Rejig

Rejig is an online, as well as an application-based platform that connects farmers and food producers to biogas and circular economy businesses/startups/companies.

Our solution is Rejig. Rejig is a platform that allows for the facilitation of trade-based relationships amongst farmers and food producers with biogas and circular economy startups in order to tackle the ever-increasing amount of agri-waste byproduct, thereby providing farmers and food producers with easily attainable income. The main technology involved in our solution is a web and mobile-based application. However, our solution encourages the growth of waste-inclusive solutions and products that use materials science and chemical engineering technology (such as edible spoons, biodegradable sanitary products, waste-sourced beauty products, biofuel) by facilitating partnerships and contact with farmers/food producers. Essentially, our platform will connect food waste byproduct producers with users. Our hope for this solution is to play a large role in creating a global circular economy.

Furthermore, since food waste byproducts are a resource most farmers do not make use of, by creating a platform that allows them to place a value on such waste, we provide a new source of income to farmers/food producers. Our product informs food producers about the growing market for upcycled products and allows them to take advantage of it by facilitating sales for materials such as different produce "skins" and juice pulps.  

In light of the pandemic, a large portion of our population has become aware of the growing problem of food waste within our communities. These past two years have resulted in the creation and expansion of multiple organizations and institutions that fight against food waste, "unattractive" produce, as well as produce surpluses. However, the large issues surrounding agri-waste or food waste byproducts go unnoticed. The presence of food waste byproducts affects developing and developed countries alike. In fact, from the average 1.2 billion metric tonnes of waste generated every year, almost 700 million metric tonnes of waste can be classified as or attributed to food waste byproducts. As we attempt to create more eco-friendly and waste-free communities, producing waste at this scale annually is no longer sustainable or helpful in achieving our climate blueprints and pledges. Especially as our societies have been trained to operate in a single-use mindset (which we are slowly making progress in shifting away from), the food waste byproducts from our agricultural industry are disposed of in large amounts. This not only results in waste pollution, but also requires to be disposed of in a large area or space. Therefore, to push our shift into a circular economy, no waste mindset, a solution must be created to facilitate the use of such food waste byproducts and encourage the growth of circular economy start-ups.

Our solution, Rejig, has the capability to improve the lives of farmers, especially low-budget and rural farmers who often lack the technology to ensure a favorable harvest or those who fully depend on the annual harvest to survive. Compared to other occupations, farmers are more likely to die by suicide. This is not only an issue that affects many Asian and African countries, but one that the United States struggles with as well. These high rates are due to the inability to keep operations afloat as a result of pest attacks, diseases, crop failures. The ability to create sales through food waste byproducts even in such situations would allow for a greater sense of financial security.

Rural businesswomen in emerging economies would also benefit from Rejig. Many female artisans on the African continent start businesses using food waste or agricultural byproducts such as banana leaves as a way to support their families. By providing such women with the ability to easily connect and partner with their suppliers, we are empowering and supporting them in their journey to financial independence.

Lastly, our platform would indirectly impact the lives of everyday consumers. We hope our product can aid in the transformation to a consumer-based circular economy. By supporting circular economy initiatives, it is our hope to encourage everyday consumers to purchase eco-friendly products made from waste materials, thereby supporting such small, often women-led businesses. 

Through our process in making Rejig come to life thus far, we have explored the thoughts and wants of our potential customers or users. Through our time engaging in user discovery, we have been able to contact small-scale farmers based in the African and Asian continent (details can be provided for these produce and bee farms at request). During our user discovery, we noticed that one of our two farms was largely run by women, set up to empower their financial independence. Through our user interactions, we were able to explain the concept behind Rejig, as well as understand the process through which they use their byproducts. We reviewed the platforms they are currently on, as well as what they did with their more non-traditional food waste byproducts. We are currently trying to estimate their current annual waste. In the near future, we hope to communicate with food vendors and producers (such as juice-producing companies) to understand their process to sustainably dispose of such agricultural byproducts and how Rejig can improve their experience.

Rejig would be classified as a concept solution that is currently in the beginning stages of being prototyped. We have explored the need for this solution, as well as the steps we would take to build this platform and partner with the organizations to bring it to market. We have made progress in our user discovery and have prototyped our initial idea of the app platform using design tools (Figma, Framer, etc). We have also begun the process of a web platform and the foundations of an android-based application (coding). Along with this, a logo has been designed for Rejig, along with feedback through an artist. Therefore, while we have started the initial steps of the prototyping process such as app prototyping, we have yet to pilot a published and fully functional platform or application in potential user communities.

Our solution's core technology is a mobile application, as well as a web-based solution. These forms of technology can be viewed as quite traditional in this century, but our application of this technology to solve the problems surrounding food waste byproducts is novel. Aside from using mobile application technology, we are encouraging the use of materials science technology, as the "users" of these byproducts are often businesses leveraging the power of materials science to turn waste products such as juice pulp, fruit peels, or root powders into usable products that bring everyday value to households. We are also leveraging our understanding of ancestral materials science and practices for the creation and inspiration behind Rejig, as our team understands the use and value of agricultural byproducts and hopes to find a way to reduce their waste (and create value for the byproducts). This is an area in agricultural technology that is largely unnoticed, as most people focus on produce surplus or the sale of "unattractive" produce (offering a lower price).

Since our solution is in the concept-prototype phase, we have not served any people this past year. However, in the next year of launch, we have a goal to connect 3 to 5 farmers and food producers to circular economy-based startups (especially rural). Through our goal and estimate, we hope to indirectly impact 1k+ consumers as they purchase the products of our circular economy-based partners and increase profit for farmers and food producers (allowing for expansion).

We plan to initially launch our operations in the United States, then expand to India and Nigeria (or other nearby countries on the African continent), as their economies are dependent on the agricultural industry, along with India and the African continent having been home to many waste-centric (using waste to make products) innovations. We then plan to include Scandinavian countries as there has been a recent emergence of circular economy startups. However, our target countries will be these three for the next year. We hope to gain a stable foothold in either the US, India, or Nigeria as Rejig and then expand to different countries as per the need, demand, and diversity of our users. We plan to do this by scouting our smaller and sub-rural food producers and local circular economy businesses in order to target those who have been underserved and create the most impact, while also allowing us to expand the portfolio of users. Through our user discovery, we have started the initial steps of the process by interacting with potential users. 

As we launch our solution, we hope to collect and analyze data from our users in order to assess or measure the progress we have made towards our UN Sustainable Development Goals. For our solution, Rejig, we mainly plan to focus on SDG 12, more specifically SDG 12.2 and SDG 12.3, as the main purpose of Rejig is to reduce food waste byproducts and sustainably manage or facilitate the efficient use of this natural resource (we want to change the perspectives of those who see agricultural byproducts as only waste). We would measure the amount of different produce waste that was sold by our partner food producers to a partner "user" in kilograms. We would also follow up with the partner user to ensure that all of the delivered products have been used. Furthermore, due to our connection with SDG 2 (SDG 2.3/2.4) (promote sustainable agriculture), we would measure the profits earned by our food producers (most of whom would be small farmers and local food producers) through sales made on our platform. We would also actively monitor the ratio of women-led businesses and women farmers we would be partnering with in order to indirectly assess our impact of SDG 5. 

Since our solution is currently in the concept-prototype stage, we do not have a sense of any current barriers.

The ability to serve small-scale farmers and small businesses through Rejig is very meaningful to our team. As someone who comes from a long line of farmers, I have been exposed to the daily challenges of small-scale farming from a very young age (especially the instability of each year's harvest). Many of my summers have been spent visiting our ancestral farmers, watching them sort through different produce. Therefore, I come from the very people our team hopes to serve. Such a connection with the environment, as well as living in India for multiple years has also allowed me to become aware of the growing waste problem. Through previous research experience, I have worked with the creation of filtration polymers made out of coconut husk and potato peels. This area has been of great interest to me, leading to the ideation of Rejig. Other social entrepreneurship endeavors include turning single-use plastic bags into sleeping mattresses for those suffering from homelessness and lack a place to sleep. Such experiences and endeavors have allowed me to develop skills at the intersection of social entrepreneurship and scientific innovation. Our other teammates consist of a human-centric design student and a teammate with business interests. This allows for the design and creation of our platform, as well as the ideation of business strategies and roadmaps in order to create a large-scale impact. Along with experience in prototyping and design softwares, members of our team also have programming skills such HTML, Javascript, Java, etc.. Our team not only has the foundational skills needed to launch our solution, but more importantly, also possesses a deep understanding of the communities we plan to serve.  Our female-powered/heavy team also hopes to take an initiative to support women-led circular economy businesses through ReJig.

Due to the current stage of our solution, we have not yet finalized partnerships with any organizations.

Our young, motivated team aspires to bring sustainability as well as economic stability to underserved, minority communities through our platform, ReJig. As a team led by a young woman (as well as one that is also completely made up of minorities), we understand the intersectionality of the climate and sustainability crisis. Through our platform, we hope to serve communities and issues lying at the intersection of sustainability and other forms of identification (such as gender and race). We hope Rejig can aid in global issues such as occupational opportunity limitations for minority and underserved communities, as well as the lack of female financial independence, along with our main goal of catalyzing the change to a circular economy through materials science technology. The HP Girls Save the World Prize will help advance our solution by allowing us to expand and gain a foothold (partnerships) in international communities (especially developing countries) in need, as well as launching and maintaining our platform. The mentorship and grant provided by HP Girls Save the World will allow us to fine-tune our business model and branding in order to serve as many potential partners and beneficiaries based in different continents and countries around the globe. The exposure, mentorship, and funding from the HP Girls Save the World Prize will allow us to accelerate our change-making journey.

Not applicable.