Tiger Challenge (International Applicants)
Waste-to-Value Sustainable Sanitation Solution
Tagline
Enriching lives thru ECOLOO eco-social innovation. It is odorless, waterless, decentralized, sewage free, energy-free and maintenance-free.
Pitch us on your solution
ECOLOO addresses the world's pressing WASH related issues such as:
-Lack of adequate/functional public toilets and hygiene affecting lives through flies leading to diseases.
-Water source or under ground water contamination (caused by pit latrines) leading to global water crises and water borne diseases and affecting lives of millions.
-Untreated sewage from sewage treatment plants/septic tanks dumped in the ocean/rivers affecting human and lives underwater.
-Water & energy shortage.
-Food security & quality of soil caused by chemical fertilizer.
-Risks of infant, child & maternal mortality.
-Lack of quality, smarter, greener, resilient societies
-Huge expenses on waste treatment, sewage treatment plants (CAPEX) & maintenance cost (OPEX).
-Pollution and carbon footprint.
People in Bangladesh will have healthier and hygienic live, water conservation, elimination of open defecation and ground water contamination and other issues related to women dignity and rape risk.
Farmers can benefit from the by-product liquid fertilizer generated in ECOLOO system.
Film your elevator pitch
What is the problem you are solving?
Bangladeshis still feel shy talking about toilets. Women travelling or working often don't want to commute long distance because they don't know locations of public toilets and they often feel difficult to ask. Most of the operational public toilets are in public places, but many don't even know they exist due to lack of information or proper signage.
Most Bangladeshis aren't acquainted with high commodes or sitting toilets though they are needed for disability access. The high commodes are hard to maintain and require much more water especially when people are used to squatting toilets. Some people regard squat toilets as more hygienic compared to high commodes because they are easier to clean and there is no skin contact with the surface of the toilet seat. On the other hand, sitting toilets are perceived by many people to be more modern. Therefore they can represent a particular status. Thus installing high commodes may complicate the situation and may not yield the most efficient results.
Most of the new public toilets require people to pay for the service. But most users aren't ready to pay the price that would allow for the maintenance of such facilities unlike our maintenance-free, fertilizer-generating, sitting/squatting solution.
Who are you serving?
We are providing award winning sustainable public toilets to the populations that can be adjusted to their needs and culture, especially women who are holding on till they find a suitable place to urinate or defecate of which can cause severe damage to the bladder, bowel and kidney. It also has other health implications, such as urinary and reproductive tract infections.
The health impact of our solution is observed in the long run to solve the above issues and prevent health problems.
What is your solution?
Our patented eco-social innovation toilet system ECOLOO employs bacterial culture to treat the waste and create organic fertilizer that is pathogen free yet rich with nutrition.
ECOLOO's award winning sustainable Sanitation Solutions are based on the principle of Simplicity, Scalability, Environmental Responsibility and Economic Viability.
Description: ECOLOO base is made of a 2-tier chamber: the upper chamber is where human waste including urine (not urine diversion system) is collected and treated by specially formulated bacterial culture whilst the lower chamber is where the organic fertilizer in liquid form is rendered to by gravity using no water to flush. The lower chamber is built with a special indicator and outlet for end users to collect or drain out the ready-to-use by product each time the lower chamber is full.
While the bacterial culture dissolves the solid waste and turns this waste and other degradable waste such as toilet papers and tissues into ashes in this water free environment within just 3-4 days, the nitrification process that is built in the system converts the liquid waste into by product of value added fertilizer that is odour free, pathogen free and yet full of nutrients within 30 minutes.
Value Added Fertilizer: ECOLOO has only one chamber with one hole and all the waste, including toilet paper, urine or wash water, will all go down naturally by the pull of gravity into the upper chamber. Users have an option to dry flush the solid waste by flattening it with a special built in mechanical device. The by-product is partly a brownish liquid fertilizer rich in nutrients and free from odor and pathogens (organisms generating diseases). This organic fertilizer will be a huge saving in fertilizer usage to nursery plantation caretakers as soon as they replace the chemical fertilizer with natural fertilizer for their nursery.
To learn more about ECOLOO, kindly download the following files:
ECOLOO PowerPoint Presentation: www.ecoloo.eu/ppsx/ECOLOO-Presentation-2019.ppsx
ECOLOO Profile and Product Info:
www.ecoloo.eu/pdf/ECOLOO_PROFILE_n_PRODUCT_INFO_2019.pdf
Select only the most relevant.
Where our solution team is headquartered or located:
Strömstad, SwedenIn which sector would you categorize your solution?
If you selected Other, please explain here.
Sustainable Sanitation
Our solution's stage of development:
GrowthDescribe what makes your solution innovative.
The Uniqueness of ECOLOO:
- Beneficial, comfortable, durable (made of FRP), eco friendly and affordable
- Easy to use, install, uninstall, move & maintain.
- Minimal water, sanitation & maintenance cost.
- No bad odour at all time, during & after use of toilets.
- No water consumption on flushing, water is used only for washing or personal hygiene.
- No energy demand to treat the waste, solar can still be implemented if required.
- No major construction work or piping or access to STP or IST required, just connect to the ventilation fan & drain the liquid fertilizer out or to the fertilizer tank or container.
- No more clogging or flushing issues.
- No removal of solid waste required, no sewage creation so no suction required.
- Ergonomically designed for comfort, health and safety.
- A byproduct is an organic fertilizer that can easily be collected, generating passive income to the owner (payback period 3-5 years).
- It comes in various designs and shapes sitting, squatting and both for indoor and outdoor, permanent or temporary and suitable for all purposes in any weather conditions.
ECOLOO’s Benefits: www.ecoloo.eu/pdf/ECOLOO_Benefits.pdf
Why do you expect your solution to address the problem?
Our short-term goal is to implement our solutions in as many locations as possible in a few districts to showcase the technology and get the users' confidence. An intermediate goal is to continue our awareness activities in order to change the mindset of the public, politicians and decision-makers to use sustainable sanitation solutions whether it is ECOLOO or other solutions. ECOLOO technology together with its awareness campaigns will achieve its long-term desired goal to make the technology available and affordable to all our beneficiaries. That will help us to achieve positive impacts by having greener places with hygienic, disciplined, focused and ecological intelligent people.
Scaling up our eco-social innovation in Bangladesh is crucial to achieve some of the critical SDGs because our sustainable solutions help solving the pressing issues related to water, sanitation, hygiene & environment, and will have a positive domino effect on poverty, health, women, organic farming, food security, food quality, society, wellbeing & stability in many ways.
More details: http://www.ecoloo.eu/pdf/ECOLOO2019.pdf
Select the key characteristics of the population in Bangladesh your solution serves.
In which countries do you currently operate?
In which countries will you be operating within the next year?
How many people are you currently serving with your solution? How many will you be serving in one year? How about in five years?
As for now, over 2 million people are using our solutions per year in public areas, and over 2000 units were sold in over 20 countries over the last years of operation.
In 5 years, we expect to serve 20-30 million people.
What are your goals within the next year and within the next five years?
Our goal is to provide our sustainable toilets for public use in order to make an impact on the society in general, and on women and girls in particular.
Our business model is developed to integrate underserved populations into supply chain by creating business and job opportunities to the local community from production to distribution, installation, training, maintenance, collection and reuse or fertilizer from the toilet, which may lead to organic farming.
What are the barriers that currently exist for you to accomplish your goals for the next year and for the next five years?
- Product / Technology:
Users' acceptance and the ability to adopt new technologies or solutions.
- Operational:
If the toilets aren't maintained properly and kept hygienic according to our guidelines, they might be smelly on the surface and users won’t be so satisfied.
- Market:
Sustainability and quality aren't considered for international tenders published by donors, government or UN.
- Corruption:
We have non-tolerance policy against corruption.
How are you planning to overcome these barriers?
Our awareness, education and training programs (through roadshows, education campaigns to break the taboo and change the mindset before we change the loo), as well as our close cooperation with Tiger IT Foundation will help mitigating the above barriers.
Select one.
If you selected “My solution is already being implemented in Bangladesh,” please provide an overview of your current activities in the region.
N/A
If you selected “I am planning to expand my solution to Bangladesh,” please provide an overview of your expansion plans. What is the market opportunity for your business or product in Bangladesh?
We plan to expand our solution through schools and public events, public areas (urban and rural), tourists and heritage sites etc.
The market opportunity for our product in Bangladesh is big taking into consideration that there are not many public toilets installed and the fact that our product is a stand-alone system that doesn't need any diging, piping, infrastructure, suction or maintenance as other solutions require.
It is important to mention that ECOLOO was the only solution that was approved by UNDP for the UNESCO World Heritage Sites namely Dibbeen Forest Reserve, Wadi Rum Reserve and Petra Archaeological Park (PAP) in Jordan. Some units are installed on very high latitude (1200 steps above the ground).
If you have additional video, provide a YouTube or Vimeo link to your video here:
Select an option below:
Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofitIf you selected Other for the organization question, please explain here.
N/A
How many people work on your solution team?
Our team:
10 full-time staff, 12 part-time staff, 35 workers through our contractors for production and installations.
For how many years have you been working on your solution?
12 years
Why are you and your team best-placed to deliver this solution?
Imad Agi is a sustainable sanitation solution expert, inventor, speaker and entrepreneur. He has been in construction & renovation, innovation, R&D, recycling, sanitation, water and waste management, been there and done that for more than 15 years. He has spoken and presented on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in more than 20 countries, and yes, he does give a shit about issues on water, waste, sanitation and hygiene across the world!
(Detailed profile: www.ecoloo.eu/pdf/agi_profile.pdf)
Zuraina Zaharin is an adventurer, speaker, innovator and social ecopreneur. Her core competencies are Sustainability, Eco Social Innovation, Ultimate Leadership, Professional Speaking/Training and SDGs. She began to co-design the prototype of ECOLOO with the inventor & business partner and create awareness in 30 countries on the importance of water, sanitation & hygiene (WASH) and environment through her talks. The success stories have led her & her partner to win many awards globally and be featured in TV, newspapers & magazines. She is currently writing about her personal & business journeys and the LOO story.
(Detailed profile: www.ecoloo.eu/pdf/zaharin_profile.pdf)
Dato' Kamal Ariffin Zaharin: Planning Master’s Degree Program under Professors Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, highly regarded for their architectural and city planning practices and ideas. Their work on the Seaside Florida project was named the “Best of the Decade” by Time magazine. Before graduating in 1989 Kamal was offered a position with the office of Duany & Plater Zyberk Architects and Town Planners. This led to Kamal’s design and advisory involvement in numerous developments worldwide. (Detailed profile: www.ecoloo.eu/pdf/kamal_profile.pdf)
With what organizations are you currently partnering, if any? How are you working with them?
We have partnered with the Swedish Energy Agency (https://www.energimyndigheten.se/en/) and Business Sweden (https://business-sweden.com/) to bring our technology to developing countries starting with India through their successful program called "India Sweden Innovations’ Accelerator Program".
The reason this agency selected us is because our technology is not only having impact on water, sanitation, health and environment but also on energy.
The following links explain:
- Sanitation and the Nexus (Sustainable and Productive Sanitation is a Perfect Example of the Water, Energy and Food Security Nexus): https://www.water-energy-food.org/news/nexus-blog-sanitation-and-the-nexus/
- Prevention is Better Than Cure: www.ecoloo.eu/pdf/WASH.pdf
- Links between sanitation climate change and renewable energies: www.ecoloo.eu/pdf/Links_between_sanitation_climate_change_and_renewable_energies.pdf
What is your business model?
ECOLOO adopts inclusive business model that is a commercially viable solution to expand the access to goods, services and livelihood opportunities for low-income people and to tap into the potential of the base of the economic pyramid by including them into our value chain as our employees, raw material suppliers, distributors, retailers or customers.
Our social business aims to integrate underserved populations into the Group’s value chain as employees, suppliers, producers, distributors or customers.
ECOLOO aims to increase local sourcing of raw materials and replicate the production/manufacturing process of our sustainable toilets and other related solutions in the target country(s), with a focus on underserved groups (e.g. poor people, single mothers, indigenous, youth, previously unemployed or marginalized).
Other than including the BOP into our value chain, our social business also aims to provide/sell our products or services to low-income consumers.
These products or services are adapted to the target market with respect to affordability, packaging, infrastructure, technology, and culture.
ECOLOO plans to generate economic opportunities within supply and distribution channels through our enterprise development activities for local small and micro enterprises.
What is your path to financial sustainability?
We will bring in money to fund our work through selling products and services through local social business entrepreneurs.
Why are you applying to the Tiger Challenge?
Tiger IT Foundation can help us overcome the barriers and establish a fundamental presence in Bangladesh through their wide and high-level network professionals and entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, connections and advisory board including mentorship, office space, support with IP efforts, and more.
Besides, with the prize fund we will be able few pilot projects, staring awareness, education and training programs, monitoring and evaluation of which will lead to further R&D needed to customize our products to the local needs and culture. These activities will directly and indirectly benefit the local people through installation, maintenance, training.. etc.
What types of connections and partnerships would be most catalytic for your solution?
If you selected Other, please explain here.
N/A
With what organizations would you like to partner, and how would you like to partner with them?
We would like to partner with social business entities (especially women driven ones), NGOs, Government bodies, UN organisations, and finally like-minded organisations and individuals who cares about environment, health natural resources and wellbeing of the BoP.
Solution Team
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Mr Imad Agi CEO, ECOLOO Group
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Our Solution
Waste-to-Value Sustainable Sanitation Solution