Urban Composting: Converting Waste Into Valuable Raw Materials
What if we could use half of our waste to nourish the soil instead of throwing it in incinerators? Nearly 50% of our household waste is organic. But we still don't sufficiently utilise this valuable resource. If you process organic waste efficiently, you actively contribute to a circular economy. In Brussels and Wallonia, the young company Greenzy is developing a smart and user-friendly composter for individuals and companies.
Thanks to support from the FPS Public Health, through the investment fund 'Belgium Builds Back Circular' (BBBC), Greenzy could roll out its "as a service" model for companies.
A Composting Model That Combines Technological Innovation, Ecodesign and Social Inclusion
Companies in Brussels and Wallonia can now set up an elegant, quiet and odourless electromechanical indoor composter. Made of recycled and recyclable materials, the Greenzy composter is easy to repairRepair is making a faulty product work again, allowing its use to be extended without the user parting with it, or with a view to reuseReuse designates all operations by which substances, materials or products that are not waste are used again in an identical way to their originally intended purpose. (donation, second-hand sale). and encourages staff to correctly sort and compost leftover food in the workplace.
An interactive tablet shows step by step what you need to do: add some water, turn the handle, etc. A mobile app guides users to avoid sorting mistakes. The result? A ripe and stable compost, rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - ideal for restoring the soil.
Greenzy also offers support to businesses to make composting easy and doable:
Awareness and training: information sessions explain the importance of correct sorting and how to use the composter.
Installation and checks: Greenzy installs the composter and performs monthly checks, ensuring that the system continues to work optimally and users don't have to worry about it.
Local recycling: the compost produced stays on site and is put to good use in the company's (vegetable) garden.
"More and more companies are jumping on board," enthuses Adélaïde Biebuyck, project manager at Greenzy. "The changing legislation on organic waste is prompting them to take action. One company started with two composters and ultimately installed one on each floor. Employees got involved and even planted a collective vegetable garden."
A Local and Easily Replicable Model
The strength of this model is in its solid partnerships. Greenzy works with reliable logistical, technical and social partners, ensuring a stable and efficient rollout.
Travie, a social employment company, assembles the appliances and also handles storage and delivery. As such, Greenzy is strengthening social inclusion while ensuring smooth and professional operations. Most parts are produced locally in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. This reduces the carbon footprintCarbon footprint is an indicator that aims to measure an activity’s impact on the environment, and more particularly the greenhouse gas emissions linked to this activity., optimises costs and ensures short delivery times.
Greenzy combines direct sales to individuals with recurring services for businesses, such as subscription packages. By combining technology with education and local partnerships, the company is building a scalable and inspiring model that can be applied to other regions or sectors.
Government Support as the Driver for the Sustainable Transition
With support from the BBBC programme managed by the FPS Public Health, Greenzy expanded its activities to the corporate world. The move from small-scale to semi-industrial production (from 50 to 200 composters in August) therefore came within reach, as did the development of educational tools tailored to professional users.
Individuals also benefit from this development. Feedback from the business community led to practical improvements in the ergonomics of the composter, such as a simpler opening system. This project demonstrates how public investment accelerates local, circular solutions, with a clear economic, social and environmental impact.
