Climate leadership pays off

Lara, a South African native who has lived in the Netherlands for over 30 years, was inspired to change the status quo. In a world where food waste was either dumped in landfills or hauled long distances to be incinerated (an inefficient process), Lara saw an opportunity to make a real difference.

Her vision was simple yet revolutionary: decarbonising food waste into renewable energy and valuable nutrients—right where it’s generated. By enabling businesses to process their own food waste on-site, we empower them to take control, inspire their employees, reduce emissions, and support a more sustainable, circular economy.

As our first Waste Transformer in the Westerpark, Amsterdam began to show its potential, we quickly realized that the concept was resonating far beyond our expectations. Local residents, inspired by the transformation of food waste into clean energy and valuable fertilizer, began to ask if they too could contribute their food waste to the biodigester. This organic enthusiasm was a clear sign that the idea was not just an innovation—it was part of a larger shift in how people wanted to engage with sustainability.

With increasing local interest and national and international media coverage, we saw a growing desire for this type of solution. We knew that it was time to take the next step. The Waste Transformers was ready to expand beyond Amsterdam, bringing our pioneering food waste-to-energy technology to new cities around the world, next to the home country of Lara, South Africa.

By encouraging restaurants to separate their food waste and processing it on-site, we were able to turn that food waste into energy which also improved the quality of other recycling streams across the mall, as food waste did not contaminate these streams anymore. This marked the start of our introduction into Africa, where the need for clean energy and natural fertilizers was growing.

The impact of our work in Africa continued to grow. In 2020, we installed a Waste Transformer at a hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where it began producing much-needed energy. In 2023, we expanded our presence in Freetown even further with another installation at Susan’s Bay, contributing to the city’s energy supply and agricultural needs.

In 2023, we expanded to Portugal, where we partnered with a waste management company in Porto to process mixed waste streams. In 2025, we set our sights on Europe and the Middle East, bringing sustainable food waste solutions to global cities.