The world’s overflowing landfills and mounting piles of organic waste pose a severe environmental threat. As food scraps, agricultural residues, and animal manure decompose, they release potent greenhouse gasses like methane, contributing to global warming. Meanwhile, this nutrient-rich organic material that could be valorized is instead going to waste. With global warming soaring, fulfilling accessible sustainable solutions to transform organic discard into value is more crucial than ever before.
Pioneering this critical shift is Sistema.bio, a trailblazing startup harnessing the power of digestion to unlock the wealth trapped in the world’s organic waste streams.
Using their innovative cutting-edge biodigesters, Sistema.bio mimics nature’s cycles, utilizing microorganisms to break down organic matter and capture the released biogas for renewable energy production. What was once dismissed as trash is turned into green energy, nutrient-rich fertilizers, and other valuable bio-products. By closing the loop on organic waste, this Mexican innovative startup is driving a global movement toward a regenerative, circular economy.
Founded in 2010 in Mexico City, they now count on regional teams in Colombia, Kenya, and India. In 2022 they closed a Series B investment round of USD 15.6 million. Last year, Sistema.bio achieved a monumental milestone, reaching 45,000 small farms across 35 countries with the delivery of clean-renewable energy and biofertilizers.
They have the vision of expanding beyond borders, expanding their operations to South America, Southern Africa, and Asian countries like Bhutan and Bangladesh, by 2024.
What are biodigesters?
Biodigesters are innovative containers that harness the power of microorganisms to transform organic waste into valuable resources. These sealed systems operate through a natural process called anaerobic digestion, which occurs in the absence of oxygen. These containers seem like big rectangular black plastic bags filled with air.
Sistema.bio’s biodigesters are designed for various applications, catering to individual households, farms, and even industrial settings. This adaptability allows them to address the diverse needs of different waste streams, maximizing the potential for resource recovery.
Unlocking the power of organic waste
It all starts at farms worldwide, where livestock produce manure daily. The farmer makes the initial contact with Sistema.bio, for example, with the local representative or office. After that, the process of executing the project gets started, with Sistema.bio facilitating the farmers’ financial payments as they go and offering a 10-year warranty on the biodigester.
Once the biodigester is installed and operational, the process unfolds as follows:
- Waste collection
- Farmers collect animal manure and other organic waste materials feeding them into the biodigester system.
- Anaerobic digestion
- Within the biodigester, organic material is subjected to anaerobic digestion, a process where microorganisms decompose the material without oxygen, producing biogas composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide.
- Biogas storage
- The biogas generated in the biodigester is stored in a flexible and durable holder, which safely holds it until it is piped directly to where it will be used.
- Usage of biogas
- The stored biogas serves as a renewable energy source and can be used for cooking, heating, and lighting.
- Bio-fertilizer production
- After anaerobic digestion, the residual material, known as “digestate”, is expelled from the system. Rich in nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, this digestate can be used directly as a natural fertilizer to enhance soil fertility and crop yields.
Consequently, the process repeats itself, allowing farmers to convert their organic waste into productive-scale energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This reliable source of energy, coupled with nutrient-rich fertilizer for the soil, gives the 400M smallholder farmers worldwide sufficient incentive to procure biogas solutions.
Related Articles: How Commercial Flights Could Go Electric | What’s Next in Geothermal Energy? |How Automated Robots Are Transforming Manufacturing Processes | Food Tech: Are 3D-Printed Food and Meatless Meat the Future?
Looking ahead: universal energy
The biodigestor exemplifies the principles of the circular economy through its innovative approach to managing organic waste. By transforming livestock manure and other organic byproducts into valuable biogas and bio-fertilizers, Sistema.bio creates a closed-loop system with a significant impact.
“This tireless pursuit aligns with our overarching goal of contributing to the mitigation of 1% of the Global GHG by 2023, marking a pivotal step towards a sustainable and resilient future for all” Sistema.bio stated on their website.
While Sistema.bio’s ambitious goal of mitigating global GHG emissions remains officially unconfirmed, its relentless expansion across the globe would help to significantly advance progress towards a full-fledged bioeconomy.
Sistema.bio is steadily expanding its global footprint, making significant strides in regions where strategic partnerships are enhancing its presence. Despite the progress, the journey towards a fully realized bioeconomy, where the world’s organic matter is harnessed for energy, remains extensive. The company’s ongoing expansion underscores the vast potential and the critical challenges still ahead in transforming organic waste into a universally accessible energy resource.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: Cattle feeding on grass. Cover Photo Credit: Rawpixel.
