Green and sustainable development projects are gaining momentum as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt is approaching, with innovative ideas that can help save the environment.
One Egyptian green startup, Biopre, has reached the semi-finals of the global competition Climate Launchpad, one of the world’s largest competitions for green business ideas that aims to address the impact of climate change.
Biopre produces bio-based materials from aqua and agri-industrial waste to make plastics that are sustainable and an efficient, convenient alternative to petroleum-based plastics.
“We thought about coming up with a product to replace plastic bags and their harmful effects on the environment,” said Laila Ayman, founder and CEO of Biopre. Biopre reached Climate LaunchPad’s semi-finals after winning national and regional competitions in which three teams from each continent compete on a global level.
“Our first product,” Ayman said, “was bio-degradable bags which can be absorbed naturally into the earth. After eating a piece of fruit, for example, the remains can be put in the bag and thrown into the soil to work as a natural fertiliser.”
Biopre’s bioplastic packaging does not produce toxic residues, microplastic or other pollutants. In fact, it biodegrades completely and has anti-microbial properties that extend the shelf life of products. It is also compostable, offering the added benefit of being a soil conditioner for plants.
Ayman explained that working as a research and development scientist in the agriculture sector, she got to know about the problem of agriculture waste and burning waste instead of reusing it.
Reusing agriculture waste has great potential in Egypt, she said, adding that the idea of a circular economy needs to be more widespread.
There is also the problem of single use plastics and their devastating effects on the environment and ecosystems, Ayman added, “as plastics break into micro plastic pieces that go into the body and run in our blood, causing immune diseases and other health problems. Single-use plastics are a big problem that can be avoided by finding environment-friendly alternatives,” she said, adding that she came up with the idea to replace the types of plastic components that can enter the body with bio-degradable bags.
Although these bags are more expensive than plastic, she said, their added value includes extending the shelf life of organic food products by a couple of days.
Ayman added that her main market is the organic food industry at present but that she aims to expand in the near future. The organic food industry is ready to invest in biodegradable bags for wrapping their products, since they cost significantly more than ordinary food, she said.
“This market is growing in Egypt and worldwide, and it is ready to invest more,” she said, adding that the organic food market is ready to pay higher prices for higher-quality products.
Biopre aims to produce several more bio-products in the future as more regulations come into effect to help save the environment. Sharm El-Sheikh on the Red Sea, which will host COP27 from 6 to 18 November, banned single-use plastic bags a few years ago and more governorates are expected to follow suit as the world shifts towards environmentally friendly products.
COP27 taking place in Egypt has helped create better awareness about the environment and the importance of finding ways to save it, said Ayman, adding that one of the main obstacles facing green startups is the lack of awareness.
Although there has recently been better awareness of environment-related topics, most people still believe that they either don’t contribute to harming the environment or can’t help saving it, Ayman said.
“I am glad that COP27 is taking place in Egypt because it gives both government and public sectors a push into focusing on green projects and green startups,” she said, adding that green startups have started to gain the publicity and exposure they deserve for the first time.
Big businesses, according to Ayman, are also now thinking about trying something different that can help save the environment and make profits, even if this will happen only in the long term.
Many of these businesses have realised that some environment-friendly practices are actually cost-efficient in the long term and started adopting them, including the use of renewable energy sources like solar panels and bio-degradable products to wrap up their goods, she explained.
One more obstacle facing green startups is access to finance, which Ayman believes is a major problem facing green startups, since they need intensive research and development work in little known fields, and this requires lab facilities and equipment.
“We need more facilities to work on our research and development efforts,” Ayman stressed, explaining that in order to have access to finance, green startups need to have a viable product or a prototype, and this needs a lab to produce.
“I hope there is more facilitation for private research projects,” Ayman said, “in terms of access to labs at affordable prices, as limited access to such facilities can discourage people from working on new ideas and developing them.”
A version of this article appears in print in the 3 November, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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