See these amazing ideas towards eliminating food and agricultural waste

written by IFCO SYSTEMS, 26th October 2017, in Stories

The Enactus 1 Race 2 End Waste is an international competition in support of creatively reducing food waste, strengthening communities and developing a new generation of socially responsible leaders.

With the help of corporate sponsors, student teams from 36 countries participate in regional competitions as well as at the international level. Check out four of the amazing ideas being developed by young entrepreneurs that your company could help support.

Solar6 oven will help reduce tomato loss

About 750,000 tons of cultivated tomatoes are lost each year in Nigeria. Due to limited cold storage infrastructure, Nigerian farmers in the Kura farming community are unable to adequately preserve tomatoes and other crops. They are faced with selling their harvest at meager prices to middlemen. Due to storage problems, 105,000 metric tons must be imported each year to meet domestic demand.

The team proposed a solar oven to dry tomatoes and other perishable products as a means of reducing food waste. As a result, the dried product can be stored for a more extended period and sold for higher prices. The oven, which uses sunlight as an energy source, is produced using local materials. The team intends to manufacture and sell the device to community members and the public. The initiative would reduce food waste and increase income to local farmers.

Edible cooking utensils eliminates the need for disposable plastic

This project involves utilizing leftover rice and wheat flour, combined with sorghum, to bake edible kitchen utensils. The utensils must remain functional in hot water, and be strong enough to support the food it is bearing. The team, from Cairo, Egypt, proposes that the solution will eliminate the disposal of plastic utensils. The addition of flavors could be added to improve the consumer experience. The group suggests that farmers’ wives could produce the utensils as a source of additional income.

The benefits of this project include the utilization of excess flour, avoidance of disposable plastic utensil usage, a source of income for farming families, and a reduction of solid waste.

Turning bread into beer

According to the Bread Pilz Enactus team from Maastricht, the Netherlands, bread is the second most wasted food in that country. Each year, about 600 kg per person is thrown away. The group intends to empower young people with disabilities to collect old bread from local bakeries, restaurants and supermarkets. In partnership with a local brewery (Brouwerij Bosh), the young people will turn it into beer and then sell it. The success of the project will relate to increased beer production and job creation.

Green gold energy offers alternative to deforestation

The use of timber for fuel by individuals and small businesses causes a severe strain on Morocco’s forests. After oil, firewood is the country’s leading source of energy, accounting for about one-third of national energy consumption. Wood usage for fuel totals 6 million tons. Meanwhile, the Green Gold Energy team notes, Morocco recycles only 10% of the 5.3 million tons of waste generated annually.

The team proposes a solid biofuel generated from organic waste as a solution. Logs and pellets are produced from natural material related to the harvest of olives, timber and from other sources. The biofuel delivers a 44% higher calorific value than firewood while creating 35% lower greenhouse gas emissions. An additional benefit of the biofuel is 300% increase in storage efficiency versus timber.

The team has initially been providing efficient combustibles to 3 potter families. It plans to introduce its first automated production lines. This advance will allow it to recycle 600 tons of organic waste and produce 500 tons of biofuels annually, helping to improve the lives of more than 200 families.

Over 145 innovative entries are displayed at the 1 Race 2 End Waste website. Enactus operates in 36 countries, including the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is a collaboration between businesses, academic institutions and student teams, with a goal of improving lives, strengthening communities, and developing socially responsible leaders. IFCO is proud to be an Enactus sponsor. It is just one of the many ways IFCO is dedicated to creating a better supply chain for us all. To find out more about Enactus and how your company can help support this worthwhile initiative, visit http://races.enactus.org/en/

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