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Sanergy co-founder David Auerbach in factory
2021 Finalist
Build a
Waste-free World

Sanergy

Country:
Kenya
Nominated by:
,
,

A sanitation and waste management crisis is unfolding across the developing world. Sanergy provide a clean, cost-effective ways to process organic waste.

Their Story

Booming cities are struggling with a deluge of waste as urban centres outgrow their sewage systems.

Sanergy, based in Nairobi, proves it can be managed safely. Locally built, cost-effective dry toilets offer a clean and affordable alternative to sewers. The sanitation waste from slums and all other forms of organic waste from kitchens, agricultural pack houses and markets is safely removed, transported to Sanergy’s factory where it is consumed by black soldier fly larvae and converted to safe agricultural inputs sold to local farmers.

Sanergy serves 150,000 residents daily and removes 50,000 tonnes of waste per year. It also combats food insecurity. Sanergy’s organic fertilizer and insect protein for animal feed boosts farming volumes by up to 30%, helping over 5000 farmers meet the needs of expanding populations.

Sanergy is already the largest waste recycling factory in Eastern Central Africa. Over the next five years the founders want to repurpose five million further tonnes of waste. It’s a resourceful solution to a mucky problem.

And they are on their way. Their series C funding closed successfully to allow them to scale up their fertilizer and animal protein production and to begin to expand internationally. The Earthshot Prize Global Alliance Members Deloitte and Arup have both been actively supporting across scaling, upskilling, and project design.

Other Finalists in Build a Waste-free World

Learn About the Earthshots

Protect
and Restore
Nature
2021 PRIORITIES

Over the last ten years, the evidence that we face urgent challenges to protect the environment has become indisputable, and it’s clear that the time to act is now. Drawing inspiration from the concept of moonshots, which since the moon landing in 1969 has become shorthand to talk about the most ambitious and ground-breaking goals, Prince William announced the Earthshot Prize: an ambitious set of challenges to inspire a decade of action to repair the planet.

  • Paying environmental stewards and improving land rights
  • Using agricultural commodity markets as a lever to reduce harm
  • Increase yields in biodiverse, regenerative agriculture
Learn more about this earthshot

Clean Our
Air
2021 PRIORITIES

Over the last ten years, the evidence that we face urgent challenges to protect the environment has become indisputable, and it’s clear that the time to act is now. Drawing inspiration from the concept of moonshots, which since the moon landing in 1969 has become shorthand to talk about the most ambitious and ground-breaking goals, Prince William announced the Earthshot Prize: an ambitious set of challenges to inspire a decade of action to repair the planet.

  • Paying environmental stewards and improving land rights
  • Using agricultural commodity markets as a lever to reduce harm
  • Increase yields in biodiverse, regenerative agriculture
Learn more about this earthshot

Revive Our
Oceans
2021 PRIORITIES

Over the last ten years, the evidence that we face urgent challenges to protect the environment has become indisputable, and it’s clear that the time to act is now. Drawing inspiration from the concept of moonshots, which since the moon landing in 1969 has become shorthand to talk about the most ambitious and ground-breaking goals, Prince William announced the Earthshot Prize: an ambitious set of challenges to inspire a decade of action to repair the planet.

  • Paying environmental stewards and improving land rights
  • Using agricultural commodity markets as a lever to reduce harm
  • Increase yields in biodiverse, regenerative agriculture
Learn more about this earthshot

Build a
Waste-free
World
2021 PRIORITIES

Over the last ten years, the evidence that we face urgent challenges to protect the environment has become indisputable, and it’s clear that the time to act is now. Drawing inspiration from the concept of moonshots, which since the moon landing in 1969 has become shorthand to talk about the most ambitious and ground-breaking goals, Prince William announced the Earthshot Prize: an ambitious set of challenges to inspire a decade of action to repair the planet.

  • Paying environmental stewards and improving land rights
  • Using agricultural commodity markets as a lever to reduce harm
  • Increase yields in biodiverse, regenerative agriculture
Learn more about this earthshot

Fix Our
Climate
2021 PRIORITIES

Over the last ten years, the evidence that we face urgent challenges to protect the environment has become indisputable, and it’s clear that the time to act is now. Drawing inspiration from the concept of moonshots, which since the moon landing in 1969 has become shorthand to talk about the most ambitious and ground-breaking goals, Prince William announced the Earthshot Prize: an ambitious set of challenges to inspire a decade of action to repair the planet.

  • Paying environmental stewards and improving land rights
  • Using agricultural commodity markets as a lever to reduce harm
  • Increase yields in biodiverse, regenerative agriculture
Learn more about this earthshot
The Earthshot Prize