ECOlabora

More than 50% of the waste we generate is organic waste and can be 100% recycled through the composting process, generating a rich organic fertilizer instead of being wasted in a landfill. ECOlabora is a digital platform that connects small and medium organic waste generators with people who compost and use the resulting organic fertilizer to produce healthy food in the city. A credit is generated by the amount of organic fertilizer produced and used, resulting in a sale promotion of the food produced for those who participate in the network closing the cycle. Rot of our organic waste in an eco-efficient way we help reduce the emission of pollutants; alleviates the demand for landfills that are overloaded; produces fertilizer in a natural way without use of artificially synthesized chemicals; encourages the socio-environmental awareness of individuals; fosters organic agriculture, the local economy and sustainable development in the city, among others.

Brazil annually generates about 79 million tons of solid urban waste. In the world this number grows to more than than 2 billion tons per year. In people's homes, more than 50% of these waste is food waste. Food waste when sent to the landfill generates polluting byproducts, such as toxic slurry and methane gas, which contaminate the soil, groundwater and atmosphere. In addition to the social and environmental problems of waste which directly or indirectly affect the entire population of the earth, the financial impact of urban waste treatment on government accounts is very high. Therefore, investing money in the collection and disposal of waste to the landfill is an emergency service that contests with advantage the amount of infrastructure and maintenance of the health and quality of life of the citizen.The delay in the regulation and supervision of the national solid waste politics in Brazil (Law 12.315/2010), the linear urban waste management mindset, the lack of awareness of the consumption of the citizen, the lack of instructive tools for the correct waste disposal are also factors that contribute to the problem. The recycling of food waste from small and medium-sized generators is still a failure of public management. 

The most engaged public is composed of women and 24% of the most conscious are over 65 years old, 52% are AB class and 40% have higher education. In 2018 there was a growth of 38% in the segment of consumers that are awakening to sustainable consumption habits. The purchase of organic food and a separation of garbage for recycling are two rising behaviors. At the same time, a large group of engaged youth are seeking healthy alternatives in cities to enrich food sovereignty, facilitate access to organic food through urban gardens and regenerative agroecology projects in settlements of social movements, unproductive areas of the urban perimeter, squares, in community food gardens or even in backyards. Through courses, workshops, sustainable fairs and zero-waste festivals, cleaning and planting actions, the connection networks of these people and projects are created in groups of responsible consumption. ECOlabora will facilitate the self-management and distributed regulation of organic resources, encouraging the recycling of organic waste and the organic foods production in the city, facilitating access to healthy food and strengthening the network of conscious consumption and local responsibility. It also encouraging shared economy, collaborative economy and raising the quality of life of citizens. 

ECOlabora is a digital platform developed for who are awaking for a sustainable way of life and who have know-how to compost organic waste and cultivate organic food. The tool maps the areas of action and offers the contact of the interested in organic waste closer to the current location of the user. By the app, it is possible to consult biography, profile photo, contact phone, mode of transport, composting technique and food grown by the agent of transformation and/or urban farmer. These agents of transformation are registered in a database to begin to receiving connection from the users of the app. By blockchain technology, the exchange of organic resources between the generator of the organic waste, the producer of the fertilizer and the urban farmer makes it possible to create a decentralized cryptocurrency with ballast in the kilogram of organic fertilizer. On the platform it will also be possible to take training courses in composting techniques and zero waste good practices. On average, a rate of organic fertilizer produced corresponds to 60% of the volume of recycled food waste and one farmer uses about 10 Kilogram of organic fertilizer per square meter. The user who destines the organic waste for recycling earns a percentage of the credit, the agent of transformation earns other percentage of the credit for transforming the organic waste into fertilizer and the farmer earns other percentage of the credit by using the fertilizer and giving sale promotions of the food produced, once it has reduced the costs of the production. The cryptocurrency facilitates access to fertilizer or organic food from the network. The entire process is validated by the users themselves. Each member has an experience level corresponding to their activity on the platform and the quality of exchange provided. These levels serve to increase trust among platform participants and help the user to have an effective experience. The level depends on 4 factors: Confirmation of email and mobile; the profile fill; number of evaluations and percentage of positive evaluations received from other members, how long the person has been a member of the platform. In this way, we offer solutions also for the government that will save money with the collection and destination of waste to the landfill. And the landfill will increase its useful life.

The meeting of a natural technology of food waste recycling with the high tech universe of smartphones, big data, peer-to-peer and blockchain (etherium) makes my solution innovative. Close the cycle of the food with a new application of existing technology has the potential to generate exponential resources, as well as the creation of an autonomous network of socio-environmental transformation agents in search of a better quality of life and access to healthy food. In this way, we have the opportunity to move from a linear paradigm to an abundant paradigm, "change that creates a new dimension of performance". Another innovation is to form a network of professionals able to apply composting techniques to their local community. In times where traditional agriculture explores soil fertility, by completing the natural food cycle, we return nutrients to the soil that have been removed, allowing new plants, flowers and fruits to grow healthier and thus creating an ecosystem of resources and exponential healthy connections.

The App technology is inspired by on Uber, BlaBlaCar and Community-supported agriculture (CSA model) social technologies but proposes a new application model related to the correct destination of food waste, its recycling (composting), the production of healthy foods with the use of the generated resources and a creation of a crypto local economy collaborative and participatory. The blockchain (etherium) technology mainly helps the logistics P2P, map resources and users connection, the validation and tracking of the resources exchanged and generated. It contains all the information of who destined the food waste, who transported, who processed (rot), who planted, what was the impact and all the history of communications in the action. And the key is the social technology of composting that can happen in an anaerobic way resulting in biogas and biofertilizer liquid and also in an aerobically way resulting in fertilizer and also biofertilizer liquid. In the latter case there are two techniques most used: vermicomposting and the thermophilic compost. Technologies of digital communication and remote education will also be essential for the training course, assistance and consultancy.

Because it facilitates the connection of users and service providers in an autonomous and collaborative way. And also for having an educational and job training support. The growth of initiatives and projects for the collection and composting of organic wastes is remarkable in Brazil. The result of this was, for example, the sanctioned law in Florianópolis-SC that requires the adequate environmental allocation of organic waste through the recycling and composting processes. It is prohibited to dispose of organic matter at landfills and incineration. Another relevant data is that of the organic sector that annually moves more than R$ 3 billion, with average annual growth of 20% and is among the fastest growing sectors in Brazil. In Uberlândia-MG, a city where ECOlabora started its activities, more and more customers are looking for a correct destination for their food waste, either by hiring a service or by learning to make domestic compost in ECOlabora workshop's. Medium generators such as restaurants are also seeking to comply with the standards of the National Solid Waste Plan that is gradually coming into force and being inspected.

Currently serving: 60
In one year: 170
In five years: 500

The objectives for the next year are to disseminate of knowledge and information on composting technologies through digital communication and workshops on the subject, the economic, social and environmental importance of looking at waste as a resource, as well as the development of a eco-cultural workspace with a model community composting station and an urban agroforestry. For the next five years I have the objective of expanding this business model to other cities in Brazil, sowing concrete possibilities for change in people's daily lives, through a systemic vision, zero waste way of life, sustainable development, regenerative culture, conscious consumption and quality of life. The dream is to make each neighborhood of the country have a composting station and an urban food garden that generates resources, jobs, social and environmental awareness and quality of life in practice.

The main barrier is financial because it is expensive to create an App in these application formats. This requires a committed team with specific technical know-how. Another barrier is lack of awareness and education of people who are culturally ill-accustomed to the linear habits of urban waste. Also, there is a lack of trained professionals to develop efficient composting systems. For the next five years the challenge is to get government support to facilitate the expansion of the project.

The financial barrier I will continue to look for notices and financing programs (collective, governmental or private). The lack of awareness and education I'll continue disseminate of knowledge and information on the economic, social and environmental importance of looking at waste as a resource, through digital communication, inbound marketing, workshops and eco-cultural events. The lack of trained professionals I am going to propose training courses for qualified professionals in developing efficient composting systems. And to get government support I'm going to seek partnerships with councilors and bills that help in the implementation of the project.

Full-time staff: 01
Contractors or other workers separately: 10

Because in addition to being graduates and postgraduate studies (Social Communication, Agronomy, Environmental Engineering, Biology, Information Technology, Digital Marketing), they have a vast experience in areas such as composting, agroecology, sustainability, permaculture, zero waste, regenerative design, education, new economies as well as participating in national networks related to these themes. A difference is also because many have already lived in ecovillages and worked on practical socio-ecological projects. And deepened in the study of social technologies for human autonomy and inter-sufficiency.

We currently has three groups of partners that who work in a multidisciplinary way in the project:

- Junior Companies of the University of Uberlândia (Sustenta, MinasBio and QuimEJ). Contribute to the development of eco-cultural events and approach with the federal institution

- non-profit organizations: Instituto Lixo Zero Brasil, Instituto Caipora and Instituto Ipê Cultural. Support with organizational articulation.

- Micro enterprises: Cultiva Agroecology, Instituto de Desenvolvimento Regenerativo and Da Horta à Cozinha. Support with socio-environmental services and network expansion.

The oportunity is helping people reduce their ecological footprint in a comfortable, healthy and intelligent way, generating new jobs, resources, economic transparency and management to practice and develop a new economy. Encourage and promote access to social technologies generating value through professional courses, consultancies, technical assistance and online instructional materials for incentive and implementation of composting stations. The aim is therefore to eradicate food waste, prevent waste from being directed to landfills or incinerators, creation of circular systems of production and consumption. Also, creation of sustainable cooperation networks and circular economy, integrating in practice the collection, composting of organic waste and the production of organic food. The beneficiaries will receive socio-environmental education, economy, creative ways to earn income and generate income with free raw materials, stimulation of sustainable daily practices, consumer awareness, cultural expansion, quality of life and green marketing for companies, brands and retailers. Ensure the correct disposal of waste. The first focus is in two profiles of customers: residential and those with establishments of various segments (schools, restaurants, small and medium-sized enterprises). The workflow start when the client receives a little bag to store the waste and, by bicycle or car, collection is weekly, in each residence/establishments. Every month, the associate receives a fertilizer package or a small seedling, to rescue urban agriculture, and a surprise treat on the sustainability theme.

Through selling professional courses, workshops, consultancies, technical assistance/support and online instructional materials for incentive and implementation of composting stations. And also selling organic fertilizer and organic food. And through advertising on the platform.

Because it is a great opportunity to get financial and organizational support, improve management and leverage the project in a high degree of knowledge, information and technology.

Blockchain Academy, Google, Ethereum, Uber, BlablaCar.

Investing in to built the eco-cultural center and investing in blockchain technology and developing an app.

Investing in to built the eco-cultural center and investing in blockchain technology and developing an app.

Investing in to built the eco-cultural center and investing in blockchain technology and developing an app.