Zumo, the Edinburgh-based cryptocurrency wallet and payments platform, has already beaten their fundraising target of 10 ETH (around £3,000) by walking the distance to Africa (3,680 miles), to raise awareness and vital funds for WasteAid. 

“Although blockchain technology and waste management appear to have different purposes, in reality they are both about empowering communities and creating sustainable livelihoods, at scale,” said Nick Jones, CEO Founder of Zumo.

“At Zumo we feel as passionate about the environment as we do about cryptocurrency. We spent 6 months looking for an environmentally friendly solution for our convertible debit card, but there were no viable recycled or biodegradable options on the market. We’re encouraging our users to opt for the plastic-free virtual cards. To offset the environmental impact of producing more plastic, physical cardholders will pay a small ‘green tax’ on card production, with the net proceeds going directly to vital WasteAid projects,” comments Dagmara Aldridge, Chief Operating Officer, Zumo.

WasteAid works across the world providing training, recycling facilities, public health campaigns, and vital resources to the vulnerable communities that need it most. Zumo has pledged over £12k to WasteAid so far this year, and has surpassed their initial 10 ETH (approx. £3.2k) fundraising target with this sponsored walk. 

Fourteen members of staff have contended with Scotland’s notorious autumn weather, clocking up an impressive 1,300 miles throughout October. Whilst blisters and torrential downpours have made things difficult, the team is dedicated to completing the remaining 2,380 miles before the end of the year.

“One in three people globally do not have a waste management service and have to burn or dump their waste, leading to serious health problems and adding to marine litter and climate change,” adds Ceris Turner-Bailes, Chief Executive of WasteAid.

The walk has already raised enough money to provide over 106 villages with their own recycling kits.

Zumo has donated over £6k to offset the environmental impact of printing their first batch of 1,000 Investor Convertible Debit Cards, and will soon provide users with the option to gift WasteAid microdonations directly from their cryptocurrency app. 

Please join Zumo in raising money for WasteAid by donating via our JustGiving page. 

Find out more at: https://www.justgiving.com/team/TeamZumo.