Waste Free in '23

10/06/2026

25/05/2026

🩺 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲.
The WHO has launched a new global report: “Throwing away our health: The impacts of solid waste on human health.” https://lnkd.in/gUXDHYQ8
And it is a powerful reminder of something we keep forgetting:
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟏𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡. Today, we still have:
❧ 2.7 billion people without waste collection
❧ ~40% of global waste still open dumped or burned
So yes, these meetings matter. But here is the uncomfortable truth:
𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰. And they are low-cost, proven, and scalable.
Here’s what unmanaged waste does to health, and what we can do about it:
♻️ 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 (𝐝𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐭)
• Harbors diseases • Pollutes water sources • Drives methane emissions
Solutions we use today:
✓ Dry organics → biochar + clean cooking heat
✓ Wet organics → BSFL (Black Soldier Fly Larvae) → chicken feed + natural fertilizer in days
🧱 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞
• Toxic when burned • Harbors insects and disease • Chokes drains, floods cities
Solutions we use today:
✓ Mixed plastics → building materials, panels, bins, furniture
✓ Or sold into traditional recycling chains
🚽 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞
• Unmanaged → spreads pathogens • Threatens water & community safety
Solution:
✓ Can be converted into organic mineral fertilizer within hours using torrefaction-style processes

Now the part that shocks most people: 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥.
⦿ They create profitable businesses
⦿ They create jobs
⦿ They reduce disease
⦿ They reduce emissions
⦿ They are already working in many countries
𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲.
𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐰.

15/05/2026

11/05/2026

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿: “Integrated Anaerobic Digestion and Black Soldier Fly Larvae Systems for Stable and Efficient Organic Waste Management” - https://lnkd.in/ggBacydW
One idea in the paper stood out strongly: Biogas systems may work as biological buffer tanks for BSFL systems.
Waste streams are unstable.
BSFL systems prefer stable feed.
Anaerobic digesters can:
• absorb waste surges
• homogenize moisture and nutrients
• stabilize variable waste
• decouple waste collection from larvae feeding schedules
Meaning:
𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 → 𝗔𝗗 𝗯𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 → 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱 → 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗦𝗙𝗟 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
This integration could improve:
• decentralized waste management
• protein and fertilizer production
• operational stability
• resource recovery
• waste worker livelihoods
The paper explores the system from:
• technical
• biological
• operational
• systems engineering
• and economic perspectives
Would love feedback from researchers, municipalities, BSFL operators, biogas experts, and decentralized waste practitioners.
Bioeconomy ClimateTech ResourceRecovery

11/05/2026

𝐇𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚’𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬
Soft plastics remain one of the hardest waste streams to process at community scale.
𝐁𝐚𝐠𝐬, 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 are difficult to transport, difficult to sort, and often end up burned or dumped.
In Hawassa, a locally-built plastic shredder is helping convert these materials into 𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐤 for recycled plastic manufacturing.
The system works especially well for 𝐏𝐄 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐏 𝐬𝐨𝐟𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 and is already being integrated into local plastic-to-product workflows.
The page includes:
• Mechanical drawings
• Real field photos
• Operating details
• Design concepts
• Product examples made from shredded plastic
• Practical implementation notes from Hawassa
This is part of a broader effort to build 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 that communities can fabricate, maintain, and operate locally.
Check out the full shredder page here: Hello everyone. Check out hawassa's plastic shredder page 
https://lnkd.in/gVTKn5nH
For collaboration, training, or implementation support: 📩 [email protected]

11/05/2026

𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫 + 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 → 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬
Degraded land is not a nutrient problem alone.
It is a system failure in soil biology.
Recent field-backed research on Amazonian Dark Earth (https://lnkd.in/gCSRTSwt) shows something very clear:
➤ A small addition of biochar + organic waste soil
➤ No chemical fertilizer
➤ Significant gains in tree growth -
• up to 𝟓𝟓% taller
• up to 𝟖𝟖% thicker stems
This is not just about adding nutrients. This is about rebuilding living soil systems. What's happening is -
◉ Biochar provides structure and long-term carbon
◉ Organic waste feeds microbial activity
◉ Microbial communities shift toward beneficial species
◉ Roots absorb nutrients more efficiently
◉ Soil holds water and resists degradation
The Result:
• Faster tree growth
• Lower input cost
• Restoration of degraded land
• Reduced dependence on imported fertilizers
This is not theoretical. This is a repeatable low-cost pathway using materials already being burned or dumped in most regions.
At 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝟐𝟑, this is exactly how we approach systems:
▸ waste → biochar
▸ waste → compost
▸ combined → engineered soil solutions
We do not start with products. We start with local waste streams and practical conversion methods.
Read the full summary of the article and how you can apply it here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gJrDF_t5
This research is now part of our technical reference base: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gt5pkAB2
If you are working on:
• reforestation
• degraded land recovery
• agroforestry systems
• reducing fertilizer dependence
This is a system worth testing locally.
𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐩𝐮𝐭.
WasteFree23

11/05/2026

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟑𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐫?
Most countries are importing nutrients while wasting them locally.
This is not scarcity
This is 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞
At 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝟐𝟑, we integrate:
• 𝐁𝐒𝐅𝐋 → nitrogen recovery
• 𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫 → nutrient retention
• 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 → soil stability
Then combine into 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐫
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬:
🇺🇸 USA ~1.4 billion MT manure
𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟓–𝟑𝟎% 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ≈ $4.2B annual savings
🇮🇳 India ~800 million MT manure
𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟓–𝟑𝟎% 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ≈ $3.1B savings + subsidy reduction
🇨🇴 Colombia ~95 million MT manure
𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟓–𝟑𝟎% 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ≈ $240M savings
🇻🇳 Vietnam ~85 million MT manure
𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟓–𝟑𝟎% 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ≈ $190M savings
🇪🇹 Ethiopia ~110 million MT manure
𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝟏𝟓–𝟑𝟎% 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ≈ $115M savings
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬:
Waste → 𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲
Cost → 𝐒𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
Imports → 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Backed by growing global focus on nutrient recovery: https://lnkd.in/gmrEd3MM
Full system here: https://lnkd.in/g7pJaus3
𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲
𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬

SoilHealth ClimateSolutions WasteFree23