Not finding air filters inspired me to make biodegradable one, myself

Folks at all times ask, why sheep wool? Folks have combined emotions about it. Some individuals suppose it smells, some individuals suppose it is smart as a result of they’ve seen felt accumulate soot. The brief reply is wool is fairly good at filtering fuel. A barely longer reply is that wool is understood to adeptly filter unstable natural compounds, that are widespread pollution in indoor air. You
can consider paint, constructing/furnishings varnishes, room deodorizers, and if you reside nearer to the highway, automobile exhaust and different combustion pollution. We tweaked its properties such that it filters nice particulate matter, with out sacrificing its skill to let air out and in simply. We piloted utilizing air air purifier gadgets and since we noticed that it really works, we’re now working to scale and develop into a filter materials producer.

Everyone knows air air pollution is a dire subject in Mongolia, particularly in Ulaanbaatar. What prompted you to develop into  on this, and what prompted you to develop into an entrepreneur?

Now we have the coldest capital metropolis on the earth, so individuals burn coal to keep heat. It’s most akin to London air air pollution as a result of most different air air pollution issues world wide are associated primarily to automobiles, energy vegetation, or cooking stoves. 2015 research present that ger district is liable for 80 p.c of the air air pollution. I spent some childhood years within the ger district myself, and I’m younger sufficient to not know a winter when there was no air air pollution.

Instantly after I graduated from highschool, I used to be snowboarding from atop a hill, and I “found” air air pollution. I believed the coal mine subsequent to the town had exploded, and my dad informed me it was the town that we lived in 24/7. I couldn’t imagine my eyes. I began studying extra about it and at the time, the Clear Air Fund that was publicly run had a corruption case. I was pissed off and thought that so much of “somebodies” needed to do a whole lot of “somethings” about it. So, I enrolled into an environmental science main and began studying about it. When I first began out in 2016, I believed individuals would act extra and shield themselves from air air pollution if solely they knew how dangerous air air pollution was. So along with the admins of Mongolia Stay Fb web page, we created a nonprofit known as Breathe Mongolia. The nonprofit aimed to extend public consciousness about air air pollution, educate individuals the way to shield themselves from it, and methods they might contribute, and act as a coverage watch canine for choices being made by the authorities.

The explanation I wished to do it was as a result of at the moment, the narrative was that the federal government wasn’t doing something, and the general public was the sufferer. It’s, in some sense, true, however I didn’t like this narrative as a result of it eliminated company from people. It makes the drawback so large that individuals really feel like several particular person motion is only a drop within the bucket. So, we demonstrated, in New York, in California, and in Ulaanbaatar, and tried to coach individuals with a one-stop store for air air pollution information. However I noticed that though individuals wished to do one thing about it, they didn’t have the monetary means to.

Shortly after I graduated from the college, I began working for the Mongolian Sustainable Finance Affiliation the place we piloted Mongolia’s first sector-wide vitality effectivity mortgages within the ger district. It was initially an initiative that began in 2013 the place monetary establishments have been conducting environmental and social danger administration techniques, to make sure companies complied. Later, after I joined, we had develop into an group and the paradigm had began transferring past compliance into inexperienced additionality. There, I used to be privileged to work with extraordinarily competent and caring individuals who have been making an attempt to ascertain a inexperienced impression fund of fifty million USD to finance energy-efficiency, in industries and within the ger district to construct new houses or retrofit present ones. This meant that we labored on designing inexperienced loans and labored with the authorities to offer incentives for individuals to decide on inexperienced merchandise. I had been making an attempt to sort out the supply of the drawback and work effectively, working on lack of accessibility to finance and infrastructure issues.

However on the similar time, individuals have been getting sick, particularly pregnant girls and younger youngsters. Miscarriages are 3.5 instances extra more likely to occur throughout polluted seasons (UNICEF Mongolia, 2018) and I believe virtually all people is aware of anyone near
them who has had miscarriage/lung most cancers/pneumonia throughout the polluted season. We purchased air purifiers, however we couldn’t discover substitute filters. They didn’t promote them. In the event that they did promote them, they’d value 200 USD per filter for some fashions, which is insane. Respiratory clear air shouldn’t be this costly. So, in 2021, when my co-founder approached me with a challenge thought to develop algae oxygen turbines I stated sure, and we participated within the competitors known as Greenpreneurs by GGGI. By the tip of the yr, when the competitors ended our workforce determined to proceed it and make it right into a enterprise and now we have been learning about sheep wool, in order that’s how we began.

At present, an increasing number of individuals are selecting to reside overseas as an alternative of staying and serving to the growth of Mongolia. How do you are feeling about them? What do you see is stopping them from staying? Why are you continue to right here?

It’s unattainable in charge them. Some individuals say they’re being egocentric, however you may’t name anyone egocentric for deciding to prioritize their private well being.

who’s objectively egocentric? It’s the individuals who have been confirmed of embezzlement however go unpunished. It’s so disrespectful once they make poor choices and abuse our hard-earned tax cash. After I used to work for the Mongolian Sustainable
Finance Affiliation, to ascertain the inexperienced revolving fund, we requested for 18 million USD from the federal government, and so they haven’t finalized it. But, they determined to “experiment with improved coal” for 50 million USD, or the bus scandal. I’m making an attempt to work to enhance the lives of others, not pay for a politician’s son’s Ferrari. However in actuality, that’s what I’m doing. And if I don’t make this determination to remain and “work for my nation”, I’m egocentric? This narrative wants to vary.

One factor that forestalls me from leaving is the truth that I haven’t contributed a lot to training but. My greatest concern is that this. Persons are merchandise of their time, and we are able to perceive why the era in energy proper now acts this fashion. However I need to
imagine that merchandise from our time, these children, are properly educated and that the longer term we’re shaping, is full of individuals who have company and never tethered to welfare, and for that to occur, we have to make investments extra in our youth and grownup training techniques.

What are individuals’s feedback on your merchandise?

We’ve bought 300 air purifiers with wool filters over the past yr and individuals are particularly noting how properly it filters odors. When individuals cook dinner, or once they have automobile exhaust from opening home windows, that’s what wool filters are nice at filtering. Nearly 80 p.c of our purifiers have been bought to pregnant girls and households with youngsters underneath three years of age. It’s when youngsters’s lungs are nonetheless growing, so we supplied a 20 p.c low cost to this demographic that wants purifiers probably the most. The truth that we gained’t run out of filters and might present low-cost substitute filters is one thing our prospects additionally love.

What’s the authorized surroundings to develop merchandise similar to Airee? Does the federal government present any form of help to entrepreneurs similar to your self?

Within the final two years, the authorized surroundings has improved considerably, so Airee is fortunate in some methods. The authorities has clarified the regulation on the way to outline and be registered legally as a “startup”, the authorized standing of coworking areas, launched VAT and customs tax levies and exemptions for tools and uncooked supplies of “innovation initiatives”, and has been organizing startup competitions with grant funding. We’re capable of profit from a reduced workplace house thanks to Innovation Hub, the municipality backed coworking house. All of those are so new and I’m so comfortable the federal government arrange this authorized framework to advertise entrepreneurship. Mongolia shouldn’t be a worth creating economic system and the system virtually discourages it. I hope these preliminary help mechanisms encourage different companies and we are able to form a future system that rewards worth creation.