Malawi - Startup under 3 years old

Décrivez votre projet en quelques mots

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 Décrivez votre startup en détail

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 Quel est le problème principal que vous essayez de résoudre ?

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 Dites-nous quels sont les principaux avantages et/ou bénéfices de l'utilisation du produit/service fourni par votre startup (au moins 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 Veuillez décrire précisément à qui s'adresse le produit/service de votre startup. Quels sont les bénéficiaires visés ?

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 Quand votre entreprise a-t-elle été créée ?

22/10/2021

01.06 Vendez-vous déjà votre produit/service ?

Non

01.07 Combien y a-t-il de propriétaires de votre entreprise en plus de vous ?

2

01.08 Parmi les autres propriétaires, combien sont des femmes ?

0

01.09 Veuillez décrire le profil des autres propriétaires de votre startup (compétences, expérience, 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 Si vous avez un site web, une page sur les médias sociaux (Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin...) ou une application, veuillez fournir le(s) lien(s) ici :

01.11 Quel est le secteur d'activité qui décrit le mieux votre entreprise ?

Matériaux (agriculture, pêche, produits chimiques, matériaux de construction, conteneurs et emballages, métaux et mines, papier et produits forestiers)

02.01.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Pas de pauvreté'

3

02.01.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.02.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Faim Zéro'

2

02.02.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.03.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Bonne Santé et Bien Être'

5

02.03.02 Justification de la contribution de ma 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 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Éducation de Qualité'

2

02.04.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.05.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Égalité entre les Sexes'

2

02.05.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.06.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Eau Propre et Assainissement'

3

02.06.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.07.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Énergie Propre et Abordable'

1 - pas du tout d'accord

02.07.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.08.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Travail Décent et Croissance Économique'

5

02.08.02 Justification de la contribution de ma 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 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Industrie, Innovation et Infrastructure'

6

02.09.02 Justification de la contribution de ma 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 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Réduction des Inégalités'

1 - pas du tout d'accord

02.10.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.11.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Villes et Communautés Durables'

5

02.11.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.12.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Consommation et Production Responsables'

7 - tout à fait d'accord

02.12.02 Justification de la contribution de ma 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 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Lutte contre les Changements Climatiques'

6

02.13.02 Justification de la contribution de ma 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 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Vie Sous-Marine'

4

02.14.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.15.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Vie Terrestre'

5

02.15.02 Justification de la contribution de ma 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 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Paix, Justice et Institutions Efficaces'

1 - pas du tout d'accord

02.16.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

02.17.01 Ma startup contribue à l'objectif 'Parteneriats pour la Réalisation des Objectifs'

1 - pas du tout d'accord

02.17.02 Justification de la contribution de ma startup

06.01 Un grand nombre de clients utilisent déjà un produit/service très similaire au nôtre.

5

06.02 Notre produit/service représente un type de produit/service entièrement nouveau

2

06.03 Notre produit/service pourrait être décrit comme une nouvelle technologie

2

06.04 Notre produit/service est une amélioration d'un produit ou d'un service existant

6

06.05 Notre produit/service pourrait être décrit comme une extension d'une gamme de produits ou de services

5

06.06 Notre produit/service répond à une demande ou à un besoin qui n'a pas été satisfait par d'autres produits/services.

6

06.07 Notre produit/service est une nouvelle version d'un ancien produit/service

5

06.08 Justification

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 Analyse compétitive

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 Menez-vous des actions au sein de votre communauté pour promouvoir le rôle des femmes entrepreneurs ?

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