Solution description
The proposed innovative solution is recycling of solid waste generated in Dessie town into organic fertilizer and energy particularly fuel briquette to be used for cooking. Fuel Briquette is solid fuel product of convenient shape that can be burned like wood or charcoal. Two types of briquettes will be produced; one product will be 300 gram cylindrical shaped briquette with a hole at the center to be sold to hotels, restaurants, coffee houses and large family size households as their energy demand is high. The other product will be a log type which can be broken in to required sizes in time of putting on stoves. This is mostly for typical households. The main difference of our briquette product from charcoal and fuel wood traditional energy products is that, briquettes have no smoke, cheaper in price, have longer burning hour, easily ignitable, and environmentally friendly as they are made from waste materials and avoid cutting trees.
Organic fertilizer produced from wastes is also our proposed product to be commercialized by this initiative. We will produce organic compost to be used as a fertilizer by farmers and small scale urban agriculture enterprises who engaged in vegetable and fruits production. Organic compost will improve soil fertility sustainably as it contains the most important nutrients for crop production; nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur and zinc. The product also partly solves waste disposal problems through conversion of Biodegradable wastes into organic compost; this ensures the availability of organic fertilizer for crop production. In addition, organic-based vegetable production provides unique opportunities for producing high quality vegetables because of reduced chemical application at any given time of the year. It likewise contributes to rehabilitating and sustaining the fertility of croplands that have been degraded or are in danger of degradation due to intensive crop production and improper soil management practices.
Innovation alignment
In the area we are operating, there is no company recycling waste into economically important product, but our company is pioneer in changing the waste collected into organic fertilizer and fuel briquette and these products are new products for the area. Fuel briquette is also new product for our target areas as there is no fuel briquette product in the local market. The communities are using traditional energy sources of charcoal, firewood and kerosene for their cooking and heating energy need. Our fuel briquette is better compared to traditional energy sources as it is cheaper, easily usable, clean and renewable energy source. Currently farmers are using chemical fertilizer which is very expensive and creating environmental problem. Our organic fertilizer is cheaper in price and environmentally friendly. Besides to introducing new products to the market, our business idea is innovative as it is going to change the attitude of the society that waste refers to something that is useless or worthless.
Our innovation aligned with 10 out of 17 SDGs. Specifically, our innovation will contribute for the achievement of the following SDGs
SDG 1: Poverty Reduction: The proposed project will contribute for Poverty reduction as the women and youths will be trained and engaged in waste collection business and generate revenue from sale of solid waste to our company. Our target groups are poor women, youths, displaced people and people with disability and training and job creation for such target groups directly reduces poverty.
SDG 2: No hunger: The target groups will generate income from sale of waste to our company, employment salary at our company which will reduce hunger as they will be able to fulfil at least basic necessities.
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: We are recycling solid waste generated at Dessie town and making the town clean which directly. Our business would reduce waste that has to be carried to the over-used dumpsite. There are also waste which are not collected and accumulated on the streets, eventually to be washed away by heavy rains into nearby water sources. The project would reduce environmental damage and reduce leachate contamination of local water supplies.
SDG 5: Gender Equality:
Women in the area are dependent on their husband’s income for their daily expenditure for their family and themselves. Women do not have their own income source and economically disadvantaged. We will select and train poor women and organize them in groups to engage in waste collection and supply. Women will generate income which will empower them economically and their decision-making capacity will be improved. Our strategy for women empowerment is 100% targeting women for supplier of waste as they are very effective in this Job. Company decided to work with only with women and set policy of to make more than 70% staffs to be women.
SDG 6: Clean Water and sanitation:
Our business improves waste management system and directly contributed for Sanitation improvement as we are recycling solid waste generated at Dessie town and making the town clean. The project would reduce environmental damage and reduce leachate contamination of local water supplies.
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
One of our products is Fuel Briquette made from waste which is solid fuel product of convenient shape that can be burned like wood or charcoal. The main difference of our briquette product from charcoal and fuel wood traditional energy products is that, briquettes have no smoke, cheaper in price, have longer burning hour, easily ignitable, and environmentally friendly as they are made from waste materials and avoid cutting trees.
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
As described above, our project creates job opportunities, increases income levels, and improves living standards of poor women, youths and that provides fair income, security, social protection, and opportunities for personal growth which is in line with Decent Work and Economic Growth SDG goal.
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Waste management is an important industry as it needs small space and capital compared to other business especially for suppliers. The industry has huge potential for job creation and production of many products using the waste which will promote innovation and industry growth. The proposed business is an industry involving many people in all value chains. Hence, the project promotes for industry, innovation and infrastructure SDG
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities:
Our target groups are poor women, youths, displaced people, people with disability for our skill training and job creation. After the training, the target groups will get job opportunity and generate income. We hope that the trained women and youths will start their own business which directly reduces inequality.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
Our business is recycling waste into organic fertilizer and energy in Dessie city which makes the city clean and attract investment which directly contribute for sustainable cities and communities SDG
SDG 13: Climate Action:
Our proposed business will contribute for the reduction of emission in four ways (1) Fuel briquettes will replace the traditional fuel wood and charcoal used and then the amount of carbon released would be negated by the trees saved due to the technology and ultimately promoting a sound environment (2) Reduction in use of kerosene, fuel wood/charcoal, and inorganic fertilizer would reduce carbon emissions. (3) By managing organic waste, we also avoid methane emissions from decomposition (4) The smoke (carbon monoxide) reduced as fuel briquette has much less smoke than traditional charcoal and firewood.
Solution impact
Our Business is addressing poor waste management, lack of renewable energy access, and low agricultural productivity and unemployment problems that our communities are experiencing. The business has huge commercial impact which includes our company will generate income from the sale of organic fertilizer and fuel briquette, we will create access to low-cost fuel briquettes and organic fertilizers, creating a market for eco-friendly products that will substitute the traditional, more expensive options. Socially, our business model empowers low-income communities, particularly women and youth, by providing them with job opportunities in waste collection
and production. more than 200 hundred women engaged in waste collection will generate income from the sale of waste to our company. This involvement contributes to poverty alleviation and promotes gender equality by enabling women to participate actively in the workforce. Environmentally, we tackle waste disposal issues by converting biodegradable waste into valuable products, reducing land fill usage and pollution. Our products help improve soil health and decrease reliance on chemical fertilizers, fostering sustainable agricultural practices. Our fuel briquette product will substitute charcoal and reduce deforestation. Overall, our inclusive business model not only benefits our company but also enhances community welfare, promotes environmental sustainability, and drives social equity.
Replicability / scalability
From the Experience, we have proved that the business is profitable as we are getting the waste raw materials abundantly at cheaper price and sometimes free of cost. There is also high demand for our products which will ensure sustainability of the project. The proposed inclusive business is Economically viable and has lots of social impact in job creation, improving livelihood of low-income people by accessing them affordable and clean energy and most importantly contributes for waste management as we are proposing to change waste into energy which are the main basis for its scalability. We will focus on production of briquette and compost using waste originated from Dessie town and we will build additional plants at other cities particularly in nearby kombocha by re-investing the profit we generated.
Cooperation potential
Our business falls on South-South and Triangular cooperation thematic areas of focus. Our Business is addressing poor waste management, lack of renewable energy access, and low agricultural productivity and unemployment problems that our
communities are experiencing. Our business will create access to low-cost fuel briquettes and organic fertilizers, creating a market for eco-friendly products that will substitute the traditional, more expensive options. Our business model empowers low-income communities, particularly women and youth, by providing them with job opportunities in waste collection and production. Environmentally, we tackle waste disposal issues by converting biodegradable waste into valuable products, reducing land will usage and pollution. Our products help improve soil health and decrease reliance on chemical fertilizers, fostering sustainable agricultural practices. Our fuel briquette product will substitute charcoal and reduce deforestation. Overall, our inclusive business model not only benefits our company but also enhances community welfare, promotes environmental sustainability, and drives social equity.
Territory coverage
Currently our business is located at Dessie Town, Ethiopia. The town has more than 300,000 people. Our plan is to expand the business into other cities and towns. For the Next five years we will have at least three branches (Dessie, Kombolcha and haik towns). Our territorial coverage is Amhara region of Ethiopia.
Collaborators
Greenlife solid waste recycling is managed by skilled and experienced professionals. Currently the company has 15 employees. The company is managed by Mr. Birhan Tsegaye who has BA degree in biology and managing the waste management business for the last five years. The company has also a project manager, production manager, marketing manager, finance and admin manager which constitute the management committee which is the highest decision-making body. Under each department, there are experts such as agronomist, electrical engineers etc. The company is working with Dessie town city administration, waste collection enterprises and they will have important role in the proposed project implementation.
