Everyone thought she was crazy
Until they were proven wrong
Today’s eco snapshot👇🏽
Everyone thought she was crazy but…
Startup of the Week: GreenPod Labs
5 Sustainable Electronics Brands
News That Lifted My Spirits This Week
🤪 Everyone thought she was crazy but…
Nzambi Matee grew up in Nairobi, Kenya. There, she saw firsthand how streets were lined with plastic waste and how the plastic crisis was growing everyday.
She decided to stop sitting on the sideline and decided to do something about it.
As an engineer, she started an experimental project in her mother’s back garden.
Everyone thought that it was a crazy thing to do. People advised her to give up and take a full-time job instead.
But Nzambi knew that she was onto something.
At the end of her backyard experiment, Gjenge Makers was born.
It transforms plastic waste into sustainable construction blocks. Gjenge stands for block in Swahili.
Gjenge Makers has a dual impact.
On one hand, it’s keeping the plastics out of landfills; on the other, it’s providing a sustainable building material alternative.
Gjenge can make 1000-1500 bricks a day. Here’s a great explainer of how it is doing it 👇🏼
This is a story of hope, passion, and willingness to bring real change.
⌛ Time for the quiz of the week
Answer at the end of the newsletter. No one (including me) can see your response so feel free to vote 😉
✨ Startup of the Week: GreenPod Labs
This Indian startup has made sachets that can extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables by 40 to 60%.
It's a big deal…When we waste food, it's not just the food we're throwing out. We're also wasting all the energy that went into growing, harvesting, and transporting it. When this food ends up in landfills, which is where it often goes, it starts to break down and release methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas, much like carbon dioxide, but it's way more potent in the short term.
Preserve the Pod…Now, 1/3rd of this food waste happens during production & storage. GreenPod Labs is solving this problem through a patented active packaging sachet.
🥭 The sachet is made of natural plant extracts.
🥭 These extracts can activate a defense mechanism within a fruit or vegetable
🥭 This slows the ripening rate and minimizes microbial attack at ambient temperatures.
This can extend the shelf life of fruits & vegetables by 40-60% and help reduce food waste.
✅ 5 Sustainable Electronics Brands
Nimble: Planet-friendly tech alternatives.
Pela: Making phone cases from compostable bioplastic & flax straw.
Reboxed: Providing a new home to old phones.
Swappie: An end-to-end online marketplace for refurbished iPhones.
Smart Air: Simple, affordable purifiers for the masses.
😹 News That Lifted My Spirits This Week
⚡Lightning Speed: Battery costs, not tempers, are at an all-time low, fueling a sixfold increase in our energy storage capacity by 2030.
💡 Renewable Milestone: In 2023, renewables provided over 30% of the world's electricity, marking a new era of declining power sector emissions, with China leading the surge in solar and wind generation.
🐘 Wildlife Win: Thai police raids on wildlife smuggling operations save hundreds of animals, dealing a multi-million dollar blow to criminals.
💁🏼 3 Ways I Can Support Your Sustainability Journey
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Enjoy your weekend, and see you next week😊