Uzilink

Kenya's thriving second-hand clothing (Mitumba) industry imports hundreds of thousands of tonnes of textiles annually, yet an estimated 30–40% of every bale consists of unwearable textile waste (commonly known as Fagia). Much of this waste is dumped in landfills, discarded into rivers, or openly burned, contributing to environmental pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and public health risks. At the same time, textile manufacturers, recyclers, and upcycling enterprises struggle to access consistent, affordable sources of recyclable textile materials. This disconnect is driven by the absence of a centralized, transparent system that can efficiently identify, classify, and match textile waste suppliers with industrial buyers while supporting compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations. As a result, valuable materials are lost, business opportunities are missed, and Kenya's transition to a circular textile economy is significantly constrained.

UziLink is an AI-powered B2B digital clearinghouse that transforms textile waste into a valuable economic resource by connecting waste generators, recyclers, manufacturers, artisans, and circular economy enterprises through a single intelligent digital platform. Instead of allowing recoverable textile waste to be discarded, UziLink creates a transparent marketplace where materials can be identified, traded, and repurposed efficiently. At the core of the platform is an AI-powered material analysis engine that uses computer vision and machine learning to automatically identify textile waste by fiber composition, color, condition, and reuse potential from uploaded images. Based on this analysis, the platform classifies each material, recommends the most suitable recycling or upcycling pathway, and intelligently matches suppliers with verified buyers whose production needs align with the available waste.