Recycling plant for paper, cartboard and derivatives.

The project consists of an initiative that aims to promote the substitution of non-recyclable consumption by recyclable material (e.g. paper) in Equatorial Guinea.

The initiative consists of promoting care for the environment by developing recycling activities and encouraging the use of sustainable products; using technologies ranging from machine learning, AI to machines to make bags, toilet paper, etc. Waste is collected and separated for reuse and conversion into reusable materials/products (e.g. shopping bags, composting, moving boxes, office paper, shoe boxes, etc.), this involves going through a feasibility analysis process that entails the activation of an analysis environment including surveys, technical management, prototyping and studies on the implementation methodology at laboratory, pilot and later large scale. In a granular manner, the processes include analysis and management, waste collection and separation, prototyping, studies on large-scale processing methodology, waste treatment, product development for subsequent sale.
Addressing the first phases of implementation at laboratory scale is the main objective, which is currently being carried out by the technical team that is part of the initiative. The industrialization of these processes and technologies are more extensive.

Contribute to the reduction of the environmental impact of paper waste on the environment by implementing recycling and reuse mechanisms for paper, paperboard and paper products; creating new products and thereby reducing the continuous production of paper that can be traced back to the felling of trees. With over 421 million metric tons of paper consumed, the significant factors driving the growth of the global paper recycling market are attributed to the growing threat of rapid resource depletion.  The global paper recycling market was estimated at $45.5 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $56.2 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 4.3%. The United States consumes 30% of the paper produced worldwide and in Spain the paper industry accounts for 4.5% of GDP. Due to the active and high consumption of paper products and the non-existence of recycling mechanisms, the emission of these products into the environment is increasingly resilient.

The consequences include: Growth of deforestation and increase in the indiscriminate rate of trees, the increase in CO2 emissions, unsustainable cities, damage to the health status of citizens and increase in diseases, damage to ecosystems... the same are applicable both locally and globally though globally.

The UN reveal Gap Report 2021 Emision,  Internacional Energy Agency warn about CO2 emisiones. 

While production continues to increase, the consumption of products grows more and more, restaurants, bakeries, pastry shops, super-mini markets,(etc...) and the bulk of the local and sub-regional population follows the concept of consuming without measuring the environmental consequences that precede it. In the locality more than 95% of purchases contain products that will not be recycled or are not sustainable; more than 70% of purchases involve plastics either in a product or in its packaging from the store to the home, 99.9% of these wastes end up in rivers, seas or are burned contributing to environmental degradation and cultivating diseases (e.g. malaria). Thus, the solution will affect to a greater extent the entire population and local consumption system; either by developing habits of commitment to the environment on recycling the products they consume and the replacement of several of them with sustainable materials, to provision of employment after the constitution of a business organization that promotes and develops sustainable products having as raw material the waste of the existing continuous consumption products.

Even the local and sub-regional statistical institutes are unaware of the environmental impact (in figures) that the consuming population has, so the initiative also aims to develop a synergies project that collects specific data on local and sub-regional environmental impact. All this will affect the population and companies in several ways, mainly; reducing their polluting activity on the environment, generating jobs, reducing export/import, manufacture and consumption of unsustainable products.

We have worked on the analysis of the impact of active and growing local consumption of products by the population and businesses, identifying common factors of consumption, the analysis pursued results on the local impact of plastic consumption, it has revealed that nine out of ten people use at least 3 to 5 containers and materials made of plastics per day for their purchases, for packaging, transport of materials (etc..), which implies more than 80 kg of plastic waste per day, more than 80% of which will not be recycled, approximately 5% would be realized and the remaining burned. We are working on methodologies to involve potential users in the development of our solutions.

The initiative is currently undergoing a feasibility analysis process which involves activating an analysis environment involving surveys, technical management, prototyping and studies on implementation methodology at laboratory and pilot scale.

Addressing the first phases of implementation at laboratory scale is the main objective of the initiative that is currently being carried out by the technical team that is part of the initiative.

• The technologies involved are related to processes (e.g. deinking process, pulp treatment) that require materials for this type of processes in particular, AI, Automation and Robotics and other technologies (e.g. Manufacturing Technology, waste separation, waste pre-processing ... ancestral technologies) allow us to have a correct and better implementation of the mechanisms that allow us to discriminate waste by excluding papers, which would be our row material.

Our goal is to have a population density of over 1000 people by the end of the first year of activity (which would probably be next year).Due to the fact that we are not yet engaged in the activity (due to the difficulties in obtaining materials to develop prototypes), the figure indicated above is not 100% optimal.

Our goals for the next twelve months start from our 

• Training on waste management and implies technologies, 
• Business management training, 
• Legal registration of the company, 
  • obtaining an operating headquarters and for the activities to be developed (company foundation), 
• The development of prototypes at laboratory scale,
• The study and implementation of a waste collection system for waste treatment, 
• Analysis of the social impact of the initiative through statistics,
• Awareness processes, 
• Laboratory scale analysis of the commercial impact and labor management,
• Studies and design of scalability processes,
• Designs of production and marketing models. 

The objective is to know the status of the types of industrial, labor, production and commercial systems related to the waste paper recycling industry, in addition to obtaining the necessary education to make the initiative efficient, sustainable and resilient (in the form of a company).

The planning metrics for measuring the impact of projects are based on five indicators that include scope, implementation schedule, budgets, achievement of business objectives affiliated with the business model and customer satisfaction. In relation to the UN SDGs, the main indicators we pursue are the fight against poverty eradication (through job creation); responsible consumption and production, the promotion of sustainable cities and communities and climate action(through recycling); decent work and local and sub-regional economic growth, the development of industries, innovation and infrastructures (through develop a paper industry for paper recycling), support in the development, well-being and good health of the societies in which the initiative is implemented, fight against inequalities and be partnership to achive the above goals.

Current deficiencies range from financial, technical to market aspects.

• Technical: Lack of knowledge about waste management and the technologies (AI, machine learning, robotics) involved and the implementation (waste sorting machines) of materials necessary to carry out the solution with the effectiveness required, execution of analysis on the commercial and labor impact.
• Financial: financial management for the acquisition of materials for the development of the prototypes at laboratory and commercial scale, financial management for the subscription of the legal registration of the Company and the patents derived from the design of the products, financial management for the obtaining of a social and operations assignment. 
• Legal: there is no information on the possible legal consequences of carrying out our activity in other countries due to the difficulty in accessing information.
• Cultural: studies on the feasibility and acceptance of the development of this initiative in the intended locations.
• Market aspect: little resilient design of plans and business models for the management of the diversity of markets we face.

About a year ago, I volunteered at the United Nations -UNV (and still do) following a local explosion event (7M) that required all kinds of humanitarian aid; part of this assistance consisted of waste collection, raising awareness among the local population about the importance of the Blue-Green Economy for the cultivation of sustainable cities and communities, the importance of contributing to the eradication of poverty and the performance of equal opportunities (Reduction of inequalities). This experience gave me the ambition to develop and understand the importance of an ongoing initiative that starts with awareness and ends with the reuse of consumer products in the form of waste (starting with waste paper). The members of my team and I, students of Environmental Sciences, know the daily and global aspects of environmental pollution in all its forms. Since the conception of the idea we have tried to pursue a path towards training that will support us in the implementation and development of the project, the information collected shows us the social impact that would lead to implement the initiative, we still need know more about but we also think to start so we can learn more about by improving the initiative, correcting our erros and perform a better increasingly functionality. As part of the learning process I am associated to a local company (TECNOBOTS) as Business Planning, Commercial and UI/UX Developer. 

The other part of the team lies in the advice, we have at our disposal an advisor-collaborator with vast experience, currently in charge of the Blue-Green Economy program implemented by UNDP, who helps in the development of the research.

Since our main objective is to achieve the broadest possible participatory appeal and we hope to work with several organizations we have contacted a number of them such as UNDP, UNEP, UNGE, INEGE and are awaiting a response...

Organization objectives:

• To reduce the consumption and Production of unsustainable materials.
• Cultivate sustainable communities and cities. 
• Reduce the environmental impact of waste paper and paper products.

Organization goals:

• Encourage and strengthen the habit of recycling materials.
• Promote an organization that collects data on local and sub-regional environmental impact.
• Create employment from recycling processes.

Partnerships goals:

• Advise on product design, development and strategic planning.
• Advise on the collection and improvement of related environmental education.
• Develop a basis for reconciling research data and programs applied for this purpose.
• Support marketing and communications that distribute and make data clearly accessible.
• Contacting donors, investors and collaborators to advance the capital raising process.

The role of women in this initiative is very important. The project itself from its foundations is already composed of two young women and as part of our mission we aim to empower these and several others with the goal of achieving a business (social) environment in which women represent more than 35% of the workforce needed; gathering their involvement and commitment to the environment in local colleges and universities and various countries whether we develop the initiative there or simply require participation in the modules of practices, employment (...).We will promote recycling courses, waste treatment (...) involving 51% of women, as they live more with their children in a family thus making possible the education of recycling from home and at an early age; furthermore these will allow all of them to apply for jobs related to environmental conservation (e.g. recycling, waste treatment) within and outside the institutions deriving from the initiative and/or supporting it.

By motivating other young people to model social actions that contribute to the SDG goals and help solve social problems in their localities. Also through the promotion of this and various initiatives that help to encourage social entrepreneurship among young people around the world, worldwide there are problems that require immediate solutions and these solutions may be developed by citizens of the communities in which they occur but initiatives such as solve.mit allows to understand the importance of creating environments that address social problems that affect different nations. Our qualification for this award is related to the principles of sharing and support to help bring success to other young people like us or in their defense to allow them to share the social problems that affect their communities in order to contribute in the least to the equal development of all communities.