Mo’s Crib recently participated in the ChangeNOW Summit, presenting our circular economy PVC recycling model on a global stage. Selected as one of 130 startups from over 800 applicants, we had the opportunity to pitch to international investors and were honoured to be awarded the Sustainable Fashion Pitch Winner. This moment marked a significant milestone in our journey and reinforced the importance of the work we are doing.
At the core of Mo’s Crib is circular economy PVC recycling. We focus on transforming one of the least recycled plastics in the world into sustainable homeware. Since inception, we have recycled over 10,000 tonnes of PVC plastic waste, diverting it from landfills and giving it new life through design. At the same time, we have built a team of over 300 people, creating meaningful employment and contributing to thousands of livelihoods. Our model demonstrates that sustainability can address environmental challenges while also creating economic opportunity.
During the summit, we were invited to speak on circular economy alongside Saskia Bruines and Costas Papaikonomou, where we shared how circular economy is not only about recycling materials, but about people, livelihoods, and building sustainable communities. We also hosted a workshop focused on the lack of funding for craftsmanship driven businesses, raising important questions around why labour intensive and impact driven models are often overlooked despite the real change they are creating on the ground.
This experience reinforced what we have always believed, that circular economy PVC recycling can be built from the ground up, starting with very little and growing into something globally relevant. From humble beginnings in a kitchen to becoming one of Africa’s leading craft exporters supplying over 15 international markets, Mo’s Crib continues to prove that sustainability, job creation, and design can scale together.
