GSMA Innovation Fund Start-ups: The Freetown Waste Transformers

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

Limited access to electricity and an unreliable grid has led to mass use of diesel generators in Sierra Leone, especially among MSMEs. The waste management infrastructure in Freetown is also beset with inefficient collection processes, making waste management a major challenge.

Freetown Waste Transformers received a GSMA grant in March 2022 to digitise the waste collection process and improve the efficiency of waste coordination by implementing a GPS mobile mapping app. The app, DortiBox, was launched for waste collectors in partnership with the Freetown City Council, which can manage inputs from waste collection partners and provide live data on waste volumes, types of waste, collection times and locations. Since larger amounts of organic waste are needed to feed Freetown’s anaerobic biodigesters, the app will help to better coordinate the collection of this waste.

Freetown Waste Transformers is one of the start-ups supported by the GSMA Innovation Fund for Digital Urban Services, which was launched in May 2021. This initiative is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), and supported by the GSMA and its members.