CAT Africa

Business case

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

Contribution to social parity, or impact on social disparity

Equality

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

Providing water and sewage services, including water collection and distribution, water treatment systems and sewage treatment facilities

Water and Sewage

Providing commercial and consumer financial services, such as lending, credit, financing, banking, asset management, financial exchanges, ratings services, money services, insurance and pension services, etc.

Financial Services

Replace freshwater with less impactful alternatives and enact water efficiency measures

Regenerative water

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

Impacts

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Industries

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The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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        The business has helped to solve safe water crisis especially in schools where it is hard to purify high volumes of water. Dennis Okurmu, Founder, Golden Consult AfricaTusafishe provides an alternative to the use of wood (for boiling water) but also helps to reinstate trees by planting 20 trees for every one filter constructed. Saudah BirungiIn Uganda 60% of the population use boiling as a method of water purification. We provide an alternative which does not require burning of solid fuels. Saudah BirungiTusafishe produces advertises, sells, and installs automated low-cost filters that eliminate the use of solid fuels to provide safe drinking water for large communities. Together with Finance Trust Bank, customers such as schools have access to flexible loans to acquire the filters. Tusafishe also supplies water filters to non-profit organisations involved in WASH activities, providing installation services and training for the beneficiaries.          Tusafishe produces automated low-cost filters to provide safe drinking water for large communities. The filters help reduce water borne diseases amongst students and increase school attendance. It also helps schools save up to $14,400 per year from purchasing clean water. Tusafishe’s products reduce reliance on the conventional high-carbon method of boiling water for drinking purposes. The enterprise also provides training to women in communities to be able to install and maintain water filters, providing them with an additional income stream.       Building 50 institutional filters for schools, providing safe water to over 50,000 students in 50 schools. Reducing water borne diseases amongst students, allowing them to attend all classes and improving school attendance. Training more than 240 women to install filters for their own homes.        Planting up to 20 moringa trees for each filter to use the seeds as filter coagulant. Reducing dependency on high-carbon water filtering systems. Reducing up to 10 tonnes of carbon emissions per school that uses the Tusafishe water filter.        Saving each family $465 per annum from medical bills to treat water borne diseases. Saving schools approximately $14,400 every year from purchasing clean water. Increasing demand for the water filters to increase employment opportunities for young people in the enterprise.         
  This enterprise is supported through its partnerships with various stakeholders, ranging from national and international organisations, investors, research institutes, suppliers, governmental bodies, NGOs, other social and environmental enterprises and more.  Social Innovation Academy provides space and tools to carry out research and development into water systems.Finance Trust Bank provides flexible advance loans to Tusafishe clients to enable them to purchase filters.  

     In the SEED Library you can read case studies and briefs and explore recent news and blog posts related to the enterprise. Read more     

 
 
             2017 SAG-SEED Award WinnerWater, Sanitation & Health (WASH) Accra, Ghana            2015 SEED South Africa Award WinnerWater, Sanitation & Health (WASH) Johannesburg, South Africa            2019 SEED Low Carbon Award WinnerWater, Sanitation & Health (WASH) Makassar, Indonesia            2010 SEED Award WinnerWater, Sanitation & Health (WASH) Johannesburg, South Africa            2019 SEED South Africa Award WinnerWater, Sanitation & Health (WASH) Johannesburg, South Africa            2009 SEED Award WinnerWater, Sanitation & Health (WASH)  Kenya    
     

Uganda

Tusafishe

<p>Tusafishe produces automated low-cost filters to provide safe drinking water for large communities. Tusafishe’s products reduce reliance on the conventional high-carbon method of boiling water for drinking purposes. Together with Finance Trust Bank, customers such as schools have access to flexible loans to acquire the filters. The filters help reduce water-borne diseases amongst students and therefore increase school attendance. It also helps schools save up to $14,400 per year from purchasing clean water. The enterprise also provides training to women in communities to be able to install and maintain water filters, having helped 240 women already with an additional income stream.</p>

Low-cost, low-emissions clean drinking system in Uganda 

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This collection is part of Footprints Africa's work to build a comprehensive database of circular economy initiatives in Africa. 

This is a result of the collaboration with the <a href="https://www.acen.africa" target="_blank">African Circular Economy Network (ACEN)</a>, as part of the programme to support the circular economy transition in Africa. Footprints Africa's vision is that businesses can be a force for good at scale. Their mission is to advance sustainable, scalable and inclusive approaches to development of local African economies. Footprints Africa supports SMEs to adopt future-friendly practices, such as those inspired by the circular economy, to address the challenges of growth and create jobs. 

This open-source dataset features well over 500 cases and 200 examples of policies and laws and intent to collect inspiring examples of initiatives from across Africa, in order to inform the global dialogue, which is largely focused on the European and American context. 

To learn more about Africa's initiatives and content to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, visit https://www.footprintsafrica.co/



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Footprints Africa

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Reduced use and withdrawal of water and rate of recycling and reuse of water

Save Water (SDG6)

Societal Services

Consider opportunities to create greater value and align incentives that build on the interaction between products and services

Rethink the business model

Work together throughout the supply chain, internally within organisations and with the public sector and communities to increase transparency and create joint value

Team up to create joint value

Archetypes

CE Materials

Materials

Nace Sectors

Topics

Urban Opportunities

Whilst no two countries are the same, there are still obvious similarities between some of them, with discernible development patterns and parallels in evidence. Common problems and shared solutions help place unique country identities and individual issues in context.

Whilst this classification is far from clear-cut and exhibits some overlap, it does underline how the discourse on transitioning to a circular economy needs to account for both differences and commonalities, if we are to arrive at a more strategic and instructive analysis. It also allows to highlight a set of key themes that are likely to be central to the countries that fall under the respective profiles. 

Country profiles (Build, Grow, Shift)

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A framework to distinguish between different country profiles and their circular transition needs.

Browse case studies by type of implementing stakeholder.

Implementing stakeholders

It is 2050.  Full systems change has taken place. This wouldn’t have been possible without the immediate action and radical steps taken from 2020 onwards. Many targets had to be identified in the early 2020s and achieved by 2030 to ensure that the 2050 goal happened in full. A sense of urgency, turbo stakeholder collaboration, supportive government regulation and clear, data driven targets enabled the mindsets and systems change needed to transform to a fully circular textiles ecosystem.

A circular economics model underpins what we have created. It reflects and supports a living organism made up of makers, users and restorers, interacting across vibrant and interconnected networks. Checks and balances, alongside transparency and accountability, ensure a healthy system. Financial, environmental, and social metrics have the purpose of serving communities and the planet. There is shared ownership of profit and loss – across all three metrics – throughout the value chain.

This is what we’ve achieved over the last 30 years:

WCTD Themes

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The Circular City Actions Framework provides urban changemakers with five complementary strategies they can use to start working towards a more circular system. 

The framework is action-based to provide users with concrete strategic directions and showcase the desired outcomes of each strategy. 
The framework consists of five complementary **strategies**, under which **sub-strategies** provide further detail. Finally, each sub-strategy consists of a diversity of tangible **solutions** which are framed in relation to key thematic areas. 

Note: solutions are currently focused on:
- 🍏 **Food systems**
- 🏢  **Built environment**
- 👕📱  **Consumer goods**
- ⚡ **Energy Systems**
- 🚌 **Mobility Systems**
- 💧 **Water Systems**

More thematic areas are coming soon...

'Click through each of the five strategy cards below to explore the framework and circular economy case studies in more depth!'



This framework was developed in collaboration with ICLEI, Metabolic and Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from the MAVA Foundation. Read more about it [here]( https://circulars.iclei.org/action-framework/). 



Circular City Actions Framework

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An action-based framework for local governments working towards circular cities

Thematic Areas

City Stakeholders

Test Framework

Challenges

Based on the ongoing ISO standardisation process, a taxonomy has been defined under which to cluster indicators to measure circularity. 

ISO Taxonomy

If managed well, the transition to the circular economy will have multiple benefits for the labour market, including the opening up of job opportunities, raising job standards and reducing inequalities through a global redistribution of value. But a positive transition to circularity for work and workers must be underpinned by three pillars: upskilling the workforce, quality of work and inclusive job opportunities. Find out more and explore cases that illustrate these pillars below.

Circular Jobs Initiative Pillars

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A positive transition to circularity for work and workers must be underpinned by three core pillars.

This is a survey that dives into understanding the policy environment around specific circular solutions. 

The survey is divided into five sections, based on the five key elements of the Circular Cities Action Framework. 
Each section asks 2-3 questions to explore which policies may or may not be present within your city to support a transition towards a circular economy. 

You are not alone! Each question provides some practical examples from cities around the world that have adopted a certain policy to support their transition. This can help to compare with your city - is your city doing something similar?

The survey answers should be based on your current knowledge, and not illicit additional research - ! Please make use of the Not sure option as appropriate.


Ganbatte Cities Policy Tracker [Food]

Ganbatte Cities - Policy tracker policy instruments

Policy Tracker - TEST

             We strive to eliminate water borne diseases and therefore poverty among underprivileged communities through provision of plenty of safe water and trainings. WaterWe provide clean and safe drinking water to eliminate water borne diseases and save lives TechnologyPurifying water with filters instead of heat with the burning of trees EnvironmentSaving and planting trees to recreate habitats, working against deforestation and capturing carbon dioxide AwarenessRaise consciousness and awareness to change traditional ways with training and education to communities        We construct for rural communities , refugee camps and schools high volume water purification systems, train them in the technology and oversee when they construct their own domestic filters using locally available materials.                                                                                  
                                                                                         Our work has been recognised and awarded for being eco-inclussive and solving some of the world's most pressing issues. Our team has been awarded some of the most prestigious fellowships in the world renowned Universities. We have also been featured in the media both locally and internationally.                  SEED Low carbon Award 2019“Looking at our work from the surface, we are providing safe water to vulnerable communities, but when you look deeper, our work goes beyond that, we are healing the people and the planet…” -Agnes Nyamwiza- Co-founder Tusafishe.         The „Energy Globe“ - The World Award for Sustainability - is today’s most renowned environmental prize worldwide with around 180 nations participating every year. The Energy Globe Award honors the best projects addressing environmental issues since 20 years.            Winner 2021 - ENERGY GLOBE Uganda               Nominee 2021 - 22nd ENERGY GLOBE WORLD AWARD Finalists               Winner 2019 - SEED Low Carbon Award Winner           Our current focus is on large rural communities including refugee settlements and schools. The projects include installation of community scale purification system, institutional scale pufication systems, training of local women to install domestic filters and planting of Moringa trees. In West Nile we are installing 13 water purification systems in 13 schools, training 300 women to install domestic filters, constructing 13 container based sanitation systems/toilets to provide fertilizer for 10,000 trees that we are planting. We are implementing in 5 refugee settlements installation of 90 community scale purification systems, training of 4000 women to install domestic filters and planting of 10,000 moringa tree.              Founder and CEO Background (BSc Accounting And Finance)         Director Sales and Marketing         Director Operations Background (Water Engineering)         Co-Founder and Director Finance and Administration Background: (B.A Economics)         Director Communications Background: (B.A Mass communication)                “We’ve built a team of individuals who are passionate about serving our communities and love what they do.”  — Henry Othieno

                  Social Innovation Academy                                                              

Africa

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Footprints Africa supports SMEs to adopt future-friendly practices, address the challenges of growth and create jobs, using supply chains as a tool for development. 

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<p>Tusafishe constructs high-capacity water filtration systems for large communities and schools. To provide an alternative to boiling water for purification at the household level, Tusafishe trains and supervises community members to build their own water filters using locally available materials. Tusafishe's technology helps users avoid the use of wood for boiling water for drinking purposes, thereby reducing the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. It also reduces dependence on single-use plastics. Since July 2017, Tusafishe has provided clean water to over 30,000 people.</p>