Hi, my name is Mako, and I’m raising funds to build a small pilot for a human-first, cold-first recycling process. I run a small manufacturing business, Mako Worldwide, as a single-member LLC, but right now I’m in a difficult financial position. I’m driving for Uber and Uber Eats to make ends meet while trying to move this project forward. This fundraiser is not about scaling a business or chasing growth — it’s about getting a working pilot off the ground.

The idea behind this project is simple. Recyclable materials are first sorted by people, when human judgment is most effective. After sorting, each material stream is placed into a large walk-in freezer before further processing. Freezing reduces moisture, odors, and material breakdown, which helps keep materials cleaner and easier to process later.

The funds raised will go directly toward securing a small workspace, acquiring or accessing cold storage (a walk-in freezer), basic equipment for handling, washing, shredding, or baling materials, and covering initial operating and setup costs. This is an early-stage, practical experiment meant to test whether cold processing after human sorting can improve recycling outcomes using simple, accessible methods. I’m not claiming a perfect solution or zero waste — just a better way to handle materials we already collect.

I’m sharing this publicly because I believe this approach has real potential, and because I need help to take the first concrete step. Any support, whether through donating or sharing, genuinely helps. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting the work.