Nigeria’s national electricity grid has severe problems. It has already collapsed seven times in the current year and more than 200 times in the last nine years. When it collapses, it plunges the entire country into darkness.
These frequent power cuts are disastrous for small businesses. You either have to cut short your working day or rely on expensive generators for continuous power.
Quadloop, a Nigerian-based start-up has found a way not only to keep the lights on but also reduce electronic waste. QuadLoop recycles parts from electronic waste to produce low-cost solar lamps and other products.
Qualoop’s solar lanterns have proved a cheap fix for power shortages and also helped the environment by turning e-waste into energy-efficient opportunities.
Nigeria is the second country in Africa after Egypt to generate the highest amount of electronic trash. Nigeria is estimated to have generated e-waste worth U.S. $152 million in 2019.
Each solar lantern weighs roughly 5.5 Lbs and is made up of 70% recycled electronic waste. QuadLoop’s solar lamps extend the life of the used products and reduce the demand for more to be produced.
Instead of using lithium batteries for storing power, reusing batteries from old electronics will have a huge effect on the planet.
