Food System 6 and Huhtamaki announce circular economy start-up program participants

Eight start-ups have been selected to receive mentorship and up to $300,000 in grants to develop innovative circular economy solutions

The impact-focused startup accelerator, Food System 6 (FS6), is today announcing the eight early-stage companies from around the world selected to participate in their new Circular Economy program, launched in partnership with global sustainable packaging solutions leader Huhtamaki. The purpose of the Huhtamaki Circular Economy Start-up Program by Food System 6 is to accelerate the development of young and promising companies working to deliver innovative sustainable solutions in areas such as waste management, sustainable packaging alternatives, new materials innovation, and regenerative production models.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with these entrepreneurs leading change in the world,” said Caesaré Assad, CEO of Food System 6. “They are helping to solve some of the most urgent issues within circularity in our world today—from materials innovation to waste management solutions and community resiliency projects. These leaders are showcasing the depth and breadth of a systems-driven circular economy.”

Through the partnership with Huhtamaki, FS6 is committing critical mentorship, advising and networking resources to provide direct support and help the selected participants build their efforts to scale. The eight cohort members were selected for their unique and timely innovations across the impact areas of: circularity, healthy people, vibrant farms, sustainable ecosystems, and justice & fairness.

The cohort includes the following eight innovations:

  1. Aheza Iwacu – Transforming household waste into a valuable resource through collection, composting, upcycling, and education in Burundi.
  2. Andes Ag, Inc. – Harnessing the power of microbes to increase the crop yield, nitrogen capture, and carbon sequestration of plants.
  3. Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFED) – Reenvisioning & rebuilding food and land cooperative ecosystems through the transformational leadership of QTBIPOC young folx.
  4. Matriark Foods – Upcycling vegetable surplus to feed people and protect nature.
  5. mobius – Converting organic waste into renewable chemicals and biodegradable materials.
  6. Nafici Group Limited – EcoPulping turns agricultural waste into raw material for low-carbon, non-plastic packaging and paper.
  7. Rhizoform – Harnessing the power of fungi to “grow” a bio-based alternative to plastic thermal food coolers, foodservice packaging, and more.
  8. SoluBlue – Creating biodegradable seaweed-based packaging that extends shelf-life of fresh food and reduces plastic waste.

“In addition to adopting identified solutions more widely, we need to invest in developing the next generation of initiatives to tackle challenges and build a circular economy that takes us to the future,” says Charles Héaulmé, President and CEO of Huhtamaki. “Through the Huhtamaki Circular Economy Start-up Program and our partnership with Food System 6 we can help discover, develop and deliver such innovative solutions. I am excited to learn more about the eight finalists and I am proud that Huhtamaki can play a part in speeding up the commercialization of their innovative solutions.”

This cohort of emerging leaders will receive mentorship, advising, and up to $300,000 in equity-free grants to accelerate their implementation of sustainable and regenerative solutions. The Program will host interactive online sessions with participants October through November 2020, culminating with a week of immersive virtual programming.
https://www.huhtamaki.com/fi/media/nasdaq/press-release/2020/food-system-6-ja-huhtamaki-julkaisevat-kiertotaloutta-tukevan-startup-ohjelman-osallistujat/

Related Posts

American Tree Farm System seeks PEFC re-endorsement: public consultation open

The American Tree Farm System (ATFS) has become the latest national forest certification system to seek PEFC endorsement, and stakeholders globally are invited to provide feedback on its compliance with our Sustainability Benchmarks by 7 January 2017. ATFS is one of the oldest initiatives for certifying sustainable forestry in the world. It was first launched in 1941 as a private initiative to address concerns that America's forests were being cut at unsustainable rates without reforestation. It now represents 74,000 tree farmers sustainably managing more than 7.7 million hectares of PEFC-certified forestland. ATFS first achieved PEFC endorsement back in 2005, and this latest revision of the standard will mark the fourth time the national standard has been submitted to PEFC. click Read More below for additional detail

Sonoco Recognizes Iowa City Facility for Sustainability Progress

Sonoco has granted a silver-level Sonoco Sustainability Star Award to its Display & Packaging facility in Iowa City, Iowa, for successful and exemplary efforts to reduce its waste to landfill and implement sustainability-oriented processes. Administered by Sonoco Recycling, the Sonoco Sustainability Star Awards program is comprised of three tiers. Gold awards recognize facilities that have achieved 99 percent landfill diversion; silver awards honor facilities achieving 95 percent landfill diversion; and bronze awards distinguish facilities that have made significant waste reduction achievements, such as drastically reducing their waste streams or implementing a new composting system.

Chesapeake’s Yupo Corporation America Joins North America’s Sustainable Printing Organization

Yupo Corporation America has joined the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, (SGP), as a Silver Level Patron. SGP is the leading authority in sustainable printing certifications for print manufacturers. Through its patronage, Yupo joins other print industry leaders dedicated to promoting sustainability, supporting the aims of SGP and keeping costs low for certification of print facilities. “Supporting SGP not only aligns with Yupo’s corporate sustainability functions, but demonstrates the company’s leadership and advocacy for sustainable print operations,” according to Marci Kinter, Chair SGP Technical Committee. “Although SGP does not certify Yupo products, it does recognize the role the company plays within the print value chain.”
Back To Top
×Close search
Search