Food waste is a global problem, but Montreal-based cleantech startup Dispersa may have a solution that can bolster the circular economy while reducing reliance on petroleum-based products.
The company's method for transforming waste oils and sugars from food processing into sustainable biosurfactants has attracted over $4 million in funding from all-Canadian sources led by Nàdarra Ventures, according to a report by Sustainable Food Business.
This could help reduce reliance on petroleum and palm-derived chemicals used across household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products, making way for safer and more sustainable natural alternatives.
The recent funding round will also support Dispersa's own PuraSurf cleaning product, which it describes as the world's first fully waste-derived biosurfactant. This will allow it to be scaled up to commercial volumes and reach a broader market.
"Product manufacturers globally are facing mounting pressure to shift away from conventional surfactants due to increased regulatory and consumer demands," stated Nivatha Balendra, founder and CEO of Dispersa, per the article.
The company's solutions for repurposing food waste into a more eco-friendly product would help stem the growing tide of waste that plagues the industry.
According to the United Nations, 19% of food available to consumers in 2022 was wasted across retail, food service, and household levels. Another 13% of that was lost in the world's supply chain, instead of making it to tables where nutrition is needed.
That waste is also an environmental matter, as it accounts for 8-10% of the world's planet-warming pollution. The resulting landfills take up valuable agricultural space while contents simply rot away, churning out highly polluting methane.
Not only does Dispersa's business plan help mitigate food waste, but it also reduces reliance on products from the dirty energy sector, such as petroleum. As the report notes, "over 90% of surfactants are derived from these sources, which are associated with deforestation, habitat destruction, and carbon emissions."
This new funding will support Dispersa's production capacity, helping to remove a growing amount of food waste from the disposal stream while, in turn, generating a more eco-friendly cleaning product.
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Majorly 😥 Mary Dimou, general partner at Nàdarra Ventures, shared her thoughts with SFB on why they're funding Dispersa's efforts, saying, "Circularity is central to Nàdarra's thesis — revolutionizing the way we produce and use materials derived from nature."
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