Volunteer Sustainable Packaging Expert

Volunteer Sustainable Packaging Expert at RADIKAL

This is an opportunity to work with an Ashoka Fellow. Ashoka Fellows are leading social entrepreneurs who have undergone a rigorous selection process, testing the quality of their ideas and character, to become part of the Ashoka Fellowship and Network. Ashoka Fellows address the challenges of building innovative system change ideas to make and spread social impact in a world fraught with challenges. They refuse to let the ‘impossible’ stand in their way to creating a better world.

This is an unpaid, volunteer opportunity.

About The Affiliated Organization

RADIKAL is an impact-oriented social franchisor that has pivoted since COVID-19 to focus on solving food security in Haiti through micro-enterprise. What makes us unique is that we have pioneered an ecosystem that links smallholder farmers and production cooperatives to street food vendors, while leveraging the power of technology and underlining environmental impact. As a social franchise that contributes to the improvement of the lives of women, their families, and their communities, our grassroots business model currently focuses on women (in the informal sector) investing in structured micro-franchises that sell locally-manufactured food products. With the sustainable development goals in our sights, we believe our unique model can foster the growth of wealth in communities, the development of new environmentally-conscious products (sustainable locally-made packaging) and an innovating approach to socioeconomic sustainability. More information can be found on our website: www.radikal.co.

For more information, please visit https://radikal.co

Job Description

As we scale to 10,000 vendors, we refuse to contribute to Haiti’s plastic crisis. As the Volunteer Sustainable Packaging Expert, you will help lead the transition to a 100% biodegradable or circular packaging system by designing the zero-waste set of containers for hot food and liquids that can withstand the tropical heat and rugged transport. Haiti faces a dire plastic waste crisis. By solving packaging at scale (10k vendors), this proves that industrial growth in the Global South can be regenerative rather than extractive.

Key responsibilities:

• Research, identify and test local biodegradable materials (e.g., banana fiber, banana leaf, sugarcane bagasse, cassava starch) for food-grade packaging.
• Design a prototype "Return-and-Sanitize" system for stainless steel bouillon canisters.
• Consult on the industrial equipment needed to manufacture these materials in-house.

Ideal candidate: A materials scientist or packaging engineer with a passion for circular economies and experience in food-grade bioplastics. Please let us know today if you can help!

Volunteer Logistics

• Estimated hours required per week: 5–7 hours per week (Consultative)
• The estimated duration of the project is: 6-12 months
• This position is Virtual (Remote)
• Language Requirements: English; French

Desired Skills And Experience

• Materials Science: deep knowledge of bio-polymers (PLA, PHA), natural fibers, and agricultural waste composites.
• Circular Engineering: experience designing "Closed-Loop" systems, including sanitization protocols for reusables.
• Supply Chain Integration: ability to source raw materials locally in Haiti and design low-energy manufacturing processes.
• Lifecycle Analysis (LCA): proficiency in calculating the carbon footprint and decomposition rate of proposed packaging solutions.
• Compliance: understanding of international food-grade safety standards (FDA/EU equivalent).

Key skills/competency

• Sustainable Packaging
• Biodegradable Materials
• Circular Economy
• Materials Science
• Packaging Engineering
• Zero-Waste Design
• Bioplastics
• Supply Chain Integration
• Lifecycle Analysis (LCA)
• Food-Grade Compliance