Upcycling innovators: Spotlight on sustainable startups

Circul’Egg

French firm Circul’Egg works with companies that produce egg-based products to upcycle their rejected eggshells and transform them into two finished products: a calcium carbonate powder and a shell membrane powder. The calcium carbonate powder is used by the food and feed industries, while the eggshell powder offers a biosourced alternative product rich in functional molecules such as hyaluronic acid, collagen, and chondroitin sulphate

Coffee Cherry Co

The Coffee Cherry Co is an agriculture start-up that utilises an organic conversion process that converts discarded coffee cherry fruits into fibre, protein, potassium, calcium, and iron-rich culinary ingredients. The USbased certified B Corporation company offers products such as coffee flour – a combination of a bean, coffee cherries, and pulp – which can be used for creating bread, energy bars, and chocolates.

Kaffe Bueno

Danish company Kaffe Bueno utilises coffee by-products – such as spent coffee grounds – as a platform to produce ingredients for personal care, nutraceuticals, and functional foods and beverages. The company uses green chemistry and biotechnology to exploit coffee’s full health and commercial potential by preserving, extracting, and industrialising all of its health-promoting compounds

NETZRO

US-based NETZRO works with large- and small-scale farmers to reharvest food byproducts and develop innovative ingredients. Projects include reharvesting spent grains from breweries and distilleries to be used in snacks, cereals, and seasonings, and milled as specialty flour, as well as processing eggshells for calcium and collagen protein. The company’s CEO, Sue Marshall, is also a founding member of the Upcycled Food Association

Outcast Foods

Outcast Foods works with farmers, processors, and retailers to create a supply chain wherein it upcycles rejected fruits and vegetables. The US-based company manufactures dried whole foods and powders, which are used in a variety of products, including protein powders and dietary supplements. Its plant-based nutritional powders are 100% vegan, certified organic, and gluten- and soy-free.

Treasure8

Treasure8 is a food technology company that uses regenerative technologies to produce long-lasting, shelf-stable products and ingredients, some of which are upcycled from food waste streams. The US-based company has exclusively commercialised the USDA’s patented SAUNA™ technology, one of the world’s most powerful dehydration technologies in the world, which it uses to convert potential food waste into affordable nutrition solutions for people and pets.