Redefine the future of urban mining
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Our Journey of Redefining Urban Mining
At Wastezon, we are applying a systems thinking approach to resolve e-waste challenges while digitizing communities and providing secondary raw materials. We are combining AI technology and Materials Science to trace the materiality of e-waste(s) and valorize them accordingly. Besides generating low-cost refurbished devices for consumers, we also obtain secondary raw materials that we sell to Manufacturers. By serving both fronts, consumers and manufacturers, we are creating a closed-loop system, ensuring that materials are kept in use as long as possible, diverting them from going to landfills. Not only are our efforts diverting equivalent carbon emissions but also eradicating associated waste pollution while ensuring cities are waste-free and healthy.
As the world embarks on rethinking consumerism and production in alignment with the circular economy, I founded Wastezon, a Rwanda-based social enterprise that redefines urban mining. Roughly 45 million tons of e-waste end up in landfills annually, contributing to carbon emissions and polluting water bodies.
This calls immediate attention to restrategizing our consumerism and production systems, ensuring materials are reused, recycled, and remanufactured (urban mining). The fascinating aspect of tapping into urban mining is that we can tackle further associated challenges alternatively. For example, 300 million Africans are still digitally excluded as device affordability and accessibility hinder them from joining and reaping the benefits of digitalization.
In addition, urban mining can provide secondary raw materials that the manufacturing sector highly relies on, concurrently enabling them to decarbonize their processes.
With over 10 employees, Wastezon takes pride in a Gender4Climate approach. Not only are 60% of our workforce women, but we also take a central role in targeting eco-conscious women consumers who receive our refurbished devices. We recently initiated a sales agents community dominated by women who are eager to facilitate their fellow women consumers to get our refurbished devices while also assisting them in the initial digital onboarding experience. We are overwhelmingly inspired by the passion of our sales agents, who not only demonstrate the need for women-led climate action efforts but also indicate how community support can accelerate such efforts. We aim to learn and unlearn strategies that can continuously reinforce the Gender4Climate approach in product design,
In October 2023, we were awarded financial and bespoke capacity-building support from UNDP Youth4Climate. Such recognition empowers us to extend our reach and impact and motivates us to keep envisioning innovative solutions. Under this grant program, we will expand our refurbishment lab, acquiring new equipment that can boost our refurbishment capacity. We will also expand our door-to-door sales agents’ network, facilitating individuals’ access to our low-cost refurbished devices.
We are excited to embark on this journey with UNDP Youth4Climate as we bring innovative urban mining solutions to the world.