Video summary
The global transition toward clean energy presents a critical challenge, as the demand for copper is projected to quadruple by 2040, yet current supply chains often rely on unsafe methods like open-air burning of cables. This practice contributes to a massive electronic waste crisis, where over 53 million tons are generated annually, with 80% ending up in developing nations and exposing millions of people to toxic fumes daily. To address this urgent issue, Just Cycle was developed as an innovative solution housed within a standard shipping container. This mobile facility operates entirely without fire or hazardous chemicals, eliminating the dangers associated with traditional recycling while providing a safe alternative for processing waste in regions that lack proper infrastructure.
Inside the container, the recycling process is fully automated and powered by solar energy generated on its own roof, ensuring complete independence from the electrical grid. The system begins by weighing and classifying incoming waste, where an artificial intelligence component identifies dangerous materials before they are processed. A high-powered granulator mechanically shreds the waste into tiny fragments, after which airflow efficiently separates PVC plastic from metal mixtures. Magnets automatically extract iron, while a vibrating table utilizing water density differences further separates copper from aluminum. Crucially, all water used in this process is filtered and recirculated in a closed loop, resulting in zero discharge and preventing any environmental contamination.
The economic and social impact of the Just Cycle model is designed to be self-sustaining and scalable, directly addressing multiple sustainable development goals such as poverty reduction, decent work, and climate action. By selling the high-value recycled copper fractions, the units finance their own operations with a return on investment achieved in just 28 to 34 months, removing the need for endless subsidies. The technology is specifically tailored to empower vulnerable groups like women and youth who are often most exposed to recycling risks, creating formal jobs that replace informal, dangerous labor. Whether deployed as a single unit serving one community or scaled to cover entire cities across West Africa, the model offers a replicable design that can be manufactured and transported anywhere to create infinite opportunities for clean energy and safe waste management.
Read the full video transcript
The world is rushing toward one promise,
clean energy to save the planet. But by
2040, we'll need four times more copper
than we have today. And that copper
often comes from burning cables in the
open air. Every year, the world
generates 53 million tons of electronic
waste. 80% of it ends up in developing
nations processed by hand without
[music] protection. More than 2 million
people breathe these toxic fumes every
single day. So Just Cycle was born. A
solarp powered micro plant inside a
standard shipping container. No [music]
fire, no chemicals, no dependence on the
electrical grid. We chose a B John Ivory
Coast because the solution already
almost exists here. More than 6,000
[music] informal recyclers across 17
collection points. Today they send 100
tons a year to Ghana. Just Cycle is the
plant they're missing. Inside the
container, everything is mechanical. No
fire, no chemicals. First, the [music]
waste is weighed and classified as it
enters. An artificial intelligence
system detects what is dangerous before
processing it. [music] Then, a 7.5
kowatt granulator reduces the waste into
tiny fragments, just [music] 2 to 5 mm.
No combustion, only mechanical force. An
airflow separates PVC plastic from the
metal mixture with over 90% efficiency.
[music]
The light plastic is pulled away. The
heavy metal keeps going. A magnet
automatically removes iron from the
remaining mixture. Every fraction
separates by itself without any manual
intervention. A vibrating table with
water separates copper from aluminum by
density. Copper is heavier and sinks.
Aluminum is lighter and floats [music]
away. All the water we use is recovered.
Nothing is discharged outside. It's
filtered, [music] cleaned, and
circulates again. A 100% closed loop.
Zero discharge. Zero environmental
contamination. [music] That simple. The
final result, four clean, sellable
fractions. [music]
Copper, aluminum, iron, and PVC. And
clean copper is worth four times more.
All of this runs on solar energy [music]
generated on the container's own roof.
Lithium iron phosphate batteries store
that energy to [music] operate day and
night. No cables, no electrical grid.
The container sustains [music] itself
completely. Every payment from collector
to buyer is recorded on a [music]
blockchain. Traceable, verifiable, fair
at every step of the chain. The [music]
most important thing about Just Cycle
isn't the technology. It can replicate
without [music] limit. It fits in a
standard shipping container. It's
manufactured, transported, [music]
deployed anywhere. And the model
finances itself. Return on investment in
just 28 to 34 months. 10 units, an
entire pilot city, [music] 40 to 60
formal jobs, 100 units, all of West
Africa, 600 direct jobs, [music] 320
tons of CO2 avoided per year with just
10 units. And with 100, more than 3,000
tons of CO2 avoided each year. [music]
One container, 100 communities, one
design, infinite cities. Just cycle
directly impacts eight sustainable
development goals. No poverty, health,
decent work, innovation, reduced
inequality. It prioritizes those who
need it most, women and youth, the most
exposed to risk. [music] It's a model
that pays for itself from the sale of
the recycled copper itself without
depending on endless subsidies. A real
business ready to deploy. [music] And
all those goals converge into one.
Action on climate, health, decent work,
and climate in a single solution. The
technology already exists. [music] The
problem is real. All we're missing is
scale. Just cycle. One container.
Infinite communities. University of Deto
Seaman's Energy and SDSN. [music]