Keeling Curve

Year Project Originated:

Project Summary / Description:

Our organization started of as just an idea my co-founder an I had in 2017 when we wanted to do something about plastic waste management. We realized that the problem isn't the plastic but our inability to utilize and consume the plastic waste which leads to it end up in dumpsites or our water bodies. The solution was finding a method that would consume the plastic waste in a safe manner and a process that would be sustainable. This is when we decided to reverse the process since plastic is a by-product of crude oil; this would turn it into a valuable product that would be of interest to the public while at the same time tackling the plastics problem.

Country or Countries of Operation:

United States

Afghanistan

Albania

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Angola

Anguilla

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Argentina

Armenia

Aruba

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Austria

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Brunei

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Burundi

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Chad

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Yemen

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Zimbabwe

How Project Affects Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions:

Plastic waste that is usually not sold ends up in our dumpsites and environment where its usually burnt in the open air causing pollution by releasing CO2 and other toxic gases(color pigments and other additives present in plastics) to the environment. This situation is one of the main reasons the Kenyan government banned the use of single plastics. This however did not stop the practice since there is still plastic waste from bottles and other forms of plastic waste. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/plastic-bag-bans-can-help-reduce-toxic-fumeshttps://climatechampions.unfccc.int/a-clarion-call-to-reduce-and-phase-out-of-open-waste-burning/Pyro-degrade will help in bringing an end to this situation by simply making plastic waste a valuable resource which will encourage pickers to ensure that they pick the plastic waste and sell it to us directly without the fear of having to deal with middle men. The production process involved in the manufacture of our fuels is almost emissions free since the reaction processes take place in air tight reaction chambers and we consume all our by products; fuel, gas and chaff. Production of fuel is just the beginning we intend to also commercialize the process of gas production which will ensure that we can provide affordable cooking gas to the public.

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

In Kenya plastic waste collection business is very informal and is normally done by youth and women from the vulnerable communities since its perceived as a dirty job. This sector is filled with middle men who buy the plastic waste from the waste pickers at very low prices, they are forced to sell to them due to the unavailability of an alternative. Large companies and industries that buy from the middle men do not accept low quantities hence the reason they are forced to sell to the middle men.

We want to change this; our goal is to purchase the plastics directly from the pickers. The challenge is the fact that its a highly informal sector. We are working on an awareness initiative drive to encourage them to come together and form work in groups which will enable us to be able to better work with them. We intend on supporting them by setting up consolidation spots in major neighbor hoods and near dumpsites where they can be taking their plastics when its time for collection and we will buy the plastic waste.

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