Kenya - Business creation project

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Incentives for recycling individuals, homesteads and organisations.Collecting the plastic waste directly from the consumers and offering redeemable points to the consumer in return via app or website.Providing special bins/bags specially for the plastic.

01.01 Describe your project in more detail

Understanding that the plastic recycling industry is a lucrative and growing sector, realizing the poor recycling culture within our society, our project aims at motivating individuals ,households and even businesses to recycle by providing incentives in form of redeemable tokens for the amount of plastic they recycle. This will be monitored via an app or a website or even ussd where the consumers will be able to trace their points. We will also provide special bins or bags specifically for the plastic waste and collect them from their door step. We have identified a ready market,an exporter (one among many) for the plastic waste collected Considering the high quantity of plastic waste generated daily just within Nairobi, We believe this will be a very successful venture and at the same time help promote a recycling culture and a clean environment. We are planning to work with retail stores and a number of service providers to allow the points collected be redeemed for good/services.

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

The problem of poor recycling culture. The challenge associated with not sorting plastic waste hence ending up in rivers and even landfills where they take years to decompose. We look forward to also to generate revenue effectively from the recycling industry and create job opportunities specifically for the youth and women.

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

Reduce pollution caused by plastic waste provide raw materials for the vast manufacturing industry Job creation for women and the youth Promote a recycling culture Offer an alternative means of making a purchase or pay for utility bills for the consumers via the redeemable points. Rewarding the culture of recycling.

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

Households ( the numerous apartments and flats,gated communities etc) Schools and universities Office Blocks and business buildings which includes but not limited to restaurants and relaxation joints. These are some of the areas which registers high volumes of plastic waste and we believe they will be a reliable source of the plastic waste.

01.05 When did you start working on your project?

2023-09-01

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

4

01.07 Among the other partners, how many are female?

3

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

Nina Salaton Shanice Kipsang Karlmax Kalomba Shanniz Mbaire All the mentioned partners including I are students of International Relations and Diplomacy from Riara University in different years of study. Miss Shanniz,Nina and Shanice are in their final year of study looking forward to graduating in 2024. Everyone involved in this project are people with proper research skills, industrious and environmental conservation enthusiasts.

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

01.10 Which industry best describes your project?

Other: Recycling and waste management

02.01.01 My project contributes to the No poverty goal

5

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification

We believe our project would create job opportunities for people especially women and the youth therefore promoting wealth creation, improving standards of living and help in eradication of poverty

02.02.01 My project contributes to the Zero hunger goal

4

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification

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

4

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification

02.04.01 My project contributes to the Quality education goal

4

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification

02.05.01 My project contributes to the Gender equality goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification

Apart from having a good number of female partners, our project looks forward to primarily offer employment to women therefore allowing them earn a living and providing for their families and at the same time gain respect as important and independent people in the society.This will help in clearing the notion that women are meant to be fully dependent on men.

02.06.01 My project contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

5

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification

By helping sort plastic waste directly from the consumer,we look forward to saving water sources and rivers from plastic pollutants hence ensuring clean water free from pastics.

02.07.01 My project contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

4

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

Focusing on the circular economy, we look forward to ultimately promoting economic growth by reducing production costs for a number of industries. With industrial growth comes job creation. We also look forward to employing a number of people under our project and even more when it becomes a complete success.

02.09.01 My project contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

4

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification

02.10.01 My project contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

4

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

For a project dealing with recycling and the circular economy,We look forward to promoting responsible consumption by helping effectively manage the plastic waste as a result of production. With effective recycling,the total waste will be significantly reduced.

02.13.01 My project contributes to the Climate action goal

5

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification

Recycling reduces the energy required to manufacture plastics which reduces emissions. Generally, recycling of plastic waste as far as its production and slow decomposition in landfills is concerned helps reduce the emission of green house gases hence contributing to the climate action goal.

02.14.01 My project contributes to the Life below water goal

6

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification

A high percentage of unrecycled or unmanaged plastic waste end up along ocean shore, inside the water in the rivers and other water bodies across the world. This results in suffocation of marine life and other form of harm towards the water creatures. By managing and controlling the plastic waste we believe we will be able to reduce pollution by such waste in water bodies and help in the improvement of life below the water.

02.15.01 My project contributes to the Life on land goal

5

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification

plastic waste being largely non-biodegradable posses as a risk and a major pollutant to land. They actually account to a large percentage of waste in landfills. By helping control its spread, we believe that we will in improving life on land for not only people but livestock and wildlife as well.

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

4

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.

6

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

4

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.

6

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

5

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

5

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

4

05.08 Justification

Despite a similar idea existing, we believe that the recycling industry still needs more players in it as the existing firms or organizations do not fully satisfy the market needs. The existing major competitor headquartered in Kisumu is m taka .Our idea is innovative and unique as we aim to sell plastic recycling credits, collaborate with major retail stores to allow our users redeem their points for goods or services and get a bigger market from the vast number of schools and universities around the country.

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

m-taka Planning to selling plastic credits/carbon credits to plastic dealing companies collaborating with retail stores and utility providing firms to allow redeeming the points for their goods and services involving schools and universities in the project.

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

Yes, always looking forward to partner with female friends ,school mates to handle a number of projects as well as joining female-led groups and work with them.