Ottawa, ON-based Food Cycle Science Corporation (FCS) is a Canadian cleantech company established in 2011, dedicated to revolutionizing food waste management, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and promoting soil health and a circular economy. Its innovative FoodCycler technology processes food waste onsite, reducing its weight and volume by up to 90%, while converting it into valuable resources for enriching soil. This past year alone, FCS has diverted 15,000 metric tonnes of food waste and 27,000 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions. This is the equivalent of taking over 6,000 gas-powered cars off the road for a year. This latest project will allow the company to create a “one-bin” system capable of processing food waste and bioplastics together, accelerating the adoption of bioplastics and contributing to elimination of single-use plastics (SUPs). Each unit will be capable of reducing emissions by up to 52 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, that’s equivalent to 10 homes’ electricity use for a year.
We spoke with FCS CEO Brad Crepeau to find out more about the project and the company’s plans.
Q: What is your company’s mission?
A: Our mission is to inspire individuals to take ownership of their food waste.
Q: Why did you apply for this funding and how will you use it?
A: We applied for this funding because we saw an opportunity to help our customers and communities tackle the challenge of eliminating SUPs. As a company that focuses on food waste, we understand the difficulties, costs, and complexities our clients face when it comes to waste management. One of the main challenges they are facing now is distinguishing between compostable bio-based packages and their plastic counterparts, which can lead to contamination issues at commercial composting facilities. We believe that our onsite technology for food waste can be adapted to also process bioplastics onsite, which would help to eliminate many of the challenges our customers face. By processing food waste and bioplastics together onsite, we can reduce weight and volume of waste and the resulting costs, while enabling accelerated degradation of bioplastics. This will make it much easier for our clients, municipalities, and recycling and composting site operators to widely adopt and manage bioplastics. With the funding, we plan to invest in research and development to adapt our technology to process bioplastics. We will also work to educate our clients and stakeholders on the benefits of bioplastics and how our technology can help make the adoption of bioplastics easier and more cost effective. Ultimately, we hope that this project will contribute to the elimination of SUPs and a cleaner and more sustainable future for our planet.
Q: What excites you most about working in this area of the food industry?
A: What excites me most about working in this area of the food industry is the opportunity to work with partners and a team of passionate individuals who all share the same desire to make a difference. We are unified in our mission and dedicated to making a positive impact on the planet by tackling the issue of food waste and SUPs and their impact on the environment. Moreover, there is great potential for disruption in the waste industry. With FoodCycler technology, we can transform the way people think about waste. The ability to make a real impact is exciting and motivating. The impact we can have on the planet is immense. Every day we are reminded of the urgency to address climate change, and working in the food industry provides us with a unique opportunity to contribute to the solution. I find it incredibly fulfilling to know that our work can make a tangible difference and lead to a more sustainable future.
Q: Why is collaboration so important for accelerating innovation in the food industry? Is it difficult to find good collaborating partners, and what would make the process easier?
A: Collaboration is incredibly important for accelerating innovation in the food industry. The challenges we face in this industry are complex and multifaceted, and it will take many people with different backgrounds and perspectives to develop effective solutions. At Food Cycle Science, we recognize the value of collaborating with others and actively seek out partnerships with like-minded organizations and institutions. We have been fortunate to work with great partners such as Bridgehead, Weaving Baskets Group, Carleton University, and York University, among others. These collaborations have allowed us to leverage different areas of expertise and pool resources to develop innovative solutions. We need diverse partnerships to offer up new and divergent ways of thinking and promote innovation. Finding collaboration partners hasn’t been difficult for us, and I believe that is because teamwork is so much at the core of what we do. We have been fortunate to find ourselves aligned with organizations that share similar values and goals, which is why it works so well. Maintaining the partnerships is the tricky part – everyone is busy and has a million things on the go. We work hard to establish regular, clear, and open lines of communication from the outset. Ultimately, we believe that collaboration is the key to accelerating innovation and creating a more sustainable future.
Q: Please comment on the importance of public funding to help companies clear innovation hurdles and access leveraged funds.
A: Public funding is vital for companies like Food Cycle Science to drive innovation and bring new ideas to market. It allows us to take risks, invest in bolder R&D initiatives, accelerate research and commercialization, and access broader networks and aligned expertise. Ultimately, this funding helps us to create a positive impact and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Q: Looking ahead, what’s on the horizon for your company?
A: There are big things on the horizon for Food Cycle Science. We are not slowing down and have an aggressive product development roadmap that we are excited to execute. To achieve our goals, we are planning to hire more talented individuals who share our passion and desire to make a positive impact. We also plan to build more partnerships with organizations and institutions that share our values and goals. These collaborations will enable us to leverage diverse areas of expertise and resources to develop pioneering solutions. We will continue to innovate, take bigger risks, and push the boundaries of what is possible.
Q: What are your passions or hobbies outside of work?
A: My beautiful wife and I are preparing for our first child, so outside of work, it’s all hands on deck to prepare for that adventure!
Q: If you had to pick one person to make you a meal, who would you choose?
A: As much as I love my Mom’s cooking, it would be a once in a lifetime experience to have a meal made by someone like Massimo Bottura.
Ready to access funding for your innovative initiative? Click here to find out more about CFIN’s funding programs.