Ecotone Renewables 2023: Empowering Sustainable Communities
Ecotone Renewables is driven by a resolute mission: to enhance the sustainability of communities by extending the influence of sustainable food and agriculture systems beyond industrial conventions. With unwavering dedication, the organization is actively involved in constructing the essential tools that empower communities to revitalize and thrive through the integration of sustainable food practices. DeliveryRank has the opportunity to chat with Dylan Lew, CEO of Ecotone Renewables.
Ecotone Renewables has a powerful mission to empower sustainable communities by making sustainable food and agriculture systems more accessible. Could you tell us more about the tools and strategies your company is developing to achieve this goal and how they can benefit communities?
We have developed the fully automated and self-contained ZEUS digester which sustainably converts food waste into organic fertilizer and renewable energy on-site. This system enables businesses and community centers to become zero food waste facilities while switching landscaping away from fossil-fuel fertilizers and towards the self-produced Soil Sauce fertilizer. Businesses and community members can take advantage of sustainable food waste processing, locally produced fertilizer, and both together as a one-stop-shop solution!
A key aspect of Ecotone's mission is to eliminate food waste and build a world without waste. How does your company approach this challenge, and what initiatives or technologies are in place to tackle food waste effectively?
40% of all produced food is wasted. We leverage multiple solutions to tackle this global problem by processing waste on-site for customers with our ZEUS digester, while working with local food banks and distribution networks to reduce food waste at the source.
We also provide customers with feedback and insights on commonly wasted items to reduce orders and waste in the future. Partnerships are the key to effectively eliminating food waste on a large-scale which we are already doing.
How does your innovative carbon-negative organic fertilizer differ from conventional fertilizers, and what environmental benefits does it offer to farmers and growers?
Soil Sauce is the first carbon-negative fertilizer on the market. Most competitors like Scott’s Miracle Grow use fossil fuels including coal and oil to produce synthetic fertilizers which pollute the atmosphere, contribute to global warming with 50% of all agricultural emissions coming from fertilizer production, on top of runoff polluting waters and resulting in algae blooms which kill wildlife.
Soil Sauce is a natural and low-Nitrogen solution which eliminates risk of root burn, water runoff pollution, all while improving long-term soil health through the probiotics and micronutrients included in the product.
How does Ecotone Renewables contribute to improving the growth and productivity of plants while maintaining a focus on environmental sustainability?
We focus on long-term soil health improvements alongside short-term crop yield improvements. This enables farmers and gardeners to transition to more regenerative agricultural practices without sacrificing years of strong crop yields. We make sustainability in agriculture profitable and affordable.
As the CEO of Ecotone Renewables, what inspired you to lead a company dedicated to sustainable food practices and community empowerment? Could you share some of the most rewarding moments or success stories that demonstrate the positive impact your company has had on communities and the environment?
We created this company because of the slow actions and progress we’ve seen from corporations and government agencies in fully addressing the challenges of climate change and feeding humanity. Millions of people around the world are already being affected by the climate crisis including the farmers who are the backbone of human health and wellbeing. We are an impatient group of innovators that are taking matters into our own hands and doing the dirty work of making progress every single day converting food waste into probiotic fertilizer.
Our first year of R&D we partnered with Repair the World at a local community garden, providing them Soil Sauce to use on-site. That first year of our partnership was their best harvest to-date with 400 pounds of fresh produce grown on a small plot of land in Pittsburgh and donated to community members in need. This was the first time we saw first-hand the positive impact of our work in feeding our community while eliminating food waste. We continue to support numerous local organizations and community gardens to expand this work and impact.
If you would like to find out more about Ecotone Renewables, visit https://www.ecotonerenewables.com/