I love talking about food waste. It’s one of the biggest contributors to emissions and something that we all contribute to every day. Reducing how much food goes uneaten is, of course, a big part of the solution, but there’ll always be organic waste. If it sits in a landfill, it’ll emit methane and miss the chance to be used as a resource.

Today’s episode focuses on an Israeli startup that sees organic waste as a precious resource. HomeBiogas turns waste into fuel onsite to be used for heating and cooking. They’re off to the races selling their products for a range of applications – from backyards to hotels – and they’re just getting started. We’re joined today by HomeBiogas’ founder Oshik Efrati, and one of their key investors Ron Gonen from Closed Loop Partners. We talk about both guests’ backgrounds, the challenges and opportunities to create a circular economy, anaerobic digestion, how HomeBiogas turns waste into energy, the opportunity they see, and much more. Here we go.

In today’s episode, we cover:

• [3:03] Oshik’s background & what led him to launch HomeBiogas
• [4:51] Ron’s experience in recycling and waste & what led him to start Closed Loop Partners
• [7:08] Closed Loop Partner & the ways it’s working to eliminate waste
• [9:06] The impact of waste on climate & why solutions are needed
• [10:32] How Oshik sees the problem & what his company is working to solve
• [11:43] How HomeBiogas is approaching the problem
• [13:44] Anaerobic digestion & what else makes HomeBiogas’ systems possible
• [16:09] The potential that Closed Loop Partners sees in HomeBiogas as an investor
• [17:43] Oshik’s view of the market opportunity
• [18:19] Measuring climate & environmental impacts
• [19:51] HomeBiogas’ traction, different applications & go-to-market
• [21:06] The process of converting waste to energy in buildings
• [22:25] The toilet market & what HomeBiogas is able to do with human waste
• [24:33] What’s most critical to HomeBiogas’ success
• [25:39] Partnerships that HomeBiogas has developed & is looking for now
• [28:06] The residential market in the US
• [31:19] The next few years from a business & impact perspective
• [33:03] How does this space compare to other circular economy verticals
• [34:22] What else is needed for realizing the circular economy

Oshik’s background & what led him to launch HomeBiogas

Oshik Efrati is an inventor with a passion for problem-solving. His background lies in developing water purification and hydration systems as a biologist. About a decade ago, he made a pivotal decision to focus on reducing global waste and saw a promising opportunity in organic waste recycling, particularly for households. Oshik’s vision expanded during three years of extensive travel across Africa, South America, Central America, North America, and Europe, where he recognized the pressing need for clean energy solutions. This led him to conceive the idea of creating a small-scale biogas system for homes, which eventually grew into HomeBiogas as it is known today.

Ron’s experience in recycling and waste & what led him to start Closed Loop Partners

Ron’s journey in recycling and waste management began during high school when he ran for student government and initiated a recycling program by replacing plastic utensils with reusable silverware. This early experience sparked his interest in environmental impact. Later, in 2002, he founded RecycleBank, a recycling company, and served as its CEO until 2010. Following that, he was invited to join the Bloomberg administration in New York City as Deputy Commissioner for sanitation, recycling, and sustainability. When the Bloomberg administration ended in 2013, Ron founded Closed Loop Partners, the pioneering investment firm focused on advancing the circular economy, marking another significant milestone in his sustainability and waste reduction journey.

Closed Loop Partner & the ways it’s working to eliminate waste

Closed Loop Partners is dedicated to advancing the circular economy by transforming supply chains and manufacturing systems to reduce reliance on natural resource extraction and landfills. Instead, they focus on utilizing recycled materials, advanced product design software, and efficient infrastructure to minimize waste and maximize recycling and reuse. Today, Closed Loop Partners operates through three business units: an innovation center called the Center for the Circular Economy, an investment firm with ventures in various asset classes, and an operating unit with a significant stake in Circular Services, the largest privately held recycling company in the United States. Through these endeavors, they actively work towards eliminating waste and promoting sustainable practices in various industries.

The impact of waste on climate & why solutions are needed

Ron highlights that food waste stands as a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, ranking among the top three culprits. When considering the entire lifecycle of food production, transportation, and waste disposal, the emission levels from overproducing and wasting food outweigh those from other major sectors. From the standpoint of Closed Loop Partners, this presents a substantial financial and impact-driven opportunity to address the global food waste crisis at various levels, from local municipalities to entire regions.

How Oshik sees the problem & what his company is working to solve

Oshik emphasizes that food waste should be seen as a valuable resource rather than a problem, comparing it to throwing away money. HomeBiogas, as a company, aims to shift people’s perspectives and provide the right tools to transform waste into a useful resource. Their product, also called HomeBiogas, is designed to be placed in one’s backyard, where food waste is fed into the digester. Through a biological process, the organic matter is converted into clean gas and liquid fertilizer, creating a circular economy where food leftovers are reused to produce energy and nourish gardens. The uniqueness of HomeBiogas lies in its on-site operation, meaning food waste is treated and energy is produced right where it originates, whether it’s from a household, restaurant, or farm. These standalone units are low maintenance, user-friendly, and easily integrated into existing setups.

Resources Mentioned

• HomeBiogas
• Closed Loop Partners
• Closed Loop Partners: Center for the Circular Economy
• Circular Services

Connect with Oshik Efrati & Ron Gonen

• Connect with Oshik on LinkedIn
• Connect with Ron on LinkedIn

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• On Twitter

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