A Student Run Startup Will Let You Be More Environment Friendly And Earn Some Cash At The Same Time

Our waste management system has serious issues. The problem has been staring at us for sometime now. While there are things that need to change at the government’s level, there are also initiatives that individuals need to take at their household level. A group of young entrepreneurs have come up with an idea to help with your trash management with an incentive for you as well.

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Cashbin is the brainchild of Badar Saeed (founder and CEO), Hamza Abbas (co-founder and COO) and Muammad Hamza (co-founder and CMO). They all are students at the Bahria University and simultaneously are part of the current incubation cycle of Plan9.

The idea behind the startup is to promote recycling in Pakistan, by turning trash into cash, after all it is a proven fact that money is the best motivator for people. However, at the same time the intent is to make waste management more efficient, easier and profitable for everyone.

Cashbin uses segregated bins which are managed through its mobile application.Twice a week their representatives will come to your door step to collect your segregated trash. Their visits can also be scheduled through a push notification when your bins are full. Once collected you either get paid in cash or you can opt for converting the amount to points that you can redeem at various brands to avail special discounts.

Talking to Mashable Pakistan, about the what gave them the idea, Saeed shared that as an entrepreneur he has always taken inspiration from his surroundings. To identify problems and come up with practical solutions and opportunities.

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“As we all know our planet is facing many challenges due to human activities. Environmental pollution and climate change are impacting every living thing. Our collective survival is at stake. Our lack of proper solid waste management is a key contributor to these problems, as it ends up in our water bodies or polluting our air when it is burnt; destroying our marine life, water quality and is also known to be the cause of spreading various diseases. Recycling is one of the key ways in while we can contribute towards the conservation of our natural resources and saving our planet and ourselves. This was the thought process behind the creation of Cashbin.”

The project is still in its pilot stage that is set up at the Bahria University’s Lahore campus, where they have received a lot of positive response. Local recycling organizations, Green Earth and Waste Busters have also responded positively and there is hope for future collaborations.

For the team of Cashbin, this is just the start, as they plan to step up their own recycling units and are working on improving their R&D to find more ways in which they can contribute towards a sustainable environment.

Originally published at https://pk.mashable.com on February 12, 2020.