The Freetown Waste Transformers

The problem

The Freetown Waste Transformers address two key problems in Freetown, Sierra Leone:

1. Providing access and transition to clean energy. 76 per cent of the population have no access to energy. Limited access and an unreliable grid has led to mass use of diesel generators, especially amongst MSMEs.

2. Minimising landfilling of organic waste and providing waste disposal solutions. The waste management infrastructure in Freetown is beset with inefficient collection processes, and thus, waste management remains a challenge for the city to address.

The Freetown Waste Transformers aim to address these problems, providing a unique solution to waste disposal and enabling access to clean affordable energy.

The company

The Freetown Waste Transformers turn organic waste into electricity, replacing diesel generators with green technology to reduce the cost of energy and increase the reliability of energy and heat.

Project description

The Freetown Waste Transformers will be digitising the waste collection process by implementing a GPS mobile mapping app to improve the efficiency of existing waste coordination. To scale this solution, increased organic waste input will be required to feed bio digesters, highlighting the need to better coordinate input of organic waste. The digitisation process will be done through a mobile app, which would be used by waste collectors, in partnership with the Freetown City Council, to manage inputs from waste collection partners, and provide The Freetown Waste Transformers with live data. This will include waste volumes, types of waste and time being collected and the different site locations, ensuring timely input to the digesters, in turn maximising productivity and reliability of service.

Founder

Aminata Dumbuya-Jarr

Message from the Founder

“At the end of the grant period, FWT will be empowered and equipped with knowledge and capacity to predict market trends as it scales its operations and contributes to increasing energy access rates and a stronger waste management infrastructure in Freetown.”