Tulum’s Tomorrow, Accelerating the Regenaissance with ReFi Tulum

*GG21 Updates

1. Purchase of 2 new eBikes for Refi Rides and Regenerative Tourisim We have added 2 ebikes to our Refi Rides fleet. These ebikes will be part of our regenerative tourism experiences and activations.

2)We are working to find a new worker to finish our tf100 updates. It has been frustrating that our previous worker started the modifications and has left us high and dry. We are actively looking for another skilled worker to take on the modifications.

3. We have contributed to the shipping costs of bringing Robotina, a small demo plant of Petgas to bring to Tulum.We are working with Petgas to bring a small demo plant to Tulum. We have been cleaning the area where the plant will go and getting it ready to set up. The plant, affectionately called Robotina, will be able to process 90 kilos of plastic every time it runs and transform it into fuels. The purpose of having this plant here is to demonstrate the technology and the full circularity of our plastic sequestration model.

These initiatives demonstrate ReFi Tulum's commitment to addressing the climate crisis through practical and impactful solutions.

Update on Project Progress and Impact: TL;DR: We have been making significant progress towards a regenerative future for Tulum with the launch of ReFi Rides, plastic credits, and strengthening our strategic partnerships with organizations like Tulum Circula and Day Zero. Both of these initiatives have an impact on Climate and are actively reducing environmental GHGs by eliminating plastic deterioration in nature and landfills as well as developing more sustainable transportation options with minimal to zero emissions.

Additionally we are promoting and advancing new economic systems through continued community clean-up efforts rewarded with tokens that can be used for products, services and events. We are excited to be putting into play the proof points for the new economic system of the future - leveraging technology, community activations and environmental responsibility to pave the path to a regenerative future for Tulum.

Focus Areas:

• Plastic Neutrality and RWA (Real World Asset) eMobility: Our primary focus has been on our plastic neutrality initiatives and ReFi Rides, our eMotorbike NFT RWA fleet that blends digital ownership with eco-friendly transportation. We remain convinced of the importance and value of regenerative tourism for Tulum. However, as a small team coming into the low (summer) season for Tulum tourism, we have decided to lessen our focus on developing regenerative tourism experiences. However, we will continue to engage with inbound interest that comes our way for these types of regenerative experiences. We also see that ReFi Rides will also have an exciting role to play in building out our regenerative tourism options in the future.

• Collaborations and Ecosystem Building:

  • We have continued to forge and strengthen meaningful collaborations with various organizations and groups such as Tulum Circula, Day Zero, Tulum Coin DAO, Maximo Pollismo, Bocho Burger and Regen Week. These partnerships have allowed us to create proof points for the new economic systems and incentivization models we are building. This year, we were able to showcase how doing good deeds can result in real world benefits such as being able to go to a popular Tulum music festival like Day Zero.

• Launch of ReFi Rides:

  • Our latest initiative, ReFi Rides, marks a significant step towards a cleaner future through a unique blend of sustainability and technology, providing exclusive NFTs that grant unlimited access to electric motorbikes in Tulum. The NFTs grant access to unlimited use of eMotorbikes in Tulum and in future locations such as Mexico City that will make up our network. The Originals ReFi Rides NFTs represent 33 real world e-motorcycles and shared ownership in fleet vehicles. Through real-world asset staking, we aim to democratize ownership and incentivize sustainable transportation practices.

• Plastic Neutrality and Plastic Credits:

  • We successfully launched plastic credits on empower.eco, initiating payouts and incentivizing plastic waste reduction efforts. These credits serve as a tangible measure of our impact in mitigating plastic pollution and promoting environmental stewardship.

• To date we have reported 1,088 kilos of plastic sequestered and removed from the environment which has been recorded on the empower.eco blockchain. According to conservative methods to estimate GHG emissions, this would equate to 1,632 kg of CO2 equivalent or 1.5 kg of C02 for each kilogram of plastic removed from the environment.

Milestones Achieved in Tulum:

We achieved several milestones in Tulum during Q1, including:

1. Proving out our incentives and token rewards model through community engagement activities that resulted in sufficient tokens to purchase a ticket to the Day Zero Festival in Tulum.

2. Partnering with Bye Bye Plastic for a beach cleanup of Unesco World Heritage site Sian Kaan, resulting in the removal of 357 kilos of plastic.

3. Planting 50 trees as part of the Tulum’s Reforestation Campaign 2024, contributing to the greening of our community.

4. Hosting self-organized events at Tulum Circula to catalyze the community and support infrastructure needs.

5. Participating in various events in Tulum and globally to advocate for ReFi Initiatives such as BitBasel and Regen Week.

6. Continued weekly educational events hosted at the NFT Boutique on ReFi topics

Challenges Faced: Early in our acquisition process of the TF100 technology, it became evident that the existing technology did not meet our environmental or operational standards. We have worked with several different design engineers and settled on a modification that will both create a closed system for plastic re-molding and reduce operator exposure. The following modifications are currently underway that can achieve both goals:

• Modification of the plastic foundry to operate with a furnace and plastic flakes.
• Implementation of safety measures to protect operators.
• Manipulation of molds using rails to reduce contact with plastic.
• Installation of a mold base and a 4-inch extractor to prevent smoke dispersion.

Lessons Learned:

• We have learned the importance of flexibility and adaptability in navigating challenges and as eager as we were to start making new products from the TF100, we realized it would not be the right path forward.
• Building strong partnerships and collaborations is key to amplifying our impact and achieving meaningful outcomes in our initiatives.

Utilization of Additional Funding: The additional funding from the upcoming round will be instrumental in:

• Scaling our plastic neutrality and eMobility initiatives to reach a broader audience and deepen our impact.
• Complete modifications to the TF100 machine to optimize its performance and increase efficiency in plastic sequestration.
• Hire a dedicated operator to work regularly with the TF100 machine, ensuring consistent operation and maximizing plastic sequestration efforts.
• Strengthening our team and expanding our network of collaborators to sustain momentum and drive further innovation..
• Invest in business development activities to forge partnerships and collaborations that will further advance our mission and expand our reach.
• Continue to maintain and improve our fleet of ReFi Rides, ensuring reliable and sustainable transportation options for the community while reducing carbon emissions.