Sustainable Living Pods and Pods Ecosystems —

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is one of the most challenging markets in need of clean energy solutions, with large humanitarian challenges and widespread population needs. But the future of sustainable development in the country rests on its ability to scale clean energy solutions and manage its diverse environmental ecosystem.  The DRC is home to the world’s second largest tropical forest massif after the Amazon with nearly 155.5 million hectares of forest. Forests (60 percent of the Congo Basin) are rich in animal and plant biodiversity (5th in the world) and provide important goods and services (non-wood forest products, timber, wood energy, bushmeat, traditional pharmacopoeia, etc.) on which the lives of thousands of rural people depend. However, a combination of population growth, poverty, poor governance and the administrative deficit is leading to deforestation and forest degradation in the country.

Thriftify.ie, an Irish e-commerce website which sells items from 98% of Ireland’s charity shops, has secured funding through the government’s Circular Economy Innovation Grant Scheme.
The scheme supports innovation and the circular economy by boosting projects set up by social enterprises, in both the voluntary and community sectors.  
Thriftify enables charities to sell donations easily and effectively via smart tech. Participating charity shops upload either a photo or barcode of an item and Thriftify will price it and sell it across several different online sales platforms such as eBay, Facebook, Instagram and its own website. This smart tech enables charity shops to easily sell preloved fashion items and books via Thriftify which will then post any sold items to the purchaser in a biodegradable bag, ensuring that the whole process is as eco-friendly and effective as possible.