Circular economy
The power of poop — Successful Businesses Made Out of Crap.
Even though poo is something you want to get rid of, these companies turn it into eco-friendly, circular, and successful businesses.
I grew up hearing my grandparents’ stories remembering old times. Times where the waste was composted and used as a soil fertilizer to grow their food, including human poo and animal poo.
So, older people already had the circular economy concept in their lives but without a catchy name.
Influenced by the lack of resources, they had to use any waste as a useful resource for the next stage. They cultivated food. They ate that food. The waste generated was used for soil fertilization, nourishing the soil to grow more food. This process happened in a continuous circular way.
But the crucial element to highlight in this process is poo and how it creates other materials or products.
Even though poo is something you want to get rid of, these companies turn it into eco-friendly, circular, and successful businesses.
Turning human feces into coal — Sanivation
Sanivation is a Kenyan company making fuel out of human poo. That’s right!
This company collects human waste, treats it, compress it together with other biomass waste, and dry it. The final result of the transformation process is a safe and sustainable cost-effective fuel — Human charcoal briquettes. Sanivation’ charcoal creates one-third of the emissions and burns two times longer than usual charcoal.
Founded in 2014, Sanivation is creating local jobs, reducing pollution, and saving Kenyan forests through clean, safe, and efficient sanitation services.
Generating gas, energy, and clean water from sewage — Sedron’s Janicki Processor
Like Northumbrian Water and Welsh Water, water treatment companies are treating sewage sludge to convert it into biofuels like biogas, electricity, and hydrogen.
Supported by Bill Gates, Sedron Technology’s Janicki Omni Processor goes beyond and transforms fecal sludge into clean drinking water, electricity, and ash. Through a boiling process, it separates the water vapor from the residual waste. The residual waste produces steam to power up the machine and, water vapor is filtered until it becomes clean drinkable water.
A system that might be a great solution to make the most out of waste and return to the community through energy and water, especially in developing countries.
Turning human waste into BioGas — Home Bio Gas
At a household scale, HomeBioGas offers solutions to convert all your home waste into clean energy and liquid fertilizer in your backyard.
From human waste to food waste and animal manure, you can feed the system bag. Through a natural composting process, the system creates biogas you can use to cook in your kitchen and, at the same time, generates a liquid fertilizer to grow your food.
Founded in 2012, HomeBioGas is on a mission to reduce home waste, create renewable energy and, improve the health and living conditions of families.
Here you have a great system for household circularity.
Making paper from animal poop — POO POO Paper
Well, we’ve got used to making paper out of wood fibers from cut trees. But the following company is delivering a great alternative to create paper without sacrificing trees.
POOPOOPAPER collects poo fibers from elephants, cows, horses, donkeys, buffalos, along with other animal and plant waste-materials. The fibers are boiled, mixed, colored, screened, and dried to create all the different paper products. Everything made in a sustainable and chemical-free production process, by using natural, non-toxic inks, saving the leftover pulp, and reusing water for further paper production or agriculture.
Through a six-step transformation process, the company creates eco-friendly, organic, sustainable, tree-free paper. And guess what? You don’t need to cover your nose as the paper is odorless.
Since 2002, POOPOOPAPER is committed to balancing the profit side and the positive impact on the community and the natural environment by supporting local artisans and saving trees.
Beyond POOPOOPAPER, you can find around the world paper made out of Sheep Poop or Kangaroo Poop, as well.
As we can see, we are flushing away opportunities that could replace over-explored resources and create alternatives that benefit us and the environment. Maybe we start to look at every single waste and make the most out of it to turn our habits more circular and environmental-friendly.
Even though it smells bad, it sounds great how crap turns into fuel, gas and paper.
Do you know any other company that is transforming poo into an alternative product or service?
