterprise anchor customers or contract values.
Takataka generates revenue primarily through one-time product sales of tiles and consumer goods, supplemented by grant and donation funding — $1.7+ million USD has been raised cumulatively since 2020 through grants and sales combined. The company also operates a "healing workplace" model with trauma counseling for at-risk youth, supported by partnerships with Gulu University, UC Berkeley, Echoing Green, the Uganda Ministry of Water and Environment, and other public and academic institutions. Founder recognition includes Peter Okwoko's 2022 Echoing Green Fellowship, his 2020 DANIDA Alumni Prize, and Paige Balcom's Shark Tank appearance and multiple US-based fellowships.
Takataka Plastics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Takataka Plastics
- Legal name
- Takataka Plastics
- Website
- https://takatakaplastics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Takataka Plastics is a Uganda-based recycling social enterprise, founded in 2020 in Gulu, that converts discarded PET plastic bottles into construction wall tiles and consumer goods, serving local contractors and hardware shops while employing at-risk youth.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Takataka Plastics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Recycled Construction Materials
- NAICS
- Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (32619), All Other Plastics Product Manufacturing (326199), Solid Waste Collection (562111), Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080), Refuse Systems (4953), Plastics Products, Nec (3089)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Plastics Sorting & Reprocessing (PET, HDPE, Film) (BPALADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Industrial Packaging Waste Services (Pallets, Cardboard, Film, IBCs/Drums—Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAD)
Keywords
Where Takataka Plastics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gulu
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Takataka Plastics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Product Sales: Sale of recycled plastic products including TakaTile (wall tiles), TakaSlate (learning aid), flower vases, key holders, phone stands, and coasters. Primary products are construction tiles sold to hardware shops and contractors.
- Grant Funding: Funding raised through grants and donations. They have raised 1.7+ million USD through grants and sales since 2020. US-based donors can make tax-deductible contributions through the Takataka Initiative Limited US Fund at Myriad USA.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Takataka Plastics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Takataka Plastics operates a recycling social enterprise in Gulu, Uganda that collects PET plastic waste from communities and processes it through locally fabricated machines into durable recycled PET wall tiles (TakaTile) as its primary product, alongside ancillary consumer goods including TakaSlate learning aids, flower vases, key holders, phone stands, and coasters. The company sells construction tiles directly to contractors and through hardware shops, targeting Uganda's growing construction market while providing income opportunities for community collectors and at-risk youth.
Product overview
Takataka Plastics operates as a recycling social enterprise that transforms discarded PET plastic bottles into two categories of products: (1) construction materials, including TakaTile wall tiles as the primary full-scale product, and (2) consumer goods including TakaSlate learning aids, flower vases, key holders, phone stands, and coasters. The company uses locally fabricated machines to process plastic waste that would otherwise be burned or littered, targeting the construction sector where Uganda faces an 8 million unit housing shortage and the construction industry grows at over 10% annually. Target customers are contractors (direct sales) and builders (via hardware shops).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TakaTile (Recycled PET Wall Tiles) Recycled PET wall tiles produced at full-scale production as the company's primary construction product. The tiles are durable, significantly stronger than conventional ceramic tiles, and do not break when dropped. Sold to hardware shops and contractors in Uganda's construction market.
- TakaSlate (Learning Aid) Learning aid made from recycled plastic, designed as an educational material for school children and tied to the company's school outreach programs in Northern Uganda.
- Flower Vases Decorative flower vases made from recycled plastic waste, part of the company's range of consumer home accessories.
- Key Holders Key holder accessories made from recycled plastic, sold as part of the company's consumer product line.
- Phone Stand Phone stand made from recycled plastic, a functional decorative item in the consumer products portfolio.
- Coasters Coasters made from recycled plastic, part of the company's range of decorative home accessories.
Quantifiable outcome
- 87.7 tonnes of plastic collected and prevented from entering environment since 2020
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Takataka Plastics
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Takataka Plastics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Takataka Plastics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Center for Impact CommunicationsminorMarketing and communications partner supporting Takataka Plastics' visibility and outreach efforts.
- NATURESminorPartner organization working with Takataka Plastics on environmental and sustainability initiatives.
- CEED UgandaminorCEED Uganda (Centre for Energy Efficiency) partnered with Takataka Plastics on the #MakeGuluGreen campaign and community clean-up activities.
- UC BerkeleycoreCo-founder Paige Balcom's alma mater where she conducted research on plastic waste. UC Berkeley supported the development of Takataka Plastics through academic programs and fellowships.
- Gulu UniversitycoreGulu University students conducted plastic waste assessment in Gulu and interviewed 200+ people. University bio-systems engineering students developed washing and sorting line for Takataka Plastics.
- Hashtag GulucoreCo-founder Peter Okwoko founded Hashtag Gulu, a community-based organization working with children and young adults. Partners with Takataka Plastics on community outreach and #MakeGuluGreen campaign.
- Ministry of Water and EnvironmentminorGovernment ministry partnered with Takataka Plastics on waste management initiatives in Uganda.
- NWSC (National Water and Sewerage Corporation)minorGovernment corporation partnered with Takataka Plastics on environmental initiatives in Uganda.
- Stanford UniversityminorAcademic institution partnered with Takataka Plastics supporting research and development initiatives.
- Plastic Recycling Industry (PRI)minorUganda's largest plastic recycling plant, affiliated with Coca-Cola. PRI processes plastic into flake products. Takataka visited PRI to learn about processing techniques and explore collaboration opportunities.
- FitchnerminorSupported Takataka Plastics in conducting training to 9 primary schools in Gulu in 2021, reaching over 3,000 students.
- Gulu City CouncilminorLocal government partnered with Takataka Plastics on school training programs and environmental initiatives.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Takataka Plastics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Plastic Bank: Global social enterprise that stops ocean plastic by building ethical collection networks in coastal communities and processing collected plastic into Social Plastic feedstock. Highly comparable social-enterprise plastic recycling model with community-led collection, though operating at much larger global scale.
- Mr. Green Africa: Kenya-based plastic recycling company that buys post-consumer plastic waste and processes it into recycled pellets for resale to manufacturers. Comparable in feedstock (East African post-consumer plastic) and recycling operations, though outputs are pellets rather than finished products.
- Gjenge Makers: Kenya-based social enterprise that manufactures construction pavers and tiles from recycled plastic waste. Directly comparable to Takataka in product (plastic-based building materials), target market (African construction sector), and social mission model.
- EcoPost: Kenyan recycling company that converts post-consumer plastic waste into durable, environmentally friendly fencing posts and lumber alternatives. Comparable in converting low-value plastic waste into higher-value construction/lumber products for the East African market.
Broad incumbents
- PureCycle Technologies: US-listed advanced recycling company using proprietary purification technology to recycle PP and HDPE waste into virgin-like resin. Comparable in advanced plastic recycling focus, though PureCycle operates at industrial scale with public-market funding and proprietary licensed technology.
- Renewlogy: US-based advanced recycling company using chemical pyrolysis to convert mixed plastic waste into fuels and feedstocks. Comparable as a plastic recycling technology company, though Renewlogy targets different end outputs (fuel/naphtha) rather than construction products.
Emerging players
- Plasticpreneur: Austria-based social enterprise that builds small-scale plastic recycling machines for entrepreneurs in developing countries. Directly comparable to Takataka in providing low-cost recycling technology for social entrepreneurs, and identified as a knowledge-exchange partner during COVID-19.
- TONTOTON: Plastic recovery enterprise operating in Haiti and Southeast Asia that finances plastic collection through plastic credit sales. Comparable as a social-enterprise plastic recycling model with environmental impact focus, though TONTOTON's revenue model centers on plastic credits rather than finished goods.
- Precious Plastic: Open-source community of small-scale plastic recycling workshops worldwide using low-cost, locally built machines. Directly comparable to Takataka's approach of locally fabricating recycling machines at low cost, though Precious Plastic is an open-source movement rather than a single company.
Regional players
- Plastic Recycling Industry (PRI): Uganda's largest plastic recycling plant, affiliated with Coca-Cola, processing PET into flake products. Directly comparable regional peer in Uganda's plastic recycling space with significantly greater scale and corporate backing; Takataka has visited PRI for collaboration discussions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Takataka Plastics social profiles
Digital presenceTakataka Plastics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Takataka Plastics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Takataka Plastics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Takataka Plastics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Takataka Plastics
What does Takataka Plastics do?
Takataka Plastics operates a recycling social enterprise in Gulu, Uganda that collects PET plastic waste from communities and processes it through locally fabricated machines into durable recycled PET wall tiles (TakaTile) as its primary product, alongside ancillary consumer goods including TakaSlate learning aids, flower vases, key holders, phone stands, and coasters. The company sells construction tiles directly to contractors and through hardware shops, targeting Uganda's growing construction market while providing income opportunities for community collectors and at-risk youth.
Is Takataka Plastics a public or private company?
Takataka Plastics is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Takataka Plastics founded?
Takataka Plastics was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Takataka Plastics based?
Takataka Plastics is headquartered in Gulu, China, in the Asia region.
How does Takataka Plastics make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding.
Who are Takataka Plastics's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Plastic Bank, Mr. Green Africa, Gjenge Makers and EcoPost. Broad incumbents are PureCycle Technologies and Renewlogy. Emerging players are Plasticpreneur, TONTOTON and Precious Plastic. Plastic Recycling Industry (PRI) is listed as a regional player.
Does Takataka Plastics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Takataka Plastics.
What industry is Takataka Plastics in?
Takataka Plastics's product category is Recycled Construction Materials. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALADAE, Plastics Sorting & Reprocessing (PET, HDPE, Film), with a secondary code of EUAIAGAD, Industrial Packaging Waste Services (Pallets, Cardboard, Film, IBCs/Drums—Non-hazardous). Its NAICS code is 32619 and its SIC code is 3080.