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Ghislain is the Founder and CEO of Wastezon, a Rwandan cleantech startup that provides end-consumers and recyclers with a waste management app and high-tech Smart Waste Bins. Prior to founding Wastezon, He successfully organized the “ Recycle for Environment” Campaign which involved over 200 Rwandan students in creative waste recycling in partnership with Tunza-Eco-generation Samsung-Engineering Initiative. He is a Country Representative of African Circular Economy Network in Rwanda and a Youth Think Tank Researcher at the Mastercard Foundation. He is currently completing a BA in International Business and Trade at the African Leadership University.
Ghislain Irakoze - Rwandan, Africa
2020 Winner | Social entrepreneur | Rwandan
With a vision of creating a waste-free world, Wastezon provides households and recycling actors with cutting edge technologies for efficient waste collection, sorting, and traceability. Our technology assists the recycling actors to outsource their raw materials while on the other hand helping households get rid of their e-waste by selling it. To date, Wastezon has registered, via its mobile application: 150 e-scrappers, 162 households, and collected over 416 tons of electronic waste (e-waste) - which is equivalent to 2826.42 metric tons of avoided carbon dioxide emissions. Our next step is introducing a win-win solution, “Wastezon Smart Bin,” that responds to both households’ waste collection needs and the growing demand for fertilizers or compost. Our Wastezon Smart Bin offers automated sorting, tracks waste decomposition, sterilizes the waste odor, and provides real-time information to enable effective waste material circularity.
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NOTE: This content was shared online for the 2019 cycle of the Young Champions of the Earth programme and has not been updated. This listing does not constitute any endorsement by nor status with the UN Environment Programme.
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