The Cheap, Clever Promise of 'Water ATMs'

As governments and residents wrestle with drought and dwindling water supplies, atmospheric water generation systems are popping up throughout the United States as a way to convert air into water. One product, called WeDew, collects water droplets that are formed when warm air meets a cool surface. That water can be used to water plants or create safe drinking water. These air-to-water generators are being used in places from California to Uganda.

In many rural communities in India, access to clean drinking water is still scarce. The cost of bottled water is prohibitive, city pipes are in poor condition, and the municipal tanker trucks that supply some water are haphazard. But a social business called Sarvajal is busy scaling up a solution: a water ATM. These machines allow people to scan a pre-paid card and withdraw purified water from a stable, convenient source within their community when needed.

The India-based company Phool collects floral waste from religious temples to keep it from being discarded in rivers. The flowers are used to make incense sticks, and the company provides employment for over 200 women from marginalized communities.

A recycling initiative in Liberia turns plastic waste into tiles and provides income for the women who collect it. From picking up plastics, some women can earn up to $40 a week. While it’s not always easy, picking up the waste has also unblocked drains which has reduced flooding.

Companies and research initiatives around the world are developing and testing new toilets that can collect human urine and turn it into fertilizer. These urine diversion toilets have been implemented in places like South Africa with mixed results. However, researchers in Sweden are using portable toilets to gather the urine, dry it into fertilizer pellets that are then used to grow barley for beer. This work could show how to implement these kinds of toilets on a large scale.

After the 2008 economic recession hit, Carla Walker-Miller shifted her energy services business model to not only supply electrical equipment but also implement energy efficiency programs for communities of color in Detroit. She has been able to service 75 households, which has resulted in energy bill savings up to $600 a year for families. The company also has a robust recruitment and training program for young people and those experiencing economic hardship.

A company based in Addis Ababa makes water filtration systems that simultaneously help rural and urban dwellers have access to clean water as well as keep the entire supply chain within Ethiopia. Despite challenges faced by the company to make a profit, the business is determined to keep economic growth centered in local communities rather than outsource production.

A collective for Brazilian women artisans named Rede Asta provides training, production networks, links to consumers, and an online market to empower them to make a livable income. The group is also environmentally-conscious, focusing on creative waste reuse solutions that result in upcycled products. There are challenges as the collective grows, but they have supported more than 1,500 artisan women since opening.

Hundreds of millions of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa live on a mere two dollars per day, making it difficult to not only support themselves and their family, but also stay relevant in a market that requires expensive equipment. Hello Tractor, an "Uber-meets-Salesforce" app, helps smallholder farmers gain access to the use of fellow farmer's tractors and operators while also supporting the growth of the youth employment.

Waste has value, says Bilikiss Abiola, founder of Wecyclers. Her team travels through the slums in Lagos on bicycles, paying families cash in exchange for their recyclable trash. The business has made the city cleaner and created at least 80 jobs.