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TEAM EL

1.MANUELA KEKELI AFETI – PROJECT MANAGER

2.SAMUEL NSIAH –UX RESEARCHER

3.EMMANUEL OMANE – BACK UP

4.EMMANUEL NANA GYAMFI –DATA ANALYST

5.EMMANUEL ELIKPLIM –UX DESIGNER

6. WAHIDE BINAO - PRODUCT MANAGER

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CLIMATE CHANGE

GHANA IS EXPERIENCING A MAJOR WASTE MANAGEMENT CRISIS THAT CONTRIBUTES SIGNIFICANTLY TO CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH POLLUTION AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

WHY

WHEN WASTE IS LEFT TO ROT OR IS OPENLY BURNED, IT RELEASES HARMFUL GASES LIKE METHANE AND CARBON DIOXIDE THAT TRAP HEAT AND WORSEN GLOBAL WARMING. SOLVING THIS PROBLEM WOULD REDUCE POLLUTION, PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH, AND HELP GHANA BUILD A CLEANER, SAFER FUTURE FOR ALL.

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MEET ABENA, ABENA LIVES IN A LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOOD IN ACCRA, CLOSE TO A MAJOR OPEN DUMP SITE. SHE RUNS A SMALL FOOD STALL TO SUPPORT HER TWO CHILDREN. EVERY RAINY SEASON, HER AREA GETS FLOODED DUE TO PLASTIC-CLOGGED DRAINS, AND SHE OFTEN HAS TO CLOSE HER BUSINESS BECAUSE OF THE MESS AND HEALTH RISK.

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A WASTE PROBLEM TOO BIG TO IGNORE�

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WASTE PRODUCTION IN GHANA

GHANA GENERATES APPROXIMATELY 12,710 TONNES OF SOLID WASTE DAILY, YET ONLY 10% IS PROPERLY COLLECTED AND TREATED.

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PLASTIC WASTE AND RECYCLING

GHANA PRODUCES 1.1 MILLION TONNES OF PLASTIC WASTE ANNUALLY, BUT ONLY 5% IS RECYCLED — THE REST CONTRIBUTES TO FLOODING AND POLLUTION.

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A CLEAN FUTURE, POWERED BY TECHNOLOGY

BLOCKCHAIN IS A TRUSTED TECHNOLOGY THAT KEEPS CLEAR, TAMPER-PROOF RECORDS. IT CAN SHOW WHERE TRASH COMES FROM, HOW MUCH IS COLLECTED, AND WHETHER IT WAS RECYCLED OR NOT. THIS MAKES IT EASIER FOR COMMUNITIES, COMPANIES, AND THE GOVERNMENT TO SEE WHAT’S WORKING, STOP ILLEGAL DUMPING, AND REWARD PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES WHO MANAGE WASTE PROPERLY. IT ALSO HELPS BUILD TRUST IN THE SYSTEM AND ENCOURAGES EVERYONE TO TAKE PART IN REDUCING WASTE AND FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE.

USE A SECURE COMPUTER SYSTEM CALLED BLOCKCHAIN TO TRACK HOW WASTE IS COLLECTED, SEPARATED, AND RECYCLED IN GHANA.

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USER CHALLENGES FROM WIREFRAME TESTING

I CAN’T READ THIS

ABENA HAD A DIFFICULT TIME USING OUR WIREFRAME BECAUSE SHE CANNOT READ. WHEN SHE LOOKED AT THE WIREFRAME, SHE FELT CONFUSED AND UNSURE OF WHAT TO DO. SHE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE BUTTONS MEANT OR WHAT ACTIONS TO TAKE. THIS MADE HER FEEL FRUSTRATED AND LEFT OUT. AS SOMEONE WHO IS ILLITERATE, ABENA NEEDS THE APP TO BE MORE FRIENDLY FOR PEOPLE LIKE HER. SHE WOULD BENEFIT FROM CLEAR VOICE INSTRUCTIONS, SIMPLE ICONS, AND HELPFUL PICTURES THAT SHOW WHAT EACH PART OF THE APP DOES. MAKING THE APP EASIER TO UNDERSTAND WITHOUT READING WOULD HELP ABENA AND OTHERS LIKE HER FEEL CONFIDENT AND INCLUDED.

WHERE ARE MY POINTS?

NII ALSO GAVE HELPFUL FEEDBACK AFTER TRYING OUT OUR WIREFRAME. HE WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND MOST PARTS OF THE APP, BUT HE WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT THERE WAS NO CLEAR PLACE SHOWING HOW MANY REWARD POINTS HE HAD EARNED. AFTER SCANNING A RECYCLING ITEM, HE EXPECTED TO SEE A MESSAGE OR SCREEN SHOWING HIS POINTS AND WHAT HE COULD USE THEM FOR. WITHOUT THAT, HE FELT UNSURE IF THE SYSTEM WAS WORKING. NII NEEDS A CLEAR REWARDS SECTION THAT SHOWS THE NUMBER OF POINTS EARNED AND THE AVAILABLE REWARDS. THIS WOULD KEEP USERS EXCITED AND MOTIVATED TO KEEP RECYCLING.

WHAT DO I PRESS FIRST?

KOFI TESTED OUR WIREFRAME AND FOUND IT A BIT CONFUSING. HIS MAIN CHALLENGE WAS THAT HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO FIRST. AFTER OPENING THE APP, HE WASN’T SURE WHICH BUTTON TO PRESS OR WHAT THE STEPS WERE TO SCAN AND RECYCLE ITEMS. THIS MADE THE APP FEEL HARD TO USE, EVEN THOUGH THE IDEA WAS CLEAR TO HIM. KOFI NEEDS THE APP TO HAVE A CLEAR AND SIMPLE LAYOUT, WITH STEP-BY-STEP GUIDANCE. A SHORT TUTORIAL OR WELCOME MESSAGE THAT EXPLAINS HOW TO USE THE APP WOULD HELP USERS LIKE KOFI FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE AND AVOID CONFUSION DURING THEIR FIRST TRY.

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FIXING WHAT DIDN’T WORK: OUR NEXT STEPS

ADD VOICE AND PICTURE SUPPORT

I WILL ADD VOICE INSTRUCTIONS AND PICTURE SUPPORT. FOR ABENA, WHO CANNOT READ, STRUGGLED TO USE THE APP BECAUSE ALL THE BUTTONS HAD WORDS SHE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND. TO HELP USERS LIKE HER, WE WILL INCLUDE SIMPLE ICONS, SUCH AS A PICTURE OF A BOTTLE FOR RECYCLING, AND VOICE MESSAGES THAT EXPLAIN WHAT EACH BUTTON DOES WHEN TAPPED. THIS WILL MAKE THE APP EASIER FOR ILLITERATE USERS TO USE WITHOUT NEEDING TO READ ANYTHING.

CREATE A REWARDS SECTION

I WILL CREATE A REWARDS SECTION. NII GAVE FEEDBACK THAT AFTER SCANNING A RECYCLED ITEM, HE WANTED TO SEE HOW MANY POINTS HE HAD EARNED AND WHAT HE COULD DO WITH THEM. RIGHT NOW, THAT PART ISN’T CLEAR. SO, WE WILL BUILD A PAGE THAT SHOWS THE TOTAL POINTS A USER HAS, WHAT REWARDS THEY CAN GET, AND HOW MANY MORE POINTS ARE NEEDED TO EARN CERTAIN PRIZES. THIS WILL HELP KEEP USERS EXCITED AND MOTIVATED TO KEEP RECYCLING.

INCLUDE A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

ADD A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE OR TUTORIAL. KOFI SAID HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO FIRST AFTER OPENING THE APP, AND THAT MADE HIM FEEL CONFUSED. TO FIX THIS, WE WILL CREATE A SHORT GUIDE THAT APPEARS THE FIRST TIME SOMEONE USES THE APP. IT WILL SHOW EACH STEP IN ORDER—HOW TO SCAN ITEMS, COLLECT POINTS, AND FIND REWARDS—USING CLEAR LANGUAGE AND IMAGES.

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OUR NEXT BIG STEP: TURNING IDEAS INTO ACTION

IF WE RECEIVED FUNDING TO CONTINUE OUR SOLUTION, THE FIRST THING WE WOULD DO IS WORK WITH LOCAL TECH DEVELOPERS IN GHANA TO BUILD A REAL, WORKING VERSION OF OUR APP THAT IS SIMPLE, OFFLINE-FRIENDLY, AND INCLUDES VOICE AND PICTURE INSTRUCTIONS FOR USERS LIKE ABENA. WE WOULD ALSO CREATE A USSD VERSION, SO EVEN PEOPLE WITH BASIC PHONES CAN EARN RECYCLING POINTS BY DIALING A SHORT CODE. NEXT, WE WOULD PARTNER WITH ZOOMLION, PLASTIC PUNCH, AND OTHER LOCAL WASTE COMPANIES TO CONNECT THE APP TO REAL RECYCLING CENTERS, STARTING WITH AREAS IN ACCRA WHERE THE PLASTIC WASTE PROBLEM IS THE WORST.
WE WOULD SET UP COMMUNITY TRAINING BOOTHS IN MARKETS AND SCHOOLS TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW TO USE THE APP—ESPECIALLY OLDER ADULTS AND INFORMAL WASTE WORKERS—SO NO ONE IS LEFT BEHIND. WITH THE RIGHT SUPPORT, WE WOULD ALSO START BUILDING “RECYCLING REWARD HUBS” IN EACH COMMUNITY, WHERE PEOPLE CAN DROP OFF WASTE, SCAN THEIR ID, AND INSTANTLY EARN REWARDS LIKE MOBILE AIRTIME OR FOOD VOUCHERS. LONG TERM, OUR DREAM IS TO HELP THE GOVERNMENT TURN THIS INTO A NATIONAL WASTE TRACKING SYSTEM POWERED BY BLOCKCHAIN, WHERE EVERYONE—FROM KIDS TO WASTE COLLECTORS—CAN BE PART OF KEEPING GHANA CLEAN, HEALTHY, AND CLIMATE-READY.

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WHY I CARE?

I CARE DEEPLY ABOUT GHANA’S WASTE PROBLEM BECAUSE IMPROPER WASTE MANAGEMENT HARMS PEOPLE’S HEALTH, POLLUTES THE ENVIRONMENT, AND CONTRIBUTES TO CLIMATE CHANGE. MUCH OF THE WASTE, ESPECIALLY PLASTIC, IS NOT HANDLED PROPERLY, WHICH LEADS TO FLOODED STREETS, BLOCKED DRAINS, AND HARMFUL GASES LIKE METHANE BEING RELEASED FROM LANDFILLS. I BELIEVE EVERY COMMUNITY IN GHANA DESERVES A CLEAN AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT TO LIVE IN.

ONE OF MY PROPOSED SOLUTIONS—A MOBILE APP FOR WASTE PICKUP AND RECYCLING—CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. THIS APP WOULD GIVE EVERYDAY PEOPLE THE POWER TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR WASTE BY MAKING IT EASY TO SCHEDULE PICKUPS, SEPARATE RECYCLABLES, AND EARN REWARDS. IT WOULD HELP REDUCE LITTER AND ILLEGAL DUMPING, INCREASE RECYCLING BY ENCOURAGING PROPER WASTE SEPARATION, AND CREATE GREEN JOBS FOR COLLECTORS AND RECYCLERS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT WOULD LOWER HARMFUL EMISSIONS BY REDUCING OPEN BURNING AND WASTE IN LANDFILLS.

BY USING SIMPLE, ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY, THIS SOLUTION OFFERS A SMART, AFFORDABLE, AND PEOPLE-CENTERED WAY TO SOLVE A BIG NATIONAL ISSUE—AND THAT’S WHY IT TRULY MATTERS.

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Beyond the Pitch: What Else We Found

extra Facts and Data

Ghana produces around 12,700 tons of waste every day, but only 10% is properly collected and treated.

Over 1.1 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated annually in Ghana, but only 5% gets recycled.

Open burning and unmanaged landfills release methane, a gas that is 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in warming the planet.