Let's start with a disclaimer.
This newsletter aims to share innovative ideas about circular business.
Some of these ideas may be concepts just waiting for someone to put their heart and soul into them and see them through to completion.
But this particular idea excites me.
So this is not a pen and paper situation.
This is an innovation I'm working on as we speak.
So let's get down to business.
When we talk about circular business, we think of waste that can be converted into value, or “upcycling.”
But there's a challenge here.
Please note that there is no waste segregation in our area. How do I source the specific type of waste I’m looking for?
It may mean that we rely on waste pickers, the despised defenders of the bottom of the pyramid around us.
Companies such as Mr. Green Africa have followed this path.
They hire waste pickers to source their plastic waste and give them some compensation for their work.
But there are other options.
Imagine waste collected in bags, piles, drums, etc.
If you are a Nairobian, the Ngong Racecourse area is screaming for sawdust which could be a waste that you should consider upcycling.
Indeed…this is great as bedding for chickens (I've used it on poultry with great success).
But what uses does it have other than animal bedding? (especially the fine powder type?)
I came across someone's DIY video. Brazilian A woman who appears to be doing the right thing to increase the value of sawdust.
She mixes it with starch and food-grade binders like polyvinyl alcohol and makes flower pots from it.
That got me thinking…
Why didn't anyone think of this?
Imagine kitchen utensils like spoons, plates, bowls, and lunch boxes that can be made from waste materials like sawdust.
But that's not all…
Let's zoom out from Brazil and focus on a town in India. coimbatore.
(Africa can learn a lot about innovation from South America and South Asia).
We found an innovative gentleman working in a factory.
He molds the mush, pours it into molds, and presses it with a hydraulic press to make cups, plates, lunch boxes, and more.
That mushy stuff is rice husk, a waste product from rice used to power the boilers in Mwea and Ahero.
He doesn't just use rice husks, he also uses things like wheat flour and banana stalks.
His business seems to be making some progress.
Let's just say his products are plastic-free and biodegradable.
But as an added bonus, his products are made from waste, materials that are condemned to landfills.
Additionally, it is recommended to purchase materials that are easily procured as they are available in bulk form.
And these innovations aren't just limited to sawdust and rice husks.
All agricultural waste that can be converted into powder is eligible.
Now to the elephant in the room…
Why would I share an idea I'm working on and trying to develop into a business? (Even though I've already registered a business name…)
First of all, I know that very few people will read this far into this article.
Therefore, very few people will pay attention to this section.
Secondly, most people who manage to read the entire article do not try to put into practice what they just worked on.
They don’t look for ways to profit from the circular economy (and there are many opportunities)…
They don't roll up their sleeves and give value to the waste around them.
But in the end, even if everyone reading this chooses to succeed in their adventure, there is room in the market for all of us.
So let's think about waste that can be procured in large quantities…
Sugarcane bagasse, corncob, pineapple peel, sawdust, rice husk, etc…
Move my heart…
What valuable products can be made from them?
Products that meet human needs – unearth these needs using tools like design thinking…
Build prototypes anywhere: your kitchen, backyard, bedroom.
We will share those prototypes with the world through our social media channels…
Distribute preliminary samples for testing, collect feedback, and act on it.
Iterate and improve…it takes time.
make it happen.
cheers.
![](https://cleannovatehome.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/pexels-media-247616-16889137516146476225773874999590.jpeg?w=1024)
![](https://cleannovatehome.files.wordpress.com/2023/07/pexels-media-247616-16889137516146476225773874999590.jpeg?w=1024)