Seeking to address these issues from the ground up with locally-available, low-cost materials, SolarCycle’s founders looked to the most unusual of resources - trash.  We have designed a revolutionary material made from used plastic grocery bags and the aluminized interior of chip bags, which will replace virgin plastics and mirrors in solar concentrating applications. Using this “upcycled” manufacturing process, SolarCycle produces the most durable, sustainable, and financially accessible solar cookers and community-scale water pasteurizers on the market and turns a serious trash problem into a solution for diarrheal illness and respiratory disease. 

A single $5 SolarCycle cooker will reduce smoke-related illnesses, save 60 days and 2700 miles of walking to collect firewood, prevent 20,000 lbs of firewood consumption, and produce annual social benefits estimated at $34.  By purifying enough water for 80 people over 10 years, our $350 water pasteurizer will reduce the incidence of diarrheal illness by 40% among users, producing a staggering annual $2500 in social benefits.  Beginning in Sub-Saharan Africa, SolarCycle will use local waste products and easily scalable manufacturing processes to achieve rapid growth and widespread environment and health improvements for the people that need it most.