ZaoCycle

Thousands of tonnes of rice husks and coffee pulp are discarded or burned every year because farmers have no reliable way to monetize agricultural waste. This practice contributes to environmental pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and the loss of valuable biomass resources. At the same time, schools, institutions, and households continue to depend on expensive firewood and charcoal for cooking and heating, accelerating deforestation and increasing energy costs. Smallholder farmers remain excluded from the value chain, receiving no economic benefit from waste that could otherwise become a productive resource. The challenge is the absence of an accessible, farmer friendly system that connects agricultural waste generation with sustainable energy production and market demand.

ZaoCycle is a circular economy platform that converts agricultural waste into clean, affordable briquettes while creating additional income opportunities for smallholder farmers. Through a simple USSD and SMS based system, farmers can request waste collection using any mobile phone. Local riders collect and weigh rice husks and coffee pulp directly at the farm, and farmers receive instant mobile payments. The collected biomass is processed into high performance briquettes that provide a cleaner and more cost effective alternative to firewood and charcoal for schools, institutions, and households. Beyond waste collection and fuel production, ZaoCycle includes an optional compliance and traceability layer that enables farmers to log pesticide applications and earn residue free verification through QR based certification. This creates access to premium produce markets while strengthening trust across agricultural supply chains. By connecting farmers, waste collection, clean energy production, and market incentives within a single ecosystem, ZaoCycle delivers environmental sustainability, rural income growth, and affordable renewable energy at scale.