Malawi - Startup under 3 years old

Describe your project or startup in a few words

Econcrete are low cost concrete bricks made from cement, sand and crushed glass/ceramic waste. These bricks will be produced as a low-cost alternative to traditional concrete brick. The broken glass waste will be sourced from various sources and crushed.

01.01 Describe your startup in more detail

My firm is called The Garbage Man, we do waste collection and management in Malawi. This project will involve working waste collectors at ground level those found in disposal sites and markets, beverage manufacturers who bottle their products in glass bottles and those in the ceramics, glass and glazing business, whereby a price for broken glass/ceramics per Kg will be set and we will be visiting them once a week to buy their collected glass waste (i.e., no unbroken bottle from Malawian products will be bought). The glass will be cleaned then crushed to a suitable granulometry and characteristic using a locally produced machine. The crushed glass will be mixed with cement and sand using an appropriate mixture ratio to produce our bricks. Due to issues of environmental sustainability, the government of Malawi put in place a ban on use of burnt bricks in all public and commercial projects and promotes environmentally sustainable building materials such as the costly concrete bricks.

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

Production and use of Econcrete bricks will help solve different issues ranging from waste management, lowering carbon footprint associated with cement production and high cost of traditional concrete bricks. The main problem which this product would like to help solve is the high cost associated with traditional concrete bricks. Cement is expensive as most of the raw materials used in its production are imported here in Malawi, hence costly due forex scarcity issues in the country. High cost of importing raw materials is causing cement manufacturers to produce little cement, this scarcity drives the cement prices up farther. Concrete brick producers have to increase the price of their products because of this, this forces people to go back to using the illegal fire burnt bricks.

01.03 Tell us the major benefits and/or advantages of using the product/service that your startup provides (at least 3).

According to our research, using concrete bricks that contain glass powder Econcrete bricks offer various benefits to the users such as increased durability (endurance to damage), concrete containing glass also offers more strength to the concrete. And also use of these bricks allows concrete brick users to save a bit of money as the production of these bricks will involve less cost hence sold at cheaper price than regular concrete bricks on the market.

01.04 Please describe who exactly your startup’s product/service is aimed at serving. Who are the targeted beneficiaries?

The product is aimed at families who want build their upto standard homes at low cost and whilst helping conserve the environment , it also for building constructors trying to cut down cost of construction without compromising strength of building.

01.05 When was your company established?

2021-10-22

01.06 Are you already selling your product/service?

No

01.07 How many other owners are there within your startup?

2

01.08 Among the other owners, how many are female?

0

01.09 Please describe the profile of the other owners within your startup (skills, experience, etc.)

All the owners our start-up are young and still in school. The remaining two owners, one is pursuing studies in business administration and the other in procurement. Outside this start-up, they each gave less than 2 years experience working in position related to their fields of study.

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

01.11 Which industry best describes your project?

b) Materials (agriculture, fishing, chemical products, construction materials, containers and packaging, metals and mining, paper and forest products)

02.01.01 My startup contributes to the No poverty goal

3

02.01.02 No poverty - Justification for my startup

02.02.01 My startup contributes to the Zero hunger goal

2

02.02.02 Zero hunger - Justification for my startup

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

5

02.03.02 Good health and well-being - Justification for my startup

From our research, concrete bricks from glass brick have mechanical strength and are durable which essentially means building infrastructure using these bricks will ensure safety to the lives and goods occupying the building.

02.04.01 My startup contributes to the Quality education goal

2

02.04.02 Quality education - Justification for my startup

02.05.01 My startup contributes to the Gender equality goal

2

02.05.02 Gender equality - Justification for my startup

02.06.01 My startup contributes to the Clean water and sanitation goal

3

02.06.02 Clean water and sanitation - Justification for my startup

02.07.01 My startup contributes to the Affordable and clean energy goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.07.02 Affordable and clean energy - Justification for my startup

02.08.01 My startup contributes to the Decent work and economic growth

5

02.08.02 Decent work and economic growth - Justification for my startup

This business will employ people to help in production of these concrete bricks i.e. some will operate the glass crushing, some the brick molder and other will assist in collecting the waste. With diversification from focusing on waste management only to incorporating production of concrete bricks, we will need people to help us in various administration sectors of the startup. Hence the growth of this startup will provide employment to a number of people. Our glass waste sources will also earn something when they provide us with the glass waste.

02.09.01 My startup contributes to the Industry innovation and infrastructure

6

02.09.02 Industry innovation and infrastructure - Justification for my startup

The use of glass waste especially from bottles of products not produced locally and broken glass in general is an innovative way to recycle the glass instead of letting it pollute the land by just heaping in our waste sites. It also promotes sustainable industrialisation as it more eco-friendly than traditional concrete bricks and fire burnt bricks with its partial use of glass waste as an input in production of our bricks.

02.10.01 My startup contributes to the Reduced inequalities goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.10.02 Reduced inequalities - Justification for my startup

02.11.01 My startup contributes to the Sustainable cities and communities goal

5

02.11.02 Sustainable cities and communities - Justification for my startup

02.12.01 My startup contributes to the Responsible consumption and production goal

7 - Strongly Agree

02.12.02 Responsible consumption and production - Justification for my startup

Our business will involve recycling glass waste to produce concrete brick, reducing the consumption of virgin materials such as cement and sand as the some part of the bricks normally taken by these material( i.e., sand and cement) will taken by . The glass waste in Malawi is usually left lying in street bin, walkways and sometimes may make it to waste disposal sites, Replacing some parts of a traditional concrete brick reduces the need

02.13.01 My startup contributes to the Climate action goal

6

02.13.02 Climate action - Justification for my startup

The cement production is responsible for about 8% of the global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, due to burning of fossil fuels to achieve high temperatures required in its production and also CO2 released when turning limestone into clinker. Replacing cement with glass waste reduces the demand of cement to be produced.

02.14.01 My startup contributes to the Life below water goal

4

02.14.02 Life below water - Justification for my startup

02.15.01 My startup contributes to the Life on land goal

5

02.15.02 Life on land - Justification for my startup

Using waste glass to replace some parts of concrete and sand reduces the need to extract sand, clay ,gypsum and limestone from the ground to produce cement and fire-burnt bricks which usually affects life / habitats found in the extraction sites and leads land degradation and negatively affects beauty of areas

02.16.01 My startup contributes to the Peace Justice and Strong Institutions goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.16.02 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions- Justification for my startup

02.17.01 My startup contributes to the Partnerships for the goal

1 - Strongly Disagree

02.17.02 Partnerships for the goal - Justification for my startup

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

5

06.02 The product/service represents an entirely new type of product/service.

2

06.03 The product/service could be described as a new technology.

2

06.04 The product/service is an improvement on an existing product or service.

6

06.05 The product/service could be described as an extension of a range of products or services.

5

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

6

06.07 The product/service is a new version of an old product/service.

5

06.08 Justification for my startup

Our Econcrete bricks are an improvement or revision of an already existing product; conventional concrete bricks. Our brick offer a unique and innovative recycling methods of utilizing glass waste especially the broken pieces, imported glass bottles as we can not manage as of now to remelt and remold the glass.

06.09 Competitive Analysis

We are go to compete in a market dominated by illegal fire- burnt brick makers and conventional concrete brick companies. These bricks have been around for a while and people do trust them. But our bricks will different in a good way. Our bricks insulate better and require less energy to make, which means fewer carbon emissions compared to regular bricks. Plus, they are stronger and more durable. We believe this has to be a big plus for people who care about sustainability and building stuff that lasts.

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

No, I am only promoting them through recommending them in various opportunities and share about them on my socials.