Wastezon

Device affordability and accessibility are critical challenges to digital inclusion as over 300 million Africans continue to grapple with barriers to digitalization. According to the A4AI report, the average person in Subsaharan Africa must save six months' salary to buy the cheapest smartphone. Besides affordability, most African countries lack reliable device supply chains, with low supply driving costs up. While a majority opt for second-hand devices, the quality of the products and authenticity are doubtful, limiting the trust among new consumers. Besides, the world annually generates over 50 million tons of e-waste. However, 85% end up in landfills, contributing to over 5.9% of global carbon emissions (UNEP, 2020). Electronic materials have high valorization potential as they can be thrice valorized (reused or repurposed), yet they are untapped. There is a high need for a systemic solution that taps into e-waste to valorize e-waste materials to generate low-cost, quality-vetted devices for low-income communities.

Tapping into AI and Materials Science, Wastezon sources and refurbishes e-waste into quality-vetted second-hand consumer devices and secondary raw materials. Through our Wastezon app & web platforms, we trace and acquire obsolete and second-hand devices from entities. Utilizing our in-house mineralogical laser scanner, we recover and refurbish such devices into low-cost, functioning, and usable devices (mainly smartphones and laptops) that are distributed to low and middle-income households. For unrefurbished devices, we utilize the laser scanner to detect mineralogical contents and extract relevant secondary raw materials such as copper.  Aluminum…that are sold to manufacturers.

Our deeptech approach integrates AI and Materials Science through an in-house developed Mineralogical Laser Sanner that is responsible for accomplishing the following tasks: 

Materials Traceability: Through its various sensors, the laser scanner assists our refurbishment team in tracking the provenance change of electronic materials, hence identifying technical implications. 

Valorization Potential Detection: With real-time data on provenance, the refurbishment team can automate and tailor the reuse, repurposing, and recycling potentials of the specified device. 

Predictive Intelligence: We generate data essential for device maintenance and future repair needs. 

We run a community of agents responsible for facilitating low-income communities' acquisition of our devices and providing initial digitalization skills that enable digitally illiterate consumers to familiarize themselves and utilize their acquired devices. Consumers can acquire devices with small monthly installment payments that can be paid on a monthly basis. Our solution champions device affordability and accessibility while fostering community-led digital inclusion efforts. 

Wastezon targets low-income communities (those with a monthly income of less than USD 100). Based in Rwanda’s rural and peri-urban communities, such consumers are unable to participate in digitalization due to device unaffordability, inaccessibility, and digital illiteracy.  Our solution meets their needs through the following value offerings: 

Device accessibility: By applying AI-driven mineralogical traceability, we refurbish discarded e-waste into quality vetted devices (mainly smartphones and laptops) that are distributed to targeted communities by our agents. Our refurbished devices meet quality standards as we are licensed by the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA). 

Device affordability: Through a monthly installment payment system, consumers can acquire a device and pay 2-10 USD monthly until they successfully cover the cost of the device. Such arrangements enable low-income communities to directly access the device despite limited financial means.

Digital literacy: Our community-led digital literacy efforts ensure that our agents across target communities provide basic digital literacy, including privacy protection, internet navigation, and social media, enabling the consumers to fully and safely utilize the acquired refurbished devices. 

Wastezon has a passionate and experienced team that hails from diverse backgrounds: software engineering, materials science, electronic engineering, business development, and finance. We are mission-driven and fired up to create a waste-free, digitally-inclusive world.

Our growing team of 12 full-time professionals has been involved in several scientific research and policy-making projects in digital inclusion, e-waste management, and circular economy. This makes us well-positioned to leverage our industry experience to scale Wastezon. For instance, some of us assisted the EU Commission DG Environment in developing EU-Africa Circular Economy Cooperation, while others have worked on scientific ML models in the e-waste management industry. Some worked on technological aspects of valorizing waste materials, while others have previous experience running startups.  Besides such industry experience, we are part of several international professional networks that expose us to industry trends and link us to several expertise-related resources that assist us in scaling Wastezon. 

Our team applies a human-centered design to develop and distribute our solution. Each year, we carry out two research projects leveraging focus groups and one-on-one interviews to explore the gaps in our solutions while identifying the users’ needs. Such insights inform the product and business model iterations we do annually. We also monitor and document the impact our solution is creating in the community. Such metrics allow us to not only explore potential room for growth but also to rejoice and celebrate with our communities for the recorded transformational impact.

Since 2021, We have recovered and remanufactured over 510 tons of e-waste into low-cost devices (mostly smartphones and laptops) distributed to over 15000 Rwandan households, impacting over 75200 dependants, of whom 72% are women. 9800 of 15000 households reported improving their monthly income by at least 50% by using our refurbished devices to expand their income.  Our 15 agents split across the country have provided digital literacy to over 7500 consumers on privacy protection, online safety, internet, and social navigation, enabling consumers to safely and efficiently utilize their acquired devices. 

Besides digital inclusion efforts, our solution contributed to climate action and circular economy. So far, by repurposing and remanufacturing over 510 tons of e-waste materials, we diverted an equivalent of over 6400 tons of carbon emissions. We divert emissions on two sides by preventing e-waste-driven emissions in landfills (consumption level) and reducing reliance on virgin materials extraction, which contributes significant emissions (production level)

We seek technical support to advance our refurbishment standards, positioning ourselves for growth and scalability. By tapping into MIT’s extensive network of technology experts, we aim to revise and improve our product design approaches to ensure alignment with current and future trends. We are also keen to receive business development support to develop market strategies as we expand regionally across Africa. Solve can also provide us access to a network of fellow social entrepreneurs and changemakers, learning from their entrepreneurial leadership while creating synergies in our work. The financial support could go a long way in acquiring tools and improving our refurbishment infrastructure to double our weekly refurbishment capacity.

Wastezon has a unique refurbishment technology and innovative supply and distribution. Unlike other refurbishment schemes, Wastezon has developed a mineralogical laser scan powered by AI technology to track materiality provenance, hence getting real-time data on refurbishment needs for each e-waste. Such technology has allowed us to refurbish electronics with more than 80% lifespan than other refurbishment schemes. Our community of beneficiaries informs our operation and product development through the network of community agents. Such a distribution strategy allows us to reach remote communities, identify their needs, and tailor our refurbishment standards to their social and economic status. For instance, we developed flexible installment payment plans that our sales agents monitor. We have adopted a zero-waste generation even in our refurbishment standards, as materials we refurbish are sold to manufacturers and recyclers as secondary raw materials extracts.

In addition, our problem-solving is systematic, solving multiple problems (e-waste pollution, digital exclusion, and extractive mining) with one integrated and scalable solution. A systemic problem-solving approach has allowed us to create an impact on multiple fronts.

By applying innovative refurbishment technology, we are collecting and valorizing e-waste materials into low-cost devices. Our core activities include tracing and collecting e-waste from entities, laser-scanning the e-waste to detect mineralogy provenance, and refurbishing the devices accordingly. Our outputs include quality vetted refurbished devices and community-led digital skills provision. Such activities and outputs aim to create the following outcomes: 

Device accessibility: Quality-vetted low-cost devices (smartphones and laptops) that can be acquired by low-income consumers to promptly and efficiently join digitalization. 

Device affordability: A monthly installment payment system allows consumers to acquire a device and pay 2-10 USD monthly until they successfully cover the cost of the device. Such arrangements enable low-income communities to access the device directly despite limited financial means.

Digital literacy: Community-led digital literacy, driven by our agents across target communities, provides basic digital literacy, including privacy protection, internet navigation, and social media, enabling consumers to thoroughly and safely utilize the acquired refurbished devices. 

Climate Action: E-waste management, diverting e-waste from going to landfills while adjacently diverting equivalent carbon emission.  By returning materials to the economy, we improve sustainable consumption and production of electronics while improving digital inclusion efforts.

Supporting Evidence and Research: 

Our AI/ML models were informed by a variety of research done on electronic material provenance. The following are the knowledge and evidence we leveraged: 

Tesfaye, F., Lindberg, D., Hamuyuni, J., Taskinen, P., & Hupa, L. (2017). Improving urban mining practices for optimal recovery of resources from e-waste. Minerals Engineering, 111, 209-221.Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/... 

Golev, A., & Corder, G. D. (2017). Quantifying metal values in e-waste in Australia: The value chain perspective. Minerals Engineering, 107, 81-87.Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/... 

Baniasadi, M., Vakilchap, F., Bahaloo-Horeh, N., Mousavi, S. M., & Farnaud, S. (2019). Advances in bioleaching as a sustainable method for metal recovery from e-waste: a review. Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, 76, 75-90. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/...

Economic inclusion & quality: 

Wastezon is leading a consumer-directed behavioral shift towards device accessibility and affordability through reuse and repurposing models that enable consumers to save costs compared to brand-new devices. We also foster digital inclusion efforts by enabling income communities to get online and reap digital-driven economic opportunities. 

Impact metrics tracked: number of household consumers digitized, household consumers dependants that utilize the devices,  monthly household financial gains as a result of utilizing the acquired refurbished devices. 

Environment & Climate action: 

Besides digital inclusion efforts, our solution contributed to climate action and a circular economy. By repurposing and remanufacturing e-waste materials, we diverted equivalent carbon emissions. We diverted emissions on two sides by preventing e-waste-driven emissions in landfills (consumption level) and reducing reliance on virgin materials extraction, which contributed significant emissions (production level). 

Impact metrics: Tons of e-waste diverted from going to landfills, equivalent tons of carbon emission diverted. 

Our core infrastructural product, the Mineralogical Laser Scanner, is powered by Machine Learning/AI technology. Such technology allows us to create the following value for consumers and manufacturers: 

• Materials Traceability: Through its various sensors, the laser scanner assists our refurbishment team in tracking the provenance change of electronic materials, hence identifying technical implications. 
• Valorization Potential Detection: With real-time data on provenance, the refurbishment team can automate and tailor the reuse, repurposing, and recycling potentials of the specified device. 
• Predictive Intelligence: We generate data essential for device maintenance and future repair needs. 

Our team consists of 12 full-time employees and 15 part-time agents . 

3 years

Wastezon champions diversity and inclusion both internally and externally. Internally, we have introduced a blind recruitment process to give everyone interested in joining us equal chances. Of the 27 employees, 20 are young people under 35 years old. 18 of the 27 employees are female. Externally, our community of consumers is onboarded and served, hailing from all walks of life. As part of our communities, 3101 households are low-income households. 77% of our beneficiaries are in climate-vulnerable communities.

Through our B2C and B2CB models, we target the following target customers with their relevant, distinctive needs: 

Household Consumers (with an average of 6 house dependents) want to acquire low-cost refurbished electronic devices. Using a cost-plus pricing model, we charge them a one-time payment in monthly installments in a range of 4-10 USD, varying depending on the device type. 

Manufacturers and recyclers (with an average of 10,000 tons of annual minerals supplies) need low-cost secondary raw materials. Using a cost-plus pricing model, we charge per ton of materials supplied to them, which can vary depending on market rates.

Our go-to-market strategy consists of: 

Community-led Distribution: We have adopted a community agents-driven distribution strategy. We currently work with over 15 agents around the country. These are well-established traders in their communities who acquire clients and provide them with complementary digital literacy skills.

Account-based marketing: For our B2B clients (Manufacturers and recyclers), we have created account-based marketing, which allows us to tailor the product needs and marketing approach per account. We leverage industry events and associations to source contacts.

Referral-based approach: For retained users, we provide them with a service fee discount if they bring a new user. They leverage specific codes to redeem their award. This approach applies to both B2C and B2B Clients.

We are currently diversifying our revenue streams to ensure financial growth and independence. Our new revenue stream, B2B, taps into some secondary raw materials extracted from unrefurbished devices we sell to manufacturers or recyclers. This revenue stream has increased our annual revenue by 25%. We also plan to develop other revenue streams tailored for B2B. Diversifying income sources will help us to reduce dependency on a single funding stream. 

We also implemented cost-saving measures and efficient operational practices to optimize expenses without compromising the quality of products or services. For instance, we are optimizing our refurbishment process to speed up refurbishment and increase our weekly refurbishment capacity. We also intend to collaborate with other organizations, businesses, government agencies, and NGOs to leverage resources, access new markets, and scale operations.