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Turning the overlooked croton nut into a sustainable cash crop

Spotted: To date, the East and Southern African croton tree has mostly been used as firewood or charcoal. However, the tree has the potential to provide a number of other products. EcoFix Kenya is a company that is working to harness such potential. The company’s CEO, Cosmas Ochieng, is on a mission to find new ways of using native Kenyan plant-resources. He has developed a process to extract biofuel from the nuts of the croton tree. This biofuel can be used for a variety of purposes, including powering vehicles and generators. In addition, the byproducts of the process can be used as fertiliser, animal feed, and even cosmetics.

EcoFix is also providing a sustainable business model that encourages local farmers to plant and harvest croton trees rather than other crops. EcoFix processes over 3,000 tonnes of croton nuts each year, working with over 6,000 farmers. This business model not only helps to improve the environment by encouraging the growth of croton trees, but it also provides a reliable source of income for local farmers.

The company started out as a small startup focused on biofuel. They have since worked with large-scale corporations like multinational food producer Del Monte – powering their diesel generators through croton oil. However, it became clear that reliance solely on fuel contracts would not sustain long term business growth. With 90 per cent of the nut being wasted in the biofuel production process alone, the company has been growing and diversifying.

Croton nuts now form the basis of several products, such as high-protein supplements that are sold to poultry farmers as well as Ochieng’s latest innovation: a cosmetic brand based on croton oil called NEA by Nature. Ochieng said that he found croton nuts have unique physical elements including high moisturising properties to make them ideal for use in soap and face masks. The Ochieng Company is looking to target a niche market of conscious consumers with their palm-free products.

Ochieng is eager to take his cosmetics company global. In order for that goal, he’s building another factory alongside the original processing plant in Nanyuki – a town around 200 kilometres north from Kenya’s capital city Nairobi. This new production facility will increase capacity and start exporting items such as cosmetics towards lucrative markets like America or England. The expansion will also allow for more employment opportunities in the local area as well as continued growth for the company. Ochieng is committed to providing quality products and good jobs for the community and this next phase of development will help to achieve those aims.

Other recent biofuel innovations spotted by Springwise include pellets made from agricultural and food waste, a biofuel startup expanding into consumer goods, and a shipping company using biofuel to reduce maritime emissions.

Written By: Katrina Lane

8th April 2022

Email: info@efk.co.ke

Website: efk.co.ke

Reference

Sustainable News

Portsea House // Wood Marsh

By Zarkon Group,08/04/2022

Text description provided by the architects.

In contrast to the prevailing aesthetic of its location, this house is a discrete, contemporary insertion in a leafy pocket of Portsea. As much an entertainer as a retreat, it is divided into two contrasting areas, distinguished by light and dark, openness and containment. Anchoring the form to the site is a curved, rammed-earth, blade wall, which wraps like a scroll across the site.

Its mass acts as a thermal regulator and balances the upper level as it cantilevers out from the slope. Formally it creates privacy from the street, a key factor of the brief and is reinforced by the structure’s discrete siting and use of dark timber weatherboard cladding. Indigenous landscaping further frames and filters the view of the building and this interaction between the natural environment and the built form continues as a central theme throughout.

Beyond the blade wall, the eye is drawn around the curved walls, the form softened by the absence of edges. The external spaces encourage interaction between built form and site while maintaining a distinction in form and accentuating the contrast between the formalist architecture and the naturalist landscape.

Upon entering the front door through the monolithic blade wall a grand staircase winds up to the open living space above.

The full-height glazed rear facade allows the landscaping beyond to act as the internal wallpaper of the living area. An expansive deck flows from this space and both connects to, and floats over, the site, utilising the natural slope up to the rear corner. A pool area at the rear of the deck is partially screened by a curved masonry dwarf wall, which responds to the form of the building and provides a degree of privacy.

The sloping site largely informed the spatial organisation of residence into three distinct wings, across two levels, arranged around a central open-air atrium.

Two of these wings accommodate bedroom and service spaces, while the third and largest wing is used for the living spaces including a secluded bar, entertaining area and kitchen. A rumpus room is provided at the basement level, which opens onto private courtyard spaces shielded from the street view..

Portsea House Gallery

Reference

Sustainable News

Muscle-powered emergency generators for vulnerable communities

By Zarkon Group,08/04/2022

Spotted: Today 940 million people—13 per cent of the world’s population—lack access to electricity. For ten years, grassroots NGO Deciwatt has been developing renewable energy innovations that help the world’s most energy-insecure communities have emergency access to lighting. Now, it has launched a new product to expand the impact of its activities.

The organisation’s origins lie in a project to replace the dangerous, expensive, and polluting kerosene lamps that are still relied on by hundreds of millions of people around the world. This brief inspired designers Martin Riddiford and Jim Reeves to take advantage of the vast improvements in LED technology to create a lighting solution that harnessed the power of gravity. Supported by crowdfunding, this insight formed the basis of the GravityLight – a design that required no batteries or sunlight but was powered instead by a user pulling on a weighted cord.

Supported by further crowdfunding campaigns, the GravityLight was put through its paces in a series of field trials and further tweaked to meet the needs of users. However, despite the incremental improvements, users indicated that they needed a longer-lasting, brighter light, and the ability to charge mobile devices. This prompted a pivot to a new product – the NowLight.

The refined design of the NowLight provides instant light and power. The device can provide over two hours of light from the user pulling on a cord for just one minute. And, crucially, the new design is over ten times brighter than the GravityLight and is efficient enough to charge devices through a USB port. Moreover, it provides versatility by supporting mains and solar charging.

Springwise has also recently spotted a sodium-ion battery system that provides power to vulnerable communities. And a university student has also developed a kinetic energy power source for remote areas. Another innovation that helps to tackle the immediate causes of insecurity of supply, is a smart energy device that helps to reduce the impact of electric hot water systems in South Africa.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

8th April 2022

Website: deciwatt.global

Contact: deciwatt.global/contact

Reference

Sustainable News

Vegan athletic shoe brand champions social change

By Zarkon Group,07/04/2022

Spotted: Reducing reliance on petroleum is a driving force in many industries, and solutions are varied. In the UK, athletic shoe brand Hylo produces a vegan sneaker that looks as good as it feels. Even better, every sale contributes to the social campaign Common Goal. Common Goal uses the power of football to help shape positive social changes. Members of the Common Goal group contribute one per cent of their salary or income to the fund.

Hylo’s sneakers are made in China, with the majority of materials sourced from within 60 kilometres of the factory and all delivered by road, not air. No animal products go into the making of the shoes, and the company makes supply chain and production transparency a priority. Each pair of shoes is numbered, allowing for full traceability of every product. The company also offers a take-back service for shoes that need recycling, and gives every customer that returns a used pair a £10 credit.

In July 2021, Hylo joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition in order to ensure compliance with the leading means of sustainable, caring production. The company’s investment in biogas digesters near its manufacturing hub further offsets its carbon emissions. Having secured nearly €3 million in a recent funding round, the company plans to expand its marketing and product development.

Coffee grounds, carbon emissions, and algae are only three of the other sustainable ingredients Springwise has spotted being used to improve the environmental footprint of the footwear industry.

Written by: Keely Khoury

6th April 2022

Email: hello@hyloathletics.com

Website: hyloathletics.com

Reference

Sustainable News

Platform grades commercial buildings for sustainability and provides green alternatives

By Zarkon Group,06/04/2022

Spotted: As building managers and owners seek paths to achieve carbon neutrality, sorting through the vast quantity of available information is often overwhelming. Station A, a marketplace for connecting clean energy seekers and sellers, hopes to help simplify the situation. Owners enter the addresses of their buildings to receive a Clean Energy Grade.

The AI powered platform evaluates the myriad ways, based on its location and climate, in which a building can reduce its carbon emissions. Each Clean Energy Grade includes projected financial savings for the different renewable energy options.

The Station A platform then provides owners and managers with a single place to gather all quotes for clean power and electricity. Users can directly compare installation costs, retrofitting fees and the length of time required to pay off the project. Station A also acts as an advisory board, providing consultancy on all stages of a structure’s transition to clean energy.

For providers, Station A improves the efficiency of the process by gathering all the data required for a detailed quote. The platform also helps providers connect with a range of projects, from size to type of energy required.

The greening of the construction industry is picking up speed, as materials and processes undergo radical change. Hempcrete is becoming an increasingly popular choice, and architects and builders now have the digital means to measure and predict the carbon footprint of a building.

Written by: Keely Khoury

6th April 2022

Email: info@stationa.com

Website: stationa.com

Reference

Sustainable News

An architecture firm in Kyiv creates comfort-first, modular shelters for Ukrainian refugees

By Zarkon Group,05/04/2022

Spotted: The need for emergency shelters in Ukraine has increased exponentially as a result of the country’s invasion by Russia. In response, architect Slava Balbek began designing new housing for people forced to flee their homes. He knew this would not be easy, but wanted his design solution to help refugees regain some sense of stability.

When half of Balbek’s 75-person company was forced to relocate, he realised that others would need new housing too. After convening a team of 10 architects at his company, he began to work on designs for refugee shelters that could be built quickly. The team analysed 20 existing models from around Europe before deciding on its final product – which is tailored to suit Ukraine’s cold climate.

The shelter’s design is modular, with small units that can be arranged in configurations that cater for different numbers of people – from as few as 50 to hundreds. Some configurations feature communal bathrooms, kitchens, and green space, while others have room underneath them dedicated solely towards playgrounds and sports fields.

The design is open-source, so others are also free to make use of it. However, the firm is asking everyone to maintain the sense of spaciousness and ensure that everyone stays within comfort boundaries to provide ‘dignity life’. “You can change designs, models and produce your own for a more personalised space,” explains Balbek.

Other innovations, spotted by Springwise, that cater for the needs of refugees in emergency situations include, refugee shelters that pop-up at the touch of a button, shelters made from recycled plastic, and a language learning app that helps migrant children navigate cultural differences.

Written By: Katrina Lane

4th April 2022

Email: hello@balbek.com

Website: balbek.com

Reference

Sustainable News

An Australian startup develops enzyme-based technology that can break down plastics

By Zarkon Group,04/04/2022

Spotted: What if there was a way to help eliminate the global plastic crisis without having to significantly compromise any of the conveniences we’ve grown accustomed to in our everyday lives? Meet Samsara Eco. With enzyme-based technology that can break down plastics, the Australian enviro-tech startup may have just what we need. The company’s innovative solution can break down single-use plastics into harmless organic molecules that can be easily recycled or composted.

This ‘cradle to cradle’ solution offers a way to recycle plastics sustainably, recreating them into new plastic or upcycling them into more valuable commodities. Enzymes—organic substances that catalyse bio-reactions—are the key to the technology. The enzymes break plastic ‘polymer’ molecules down into their constituent parts – known as ‘monomers’.

Samsara’s process is carbon neutral, and can be performed at room temperature. This is a significant benefit compared to other advanced plastic recycling processes – which require large amounts of heat. The startup therefore offers a more sustainable method of recycling, estimating that it will save 3 tonnes of carbon emissions for every tonne of plastic recycled using the process.

Founder and CEO of Samsara Eco Paul Riley explains that the technology ensures that plastics no longer need to be made from fossil fuels or plants, and won’t end up in landfills or oceans. He explains, “The motivation behind this work comes from our concerns about the environment, especially relating to carbon emissions and plastic waste, combined with our love of enzyme engineering – being able to design proteins to do new and useful things.”

Founded in 2021, the startup has a team of 13 composed of scientists, engineers, and researchers from the Australian National University in Canberra. The startup’s long-term vision is to extend its technological capabilities to infinitely recycle other oil-derived plastic products such as clothes made from polyester and nylon.

Other innovative recycling technologies recently spotted by Springwise include a decentralised network of advanced recycling sites, a chemical-free process for turning plastic into a building material, and a water-based recycling process for hard-to-recycle plastics.

Written By: Katrina Lane

4th April 2022

Website: samsaraeco.com

Contact: samsaraeco.com/contact-us

Reference

Sustainable News

An experiential space to relax and recharge

By Zarkon Group,03/04/2022

Spotted: Workers’ daily stress levels reached a record high in 2020 according to a global survey by Gallup, with 43 per cent of respondents in over 100 countries claiming to have experienced stress. With such striking figures, it’s little wonder that the World Health Organization has called stress the ‘health epidemic of the 21^st century’. Against this context, designers are beginning to think about how the built environment can reduce stress levels – particularly in the workplace.

Designed by Finnish designer Pekka Kumpula, Silmu is an experiential space for focus and relaxation. The single-person pods are designed to be installed in places that lack privacy – such as workplaces and public spaces. Combining a natural design language with state-of-the-art technology, the idea is that Silmu can act as the perfect setting, either for a ‘micro-break’ during the most hectic periods of the day, or for highly concentrated work that requires maximum focus.

The pods integrate music composed by film and TV composer Mars Lasar – which is played through built-in, noise-cancelling speakers. To further deepen the experience, ‘feel-the-sound’ technology lets users feel the music all over their body. A fan and air filtration system keeps the pods fresh, and LED lights can be adjusted for colour and brightness. Users can tweak the environment within the space using an interior control panel or through a mobile app. The seat within the pod is ergonomically designed for maximum comfort.

“The design language of Silmu comes from the nature of the Nordic, from the first shoots of spring,” explains Kumpula. “Like when nature wakes up, Silmu also helps you to re-create yourself, relax and refresh,” he adds.

Other stress-busting innovations spotted by Springwise
include smart
devices that re-create forest bathing, a
vibroacoustic bed that could aid physical and mental health, and lighting
panels that boost mood when working from home.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

1st April 2022

Email: silmu@silmux.fi

Website: silmux.fi

Reference

Sustainable News

Using microbes to clean contaminated soil

By Zarkon Group,02/04/2022

Spotted: Contaminated soil from polluted sites, such as old industrial facilities and petrol stations, causes problems across the globe. Until now, the main method for cleaning these sites has been the physical removal of contaminated soil to a landfill site, where it is used as a filling material. Fresh soil must then be brought in as a replacement. This is an extremely expensive, time-consuming, and emissions-intensive process – potentially requiring thousands of truckloads of soil to be transported over many kilometres.

Now, Finnish company Remsoil, has developed an entirely different approach to the problem. The company has developed a new method of soil ‘remediation’ that reduces the concentration of contaminants in the soil to safe levels.

The process takes advantage of the restorative capabilities of soil microbes. An additive made from animal and plant by-products is added to the contaminated soil. This waste contains high levels of nutrients that benefit the microbes, stimulating their activity. This activity then breaks down contaminants such as oils and PAH-compounds – a class of chemicals occurring naturally in coal, crude oil, and petrol.

This method for treating contaminated soil is cost-efficient and up to three times quicker than conventional remediation processes. Moreover, the additive can be applied to the soil on-site meaning that there is no need to transport soil back and forth. At the same time, the process also returns agricultural waste back to nature’s circulation.

Other microbe-based innovations recently spotted by
Springwise include a startup that uses microbes to boost
carbon sequestration, cement
that is ‘grown’ using microbes, and a
vegetable oil replacement made using microbes.

Written By: Matthew Hempstead

1st April 2022

Email: jan.hainari-maula@remsoil.com

Website: remsoil.com

Reference

Sustainable News

Global innovation spotlight: Finland – Springwise

By Zarkon Group,01/04/2022

Global innovation spotlight: Finland

Global Innovation Spotlight

Finland Innovation Facts

Global Innovation Index ranking: 7^th

Climate targets: Carbon neutral by 2035.

Sustainability issues:

Forestry – More than 75 per cent of Finland is covered by forests, making it one of the most forested country in Europe. With so many trees, it is little surprise that forestry is big business – accounting for over 18 per cent of the country’s exports. But commentators point out that the industry has a negative impact on carbon emissions, biodiversity, and the native Sami people. This has led to vigorous debate over government plans to increase logging by more than 30 per cent.

Biodiversity – `Finland is home to around 45,000 plant and animal species, representing 29 per cent of the known species found in Europe. But biodiversity loss has been a key challenge for the country. For example, 35 per cent of Finnish birds are under threat. However, there have been signs in the last few years that, for the first time, Finland has a chance to reverse biodiversity loss.

Baltic Sea pollution – Nutrient run-off, urban litter, and industrial chemicals make the Baltic Sea one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world. With a catchment area spanning nine countries, change requires action by multiple countries, and 1974 saw the ratification of the Helsinki convention for the protection of the Baltic Sea. Thankfully, progress has been made with nutrient pollution in the sea reducing by around 50 per cent over the past 30 years.

Sector specialisms:

Digital Health
AI, Big Data, and Analytics
Gaming

Source: Startup Genome

Three Exciting Innovations From Finland

USING MICROBES TO CLEAN CONTAMINATED SOIL

Contaminated soil from polluted sites, such as old industrial facilities and petrol stations, causes problems across the globe. Until now, the main method for cleaning these sites has been the physical removal of contaminated soil to a landfill site, where it is used as a filling material. Fresh soil must then be brought in as a replacement. This is an extremely expensive, time-consuming, and emissions-intensive process – potentially requiring thousands of truckloads of soil to be transported over many kilometres. Now, a Finnish company has developed a bioremediation additive made from agricultural waste that stimulates microbial activity to break down soil contaminants on-site. Read more.

HEATING FOOD WITH A PORTABLE SOLAR HEATER

Finnish startup SolFoil has created solar-powered pouches that cook or heat food and non-food items. Cool to the touch, even after hours in the sun, the packages absorb 90 per cent of the available sunshine. Cooking times vary due to time of day, strength of sunshine, and outdoor temperature, and the pouches can be left for hours without overheating. They connect to a gauge that indicates the internal temperature, making it easy to track cooking times. The technology has the potential to help vulnerable communities living in insecure housing and inhospitable locations, and the company plans to develop the product further for use in humanitarian emergencies.

AN EXPERIENTIAL SPACE TO RELAX AND RECHARGE

Workers’ daily stress levels reached a record high in 2020 according to a global survey by Gallup, with 43 per cent of respondents in over 100 countries claiming to have experienced stress. Designed by Finnish designer Pekka Kumpula, Silmu is an experiential space for focus and relaxation. The single-person pods are designed to be installed in places that lack privacy – such as workplaces and public spaces. Combining a natural design language with state-of-the-art technology, the idea is that Silmu can act as the perfect setting, either for a ‘micro-break’ during the most hectic periods of the day, or for highly concentrated work that requires maximum focus. Read more.

Words: Matthew Hempstead

To keep up with the latest innovations in sustainable investment and beyond, sign up to our free newsletters or email info@springwise.com to get in touch.

1st April 2022

Reference

News

Turning the overlooked croton nut into a sustainable cash crop

Portsea House // Wood Marsh

Portsea House Gallery

Muscle-powered emergency generators for vulnerable communities

Platform grades commercial buildings for sustainability and provides green alternatives

An architecture firm in Kyiv creates comfort-first, modular shelters for Ukrainian refugees

An Australian startup develops enzyme-based technology that can break down plastics

An experiential space to relax and recharge

Using microbes to clean contaminated soil

Global innovation spotlight: Finland – Springwise

Global innovation spotlight: Finland

Finland Innovation Facts

Three Exciting Innovations From Finland

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