Dawra40 selected for the 2026 Ecological Transformation Trophies

We are very pleased to announce that Ematatou and its Dawra40 project have been selected for the 2026 Ecological Transformation Trophies.

This selection marks an important milestone for Ematatou and Dawra40, a project designed to make public waste collection more accessible, sustainable and easier to deploy.

Dawra40 responds to a common challenge: providing durable, affordable and adaptable waste collection infrastructure.

More than a public bin, it is part of a wider approach based on local design, local manufacturing, real-world testing and collective improvement.

The project brings together municipalities, waste operators, manufacturers, associations, researchers, makers and citizens to develop solutions adapted to different territories.

Step 1 — Presenting the Project

The first stage of the competition was to submit a video pitch presenting the Ematatou project and Dawra40.

This was an important opportunity to explain the problem we are trying to address, present our approach and share our vision for a more accessible and collaborative approach to waste collection.

🎥 Watch our competition pitch:

Ematatou — Dawra40 Competition Pitch

Submitting the pitch was the first step in taking the project beyond our own development work and presenting it to a wider community of people interested in ecological transformation.

Why this competition matters

Being selected for the 2026 Ecological Transformation Trophies gives us an opportunity to present the project to a wider audience and, above all, to connect with organisations that can help us take the next steps.

We are particularly interested in developing partnerships around:

• pilot installations,
• local manufacturing,
• technical development,
• waste collection and maintenance,
• scientific assessment,
• community experimentation,
• and the development of open and collaborative tools.

From competition to collaboration

For us, this competition is not only about winning a trophy.

It is an opportunity to test our ideas, challenge our assumptions and meet people who can help transform the project into something useful in the real world.

The next stage will therefore be about moving from concept and prototype towards field experimentation.

We want to see how Dawra40 performs under real conditions, listen to the people who use and maintain it, measure its impact and improve the design accordingly.

A systemic environmental challenge cannot be solved by one person or one product. That is why collaboration is at the heart of Ematatou.

The journey continues

This first selection is only one step in a much longer journey.

Over the coming months, we will share the development of Dawra40, our experiments, our technical work, our encounters with potential partners and the lessons we learn along the way.

We hope that this journey will inspire others to contribute, question, adapt and build with us.

From a local idea to a shared solution.

This is only the beginning.

🌍 Follow the Ematatou journey

Follow our progress as we develop Dawra40 and build a collaborative approach to waste reduction.

• Website: ematatou.org
• YouTube: @ematatou
• Project: Dawra40 — an open, low-tech public waste bin designed for local manufacturing and wider deployment.