My name is Jasmine Amoako-Agyei, I am a fourth-year honors student and Tillman Scholar at Arizona State University in Barrett, the Honors College. I am also a United Nations Millennium Fellow for the Class of 2020 and I am deeply passionate about using sustainable development and artistic activism to address social inequities and protect the environment. I am also a first-generation American of a Ghanaian family. I am incredibly proud of my identity and culture—and I believe it is my culture and the values it holds that have heavily impacted and shaped the person I am today. Each day, I am guided by two quotes that serve as my motivation to continue my work in social and environmental impact; Jane Goodall's “there is still so much in the world worth fighting for,” and Thomas Sankara's "Dare to invent the future". Simply put, I believe in better, and I especially believe that the next generation of young black children deserve so much better. While living and working in Ghana in 2018, I experienced the frustration of not having access to a recycling facility near me. As I talked with business leaders, young Ghanaians, and government officials, I realized we all shared the same frustrations and concerns. In Ghana, only 2% of single-use plastic water bottles are recycled and 73 million kilos of those bottles enter the environment annually. A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation states that, “Without significant action, there may be more plastic than fish in the ocean, by weight, by 2050.” Additionally, through a report by the World Health Organization, I learned that 28,000 Ghanaians die prematurely each year due to poor sanitation and exposure to pollution. Deeply disturbed by this statistic and realizing that something could be done to prevent it, Countdown CES was born. Countdown: Circular Economy Solutions is a social enterprise and technology startup taking a community-centered approach to tackling plastic pollution both at Arizona State University and in Ghana, West Africa. This initiative will use technology to provide education and skills training to upcycle plastic waste into usable product. Our goal is to create a means of transition from the traditional “take, make, use, waste” model of the global linear economy, to the “make, use, reuse, remake, recycle” model of the Circular Economy. Through our operations, we aim to create healthier, more sustainable, and empowered communities in Ghana and later across Africa. We have developed a 3-part solution to this challenge. First, we have partnered with EPICS at ASU to offer two project tracks in the Spring Semester: Students will use 3D printing to develop furniture and playground equipment prototypes made of upcycled plastics. They will also explore other more efficient manufacturing methods. Secondly, we need to increase community awareness of safe waste management practices; we aim to do so through workshops, an international ambassador program, and a curriculum designed for schools. We have recruited a team of passionate leaders on the ground in Ghana to lead this part of our operations. And finally, our end goal is to open a design and innovation hub in Accra, Ghana where we provide youth with the resources and education to sustainably manufacture eco-friendly products from plastic waste. With $2,000, we would be able to use this funding to acquire the 3D printers and invest in branding materials such as a website, uniforms, and PPE equipment for our team.

My name is Jasmine Amoako-Agyei, I am a fourth-year honors student and Tillman Scholar at Arizona State University in Barrett, the Honors College. I am also a United Nations Millennium Fellow for the Class of 2020 and I am deeply passionate about using sustainable development and artistic activism to address social inequities and protect the environment. I am also a first-generation American of a Ghanaian family. I am incredibly proud of my identity and culture—and I believe it is my culture and the values it holds that have heavily impacted and shaped the person I am today. Each day, I am guided by two quotes that serve as my motivation to continue my work in social and environmental impact; Jane Goodall's “there is still so much in the world worth fighting for,” and Thomas Sankara's "Dare to invent the future". Simply put, I believe in better, and I especially believe that the next generation of young black children deserve so much better. While living and working in Ghana in 2018, I experienced the frustration of not having access to a recycling facility near me. As I talked with business leaders, young Ghanaians, and government officials, I realized we all shared the same frustrations and concerns. In Ghana, only 2% of single-use plastic water bottles are recycled and 73 million kilos of those bottles enter the environment annually. A report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation states that, “Without significant action, there may be more plastic than fish in the ocean, by weight, by 2050.” Additionally, through a report by the World Health Organization, I learned that 28,000 Ghanaians die prematurely each year due to poor sanitation and exposure to pollution. Deeply disturbed by this statistic and realizing that something could be done to prevent it, Countdown CES was born. Countdown: Circular Economy Solutions is a social enterprise and technology startup taking a community-centered approach to tackling plastic pollution both at Arizona State University and in Ghana, West Africa. This initiative will use technology to provide education and skills training to upcycle plastic waste into usable product. Our goal is to create a means of transition from the traditional “take, make, use, waste” model of the global linear economy, to the “make, use, reuse, remake, recycle” model of the Circular Economy. Through our operations, we aim to create healthier, more sustainable, and empowered communities in Ghana and later across Africa. We have developed a 3-part solution to this challenge. First, we have partnered with EPICS at ASU to offer two project tracks in the Spring Semester: Students will use 3D printing to develop furniture and playground equipment prototypes made of upcycled plastics. They will also explore other more efficient manufacturing methods. Secondly, we need to increase community awareness of safe waste management practices; we aim to do so through workshops, an international ambassador program, and a curriculum designed for schools. We have recruited a team of passionate leaders on the ground in Ghana to lead this part of our operations. And finally, our end goal is to open a design and innovation hub in Accra, Ghana where we provide youth with the resources and education to sustainably manufacture eco-friendly products from plastic waste. With $2,000, we would be able to use this funding to acquire the 3D printers and invest in branding materials such as a website, uniforms, and PPE equipment for our team.