F Cubed

Bangladesh

Population: 174 million (Source World Bank 2024)
Population below the $4.20 per person per day poverty line: 20.46% in 2022 (The World Bank)
In Bangladesh, 68.3 million people lack access to safely managed drinking water at home (source JMP), and it is estimated that 5 to 30 million people are at risk of drinking water contaminated with arsenic or high salinity levels (source). Furthermore, climate change is accelerating sea level rise and increasing both arsenic and salt contamination in groundwater (source).
41% of all water sources in Bangladesh are contaminated with E. Coli bacteria (source)

F Cubed is a social enterprise founded in 2010 by an Australian engineer. The company designs and installs solar distillation systems to produce drinking water in remote and off-grid areas. These systems are particularly well-suited to Bangladesh, where groundwater is contaminated with salt or arsenic, and they significantly improve the health of local populations.

Today, F Cubed is led by Chris Bryce, who, after leaving a publicly traded company in the services sector, chose to develop a project with a strong impact on the health of vulnerable populations.

The Carocell system developed by F Cubed allows for:

Producing 80 to 100 liters of drinking water per day without electricity
Collecting and purifying rainwater
Operating with very little maintenance, ideal for rural schools

An innovative technology and business model:

Low-tech technology: solar distillation + rainwater harvesting
PPP model (public-private partnership) with the government of Bangladesh
System installation to serve 200 to 300 children per school
Local manufacturing and training of Bangladeshi installation teams

The impact of F Cubed on health

Danone Communities supports F Cubed to improve the health of vulnerable populations in Bangladesh, in line with our health mission, our commitment to innovation, and our vision of impact-driven business. The results are tangible:

276 systems installed in schools in Bangladesh to provide children with access to safe water
Reduction of waterborne diseases linked to salinity and arsenic
Improved hydration and concentration among students
Access to safe drinking water in the most vulnerable areas

>>> To learn more: Solar Water Purifier – Water purification systems

How Danone Communities actively supports F Cubed, some concrete examples: