Togo’s Rôbalôtô wins Top Francophone Africa prize for community-based plastic recycling model

TOGO – Togolese startup Rôbalôtô has won the Francophone Africa Prize at the Africa Climate Innovation Challenge (ACIC) 2025, taking home a US$10,000 award for its digitally enabled, community-driven plastic waste management model.

The winners were announced at the ACIC finals held this week in Kampala, Uganda, drawing climate innovators from more than 20 African countries.

Rôbalôtô impressed judges with its simple but scalable system that treats plastic waste as a local economic resource.

The initiative works directly with households, schools and youth groups to promote sorting and recycling, using mobile technology to track collections and provide financial or social incentives.

The model aims not only to cut pollution but also to generate income for low-income families and young people.

Founder Aymane Gbadamassi said the prize reflects years of on-the-ground experimentation and community engagement.

He thanked partners including the Green Africa Youth Organization, 3E’s4Africa, UNDP Uganda, The Earthshot Prize, and Start.Up Lounge Africa, along with Togolese institutions supporting digital innovation.

“This award shows that plastic can become a resource worth recovering, not just a pollutant,” Gbadamassi said.

“It is recognition for the communities who have worked with us and believed in this model.”

The startup now plans to expand into new neighbourhoods and border communities while strengthening its educational programs.

Among its initiatives is a solar-powered school-bag project designed to teach young learners about recycling while improving access to clean energy.

Rôbalôtô aims to extend the model to more schools and households to deepen both environmental and socioeconomic benefits.

Other winners at ACIC 2025

This year’s Africa Climate Innovation Challenge (ACIC) showcased a diverse group of climate-tech entrepreneurs working to address both adaptation and mitigation challenges across the continent.

The finalists demonstrated how innovation, community engagement and resource efficiency can be harnessed to advance climate resilience and green economic growth.

The East Africa Prize went to SunHarvest Kenya, a Nairobi-based agri-tech startup developing affordable solar dehydration units.

The technology helps smallholder farmers reduce post-harvest losses, preserve produce for longer periods and stabilize incomes.

By lowering dependence on diesel-powered dryers and improving food security, SunHarvest is positioning solar processing as a scalable solution for rural agricultural markets.

In Central Africa, EcoBloc Cameroon secured the regional prize for its green-building innovation.

The enterprise converts plastic waste and agricultural residues into modular, low-carbon construction blocks used in affordable housing projects.

The model not only diverts waste from landfills but also reduces the carbon footprint of construction, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional building materials.

The Women Innovators Award was won by SheHeat Rwanda, a women-led clean-energy initiative focused on replacing traditional biomass fuels with smokeless bio-briquettes.

The group also distributes efficient cookstoves to rural households, helping cut indoor air pollution and lowering pressure on local forests.

Their work highlights the role of women-led enterprises in driving both health and environmental impacts in underserved communities.

Meanwhile, the Youth Climate Innovation Award went to GreenTech Gambia, a dynamic youth collective developing low-cost plastic-to-paving technology.

Their solution reinforces rural roads using recycled plastics, providing an alternative to expensive conventional materials while addressing the region’s growing plastic pollution challenge.

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