UPCYCLE: Using Technology To Make Waste Management Profitable For Africa

We have had many initiatives in the management of waste. From waste conservation, reuse to recycle. The more recent and innovative approach to waste management now is Upcycle. A process where the end life of a product is planned before the product is manufactured.
For instance before a new paper sheet is manufactured, the manufacture could arrange for the buyer who would get the used paper for recycling into storage cartons and also ensures that the consumer is able to (with minimum effort) effectively manage the intermediate role of buyer and seller.

This process seems difficult or impossible, but with the use of technology, this is actually achievable. Africa with a non manufacturing economy could utilise this niche to become a middleman for producers and recyclers to complete the upcycle process. We could also early on design our manufacturing and distribution processes to be more waste efficient and Upcycle ready. This could be an advantage for us as a late entrant to the economy as we can use newer and more efficient technology to operate greener, cleaner and more efficient systems.

Full Disclosure: I am a student of Singularity University GSP10. This post draws from some discussions and ideas shared among fellow students at the institution.