Eco-innovations are all around us nowadays, thankfully. These to products or services lead to companies’ enhanced performance and competitiveness. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), “this approach can help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) access new and expanding markets, increase productivity, attract new investment into the business, increase profitability across the value chain, and help them stay ahead of regulations and standards”
But we can also feel overwhelmed by the amount of startups and new solutions being produced. Here we present 5 companies to be on the outlook for, as they build a path to a better future.
Based in the UK, bio-bean recycles waste coffee grounds into biofuels, which according to their website “are a sustainable, heat-efficient alternative to conventional fossil fuels and virgin biomass”. Through their processes, they result in coffee pellets and coffee logs. The pellets are for industrial biomass boilers, greatly reducing the need to use virgin timber. Their coffee logs, on the other hand, are biomass briquettes that resemble traditional wood logs, which makes them ideal for wood-fired stoves, pizza ovens, and more.
Founded by Gladys Manyika in Tanzania, FIDEC (Fisheries Development and Environmental Conservation) processes sardines by drying and grinding them into powder form in order to combat malnutrition in Tanzania and reduce food waste. According to the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS), it is estimated that about 450,000 children in Tanzania are acutely undernourished. Thus, FIDEC’s mission is to combat food insecurity and malnutrition in Tanzania by 2030. The solution is also taking place in Uganda, Zambia and Myanmar.
Formerly known as Entomics, Better Origins uses the black soldier fly larvae to process waste into animal feed, resulting in organic fertilizer and biopesticide, as well as reducing the amount of food waste that goes into landfills. According to FAO projections, feeding a “population of 9.1 billion people in 2050 would require raising overall food production by some 70 percen”. That’s why Better Origins uses the black soldier fly larvae, which has the ability to convert organic waste into fats and proteins. According to their site, their solution “empowers farmers to produce feed locally and sustainably”
Based in India, Bakeys provides an incredible alternative to single-use plastics. Focusing on cutlery, their products (spoons, forks, chopsticks) are made with natural ingredients, such as different types of flour, wheat, rice, and sorghum. Around 40 million individual plastic utensils go directly to the trash bin annually in the United States. As we know by now, reintegrating plastics with different resins into the environment is quite a difficult task. And although paper straws are also gaining popularity, they’re not really as practical or biodegradable as Bakeys’ products.
Always based on biology, Holganix is “continually pioneering new methods of incorporating soil microbes, microbe food and nutrient enhancers to build resilient plants and healthier soils”. In order to maximize crop yield potential and turf performance, the company employs 800 species of bacteria and 20 species of fungi to generate a 100% organic fertilizer. Their solutions provide a way out of using as many chemical pesticides and water. This also results in an eco-friendly solution to pest problems and helps farmers reduce their spending.
