Pilot Implementation Plan
Testing and demonstrating EcoWaste's impact in Lusaka with $2,265 grant support from BongoHive Green Innovation Challenge
Executive Summary
EcoWaste will pilot a comprehensive waste management solution in 2-3 Lusaka neighborhoods, serving 100 households, 10 businesses, and 3 commercial food waste partners (hospitals/restaurants). The pilot demonstrates a sustainable, revenue-generating enterprise that creates jobs, diverts waste from landfills, and produces valuable compost for Zambian farmers.
100
Households
10
Businesses
8
Workers Trained
15 tons
Waste Diverted
Implementation Timeline
Phase 1: Setup & Recruitment
Month 1 (January 2026)
Activities:
- Finalize platform features and testing
- Recruit and train 8 waste collection workers
- Secure partnership agreements with 3 food waste sources
- Set up small-scale composting facility
- Launch marketing campaign in target neighborhoods
- Complete mobile money payment integration
Budget Allocation:
Phase 2: Service Launch
Month 2 (February 2026)
Activities:
- Launch services in Kabulonga and City Center
- Onboard first 50 household customers
- Begin daily operations (pickups, composting)
- Activate food waste collection from partners
- Collect user feedback and optimize processes
- Begin impact data tracking
Budget Allocation:
Phase 3: Scale & Optimize
Month 3 (March-May 2026)
Activities:
- Expand to 100 households and 10 businesses
- Produce first batch of marketable compost
- Establish sales to 20 farmers/nurseries
- Measure and document environmental impact
- Prepare scaling plan and investment pitch
- Submit final report to BongoHive
Budget Allocation:
Phase 1
$1,350
Phase 2
$650
Phase 3
$265
Total Grant
$2,265
Success Metrics & KPIs
Financial Metrics
- Revenue (3 months): ZMW 15,000
- Operating costs: ZMW 12,000
- Gross margin: 20%
- Cost per kg: ZMW 0.80
Environmental Impact
- Waste diverted: 15 tons
- CO₂ reduced: 22.5 tons
- Compost produced: 300 bags
- Recycling rate: 75%
Social Impact
- Jobs created: 8 workers
- Families served: 100 households
- Farmers benefitted: 20 farmers
- Avg worker earnings: ZMW 1,200/mo
Risk Mitigation Strategy
Risk: Low User Adoption
Mitigation: Pre-launch awareness campaign, referral incentives (first pickup free), door-to-door demos in target neighborhoods, partnerships with community leaders
Risk: Payment Collection Issues
Mitigation: Multiple payment options (MTN/Airtel mobile money, cash on pickup), pre-payment required for scheduling, subscription plans with auto-debit
Risk: Composting Quality Issues
Mitigation: Partner with experienced composting expert for training and oversight, regular pH and nutrient testing, temperature monitoring, quality grading system
Risk: Operational/Vehicle Breakdown
Mitigation: Regular vehicle maintenance schedule, backup vehicle partnership with local transport provider, contingency budget for repairs, preventive maintenance training
Beyond the Pilot: Scaling Strategy
Following successful pilot validation, EcoWaste will scale geographically and operationally across Zambia
2026
Expand to 500 customers, 3 more Lusaka neighborhoods
2026
Launch mobile app, biogas pilot, expand to Kitwe (Copperbelt)
Year 2
5 cities covered, 5,000 customers, compost distribution network
Year 3
Nationwide coverage, 25,000+ customers, 200+ jobs created
Support EcoWaste's Green Innovation
Together, we can transform waste management in Zambia and create a sustainable future