Innovation

There is enormous scope for innovation to reduce pollution from waste and build an inclusive circular economy. WasteAid’s programmes support and promote innovators and entrepreneurs in lower- and middle-income countries, recognising that the best ideas often come from those facing the waste challenge every day. Afterall, necessity is the mother of invention.

Our Zero Waste Cities Challenge, in South Africa, India and Vietnam, supported 36 small businesses in bringing their innovations to life. An important distinction with WasteAid programmes is that we aren’t just looking for solutions to waste, but specifically solutions that are inclusive, building opportunities for vulnerable and marginalised groups to share in the benefits of a circular economy.

Transparency in the value chain

In Ho Chi Minh City, one of the challenge winners has developed a mobile phone app that connects all the actors in the recycling value chain. By providing an “uber” service for waste and real-time price data, people collecting materials from households and businesses are able to achieve the best efficiencies and value for their labour.

Aggregators of materials (middle-men) are also able to obtain the best price, since they know when and where to sell their goods. In this way, the entire value chain is strengthened and made transparent, creating a fairer system and providing more equal access to the monetary value in waste materials.

Restoring the natural environment

In Northeast India, WasteAid is supporting a start-up that has developed a process to valorise the invasive weed, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Dubbed the “world’s worst aquatic weed”, it clogs up major dams and rivers around the world.

Through an innovation supported by WasteAid, a small team is using the weed to manufacture biodegradable paperboard packaging. Families are now harvesting the weed to sell to this newly created market, and restoring the fragile wetland in the process. WasteAid is helping the Indian start-up to bring its innovation to scale, so that communities around the world can also benefit from products and packaging from this abundant resource.

Food waste collections

Throughout the world’s cities, food waste poses a particular challenge. Large quantities are generated every day and the vast majority ends up in landfills and dumpsites, emitting the potent greenhouse gas methane. WasteAid is supporting small businesses in Johannesburg with innovative solutions for food waste that benefit the climate and local communities.

One of the entrepreneurs supported by WasteAid is building a franchise system for food waste collection and composting, creating business opportunities for young unemployed people while cutting climate change emissions by 98 percent.

Collaborating across the value chain

Until the world’s waste crisis is solved, there will be scope for circular innovations, and WasteAid will continue to be at the forefront of this movement.

From working with manufacturers to design out waste, to keeping materials in the loop, and returning biodegradable materials to nature, our global network of innovators are breaking new ground every day.

In particular, we support grassroots entrepreneurs that recover and retain the value of materials within their local economy, recognising local solutions as a clear pathway to sustainable development.

Innovation

Transparency in the value chain

Restoring the natural environment

Food waste collections

Collaborating across the value chain

Help us do more

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Transparency in the value chain

Restoring the natural environment

Food waste collections

Collaborating across the value chain

Help us do more

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