SEED Library

Evidence-based insights into eco-inclusive business models and contributions to sustainable development.

Enterprise Brief: Plastic Waste Recycling as an Alternative to Burning and Landfilling

Published: 29 August 2011
The initiative employs local people to collect, sort and recycle plastic waste. Plastic waste accounts for a significant portion of total municipal waste. By tackling this problem, the initiative provides job opportunities, improves the local environment and increases environmental awareness in the community. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Project for Producing Edible Mushroom Spores

Published: 29 August 2011
The initiative aims to make the production of mushroom spores accessible to rural populations in Rwanda, particularly vulnerable people living in zones with a high risk of soil erosion. Mushrooms, as a short-cycle, high-yield crop, offer an alternative to traditional crops that is both more profitable and has a higher nutritional value. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: BRADES

Published: 29 August 2011
The initiative provides urban and rural households with biochar briquettes made from clay and charcoal waste, a cheap combustible fuel. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Promoting Bamboo as a Craft and Technology Application with a View to Conserving Taita Hills Forests

Published: 29 August 2011
The initiative aims to provide the market with quality bamboo handicrafts, furniture and other items, as well as alternative construction materials. This supports ongoing forest restoration efforts around Taita Hills Forests and also provides rural households with an alternative fuel. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Recycle Not A Waste Initiative – RECNOWA

Published: 29 August 2011
The Recycle Not A Waste Initiative (RECNOWA) recycles waste plastic and other waste materials into welldesigned products for daily use and fashion items. The initiative then promotes and sells the products. This creates employment and income opportunities for disadvantaged young people in the suburbs of Accra. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Centre de Recyclage des Sachets Plastiques du GAFREH

Published: 29 August 2011
Founded in 2003 by GAFREH, an association of women artisans, the recycling centre makes eco-friendly fashion goods and decorative handicraft products out of used plastic bags. The initiative provides an innovative solution to pollution caused by plastic waste in Burkina Faso, whilst encouraging women to become commercially auto nomous. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Rural Transportation and Renewable Products Conversion Centres for Agro-residues

Published: 29 August 2011
VIVUS has developed an innovative rural transportation system enabling the efficient collection of small quantities of crops and agricultural waste in remote areas. The initiative then sells the crops in urban centres and converts the residues into biogas and fertiliser. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Sawdust Entrepreneurial Initiative Among Oko-baba Communities In Lagos

Published: 29 August 2011
The initiative processes waste sawdust from lumber mills into high-quality fuel briquettes, thereby reducing pollution levels and generating revenue for the local community. The Lagos Oko Baba mills produce large quantities of sawdust that in the past were incinerated. The initiative transforms this waste into a high-value, clean-burning marketable product. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: SEPALI Madagascar

Published: 29 August 2011
SEPALI is a local spin-of of an international non-governmental organisation that provides technical and financial assistance to farmers and community-based enterprise groups in Madagascar. By promoting the production and processing of wild silk from moths raised on indigenous trees, SEPALI conserves local biodiversity and secures farmers’ livelihoods. Read more
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The Green Economy: SEED's activities to help accelerate the transition

Published: 16 August 2011
On 15th April 2011, nearly 200 people gathered in Pretoria to explore the role of social and environmental enterprises in shaping the Green Economy. Read more
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2009 SEED Winner, Nafore and Afrisolar Energy Kiosks, wins ERM's Low Carbon Competition

Published: 26 January 2011
The Low Carbon Enterprise Fund was established to support small “low carbon” businesses in the developing world. The fund sits within the ERM Foundation - a not-for-profit charity - and provides finance in the form of loans and equity stakes to entrepreneurs in emerging markets. Read more
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The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) Global Marketing Partnership: From vision to global outreach

Published: 31 October 2010
One of the first SEED Winners in 2005, the SRI Global Marketing Partnership has become the catalyst for an international enterprise spanning a good number of countries in Africa and Asia. Read more
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Establishing a Baseline for a Longitudinal Study of Eco-Inclusive Enterprise Performance

Published: 12 September 2010Authors: Heather Creech, Leslie Paas
This study provides insights into how eco-inclusive enterprises can enhance their social, environmental and business impacts and how policymakers can create a more enabling environment for such enterprises to thrive. Read more

Enterprise Brief: Initiative for Promoting and Distributing Bio-Pesticides

Published: 29 August 2010
Face au manque de solutions efficaces pour combattre les maladies fongiques et bactériologiques dans les cultures, BIOPROTECT offre une gamme complète de bio-stimulants. Ces produits innovants et respectueux de l’environnement représentent une alternative économique pour les agriculteurs, sans nuire à leur santé. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: IziWasha

Published: 29 August 2010
IziWasha is a simple and affordable handheld laundry device aimed at improving the lives of women by easing the burden of hand-washing whilst saving water. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Kayor Rural Energy, Rural Electrification by Photovoltaic Solar Energy

Published: 29 August 2010
Créée en 2006 par l’Union des Groupements Paysans de Mékhé, KAYER fournit des solutions énergétiques renouvelables aux ménages et organisations situés en zones non électrifiées, en lien avec des institutions de microfinance. L’énergie est considérée comme un facteur de développement, au service des dynamiques socioéconomiques locales. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Linking Small-Scale Farmers to Input-Output Markets through Rural Enterprise Network (REN)

Published: 29 August 2010
The Rural Enterprise Network (REN) is a social marketing organisation established by rural farmers in the south of Sri Lanka. REN provides marketing-related services to increase market access for poor small-scale producers. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Manufacture and Popularization of Biomass Briquettes

Published: 29 August 2010
Face à la surexploitation des forêts et l’utilisation massive du charbon de bois et du bois de chauffe, SOS Energie vise à mettre en place une filière de production de briquettes de biomasse et de foyers améliorés, tout en formant les ménages et artisans à l’utilisation de cette source d’énergie respectueuse de l’environnement. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Micro Power Economy for Rural Electrification

Published: 29 August 2010
The goal of the initiative is to offer rural customers in Senegal reliable power supply through the innovative business model “MicroPowerEconomy” that enhances social, environmental and economic sustainability for both the rural customers and the power provider. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Muliru Farmers

Published: 29 August 2010
This community-based initiative seeks to conserve the Kakamega forest through the promotion of alternative income-generating activities and awareness among the local, poor communities. It is a partnership between several institutions and uses traditional knowledge and modern science to develop products on the basis of wild indigenous medicinal plants. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: ORIBAGS INNOVATIONS

Published: 29 August 2010
Oribags Innovations, established in 2008, is a social and environmental enterprise that manufactures handmade paper bags, printing paper and jewellery from agricultural wastes. It recovers waste paper and natural fibres in an environmentally-friendly way to transform them into products for the local market. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Papyrus Reeds, Our Future Hope

Published: 29 August 2010
Papyrus Reeds, Our Future Hope is a sustainable enterprise that harvests and processes papyrus reeds and crafts them into highquality products including baskets, purses, and furniture. The reed waste is used as natural manure. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Production and Distribution of Pressurized Biogas in Gas Cylinders

Published: 29 August 2010
The initiative Compressed Biogas proposes to build large biogas plants that will continuously produce biogas from urban, domestic and industrial wastes. The biogas produced will be stored under pressure in gas cylinders for easy distribution to urban and periurban customers as alternative to charcoal and firewood. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Reclaiming Livelihoods – Mooi River Waste Reclaiming

Published: 29 August 2010
Reclaiming Livelihoods is an initiative of former informal waste pickers. Before founding the initiative, waste pickers worked as individuals in the town of Mooi River. With the assistance of the NGO groundWork, the waste pickers of Mooi River organised themselves into a formal group and now work together. Read more
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Enterprise Brief: Resentse Sinqobile Trust Trading as Zondi BuyBack Initiative

Published: 29 August 2010
The non-profit initiative Resentse Sinqobile Trust (Zondi Buy Back Centre) was initiated in 2004 by the City of Johannesburg through financial support from the Danish government to educate the community about waste management. The initiative contributes to environmental and climate protection by reusing recyclable materials from waste and offers income to unemployed citizens. Read more
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