In this episode of the bioCircular Loop podcast, Melina Gerdts discusses waste valorization and the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing these processes with John Goriup, CEO of VCG.AI. They explore how AI can optimize waste management, predict waste flows, and create sustainable business models. The conversation delves into the challenges of scaling waste valorization, the importance of data-driven approaches, and the various industries that can benefit from these innovations. In this conversation, Jon from VCG.AI discusses the transition to sustainable industries, focusing on biomass availability in Europe, the role of AI in the bio circular economy, and how they support companies in securing feedstock. He emphasizes the importance of building ecosystems around waste streams and the impact of their work on reducing CO2 emissions. The discussion also touches on the future of the circular economy and the necessity of virgin materials in a growing economy.

Useful Links

https://vcg.ai/

https://vcg.ai/portfolio/developing-value-chains-in-6-eu-regions/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/waste-valorization

Takeaways

• Waste valorization transforms waste into valuable resources.
• AI plays a crucial role in optimizing waste management processes.
• Predictive analytics can enhance decision-making in waste management.
• The circular economy requires collaboration across sectors.
• The future of waste valorization lies in innovative data solutions.
• The transition to sustainable industries requires smart utilization of resources.
• Building ecosystems around waste streams is crucial for valorization.
• AI can play a pivotal role in the bio circular economy.
• The future of the circular economy will still involve some virgin materials.
• Maximizing the value of byproducts can significantly reduce emissions.
• VCG.AI aims to valorize 100 million tons of byproducts by 2030.
• Understanding local connections is key to successful valorization.

In this episode, the bioCircular Loop podcast discusses fungi-based alternative proteins and the use of innovative raw material sources to soy. The guest, Simo Ellilä, CEO and co-founder of Enifer, a biotech startup in Finland, shares insights on their process of fermenting side streams to produce sustainable protein ingredients. The conversation covers the benefits of plant-based proteins, the environmental and ethical concerns of animal agriculture, and the challenges of soy dependency in Europe. They also discuss Enifer’s journey of scaling production, their target markets, and the advantages of their mycoproteins compared to soy or meat-based proteins. Enifer is a company that produces sustainable and high-quality protein ingredients from fungi. They have faced challenges in fundraising due to the adverse funding climate and the need to demonstrate a shorter-term vision for generating revenue. They have a strong intellectual property portfolio and valuable know-how from the old process. Building new markets and convincing B2B clients to change their recipes are ongoing challenges. Sustainability is important but not always a top priority for consumers and companies. Enifer compares favorably to soy-based alternatives in terms of carbon emissions and land use. Measuring impact is complex, but Enifer uses economic allocation to account for the environmental emissions of their side streams. Enifer’s protein can offer up to 70% CO2 emission savings compared to Brazilian soy.

Episode #5 explores the chemicals and plastics value chains and a technology that uses CO2 as a renewable resource for circular chemicals production. A key discussion topic is the importance of partnerships in driving circular transformations and the need for collaboration across value chains. The conversation delves into the technology developed by Photanol, a Dutch startup, which uses CO2, sunlight, water, and bacteria to convert carbon into renewable chemicals. Renolit and Photanol are partnering to develop a technology that converts CO2 into renewable chemicals for plastics and other products. The collaboration aims to transition the chemical industry away from fossil fuels and towards a more sustainable and circular economy. The technology uses CO2 and sunlight as inputs and has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions. The first commercial facility is expected to have an impact equivalent to the annual emissions of 10,000 passenger cars or 10,000 round trips between New York and London.