Last updated 9 months ago
E-waste is growing fast, yet only 22.3% is collected. No system exists—leaving toxic leaks, no incentives, and little data. This “intention–action gap” harms health, environment, and development.
ReLoop is a Cardano-powered circular economy for e-waste, using smart bins, token rewards, and DAO governance to drive recycling, empower IDPs, and deliver social and environmental impact.
This is the total amount allocated to ReLoop: Turning E-Waste into Wealth through Cardano.
Please provide your proposal title
ReLoop: Turning E-Waste into Wealth through Cardano
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
90000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
12
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
E-waste is growing fast, yet only 22.3% is collected. No system exists—leaving toxic leaks, no incentives, and little data. This “intention–action gap” harms health, environment, and development.
Supporting links
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
No
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
wasteless- our local experts on e-waste collection in Georgia, UNDP initial work and reporting on behavioural and legal advisory on e-waste programes in Georgia.
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
Yes
License and Additional Information
ReLoop ensures full transparency and trust by maintaining a public GitHub repository from Day 1 under MIT License, with open-source accessibility for developers and communities. All Plutus smart contracts will be third-party audited to guarantee security and reliability. The project provides comprehensive documentation, including both technical manuals and community-friendly guides, enabling broad adoption. Transparent issue tracking, open governance and inclusive participation.
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal.
Sustainability
Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously funded (whether by you or others).
ReLoop is innovative because it transforms e-waste from a disposal challenge into a source of community value. By combining blockchain-verified drop-off points with a tokenized incentive system, users instantly earn Eco-Credits or $ReLoop tokens redeemable for goods, services, or discounts. Its design is intentionally inclusive, using low-tech SMS access to engage underserved IDP communities while ensuring transparency through audited Plutus contracts. A DAO governance model empowers communities to co-decide priorities, blending cutting-edge blockchain with social impact for a scalability.
Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.
The MVP provides an inclusive platform where users earn tokens by responsibly disposing of e-waste at mapped and QR-coded drop-off points. Each submission is manually verified to ensure accountability and prevent fraud, while bin locations are accessible via maps for easy navigation. The system tracks all transactions on-chain for transparency and rewards users instantly with $ReLoop tokens, creating direct economic value. This approach fosters trust, promotes behavior change, and scalabiity https://reloop-eco-drop.vercel.app/
Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.
Total Verified Deposits: Number of successful e-waste drop-offs logged via smart contracts.
Unique Active Wallets: Growth in individual users earning $ReLoop tokens.
Transaction Volume: Total Eco-Credit/$ReLoop token transfers, redemptions, and trades.
Redemption Rate: % of tokens redeemed for goods/services vs. held.
DAO Participation: Number of proposals created, votes cast, and unique IDP/community wallets participating.
Geographic Spread: Number of verified drop-off points activated.
Circular Value Generated: Total token value issued and redeemed.
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
ReLoop is innovative because it doesn’t just treat e-waste as a waste management problem—it reframes it as a community wealth and inclusion opportunity. Unlike traditional recycling systems, it integrates blockchain verification to ensure transparency and trust, while introducing a tokenized incentive model that delivers immediate, tangible economic value to users through Eco-Credits and $ReLoop tokens. The system is intentionally designed for underserved and excluded groups like IDPs, using low-tech access channels (USSD/SMS) to bridge digital divides, and a DAO governance model that empowers marginalized communities to actively shape environmental priorities. This combination of cutting-edge blockchain infrastructure, behavioral incentive design, and inclusive governance creates a circular economy platform that is not only scalable and secure, but also deeply rooted in social impact and civic empowerment—a unique blend rarely seen in e-waste management.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
ReLoop creates immediate environmental and social impact by addressing the e-waste crisis in underserved regions like Zugdidi. It incentivizes responsible disposal through token rewards, reducing toxic pollution and recovering valuable materials. At the same time, it empowers internally displaced persons (IDPs)—who face systemic exclusion and higher health risks—by providing accessible collection points, economic incentives, and a voice in local decision-making through DAO governance.
Beyond cleanup, ReLoop fosters long-term community resilience by combining behavior change, digital inclusion, and civic participation. With measurable outcomes and open-source transparency, the solution is designed for national scale-up, offering a replicable model for inclusive, circular economies across Georgia and beyond.
What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?
Our team combines experience in blockchain development, community-driven pilots, and circular economy design. We have previously partnered with NGOs and UNDP initiatives to deliver transparent, auditable, and impact-driven projects. To ensure proper fund management, we follow open-source principles (public GitHub, MIT license), implement third-party audits of smart contracts, maintain transparent reporting dashboards, and use DAO-based governance for oversight.
Technical: Built on Cardano’s energy-efficient infrastructure, leveraging Plutus smart contracts, tokenization, and open-source commitment.
Operational: Partnership with Wasteless (Georgia’s PRO) ensures compliance with national laws and efficient recycling logistics.
Institutional: Support from UNDP Accelerator Lab + Zugdidi municipality provides legitimacy and infrastructure backing.
Community: Engagement through IDP associations and retailers ensures grassroots adoption.
Feasibility Proofs: Builds on UNDP Georgia’s prior e-waste pilot framework + African blockchain-based community incentive models.
Milestone Title
MVP
Milestone Outputs
The MVP will focus on token minting and a pilot user interface that allows for real-world testing with an initial cohort of 10 early users. The token minting function will issue $ReLoop tokens or Eco-Credits whenever e-waste is deposited at a verified drop-off point. Deposits will be validated either through QR-code scans linked to bins or manual verification of submitted items, ensuring both digital and low-tech users are included.
The pilot UI will provide a simple, accessible interface where users can:
View nearby bin locations on a map
Scan QR codes for instant deposit validation
Track token balances and redemptions
Access education on safe e-waste handling
By limiting the pilot to 10 users, we will create a controlled testing environment to validate the end-to-end flow: deposit → verification → token issuance → redemption. This setup ensures that technical elements (Plutus contracts, on-chain recording) and social components (user engagement, reward satisfaction, trust in the system) are both tested early.
The small-scale test will generate on-chain metrics such as number of deposits, volume of tokens issued, and redemption frequency. These insights will shape the iterative design of ReLoop, informing adjustments to UX, incentive structure, and smart contract logic. Ultimately, this phase will prove the feasibility of combining blockchain-based token rewards with transparent, verifiable e-waste collection, before scaling to larger user groups and more bin locations.
Acceptance Criteria
In the pilot, users will be able to earn and redeem tokens through responsible e-waste disposal. Every time a user deposits an eligible item at a verified drop-off point, the action is recorded on-chain and triggers the minting of $ReLoop tokens. Verification will occur through QR-code scanning at bins or manual submission checks, ensuring flexibility for both digital-first and low-tech participants.
Once earned, tokens will appear in the user’s wallet within the pilot UI, where balances can be tracked transparently. Tokens will serve as a reward and utility mechanism, encouraging continued participation by enabling users to redeem them for discounts with participating retailers, airtime credits, or community benefits such as vouchers for sustainable products. This dual role—earning from responsible action and redeeming for tangible value—creates a closed-loop incentive system that motivates users while directly linking sustainable behavior to financial empowerment.
The system ensures trust and transparency through on-chain recording of each transaction, creating a verifiable history of e-waste deposits, token issuance, and redemptions. For early pilot users, this flow demonstrates the practical, real-world utility of blockchain tokens beyond speculation, aligning personal benefit with environmental impact. Over time, as more retailers and municipalities join, redemption options will expand, making tokens even more valuable within the ecosystem.
Evidence of Completion
The pilot will feature a live demo environment where stakeholders can directly observe how ReLoop works end-to-end. Users will interact with a simple mobile/web interface to locate drop-off bins, scan QR codes, or submit items for manual verification. Each successful deposit triggers an on-chain transaction that mints and transfers $ReLoop tokens to the user’s wallet, providing real-time proof of participation.
All token issuance, transfers, and redemption events will be recorded on the Cardano blockchain, creating an immutable, publicly verifiable trail. This ensures trust, accountability, and transparency for both users and partners—no rewards can be fabricated, altered, or misallocated.
Stakeholders will be able to view blockchain transaction records live during the demo, including deposit verification, token minting, and redemption events. This showcases not only the user experience but also the underlying trust architecture that guarantees fairness.
The combination of a working demo UI with real blockchain activity provides tangible evidence of ReLoop’s viability and impact potential, demonstrating to funders, municipalities, and community partners that the system is functional, auditable, and ready to scale.
Delivery Month
3
Cost
30000
Progress
80 %
Milestone Title
M2: Retailer Integration
Milestone Outputs
ReLoop’s MVP will launch with five early retail partners, ensuring that users have immediate and meaningful ways to redeem their earned tokens. These partners will provide discounts, goods, and essential services directly exchangeable for $ReLoop or Eco-Credit tokens, closing the loop between responsible e-waste disposal and tangible economic value.
The redemption system will be fully live at pilot stage, with QR code or USSD/SMS integration allowing seamless use even for users without smartphones. Each redemption triggers an on-chain event, transparently recording value transfer and preventing fraud or duplicate claims.
Retail partners benefit by attracting new customers through trade-in incentives and gain visibility as sustainability champions, while users—particularly IDPs and underserved communities—see immediate, practical rewards for their actions.
By demonstrating a functioning, verifiable incentive cycle—deposit, earn, redeem—with trusted retail partners, ReLoop builds credibility, adoption momentum, and a clear path to scale across Georgia’s circular economy landscape.
Acceptance Criteria
ReLoop enables users to redeem their earned tokens directly at partnered retailers, transforming responsible e-waste disposal into tangible everyday value. After depositing e-waste at verified bins or drop-off points, users instantly receive $ReLoop or Eco-Credit tokens recorded on-chain. These tokens can be redeemed for discounts, goods, or services at local businesses that have joined the program.
The redemption process is designed to be simple and inclusive: users scan a QR code at the point of sale or, for low-tech access, enter a USSD/SMS code to apply their tokens as partial payment. Each redemption is tracked via smart contracts, ensuring transparency, preventing double spending, and creating a publicly auditable record of impact.
Retailers benefit by attracting new customers and driving sales through trade-in incentives, while simultaneously showcasing their role in promoting sustainability. For users—particularly IDPs and underserved communities—the system provides immediate, practical rewards, strengthening trust and participation.
By linking responsible disposal directly to redeemable economic benefits, ReLoop creates a closed-loop circular economy that is measurable, transparent, and scalable.
Evidence of Completion
ReLoop demonstrates measurable traction through signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with retail partners and transparent token redemption reports recorded on-chain. Each MoU formalizes the retailer’s commitment to accept $ReLoop or Eco-Credit tokens in exchange for goods, discounts, or services, ensuring users have real and immediate value outlets for their earned rewards.
The redemption process is monitored through blockchain-verified transactions, which provide publicly auditable reports of how many tokens are redeemed, where they are spent, and by whom (without exposing private user data). These reports serve as both an accountability mechanism for funders and a performance metric for partners, showcasing user adoption, retailer engagement, and circular economy impact.
This combination of formal retail partnerships and transparent redemption data not only validates the system’s real-world utility but also builds confidence among users, municipalities, and investors that ReLoop is delivering both economic and environmental value.
Delivery Month
6
Cost
15000
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
M3: Investment and DAO Tokens
Milestone Outputs
The deployment of DAO and investment contracts will formalize decentralized governance and transparent capital allocation for the e-waste platform. Community members and investors holding tokens will gain the ability to propose, debate, and vote on key decisions, ranging from partnership selection and bin location expansion to allocation of funds for scaling. The voting mechanism will be designed to balance inclusivity and efficiency, with weighted participation ensuring both early adopters and institutional partners are represented. By anchoring decision-making on-chain, the system ensures accountability, prevents unilateral control, and builds long-term trust. These governance and investment structures will serve as the foundation for future scalability, enabling replication in other municipalities while giving local stakeholders a direct voice in how resources are managed and growth is pursued.
Acceptance Criteria
The milestone of having at least 50 users actively participate in DAO voting will demonstrate both adoption and legitimacy of the governance framework. This level of engagement ensures that decision-making is not concentrated among a few stakeholders but reflects a diverse community voice. Each voting session will be transparently recorded on-chain, creating a verifiable track record of community involvement and accountability. Participation metrics will help assess inclusivity and highlight areas where user onboarding or education may be improved. By crossing the 50-user threshold, the project validates that decentralized governance is not only a theoretical feature but a practical, functioning mechanism shaping how resources, investments, and expansion decisions are managed. This will strengthen credibility with institutional partners, investors, and regulators while laying the groundwork for larger-scale community-driven governance.
Evidence of Completion
To ensure transparency and accountability, each governance cycle will produce a DAO snapshot report alongside detailed smart contract logs. The snapshot report will summarize key proposals, voter participation rates, and approved outcomes in a community-friendly format. The smart contract logs will serve as verifiable, tamper-proof on-chain records of every action taken, from proposal creation to execution.
In addition, the DAO will issue investment tokens linked to governance rights. These tokens not only allow holders to participate in voting but also represent stake-based incentives, aligning community decision-making with long-term project sustainability. Reports will track token distribution, staking activity, and investment inflows/outflows, ensuring that both governance power and capital contributions remain transparent. By integrating governance snapshots with investment token analytics, the project builds trust among users, investors, and retail partners while providing a scalable model for community-driven financing.
Delivery Month
9
Cost
10000
Progress
10 %
Milestone Title
M4: Evaluation & Scaling
Milestone Outputs
At the close of the pilot, a comprehensive impact report will be published, detailing the measurable outcomes of the initiative. This will include key on-chain and off-chain metrics such as: volume of e-waste collected and responsibly processed, number of users onboarded, tokens earned and redeemed, retailer engagement, and DAO governance participation. The report will highlight contributions to SDG targets (responsible consumption, climate action, and decent work) and demonstrate how tokenized incentives and decentralized governance improve transparency and accountability.
Alongside the impact report, a roadmap for replication will be developed, outlining the steps to scale the model across additional regions and waste streams. This will include technical modules (token minting, redemption logic, DAO governance contracts), community engagement playbooks, and retail onboarding strategies. By packaging both the results and the repeatable framework, stakeholders and investors will have confidence that the solution is scalable, transparent, and financially sustainable.
Acceptance Criteria
≥10 Tons Collected + Positive Community Survey (≈600–800 characters)
By the end of the pilot, the platform will demonstrate tangible environmental and social impact, with at least 10 tons of e-waste collected and verified through on-chain records and manual audits. Alongside this, a structured community survey will be conducted with participating households, retailers, and collection partners to measure satisfaction, trust, and perceived value of the token system. Achieving both a measurable waste diversion target and positive community feedback will validate that the solution is not only technically functional but also socially accepted, transparent, and scalable.
Evidence of Completion
An independent third-party evaluation will be conducted to assess the pilot’s effectiveness, transparency, and community impact. This evaluation will review technical performance, token flow, environmental outcomes, and stakeholder trust, ensuring credibility and external validation. Findings will be summarized in a publicly accessible report, alongside a published roadmap that details the next steps for scaling, replication in new regions, and integration of governance and investment mechanisms. Together, this milestone ensures accountability, strengthens investor and partner confidence, and sets a clear pathway for sustainable growth.
Delivery Month
12
Cost
20000
Progress
10 %
Milestone Title
Contingency
Milestone Outputs
A dedicated risk buffer is allocated to cover unexpected infrastructure or operational costs during the pilot. This includes contingencies for server scaling, cloud hosting, blockchain gas fees, device or hardware needs, and logistics overruns. Maintaining this buffer ensures uninterrupted service, smooth user experience, and resilience against technical or market fluctuations. It also demonstrates fiscal responsibility and safeguards both community trust and investor confidence by proactively planning for uncertainties.
Acceptance Criteria
A risk buffer is reserved exclusively for unforeseen infrastructure and operational needs, such as server scaling, blockchain gas fee spikes, or logistics overruns. This buffer will remain untouched and utilized only if required, ensuring financial discipline while safeguarding uninterrupted service, user trust, and pilot stability in the face of unexpected challenges.
Evidence of Completion
A risk buffer is reserved exclusively for unforeseen infrastructure and operational needs, such as server scaling, blockchain gas fee spikes, or logistics overruns. This buffer will remain untouched and utilized only if required, with transparent reporting of usage to stakeholders. This ensures financial discipline, accountability, and uninterrupted pilot operations while maintaining user trust.
Delivery Month
1
Cost
5000
Progress
10 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Budget Allocation & Rationale
Platform Development: 35,000 ADA
Covers smart contract development, user interface (web/mobile), wallet integration, and QR-based e-waste tracking features. Ensures a secure, user-friendly foundation for the pilot.
Community Incentives/Tokenization: 25,000 ADA
Reserved for minting and distributing tokens that reward responsible e-waste disposal. Provides tangible incentives to users and retailers, anchoring behavior change.
Knowledge Exchange/Travel: 7,000 ADA
Supports workshops, stakeholder meetings, and cross-regional learning. Critical for engaging local governments, retailers, and waste handlers while sharing lessons globally.
Infrastructure: 15,000 ADA
Allocated to cloud hosting, blockchain fees, data storage, and physical logistics like verified bins and QR placements. Keeps operations reliable and scalable.
Monitoring/Evaluation: 5,000 ADA
Funds independent assessments, surveys, and on-chain data analysis to validate impact, measure SDG contribution, and guide replication.
Contingency: 3,000 ADA
A small buffer for unforeseen costs such as infrastructure scaling or operational disruptions, only utilized if necessary, with full transparency in reporting.
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
Cost Efficiency
With a total of 90,000 ADA, the project delivers a full end-to-end system: blockchain-based platform, community incentives, retailer integration, monitoring, and evaluation. This holistic approach ensures no gaps between technology, adoption, and validation—maximizing the impact of every ADA spent.
Leverage
Each ADA invested generates a multiplier effect: tokens unlock real-world redemption value at retailers, reduce municipal waste management burdens by incentivizing proper disposal, and direct recyclers into transparent, verified supply chains. This creates economic, environmental, and social returns beyond the initial funding.
Transparency
All funds are managed through a DAO structure with auditable smart contracts. This guarantees open decision-making, tamper-proof reporting, and clear accountability to funders, communities, and partners.
Sustainability
The incentive model is designed to self-sustain post-pilot by gradually shifting token support to retailer subsidies, recycler payments, and market-driven token value. This reduces dependence on external grants while embedding e-waste management into local economies.
Scalability
Once validated in the pilot, the model can be scaled across Georgia—leveraging local retailer and recycler networks—and replicated globally in underserved communities facing similar e-waste and informal waste challenges. The modular design (tokenization, QR/verification, DAO governance) allows for rapid adaptation to different local contexts.
Terms and Conditions:
Yes
Creative Operations Services
Joyce Kyalo :Blockchain developer
Fabian Owuor : Industry Collaboration and Research
Wasteless
Giorgio Guliashvili : CEO/Team Lead
Gizo Iluridze
Tamar Todidze