Turning Waste into Opportunity
Easliv empowers rural women in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka by transforming banana fiber waste into sustainable income and eco-friendly products.
Easliv empowers rural women in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka by transforming banana fiber waste into sustainable income and eco-friendly products.
Batticaloa depends mainly on farming and fishing. With over 500 acres of banana cultivation, thousands of banana stems are discarded as waste after harvest—despite their potential to create valuable fiber.
Meanwhile, many rural women struggle with high-interest microloans and financial pressure. When income falls short, the consequences can be devastating. Our community has witnessed tragic cases of women taking their own lives due to loan stress.
Operational challenge: Lack of reliable transport. We currently rent vehicles at costs that sometimes exceed the value of the banana stems we collect. A dedicated vehicle would drastically reduce costs and enable us to scale production.
Easliv transforms this waste crisis into sustainable opportunity. We collect discarded banana stems and teach women to extract fiber and create marketable products—eco straws, packaging, gift items, and organic compost.
This creates a zero-waste circular economy that generates steady income, reduces plastic use, and strengthens local resilience.
Our multi-stream revenue model includes:
From waste to valuable products through sustainable innovation
Eco-friendly alternatives made from 100% natural banana fiber
100% biodegradable drinking straws made from banana fiber—a natural alternative to plastic.
Sustainable packaging materials and gift boxes that are both beautiful and eco-friendly.
Handmade fiber products and crafts that showcase traditional skills and modern design.
Creating measurable change in our community
Building a sustainable future, one stem at a time
Provide steady income to at least 20 women in year one through training and employment in fiber production.
Train local women in fiber extraction, quality control, and product making using sustainable methods.
Build a complete zero-waste model converting all materials into products and organic compost.
Develop diversified income from products, raw fiber sales, compost, and digital services.
Lease 2 acres for 5 years as a backup banana supply to ensure consistent production.
Acquire a transport vehicle to significantly reduce collection costs and improve scalability.
We implement rigorous monitoring through weekly check-ins and monthly reports. Our success metrics include:
Regular interviews assess the social impact and quality of life improvements in participating households.
Easliv collaborates with a network of local and regional partners:
Together, we're building a resilient, sustainable ecosystem.
A scalable model for sustainable rural development
Easliv demonstrates quality, innovation, and reproducibility. We convert unused agricultural waste into marketable goods and organic fertilizer, creating value at every stage.
Our model is low-cost, easy to teach, and can be replicated in other banana-growing districts across Sri Lanka and beyond. The benefits are far-reaching:
Support Easliv through donations, partnerships, or volunteering. Help us provide transport, training, and market access to empower more women and reduce waste.
Reyman Julien Daniued
Founder, Easliv
Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
daniued@easliv.com
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