MIT Solve

Solution Overview

Solution Name:

Recycled Waste, A Reshaped Solution

One-line solution summary:

Empowering small island nations through a waste management system that reward.

Pitch your solution.

Inadequate solid waste management can have negative impacts on public health and natural resources this includes air, land and water pollution. Long term effects of air population due to smoke coming from a fire in waste disposal areas can be a health hazard if the burning waste contains items such as plastics and can even contribute to climatic changes such as deadly hurricanes. In September 2019, Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas, leaving hundreds, lifeless and homeless.

Cognizant of this FEM STEM Bahamas is proposing a capacity-building initiative through our afterschool program for high school girls in the Bahamas to identify and to create a technology-based solution to address improper waste management. Through our program, we hope to highlight and harness these opportunities through project-based activities that will produce a waste management information management system with blockchain technology integration.

What specific problem are you solving?

Currently, The Bahamas produces 300,000 tons of garbage every year, which is subsequently dumped into local landfills that are extremely expensive and difficult to manage. The landfill in New Providence has had frequent fires that have been very difficult to contain and have seriously affected surrounding residential areas often resulting in evacuations.

Research indicates inadequate solid waste management contributes significantly to climate change and has negative impacts on public health and natural resources this includes air, land and water pollution. Long term effects of air population due to smoke coming from a fire in waste disposal areas can be a health hazard if the burning waste contains items such as plastics and can even contribute to climatic changes such as deadly hurricanes. Specifically organic/green wastes, including food scraps, agriwaste and yard waste, constitute over 25% of the solid waste sent to landfills.

This two-year project and program will be lead by high school girls who are interested in STEM and their mentors who will collaborate with industry professionals to develop a blockchain waste management information system.

What is your solution?

FEM STEM Bahamas aims to aid adequate solid waste management that can have positive effects on the environment, health and the economy.

Blockchain allows real-time tracking of waste management. It helps to track the amount of waste collected, who collected it, and where it is being moved for recycling or disposal. The blockchain technology based on the etherum technology will be used to collect detailed information. This will be attached to a reward system through smart contracts that will incentive residents to properly dispose of their waste.

See framework https://www.leewayhertz.com/bl...

Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?

The Bahamas population is about 380,000 thousand people we are seeking to impact the major but the majority of person reside in the capital of New Providence that has approximately 274,000.

Participants of this initiative include high school ages 13 to 18 girls in The Bahamas who will participate in this project and educational program. In order to ensure that this project is successful, the participants will be mentored by industry professionals. Additionally, the users of the system will consist of farmers, waste management officials, public and private sector stakeholders. Currently, in The Bahamas, farmers have a hard time reselling unused produce and green waste, restaurant owners use tons of cooking oil with no systematic way to dispose of it. The waste management officers at the New Providence Ecology park (national disposal organization) does not have a streamlined process and system to sort, track the waste that enters the landfill.

The Minister of Environment does not have a reporting tool to make policy decisions as it relates to the allocation of resources to ensure the operations are carried out efficiently.

In an effort to ensure that our purposed solutions meet the need of our target population, the members of FEM STEM Bahamas meet with public and private stakeholders. Specifically, we took a tour of a number of waste management facilities in New Providence. This included the New Providence Ecology Park and Bahamas Waste (responsible for repurposing cooking oil into biofuel). We also consulted with Administrators who shared their concerns and needs with us. Also included in this project were high school girls who are our key target market for the educational workshop.

Which dimension of the Challenge does your solution most closely address?

Provide scalable and verifiable monitoring and data collection to track ecosystem conditions, such as biodiversity, carbon stocks, or productivity.

Explain how the problem you are addressing, the solution you have designed, and the population you are serving align with the Challenge.

Our problem, solution and target population are specifically aligned with two key challenges that MIT Solve proposes.

Provide scalable and verifiable monitoring and data collection to track ecosystem conditions, such as biodiversity, carbon stocks, or productivity.

Our solution contributes to the benefits of recycling of solid wastes include reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and use as fossil fuel as well as contributing significantly to the development of new green markets, creation of jobs, production of bio-energy and bio-conversion of agricultural solid wastes to animal feed.

In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?

Nassau, The Bahamas

What is your solution’s stage of development?

Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model based on that idea.

Explain why you selected this stage of development for your solution.

Concept: We currently are in the process of exploration of the idea of this solution and conducting a feasibility study with key stakeholders to build this idea.

Who is the Team Lead for your solution?

Tyrhonda J Knowles -Glinton

More About Your Solution

About Your Team

Your Business Model & Partnerships

Partnership & Prize Funding Opportunities

In which of the following areas do you most need partners or support?

Human Capital (e.g. sourcing talent, board development, etc.)
Business model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)
Financial (e.g. improving accounting practices, pitching to investors)

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The Andan Prize for Innovation in Refugee Inclusion? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The GM Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for the Innovation for Women Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

Yes, I wish to apply for this prize

Explain how you are qualified for this prize. How will your team use the Innovation for Women Prize to advance your solution?

FEM STEM Bahamas is a registered youth-based nonprofit organization founded in The Bahamas in July 2019. We believe in providing high school girls ages 14 to 18 with the fundamentals for self-growth and career development specifically in science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) fields.

The purpose of this organization is to empower, educate and equip high schools girls to prepare for opportunities in STEM related careers across The Bahamas and the world. With the continuous shift forward in bridging the gender and skill gap in STEM, this platform aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals 5 and 10 and acts as a catalyst to engage as much young women in the field as possible, through a variety of resources and activities. These activities includes: Summer camps, Seminars, Awards Ceremony and after school programme.

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for the Minderoo Prize to End Global Overfishing? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution
Yes, I wish to apply for this prize

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The ServiceNow Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The AI for Humanity Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution

Do you qualify for and would you like to be considered for The GSR Prize? If you select Yes, explain how you are qualified for the prize in the additional question that appears.

No, I do not wish to be considered for this prize, even if the prize funder is specifically interested in my solution