Against food waste reaches 1.3 billion tons that end up in the garbage, generating an environmental problem that emits methane and accelerates climate change. From India to Argentina, entrepreneurs and scientists are transforming these wastes into sources of clean energy, reducing emissions and creating circular economy models. This report travels across four continents to show how organic waste fuels homes, industries, and hopes.
India: Against food waste that turns rotten vegetables into electricity
At Boen Pali market (Jaidrabar), 10 tons of unsold vegetables – rotten or discarded by farmers – are crushed and turned into pulp. This mixture travels to two anaerobic digesters, where bacteria generate biogas capable of powering a community kitchen serving 800 meals daily.
Dr. Rao, the scientist in charge of the project, explains: “The biogas not only produces energy, it also creates organic fertilizer that farmers reuse.” With five more plants under construction, the initiative prevents waste from ending up in landfills, the third source of methane emissions caused by humans.
Sierra Leone: Coconut briquettes against deforestation
After losing his adoptive family in a landslide in 2017, Alhajie Yisirafba founded Rukzal Trading. His company collects 2 tons of coconut shells weekly – discarded by vendors in Freetown – to turn them into charcoal briquettes.
“One kilogram costs four times more than traditional charcoal, but lasts four times longer,” highlights Alhajie. With sales in Germany and the UK, the entrepreneur aims to popularize its use in domestic kitchens to curb tree felling, key in disaster prevention. Currently, he employs 10 permanent workers and generates up to $4,500 monthly.
Argentina: Cider waste biotrunks
In the Argentine Upper Valley, José Alberto Aramberri and his wife Cristina transform the pomace – waste from cider production – into fuel logs. Each year, the local cider industry generates 75,000 tons of this fibrous waste.
“The pomace is sun-dried, compacted, and cut into logs,” details José, who designed specialized machinery for the process. The biotrunks have the same energy efficiency as wood and are already used in restaurant grills. Despite political setbacks – such as the cancellation of a government contract – the project continues to grow with direct sales to local customers.
Indonesia: Methane gas from tofu wastewater
In Sumedang, a region famous for its tofu, 33 liters of wastewater are generated for every kilogram produced. A community plant captures these acidic wastes – previously dumped into rivers – and ferments them in six anaerobic digesters.
“The food waste process takes 20 days and reduces 90% of pollution,” says Pepe, a plant technician. The resulting biogas supplies 56 households, although its flow is intermittent: it only arrives in the mornings and evenings. Indonesia, with 19,000 tofu factories, sees in this model an alternative for communities without access to natural gas.
Challenges and global potential
Although biogas is up to five times more expensive than natural gas in countries like the U.S., its cost is lower in Asia, where the difference is less than $2 per unit. In Denmark, the world’s largest plant is already operating for food waste, while Israeli companies market domestic biodigesters.
“It will never replace natural gas, but it takes advantage of what others throw away,” highlights an engineer from Boen Pali. For Alhajie, success lies in “inspiring others”: from avoiding landslides in Sierra Leone to adding flavor to Argentinean barbecues, these projects demonstrate that garbage can be the fuel for a cleaner future.
