Uganda - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Pick Up Plastic: Transforming plastic waste into wealth sustainably. Turning neglectable plastic trash into high valued profitable products.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

The Pick Up Plastic project is a collaborative environmental project aimed at reducing plastic waste and promoting sustainable practices within the community while allowing young Ugandans to earn an income. It involves hiring the young people who collect and sell plastic waste, such as plastic bottles and scraps to up cycle and sell up products from the plastic bottles and scraps they collect from the streets. The youth collecting this plastic waste will be contracted to up cycle the plastic bottles into rubbish bins and laundry baskets. The up cycling procedure for these bins and baskets involves wiring plastic bottles together to turn them into long lasting bins that can be used as trash cans and laundry baskets. Our hope is also that as the project continues, the young people can come up with new products they can make from the plastic waste. The Pick Up Plastic project is an initiated by Ensingo LTD.

01.02 What is the main problem you are trying to solve?

Urban areas often contribute a lot to plastic waste and have very few ways to recycle or up cycle this waste. Our project takes care of this problem through a unique up cycling process that creates a unique product that can be sold for profit by our contracted youth. Therefore, we also partly solve the problem of unemployment with the youth of Uganda by providing sustainable decent work. Our products also solve the need of waste bins for many households, schools, resorts and companies.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your project intends to provide (at least 3).

The stylish and unique bins are durable considering that they are made from plastic. They are also very affordable considering the cost of production. Using our bins also contributes to the growth and development of our communities and it's residents. Our creation process also promotes sustainable practices and cleaner environments.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your project is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The project will provide a product much needed product by many enterprises. Unique waste bins that can used by schools, resorts households and other companies. These are one of our main beneficiaries and customers. Our other beneficiaries will the communities and it's residents.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2021-10-15

01.06 How many other partners are associated with your business venture?

2

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

1

01.08 Please describe the profile of each of the other partners (skills, experience, etc.)

Ronald Ssemaganda is the brains that initiated the pick up plastic project. He has taught hundreds young people how to create these products and in the process created hundreds of the products that have been sold and donated to different resorts, homes and schools. Natabi Salama is a strong pillar in the community of Katwe Kinyoro; a slum area in Kampala. Salama started a number of initiatives with in Katwe, Kinyoro to help young women combat the sanitation and poverty with in the area.

01.09 If you have a website, a social media page (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin…), or app, please provide the link here:

https://www.instagram.com/pickupplasticug?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

e) Secondary commodities (cars and parts, consumer durables and apparel, retail)

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

The project is dedicated at employing young people desperately need the jobs and skills to earn a living. The project activities and structure will ensure that they have decent part time work and the chance to grow economically

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

02.03.01 My project contributes to the Good health and well-being goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

4

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification

02.08.01 My project contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

7 - Strongly Agree

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification

The project is dedicated at employing young people desperately need the jobs and skills to earn a living. The project activities and structure will ensure that they have decent part time work and the chance to grow economically.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification

02.11.01 My project contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

4

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification

02.12.01 My project contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification

The products we create oppose the need their corresponding plastic bins and bags that are manufactured very oftenly and might need to be replaced every few months which promotes responsible consumption and production.

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

4

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

4

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

02.16.01 My project contributes to the Peace justice and strong institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace justice and strong institutions - Justification

02.17.01 My project contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

4

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification

05.01 There are a large number of customers who already use a product/service very similar to the product/service we envision creating.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.02 The product/service we envision creating represents an entirely new type of product/service.

1 - Strongly Disagree

05.03 The product/service we envision creating could be described as a new technology.

4

05.04 The product/service we envision creating is an improvement on an existing product or service.

4

05.05 The product/service we envision creating could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.06 The product/service we envision creating responds to a demand or need that has not been satisfied by other products/services.

4

05.07 The product/service we envision creating is a new version of an old product/service.

7 - Strongly Agree

05.08 Justification

Our product brings to the market a completely new perspective in the business waste management. It's creation process is as unique as it's design.

05.09 Who are your main potential competitors and what makes you stand out from them?

Our competitors would be the companies that manufacture the usual waste bins on a large scale. Our product however stands out because of: it's new and unique design, it's long lasting feature, and an up cycling process that supports our environment and our communities.

10.06 Are you initiating actions within your community to promote the role of female entrepreneurs?

We previously employed females in our project as the marketeers of the plastic bins. Their roles were to sell the idea and the products to their respective communities.