I’m Nasihudeen Jimoh, a full-stack blockchain builder and the founder of AfriCycle a decentralized recycling infrastructure focused on transforming plastic waste into economic value and social empowerment across Africa.
The Problem We’re Solving
Africa is facing a severe waste management crisis:
- Over 40 million tons of plastic are generated annually.
- Less than 10% is recycled and most of it is informal, unverified, and unrewarded.
- Collectors, often the poorest members of society, work daily without recognition, identity, or income stability.
- Recyclers operate in fragmented systems without trust or traceable supply chains.
- Governments and NGOs lack accurate, verifiable data to fund or scale impact.
This isn’t just a climate problem. It’s a data problem. It’s a trust problem. It’s an economic inclusion problem.
Our Solution: AfriCycle A Decentralized Waste-to-Wealth System on Celo
AfriCycle is building a transparent, mobile-first infrastructure that enables collectors, recyclers, NGOs, and local governments to interact through verifiable actions, real-time data, and crypto-based rewards.
We are currently live as a Progressive Web App (PWA) accessible on both mobile and desktop and integrated with MiniPay for seamless, wallet-less onboarding.
How AfriCycle Works End-to-End User Flow
AfriCycle empowers both waste collectors and recyclers through a simple, intuitive and verifiable process accessible on any mobile device or desktop via our Progressive Web App (PWA), integrated with MiniPay for seamless crypto rewards.
Step-by-Step Process
1. Collector Submits Waste Collection
- Uploads photo of the plastic waste
- Enters estimated weight (kg)
- Shares pickup location via GPS
2. View Nearby Recyclers on Live Map
- The app shows a live map of verified recyclers in the area
- Collectors can filter recyclers by distance or performance
- Real-time availability is shown
3. Select Preferred Pickup Time
- Collector chooses a time for the recycler to come pick up the waste
- This gives flexibility for collectors in busy communities
4. Recycler Accepts or Rejects Request
- Recyclers are notified of new requests
- They can accept or reject based on capacity and schedule
- Accepted pickups are logged and tracked
5. Recycler Verifies and Processes the Waste
- Verifies plastic weight, condition, and documentation
- Takes photo evidence of processing
- Confirms successful collection and upload to system
Rewards Distribution
- Collectors earn cUSD per kg of verified plastic (automatically paid via MiniPay wallet or connected address)
- Recyclers also earn cUSD once the waste is processed and confirmed
- Rewards are based on actual verified weight and tied to real-world recycling activity
All actions are stored on-chain and backed by photo/GPS/timeproof, creating trust and traceability.
Beta Testing Overview
Over the past few weeks, we launched and tested AfriCycle’s closed beta across 4 African countries, engaging real users both waste collectors and recyclers in live environments.
Participating Countries & Cities
| Country | Cities Covered |
|---|---|
 Nigeria |
Lagos |
 Kenya |
Nairobi |
 Uganda |
Kampala,Tororo |
 Ivory Coast |
Abidjan |
Early Results & Achievements
- 70kg+ of plastic waste verified on-chain in 2 weeks
- 30+ waste collectors onboarded and actively using the app
- 10+ recyclers participating in claim verification and processing
- 100+ successful reward redemptions, primarily in G$
- cUSD disbursed: ~25 cUSD to collectors and recyclers
- Real-time claim + verification system working across devices
- Daily usage through our PWA on mobile and desktop
- Fully integrated with MiniPay, no native app required
- Beta testers recruited and onboarded across all 4 countries
Why We Chose Celo
Celo is not just a blockchain it’s an impact-focused ecosystem built for mobile users and underserved communities. Here’s why it fits:
- Mobile-first: Most of our users are on low-end Android devices
- MiniPay integration: Enables wallet-less onboarding
- Low transaction costs: Makes it viable to verify waste in small units
- Stable assets: G$ and cUSD provide real purchasing power
- Ecosystem alignment: ReFi and Public Goods values match our mission
Impact Metrics
AfriCycle is proving that decentralized, transparent recycling works. Here’s what we’ve achieved so far during our cross-country beta:
| Metric | Current Status |
|---|---|
| Countries Active | 4 (Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Ivory Coast) |
| Verified Plastic Recycled | 70kg+ (tracked + photo verified) |
| Total Waste Collection Claims | 120+ submitted by real users |
| G$ Rewards | 100+ daily redemptions |
| cUSD Disbursed | ~25 cUSD to collectors & recyclers |
| Verified Recyclers | 10+ registered & processing waste |
| partnerships | 2 partnerships in progress |
| App Engagement | Daily usage via PWA & MiniPay |
All data is traceable, community-sourced, and backed by location, images, and timestamped claims creating on-chain proof of environmental impact.
Roadmap
Phase 1 – Beta + Incubation (Q2 2025) (Completed)
- Celo Africa DAO Incubation completed
- PWA launched + MiniPay integrated
- Beta live in 4 African countries
- Manual + smart verification hybrid system
- G$ + cUSD rewards operational
Phase 2 – Scaling & Partnerships (Q3–Q4 2025)
- Expand to 10 more communities
- Onboard 20+ recycling centers
- Formalize partnerships
- Launch regional dashboards for government use
- Prepare for open public testing
Phase 3 – Marketplace + Financial Tools (2026)
- Launch AfriCycle Marketplace for verified recyclables
- Issue Impact NFTs for verified waste
- Integrate with carbon markets, climate DAOs, and public goods protocols
- Build on-chain registry of recycling cooperatives
How You Can Collaborate With Us
AfriCycle is more than a platform it’s a growing movement to regenerate Africa’s circular economy through verifiable, on-chain climate action. We’re actively seeking partners, funders, and builders to help us scale and deepen our impact.
Local DAOs, NGOs & Community Leaders
- Partner with us to verify, reward, and scale community waste recovery programs
- Use our real-time data for funding allocation, reporting, and sustainability campaigns
- Co-design local missions and incentive models tailored to your region
- Support education and onboarding for collectors and recyclers
Developers & Web3 Builders
- Help us enhance our claim verification system, mobile UX, and scalability
- Co-develop integrations for carbon markets, proof-of-impact NFTs, or DAO governance tools
- Collaborate on future SDKs, MiniPay modules, and data layers
- Build ReFi use cases using verified plastic recovery as a base primitive
ReFi DAOs, Public Goods Backers & Climate Funders
- Fund real-world, verified climate action with on-chain transparency
- Use AfriCycle’s data for ESG reporting, carbon credit issuance, and impact dashboards
- Sponsor local community recycling nodes or regional rollouts
Investors & Strategic Partners
We are actively seeking funding and strategic investment to scale our infrastructure, deepen verification, and expand into new markets.
If you’re an investor aligned with climate, circular economy, ReFi, or impact tech we’d love to speak with you.
Let’s Build Together
If you represent a DAO, dev community, climate funder, or investment fund interested in helping build Africa’s circular economy from the ground or you want to join our beta testing we’re ready to collaborate.
Reach out via DM
Email: [email protected]
Telegram: Telegram: Join Group Chat
Let’s regenerate value from the ground up starting with waste.
Gratitude
Huge thanks to:
- @CeloAfricaDAO for incubating this vision
- @GoodDollar for enabling daily UBI for underserved collectors
- And to the Celo community for being the chain where real-world regeneration happens
Let’s build a cleaner, verifiable, and more inclusive future together.
Nasihudeen Jimoh
Founder, AfriCycle
Twitter: @Kanasjnr
Telegram: kanas_01