2025 Winner: BleagLee
BleagLee’s mission is to create healthier, sustainable communities by addressing systemic waste management issues in vulnerable and marginalized communities. They use an integrated approach that combines advanced AI, recycling technologies, and community engagement to mitigate the adverse effects of poor waste disposal practices and empower communities with economic opportunities.
What does BleagLee do?
What social challenge are they addressing?
In urban slums globally, inadequate waste management results in severe health risks and environmental degradation. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution, partly caused by improper waste burning, contributes to approximately 7 million deaths annually, disproportionately affecting slum dwellers.
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In underserved regions of Cameroon and Senegal, the lack of a waste management infrastructure, limited financial resources, insufficient regulations, and the rise of a “throwaway culture” is leaving communities in dire environmental and health conditions. These areas face significant challenges, including clogged drainage systems leading to flooding, open waste burning that increases respiratory diseases (up to 40% as noted by WHO), and water contamination that exacerbates waterborne diseases.
What is their solution?
BleagLee uses an AI-based waste identification platform to quickly track poor waste disposal on physical sites in vulnerable communities, and then works with local community waste collectors to appropriately collect waste for processing and proper disposal. They set up local processing plants for converting waste into value-added products such as bioenergy, biochar, compost and plastic pellets, creating job opportunities for the economically disadvantaged. All financial gains from sales are reinvested into waste management solutions and community engagement initiatives to educate communities on proper waste disposal and drive behavioral change.
What is their impact?
BleagLee’s focus is on waste management, public health, and economic empowerment in underserved communities across Cameroon and Senegal. Between 2021 and 2023, BleagLee processed over 44,620 tons of waste, achieving a recycling rate of 63%. These efforts have led to transformative health outcomes including a 35% reduction in respiratory diseases, 40% reduction in water contamination, and 20% reduction in PM2.5 (air quality) levels. Over 530 jobs have been created in marginalized communities with 95% of surveyed residents expressing a positive perception about the impact of BleagLee’s work.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
How is BleagLee aligned with the Lipman Family Prize’s four key criteria?
Leadership
BleagLee is a trailblazer in sustainable waste management, leveraging AI-driven waste tracking systems and community engagement and buy-in to address critical environmental challenges in marginalized areas.
Impact
BleagLee’s work to convert waste into valuable resources has demonstrated significant benefits for public health and community wellness, economic impact and environmental improvements.
Innovation
BleagLee is innovative for focusing on both systematic solutions and behavioral change through active community engagement and collaboration, and is one of the first organizations to integrate AI for tracking waste concentration in marginalized areas.
Transferability
BleagLee’s model is both adaptable and scalable. Their commitment to knowledge sharing enables other organizations to take these learnings and apply it in diverse contexts.
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