The Toilet Board
Coalition
(TBC), with the strategic support of
Kimberly-Clark and its
Kotex
brand, has launched the Women in the Sanitation Economy Innovation Lab —
which seeks to cultivate and catalyze early-stage ideas and businesses within
the Sanitation Economy that are led by women and/or focused on women’s health.
Five women-led startups — from the US, UK and Kenya — will
participate in the Innovation Lab, which runs for six months beginning this
month. Participants will receive support and mentoring from Kimberly-Clark
employees, training and webinars on business topics, access to TBC’s network of
sanitation entrepreneurs, and guidance in developing custom work plans to bring
their ideas to life.
In a 2017 report, Introducing the Sanitation
Economy, the
TBC shed light on how monetizing toilet provision, products and services,
biological resources, health data and information can provide benefits across
business and society. That year, TBC and Kimberly-Clark began working
together
to transform sanitation systems into a smart, sustainable and revenue-generating
economy.
Now, the new Innovation Lab initiative expands the reach of the TBC’s current
Sanitation Economy Accelerator
Program — to address
specific gaps in the Sanitation Economy from a technological, business model,
demographic or geographical perspective.
DEI and sustainability: The ROI of inclusive corporate cultures
Join us as leaders from the Accomplis Collective, Bard, Beneficial State Foundation, ReEngineering HR and REI share best practices for cultivating a culture of belonging and insights into how inclusive leadership can lead to more effective and equitable sustainability outcomes — Wednesday, Oct. 16, at SB'24 San Diego.
“There is a clear need for more innovation and business solutions to meet
exploding consumer demand and to close the gaps on hygiene, including women’s
health,” said Pete Dulcamara, Kimberly-Clark’s Chief Scientist and a member
of the TBC’s Partnership Council. “This new initiative will address this need by
promoting women’s empowerment and helping fill the existing gaps in women’s
leadership in products and services within the Sanitation Economy.”
Here are the five startups selected for the Innovation Lab:
-
Be Girl, Inc (US) — a social enterprise that
delivers innovatively designed, sustainable menstrual products and education
to girls globally.
-
Mama Toto Clothes Diapers Enterprise (Kenya) —
an early-stage social enterprise that provides modern cloth diapers and
laundering services across all income levels in Nairobi, Kenya.
-
Turn and Flow (UK) — which is developing a
service to recycle organic menstrual pads and tampons, turning them into
renewable energy and fertilizer.
-
Syna Consultancy Ltd (Kenya) — a social enterprise
dedicated to providing access to safe water and sanitation facilities for
people with special needs or physical challenges.
-
Usafi Sanitation Ltd (Kenya) — a local
Kenyan company that provides eco-friendly solutions to ensure communities,
schools and homesteads have access to proper sanitation.
Learn more about the Women in the Sanitation Economy Innovation Lab and the
businesses involved here.
Get the latest insights, trends, and innovations to help position yourself at the forefront of sustainable business leadership—delivered straight to your inbox.
Sustainable Brands Staff
Published Oct 9, 2020 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST