FROM GARBAGE TO CABBAGE

By 2050, 75% of world's population will be leaving in cities, resulting in increased Solid Waste generation and challenging the city’s ability to manage waste. Currently, Solid Waste is either disposed in dumpsites or landfills, resulting in Methane emissions and aggravating Climate Change. Organic waste management is challenging due to the foul smell, requires vast space and takes a long time to decompose, contaminating the environment.

Our 24Hr composting machine composts all organic waste within 24Hrs at points of generation, then returning the resulting organic fertilizer back to the farms to increase food production for the growing city population.

Cities globally using this technology will eliminate Methane emissions as it utilizes aerobic processes, thus mitigating Climate Change (SDG13), ensuring no environmental pollution, eliminating breeding sites for disease vectors, ensuring better public health (SGD6), increasing food security (SGD2) and better human health (SDG3) while alleviating poverty (SGD1) in the millions of population.

As cities grow, populations increase with a direct increase on waste generation. 60 -75% of the waste, forms the organic fraction which our technology converts into compost within 24Hrs.

Nairobi generates about 3,000Mt/day of waste and only 33% (JICA 2010) is collected as the rest is left uncollected, dumped in illegal sites or burnt. Globally, barely 50% the MSW generated in most cities is collected for disposal, resulting to environmental pollution affecting global populations.

Wakulima fresh vegetable market feeds about 50% of the 4.5Million population in Nairobi, being the main fresh produce distribution point, it generates about 100MTon/day of organic waste. In 2017, about 115people were buried alive at the Koshe dumpsite landslide in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as they scavenged, while millions are affected by the smoke and foul smell emanating from the dumpsite. Globally, pollution effects emanating from decomposition and burning of organic waste are grave leading to breathing problems, aggravating climate change leading to floods, droughts and unprecedented weather phenomenal.

Huge volumes of organic waste generated (decompose anaerobically in dumpsites, contaminating environments and producing methane emissions) are the feedstock for our 24hr composting technology, thus diverting from dumpsites eliminates environmental pollution and mitigates methane emissions, while increasing food security.

We are working with farmers in Makueni district who are using the resulting compost from our 24hr composting machine to improve their soil health, which inturn impacts on the mango production quality and quantity. This production increase ensures increased small holder incomes and resilience reducing community vulnerability from poverty.

Low mango yields have affected the community negatively resulting from poor soils thus making production very low. This inturn deprives them of livelihoods resulting to youth migration to cities in search of better means of sustenance leaving behind aging and ailing parents. Using the compost from the 24hr composting machine helps to increasing organic matter content of the soil thus enhancing soil water holding capacity in this arid area, increase soil health and crop production. Thus provision of this compost recycled from the city's organic waste, simultaneously solves two challenges, environmental waste management and increased crop production.

Access to the organic fertilizer has helped increase the soil health and water holding capacity resulting to increased mango fruits which is a boost to small holder incomes, resilience, better mental health and wellbeing.

Common practice of waste management in cities is to centrally dispose in a landfill or dumpsite that are characterized with foul smell, leachates and methane emissions. 

Organic Waste generated is separated from other waste, placed into our 24hr composting machine that composts it into organic fertilizer within 24hrs. The machine combines aerobic processes, inoculation of an proprietary enzyme and a temperature of about 95 degrees to rapidly compost organic waste into organic fertilizer. The machine is placed at satellite points of waste generation, e.g. hotels, markets etc, as opposed to centrally at a dumpsite. The generated waste is placed into the machine daily for conversion into organic fertilizer. The organic fertilizer is then sold to farmers to plough back into their farmlands to recycle nutrients, which would have otherwise been lost at the dumpsite.

This technology enables us provide two products, the 24hr composting machine and the resulting organic fertilizer. The composting machine targets the cities to enhance waste management and reduce environmental pollution while the resulting organic fertilizer targets the farming community to increase soil organic matter that enhances soil health resulting to increased crop production, resilience and small holder incomes.

We use the 24Hr composting machine that catalyzes the biodegradation of organic matter into compost through use of aerobic processes at a temperature of 95degrees over a period of 24hrs. The composting chamber is a controlled environment where only organic waste is placed for decomposition. The process ensures utilization of organic waste as its generated in cities thus enhancing recycling of nutrients, elimination of methane emissions to mitigate climate while ensuring a green and circular economy.

Windrow Composting of organic waste takes 6-8weeks, requiring close monitoring of the moisture content and temperature with frequent turning of the waste heaps to ensure decomposition is taking place. After the composting period, only about 70 – 80% is composted and due to this fact one cannot guarantee the nutrient concentration of the compost. Vast tracts of land are required for composting and normally affected by the natural elements of sun and rain. Meat waste cannot be composted together with food waste due to attraction of vermin and animals. Most composting sites are methane emitters that aggravates climate change.

Our 24Hr composting technology enhances composting process within 24Hrs in a smaller area, handles all kinds of waste, including meats and sewage sludge. The machine incorporates a mixer, aeration and heating up of the waste to 95degrees centigrade while inoculating a proprietary enzyme in the waste resulting in a nutrient rich compost. The process eliminates the characteristic foul smell of decaying organic matter, attracts no flies hence eradicates disease vectors and vermin, produces no leachate, hence no ground water contamination and due to the continuous aeration of the composting process there are no methane emissions hence mitigating climate change and its effects.

The process's turn around time of 24hrs, forms the innovative component of handling organic waste, a global challenge while the sustainability component is the sale of the organic fertilizer. 

The composting machines are placed inside kitchens, institutions, markets etc to ensure  ZERO organic waste is taken to dumpsites.

For composting its necessary to have the right moisture content, temperature, frequent turning of the heaps so as to ensure composting is taking place.

Inorder to enhance composting we have incorporated the use of our proprietary enzymes, shredding of the waste to increase surface area, aeration and continuous mixing of the organic waste at a maintained temperature of 95degrees centigrade in a controlled stainless steel vessel. These conditions create a favorable environment for our patented enzymes to catalyze the composting process that within 24Hrs all organic waste is converted into organic fertilizer.

1) Continuous aeration ensures the composting process does not produce methane emissions, thus mitigating climate change (SDG 13). 

2) Composting in a controlled environment ensures that we avoid any loss of nutrients by eliminating leachates. 

3) By utilizing fresh organic waste at points of generation, we therefore capture the highest nutrient value in the organic waste before they begin to rot and biodegrade, resulting with a nutrient rich compost. 

4) The organic carbon content in the compost is well over 70%, thus enhancing carbon sequestration and increasing Climate Smart Agriculture. 

The net dual impact of the 24Hr composting technology is elimination of methane emissions and environmental pollution in our cities, while creating a resource, organic fertilizer that is used for increasing food production, security and resilience for a growing world population through the recycling of nutrients back to the farms. This helps farmers increase their small holder incomes while creating employment opportunities for both youth and women.

We are currently making compost from market organic waste, then pelletizing it before commercializing it for farm use. We have also ran various efficacy tests, e.g https://ke.linkedin.com/in/judith-ilukol-839a8a19/de. We have ran successful trials with various organic waste and even mixture of faecal sludge, saw dust and fresh sewage with tremendous results obtained, see below link for the composting and analysis of the sewage sludge mix. Actual time taken to compost was 20hrs and not 24hrs

sewage sludge composting video

Analysis report- sewage sludge, saw dust and fresh sewage mix

This confirms that utilizing this technology we can easily solve two major challenges for cities, faecal sludge and organic waste management, which currently is a big headache the world over. The resulting compost is a versatile organic fertilizer that is used to enhance soil health for increased crop production hence solving another city’s challenge of food security.

The link herein, is a feasibility study for “Sustainable valorisation of organic urban wastes Insights from African case studies” done by a team from WASTE, LEI, part of Wageningen UR, Netherlands. It features our company on “Chapter 2: The composting company: a case study of ECoH Holdings Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya”.  http://edepot.wur.nl/169513

We also have supplied a 24Hr composting machine to the The Rodinia Hotel in Asaba, Nigeria that runs 3 food kitchens for the management of the food waste generated from the processing and production of food, so as to ensure responsible solid waste management.

About 150 farmers currently utilizing the organic fertilizer for crop production. 

We collect waste from Athi River market housing 70 vendors, thus helping to reduce pollution. During the collection and segregation of the waste, we have 3 persons involved.

8 employees currently, with 4 employees directly handling the organic waste processing, while during high seasons, we have extra 15 casual labourers.

1year

With capital injection, targeting 1,000 farmers under Makueni mango value chain group to utilize the organic fertilizer, having initiated on farm trials with the group's representatives.

5years

80% of Kenyan population forms the farming community and with access to an investor, grant or affordable loan of about USD 4.5M for 24hr composting machinery upgrade, we target to reach atleast 2.5% (900,000 farmers) of the farming community to be utilizing at least a single 50Kgs bag/year of our organic fertilizer for production of various food and cash crops. 

Secondly, we hope to collect vegetable waste for composting from Wakulima Vegetable Market which serves 50% of the Nairobi’s 4.5Million population, to ensure effective waste management and reduction of environmental pollution at the market and city at large.

Thirdly, we hope to initiate a similar waste collection and composting project in Kigali, Rwanda with a population of about 800,000 where we have submitted a proposal to government for composting of 200Mton/day of organic waste generated.  

We are also targeting to replicate in Lagos and Addis Ababa which have populations of about 9 million and 2.7million persons respectively.

Currently seeking financing of USD 1.5M to acquire a 20Ton/day 24Hr composting machine, to install at City Park Vegetable market which generates 20ton/day of organic waste. This will enable us increase our production capacity for the growing organic fertilizer clientle.

Targeting of 1000 farmers in the Makueni mango value chain, necessitates increased composting of market waste within 24hrs to enable us meet the growing demand for organic fertilizer which will result in increased crop yields and small holder incomes.

In 5years, with further access to funding, through venture capitalist, angel investors, loans or grants of USD 4.5M, we will be able to acquire and install a 100ton/day machine capacity at the Wakulima market in Nairobi, which generates 100ton/day of organic waste. This market serves atleast 50% of the 4.5million Nairobi population. With the Ministry of Agriculture insisting on increasing organic matter application in the farms, it will enable us target 2.5% of the farming community (900,000 farmers) with our organic fertilizer to increase crop production. This will guarantee Kenya’s food security and increase its agricultural exports, thus increasing foreign exchange revenue and GDP growth for the country.

The above is replicable in any city of the world as organic waste generation is on the increase with population growth. 

Globally utilising this 24Hr composting technology, will ensuring that we mitigate global methane emissions to keep the temperatures below 1.5degrees level, “An IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels..” http://ipcc.ch/report/sr15/

Financial barriers have been the major impediment on our growth. This is because the banks deem us as un-bankable due to there being no the other similar comparative project or technology, hence lacking financial access. We are seeking for an investor, grant or loan for USD 1.5Million to purchase a 20ton/day composting machine to increase our production capacity within the next 1year.

With regard to scaling up in the next 5years, other than lack of finances to purchase a 100ton/day which will require about USD 4.5Million, it will be the legal hurdles of securing a license to handle this huge amount of organic waste at our facility, which is not a designated waste disposal point according to the city’s by-laws. Secondly, access to available space within the market to place the composting machine.

There is also the cultural farming practices that have become the norm as farmers are now used to using synthetic fertilizers that are easily broadcast on the farm as oppose to our organic fertilizer that has to be incorporated into the soil, thus farmers finding it laborious. Secondly, overtime farmers have had a low regard of organic fertilizer, hence a lot of funding/ financing will go into creating awareness, education and demos to enhance adoption.

Government’s fertilizer subsidies makes our organic fertilizer expensive as the subsidized fertilizer distributed through government stores, costs about half our product price. Thus farmers opt for it despite the negative impact the chemical fertilizer has on their soil health and crop production. 

Financial barriers: 

- We will keep ploughing back the resources generated in order to be able to purchase a bigger machine to increase our capacity. Secondly, seek investment from ventures capitalist, angel investors, grants and affordable loans.

The legal hurdles of securing a license: 

- having a PPP with the county government to allow access of waste and operational site. 

Cultural farming practices:

- Setting up farmer demonstration sites for on farm practical training and experience. Working and collaboration with government agricultural offices for information dissemination. Increase funding/ financing for creating awareness, education and demos to enhance adoption.

Government’s fertilizer subsidies:

- work with government to have a guaranteed quota for organic fertilizer subsidy thus making it easily available and affordable for increased adoption. Government’s adoption, advocating and use of organic fertilizers will increase market penetration.

We are pursuing a funding of about USD 1.5Million for the purchase of a 20ton/day 24Hr composting machine and the expansion of our composting facility to increase organic fertilizer production.

Currently we have 8 fulltime employees, with 4 employees working at our composting plant. 

During peak periods we use casual labourers that are paid daily and as per the work available. The casuals could be upto 15 persons per day.

We also have 3 commission agents, that are remunerated based on the product sales made.

Team leader Edwin, a passionate trained chemist, who before resigning as Quality Control Manager at BAYER E.Africa Ltd, worked for over 10years incharge for both liquid and solid waste management. Later for 1year, worked for EM technology a Japanese company as a waste management consultant, before leaving to form and head Organic Solutions Ltd as Managing Director for 1year with regard to waste management. Later resigned to form and co-own ECOH HOLDINGS Ltd in 2006, to enhance waste management and food production.

Am passionate about waste management which has helped sustain us since inception while providing solutions that mitigate environmental pollution, enhance soil health and increase safe food production through utilization of organic waste. I have consulted for various companies for waste management and have helped establish waste treatment systems here in Kenya, two effluent treatment plants in Burundi and in Nigeria for a hotel. Discussions are under way for establishing a waste treatment plant for a palm oil extraction factory in Democratic Republic of Congo as a referral from the two Burundian companies. 

Dr. Reuben my co-director, a PHD holder in disaster management and conflict resolution who through his expertise we have been able to manage and position the organization as pillar to help manage and resolve conflicts that would arise due to food security as we utilize waste as a tool to increase crop production in disaster areas.

We have been recycling organic waste since 2006, thus quite experienced in composting and produces a versatile organic fertilizer.

UNHABITAT: Creating awareness for waste management within Nairobi city and largely to it’s member states. 

Ministry of Agriculture: Showcasing impact of our organic fertilizer during the planned agricultural shows and farmer field days.

USAID: Through Technoserve, to enhance mango production using our organic fertilizer within the Makueni farmer groups. 

KIBRAGreens: To enhance solid waste management within the slums, where organic waste is composted into organic fertilizer for crop production. In the process cleaning and riding the slums of waste.

Nairobi County government: To a pilot access to 20ton/day of market waste which we will convert into organic fertilizer and currently awaiting financing for the machine acquisition.

KIWASCO: A sewerage company in Kenya, with which we have done a pilot that converted both faecal and sewage sludge into compost within 24hrs. Awaiting funding for scaling up.

SNV: Creating awareness on using our 24hr composting technology for the sanitation purposes, to convert faecal sludge from pit latrines into compost.

Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization: For research and testing of our organic fertilizer for use in agricultural production.

The Rodinia Hotel, Nigeria: Management of food waste generated from 3 kitchens, thus supplied them with a 24Hr composting machine. 

ECoH provides organic based products made from the recycling of market waste with 24Hrs which are geared towards the revitalization of the soil health and nutrients that enhance farmers’ productivity within the East Africa region. Thereby increasing small holder incomes and resilience, while mitigating pollution and climate change, which is unlike the synthetic fertilizers that acidify the soil and are both injurious to human health and the environment.

By collecting organic waste from markets it helps cleanup the markets and eliminate both food contamination and environmental pollution. The waste is recycled through composting into organic fertilizer at our plant, where it is pelletized, bagged and sold for use on the farms to enhance the soil health, increase soil organic matter and water holding capacity, which inturn impacts on the crop production through increased quantity and quality of produce.

This then increases small holder incomes, enhances resilience and food security, while motivating them to increase crop production to feed city populations. This forms a green and circular economy which recycles nutrients back to the farms for increased food production while eliminating environmental pollution and mitigating methane emissions that are aggravating climate change.

Once the organic waste is composted, it is then pelletize before bagging into 50Kgs, which makes it easy for on farm application. The farmers then access it either through direct sales or from their farmer group/ society. We are hoping that the government will grant us an organic fertilizer quota, thus making it easier for farmers to access it through the government distribution stores within the country.

Through the sale of the organic fertilizer, the proceeds generated have been and will continue to be ploughed back to enable us grow the business as has been from inception to date.

As need has arisen, we have taken loans from our bankers to fund projects and investments that we deemed necessary for our business growth. We will continue to have need based borrowings from our bankers.

As directors, will not take dividends but by ploughing back the funds into the company will enhance the growth and assets investment for the company. 

For scaling up our growth we are seeking angle investors, venture capitalist, grants and affordable loans to enable us build capacity, expand our production plant, acquire new larger machinery for 24hr composting and a granulator for the organic fertilizer, as currently we only have a pelletizing machine.

With access to a granulating machine, we will be able to target a new and larger group of mechanized farmers, of whom we are currently not selling our product to, forming untapped market. A larger 24hr composting machine will enable us produce more organic fertilizer that will be both pelletized and granulated.

This will enable us be able to repay any investment facility and ensure our sustainability as we sell the organic fertilizer.

Why apply?

To get mentorship and business partners linkages.

To access angel funders, venture capitalist and investors who can enable us scale up the business while they recoup their investment.

By becoming a Solve partner:

• It would have our business model refined by Solve to make it bankable and ready for investment, either venture capitalist, angel funders, grant or loan.
• It will provide us with a platform of telling our impact story to the world.
• It will enable us find business mentors and partners that can enhance our business model.
• It will enable us access funding through grants, equity or investors.
• Will enable us have a partnership to create impact not only in Kenya but globally.
• Facilitate research on ways to enhance waste management riding on MIT research and development expertise.
• Will provide me with training on various courses related to waste management, agriculture, circular economy and business management at MIT for either certificate, diploma or degree level.
• As collaborating partners, we will provider each other with points of reference.

United Nations - information dissemination and advocacy on the conversion of organic waste into compost with 24Hrs to enhance waste management in our cities globally. 

MIT - For technology research, model improvement and capacity building.

GM - to enhance a green and circular economy in cities globally.

UNEP - for dissemination, advocacy and adoption of 24Hr composting technology use to manage organic waste in the world to eliminate environmental pollution and methane emissions to ensure a more cleaner and habitable environment.

FAO - Advocating for the composting of organic waste in cities, to recycle back the plant nutrients so as to increase food security, resilience and small holder incomes.

UNFCCC - for research and quantification of the percent reduction and elimination of methane emissions mitigated by our 24Hr composting technology, with a view of reducing global temperature rise below 1.5degrees as per the IPCC report.

SOLVE - business model improvement, mentorship and access to investors.

AfDB - For funding recycling projects in Africa, to enhance waste management, increase food security, create youth and women employment while mitigating climate change through reduced methane emissions.

African Union - For recycling of organic waste into compost within the Sahel region so as to ensure the achievement of the growth and development of the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWI).  

No

Hotels and restaurants are large producers of organic food waste, ending up in dumpsites. They eliminate food contamination and fly population, by consciously ensuring proper waste management. The Village Market Mall, forms an ideal site for demonstration and showcasing 24Hr composting technology, while training on impact and benefits of waste separation, as it houses 10 different restaurants, 2 hotels and a super market.

Adding our own USD 17,000, plus the USD 50,000/- grant, a 500Kg 24Hr composting machine will be purchased and placed at the Village Market Mall.    

Most primary schools have educational tours on their calendars, thus the mall forms an ideal dual out of class teaching and fun time point. Considering, we don’t have the culture of waste separation, the students will learn 1st hand the effects and impact of improper waste management, thus inculcating an early age paradigm shift in waste responsibility. 

It shall be a model for other malls, institutions, markets and cities to enhance communities adoption on responsibility of at source waste separation to enable recycling. Communities seeing the compost being utilized to enhance food security, it brings out happy feelings that encourages them to separate and recycle the waste.

The mall shall reduce it’s Carbon footprint by eliminating dumping, the organic fertilizer shall be donated to schools to enhance their tree planting programs within Nairobi to increase the city’s forest cover, while increasing community and students waste responsibility at an early age ensuring a green circular economy.

Women form 65% of the Makueni Mango Value chain farmers, where land is culturally owned by men and have no access or say on the proceeds.

This prize fund will be utilized for empowering the women through acquisition of a 500Kg/day 24hr composting machine (USD 67,000), machine operation site fabrication (USD 6,000), for capacity building and training in organic farming (USD 2,000).

The Makueni mango value chain local women group will own the 24hr composting machine, that will produce organic fertilizer using waste collected from the market, farms and mango fruit factory.

Atleast 60% of project employees shall be women, for collecting waste, running the plant, compost sale and marketing to group members and other farmers for use to grow their food and cash crops, enhancing their incomes, livelihoods, resilience and mental wellbeing. Mango and various tree seedlings shall be grown for sale alongside the organic fertilizer as the project’s sustainability component, thus enhancing their financial stability.

Capacity building and training will ensure effective and intense utilization of the organic fertilizer to increase their mango production and vegetables within their small land portions to ensure sufficient home food supply, considering this particular region is arid, thus suffers from drought and famine.

A secure fence and a machine operation shed will be constructed.

No