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Our start-up will take glass waste and turn it into silicon fertilizer to boost agriculture and generate economic opportunities on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. We will use the funds to do trials with farms in the region. We value socially responsible business, recycling and healthy food systems. Join us if you feel the same. 😉

THE CONTEXT

Lup is addressing the problem of low glass recycling rates and landfills that are near capacity. In Colombia and across Latin America, glass waste is mostly landfilled. When glass is collected, it is used in the manufacturing of new glass containers. However, this solution is not always ideal for the following reasons:

• Glass waste must be separated by colour which in Latin America is generally done manually by a low-wage workforce often working under difficult conditions.
• The low profitability and inconsistent end-markets results in glass waste being stockpiled in collection centers until there is a large enough quantity to sell.
• Due to technical limitations and contamination levels, up to 30% of glass waste entering glass manufacturing facilities cannot be processed and remains waste.
• Transporting glass waste long distances to a recycling facility generates CO₂ emissions which reduces the environmental benefits of using recycled glass. There are no industrial scale glass recycling plants on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, the nearest facility is over 20 hours away in Bogotá.
• Cultivated croplands and other agricultural activities generate nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions and contribute 14% of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Colombia.

WHAT WE DO

We are a Colombian based start-up that designs market and community-centered solutions for transforming glass waste into low-carbon products that enable a circular economy. We are developing a pilot recycling-based manufacturing plant to transform all glass waste into silicon fertilizer. That is, all types of glass waste can be processed (i.e. container and flat glass) and no colour separation is required.  Through market research and Research & Development (R&D), we determined that silicon fertilizer has the best product/market fit for the region. The pilot plant will be installed on the Caribbean Coast near Cartagena.

HOW CAN GLASS BECOME SILICON FERTILIZER??

Glass is composed of at least 70% silica (SiO₂) and from silica we can derive silicon which is an important element in plant nutrition. The components of glass occur naturally in nature, which makes it an organic-compatible source of silicon. Silicon can be extracted from glass waste through an industrial process that does not require hazardous chemicals nor water. The silicon extracted from glass is more bioavailable compared to other sources of silicon (i.e. mined or extracted from industrial waste like slag).

SOME BENEFITS OF SILICON FERTILIZERS INCLUDE:

OUR VISION

WHY ARE WE CROWDFUNDING?

We are raising funds to conduct field trials in Colombia on corn, rice and banana crops to validate the benefits of glass silicon fertilizer. These trials are the final piece required to secure customer interest and demonstrate the existence of end markets to raise capital for the glass recycling plant.

WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THE FUNDS?

THE CO-FOUNDERS

Lup’s co-founders Bénédicte Faure and Caitlin Oliver serendipitously met 2.5 years ago in Cartagena, Colombia. They bonded over their desire to build a purpose-driven company that aligned with their personal values.

Caitlin Oliver is an environmental engineer with a background in waste management and Extended Producer Responsibility. One of her first jobs was at a biodiesel start-up which sparked her passion for creating a higher purpose for “garbage”. Caitlin is a fan of podcasts, Birkenstocks and (Colombian) coffee.

Bénédicte Faure is a materials engineer with a creative design background. She has diverse work experiences ranging from the automotive industry, construction and maintenance and sustainable building consulting. Bénédicte loves doing improv, eating chocolate and making people laugh.

Shout-out to our current apprentices Brenda Silbergleit and Mai Ly & the female founded start-up FLIK that connected us.

OUR COLLABORATORS

1. The primary technology we will use for the pilot plant is from Krysteline Technologies. Their cutting-edge technology uses shock waves to process a variety of glass types. Our appreciation to Steve Whettingsteel for the mentorship! 
2. Agronomy service provider who will lead the field trial design and execution.
3. We are nearing a partnership with a company that has developed a proprietary industrial process for producing silicon fertilizer derived from glass waste 
4. Community organizations including Fundación Cartagena al 100% and the local waste collectors (‘Los recicladores’)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!