Tuesday 15 October 2013

Unilever hunts for sustainable entrepreneurs

Global brand owner Unilever is offering a total of €200,000 (£170k) to seven young entrepreneurs aged 30 or under who have “inspiring initiatives” which tackle the challenge of sustainable living.

Africa is the biggest contributor to the ChangeMakers competition so far with 19 entries rolling in from east African nations including Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania while 17 come from west Africa’s Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia.

One project in Ugandan capital city Kampala proposes to recycle waste tyres into shoes, belts, sandals, door mats and handbags.

India has put forward eight projects including a “fan-generator” to reuse the electricity used by ceiling fans which are common across the country.

The UK’s sole existing entry is from Stephen Samuel Paradise of Imagine Cardiff, with an idea to create a public beach and fresh water swimming area, in the heart of the capital city, “free to use, by everyone, forever”.

The Welsh submission states: “This public space will reinvigorate the Cardiff Bay area and attract visitors from across the region and solve water quality issues on a city scale level”.

Deadline for the competition is on 1 November 2013.