Project: Creating a Circular Economy for Solid Waste in Jamaica
State of development: Current
Stage of development: Final negotiations
Type of instrument — Impact Bond: No; Outcomes Fund: Yes; Social Impact Incentives (SIINC): No; Social Impact Guarantee: No; Payment-by-results (no pre-financing): No; Technical Assistance and Market-building program: No; Other: 
Rationale for using outcome-based finance: The program's innovation lies in its vision to establish an integrated waste management ecosystem. By creating a platform connecting waste producers, logistics, recyclers, and upcyclers, the project addresses a critical gap. This streamlined approach accelerates waste diversion, promoting sustainability on an unprecedented scale.
The potential for scalability is immense. Starting in Jamaica offers a blueprint for expansion throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Collaborations with existing local partners and establishing franchise-like operations enable efficient scaling, replicating successful models.
Financial sustainability is bolstered by the platform's network effects. As participation grows, revenue streams diversify through transactional fees, partnerships, and premium services. This multifaceted approach enhances self-sufficiency and growth.
Cost-effectiveness is intrinsic to the platform's design. It optimizes resource allocation, minimizes duplicate efforts, and harnesses technology for operational efficiency. Building upon proven outcomes positions the platform for cost-effective expansion, poised to revolutionize waste management throughout the region.
Key challenges to launch: The project faces significant barriers impeding its progress. Developing the necessary technological infrastructure for advanced glass waste processing demands substantial investment and expertise. Convincing stakeholders to adopt waste segregation practices requires ongoing efforts and dedicated resources. Navigating complex regulatory processes, especially for permits related to the underwater sculpture park, presents additional challenges. Financial constraints limit facility development and operational expansion.
The Accelerator program's support offers transformative solutions to these pain points. Expert mentorship will streamline technology implementation, overcoming infrastructure hurdles. Tailored strategies will enhance stakeholder engagement, promoting widespread adoption of waste segregation. Regulatory navigation will benefit from the program's experienced guidance, expediting permit acquisition. Crucially, the program's financial backing and investor connections will bridge funding gaps, propelling facility construction and expansion. This holistic support will catalyze project advancement, heightening its overall impact and establishing it as a pioneering force in sustainable waste management.
Social/developmental challenge: Our program addresses several market failures related to waste management and sustainable practices: 1. Externalities of Waste Disposal: Traditional waste management often ignores the external costs of landfilling or improper disposal, such as environmental pollution, ecosystem degradation, and greenhouse gas emissions. 2. Lack of Recycling Infrastructure: In many regions, the lack of adequate recycling infrastructure impedes recycling efforts. By establishing an advanced glass waste processing facility with cutting-edge sorting and crushing techniques, your project addresses the scarcity of such facilities 3. Behavioral Barriers to Recycling: People often don't recycle due to convenience, lack of awareness, or insufficient incentives. 4. Underutilized Waste Resources: Traditional waste management neglects the potential value of discarded materials. By repurposing collected glass waste for underwater sculptures in collaboration with a marine park, your project demonstrates the untapped potential of waste materials. 5. Inadequate Climate Adaptation Efforts: Many regions, including Jamaica, struggle with climate adaptation
Expected intervention model: Smilozone Waste Management Ltd (SWM) envisions transforming waste management into a circular economy, bridging the gap between businesses, communities, and sustainability. Our primary objective is to establish a seamless ecosystem where recycling and upcycling become effortless for individuals and businesses alike.
Our initiative commences with a strategic focus on the tourism sector, urging partners to segregate glass waste for specialized recycling. Moving forward, we plan to launch innovative solutions to create a circular economy around glass waste: 1. Inaugurate an advanced glass waste processing facility that employs cutting-edge sorting and crushing techniques. By sorting glass waste by color, we enhance recycling viability, thereby increasing waste diversion from landfills. This innovation improves export potential and minimizes environmental impact. 2. Collaborate with a marine park to forge a distinctive eco-tourism attraction. This attraction will employ collected glass waste to craft captivating underwater sculptures. Not only will this contribute to coral restoration, a vital climate adaptation effort, but it will also position SWM as a player in climate mitigation and ecological stewardship. These breakthroughs herald a transformation in products and services offered by SWM. This differentiation extends beyond local competitors in the waste sector and sets us apart from traditional attractions in Jamaica.
Policy sectors — Employment and private sector development: No; Education: No; Social protection: No; Criminal justice: No; Health: No; Agriculture: No; Environment and climate change: No; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene: No; Energy: No; Humanitarian: No; Early Childhood Education: No; Other: Solid waste management
Primary SDG goal: 8,11,12
Country income classification of beneficiaries — Low-income: No; Lower-middle-income: No; Upper-middle-income: Yes; High-income: No
Notes: Data for this pipeline project was last updated in August 2023
Delivery location: Jamaica