Ultiware Solutions
Making sustainable kitchenware and straws from agricultural wastes as an eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics.
Single-use-plastics application has been on the rise globally. According to United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), 400 million tonnes of plastic waste each year, The packaging industry uses around 36% of all plastics produced, including single-use plastics for food and drink containers that are disposed of in landfills or as uncontrolled trash in about 85% of those cases.
environmental pollution in kenya due fo plastic waste is also rampant.
In Nairobi for instance, it is estimated that 2,400 tons of solid waste are generated every day, 20% of that being plastic form, mostly single use plastic like as straws, bottles and packaged consumer goods.
the main contributors to plastic pollution include:
Food wrappers, plastic bottles, plastic bottle caps, plastic grocery bags, plastic straws.
creating biodegradable alternatives to single use plastics using bamboo and agricultural wastes.
reduces pollution
recycling and adding value to agricultural wastes
the food industry
the community- waste management in Nairobi peri-urban areas pollution is rampant
better waste management improved living conditions
Vivian Kahara- holds a bachelors in Chemical Engineering Technology from the Technical University of Kenya. Born and raised in Nyandarua county, an agricultural county where agricultural waste is often burned to dispose, that would rather be used as a raw material to create tableware products through value addition.
Njambi Mwangi- holds an undergraduate degree in business and information technology from the Jomo Kenyatta University of Technology and Agriculture and has over an years experience in research. Nairobi resident who Regularly eats out and can't help but notice the widespread use of single use plastics in this industry.re
field research: done through the use of questionnaires and conducted a survey with hoteliers. The study highlighted the need for eco-friendly and biodegradable alternatives to single use straws and tableware.
Volunteer: yes through the Empower Hope organization based in Ridgeways, Nairobi which cleans slums in Nairobi once a month. This a tivity has highlighted the underaddressed issue of plastic pollution in the area.
Potential user engagement; yes, hoteliers.
- Taking action to combat climate change and its impacts (Sustainability)
- Concept: An idea being explored for its feasibility to build a product, service, or business model based on that idea.
Kitchenware from agricultural wastes provided an improved approach to agricultural wastes management and plastic pollution by using easily sourced agricultural wastes rather than fossil fuels to create products. The agricultural waste would have ended up being burnt down to dispose. Products have a broad positive impact on the environment as it uses less energy to produce and releases less toxic decomposition products than the plastic alternative.
reduced ecological footprint through the use of environmentally friendly material to create and package our table ware products.
Reduced air pollution through alternative use of agricultural waste instead of burning to dispose.
Food waste treatment to make kitchenware from agricultural wastes
- Manufacturing Technology
- Materials Science
- Kenya
Approximately 2,000,000 airline users in Kenya. Approximately Kenya’s 2.1 million active online consumers of takeaway fastfood services
Approximately 500,000 rice and sugarcane farmers who'll provide rice husks and bagasse for tableware production.
Financial barrier- source for raw material, manpower and machinery for use in production process.
Market entry financial barrier-.
Empower Hope Organization for community development and Subsaharan Research Africa for broader market research.
Business to business model
Business will serve airlines and food service industry with On-the-go consumers demand
Impact farmers through value addition to agricultural wastes and the peri-urban population through waste management as the tableware products are disposable.
Also impact airlines and food service industry through:
- financial responsibility through cheaper tableware products
- corporate responsibility- sustainability sourced tableware products contribute to environmental conservation goals of such establishments.
Profit based company that aims to generate revenue from profits from sales and service contracts with airlines and hotels. The Global market for disposable cups projects that by the end of 2026, more than US$ 21.2 Bn worth of disposable cups will be sold globally.