POLYPROBLEM report: The Circularity Code

their waste ends up, and thirdly, by incentivizing the supply chain through granting rewards or subsidies to unbanked waste collectors. To summarize, KOLEKT’s mission is to facilitate the buying and selling of recyclable waste and to help pay waste pickers in order to enable them to earn an income above the local minimum wage. How do potential users learn about the app? As a matter of fact, exclusively through word of mouth. First, we look for a recycler who can process the recyclable materials we want. We then sign a contract with them, and once we have the contract, we know the purchase price. Then we go down one level to the material compression companies that have a baler to ensure that transportation costs remain low. So, we ask about the cost of baling and delivery to the recycler. And since they don’t trust us, they will contact the recycler first to check whether the offer is correct. After confirmation from the recycler, the contract is signed. From here, we go one level further to the collection points and explain that the material compactor would like to buy waste from them and that they can find the location on the KOLEKT app. Then we show them the minimum and maximum price on the app and the signed papers. And they then call the material compactor to make sure everything is correct. Finally, we explain the app’s functions in detail. And then when a waste picker arrives at the collection point, they will be registered through facial recognition or by OTP/SMS on their cellphone or asked if they can download KOLEKT to their cellphone to complete the sales transaction. Basically, the aim is to foster reliability and trust that the price that was agreed in advance will be paid. But as soon as someone stops showing up or prices change, mistrust creeps in and the whole chain falls apart. How do waste pickers sign up with KOLEKT if they don’t have a smartphone or cellphone? The waste pickers are registered when they come for selling. If they do not have a phone, facial recognition in combination with their name suffices to create an account in our app through the buyer’s phone. That means that the selling waste pickers’ identity is confirmed by facial recognition on the buyer’s phone. They then receive cash as well as points for the material sold. By logging the waste pickers on the buyer’s phone, the accumulated points can be transferred to a third party, who pays out the value of the points in cash to them. How many people already use the app? Our largest user group is waste pickers. In terms of the number of users, we have a pyramid structure: the waste pickers are at the bottom of the pyramid, followed by the collection points or buyers in the middle, while the aggregators and the recyclers or exporters make up the top. KOLEKT currently has about 2,000 users, which admittedly doesn’t seem like a lot. However, some Designing an app with waste pickers over coffee 43

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