MotionECO- Waste to Wheel

Every year, million tons of wasted cooking oil and "gutter oil" were illegally collected and reused as cooking oil in China, causing tremendous social health risks. Meanwhile,  emissions in transportation sector become major source of pollution in China and other developing countries .

MotionECO provides an IOT-backed tracing system that transforms waste cooking oil into sustainable biofuel to be used in local transport services, integrating the whole value chain from collection, processing to end-market supply. We solve the traceability and economically feasibility pain points, simultaneously tackling the challenges of food safety of gutter oil and pollution and GHG emission from transportation. 

Illegal reuse of the waste cooking oil has become one of the top social issues in China and some other developing countries. Waste cooking oil were illegally collected and sold to low income communities for cooking again, causing huge food health risks. In China alone, there is around 5 million tons of wasted cooking oil every year. It was estimated in 2015 that up to one in every ten lower-market restaurant meals consumed in China is prepared with gutter oil. Gutter oil has been shown to be toxic with diarrhea and abdominal pain while long-term consumption can lead to stomach and liver cancer as well as developmental disabilities in children. 

This chain could be disrupted if the waste oil finds economically feasible alternatives. Technically, waste cooking oil can be turned into the feedstock of biofuel. However, lack of efficient collection and converting system hinders waste cooking oil from having verifiable disposal and upcycling channels in China.

By engaging multiple stakeholders from different sectors, we benefit the general society in reducing food safety risks and improving environmental situation. Three main groups of stakeholder will gain direct impacts.

First is food consumers: By providing evidence that used cooking oil is not going back to reproduction, consumers build confidence that the food is clean and safe, improving their lifestyles and trust of local businesses. 

Second is national and local government authorities: waste oil is a sustainable source for biofuel that reduces GHG emissions by 90% compared to regular fuel. We provide one-stand platform to supply the biofuel for local transportation, thus becoming part of the solution for local GHG control and environmental protection.

Finally is large corperates: Partnering with MotionECO will help improve their waste management system, sustainability of the supply chain and logistics as well as overall CSR performance.

• A systematic circular economy solution that tackles social health and environment problems at the same time. MotionECO's solution has the following components:

  • MotionECO provides an IOT-backed  collecting and tracing system for large corporates and government that optimizes the efficiency and secures the safety of waste oil flow.
  • MotionECO has established networks with refineries for processing and channels for supply to transportation. We offer one-stand services to design the closed loop so that the lifecycle value of the waste is optimized. 
  • MotionECO becomes the platform to integrate restaurants, collectors, producers and fuel users, and the trusted hub to connect supply and trade of sustainable biofuel and materials

Traceability and economic feasibility have been key challenges to scale solutions in circular economy. By applying IoT technology and utilizing our team’s abundant know-how for over 10 years, we establish an innovation system that unlocks the value chain with local governments, large corporates, existing collectors and processors onboard. 

We are achieving:

• Turning a waste to a resource
• Turning costs to profits
• Turning a social problem to a solution 

IOT technology is the new trend to build future infrastructure, this is first time that we integrate the technology into waste management in China, with a focus on organic/food waste and waste oil. 

Biofuel processing technology has a long history, but traditional biofuel was made from fresh vegetable oil, we have utilized the process to use waste as a feedstock, which created a circular economic model, not only helping with the waste management but also the biofuel is much more sustainable then regular biofuel. In the future, there is a potential to apply blockchain technology into the track & trace process as well 

We used technology and new business model to create a positive cycle, we turn waste cooking oil into a sustainable product that benefits the environment. Our pilot project has proven that the technology route is possible, waste oil can be used to produce biofuel, and according to EU standard ISCC (international sustainability carbon certification) waste-based biofuel can reduce up to 90% GHG emission, is one of the most sustainable alternative energy for the transportation sector. And our IOT based collection and track trace system can ensue the waste oil are managed in the right way.   

Our long term vision is turn every city into a sustainable oil field, then fundamentally solve the food health risk caused by waste cooking oil and benefiting the environment at the same time. 

Our business model is B2B, It is hard to account the number of people will be impacted as almost every citizen is threatened by these food health risk and environment pollution. If we fundamentally changed waste follow, we will help to reduce these threats for the general society.

Our key indicators are number of restaurants and volume of waste oil collected. This year, we launched a pilot project in Chengdu city, China currently there are 80 restaurants are using the system, so far this year we have collected almost 300,000 liters of waste oil, potential GHG saving is about 750,000 kg. We plan to double the restaurants and volume this year, achieving 600,000 liters of waste oil and about 1.3 million kg of GHG saving.  In five years’ time, we want to replicate this model into every first and second tier cities of China, and some cities in southeast Asia, we could cover 1 million ton of waste oil biofuel every year, resulting 2.5 million tons of GHG emission, and millions of citizen’s life in these cities will all be impacted. 

Currently, the black market for illegal recycling UCO is the biggest barrier, whereby unscrupulous business people will refine used cooking oil and other waste products back into food products for human or animal consumption.  In some city/ states there are some policy barriers for collection when you are a startup.

For the next five years, speed for scale up and replicate is the biggest barrier, so we need strong financial support and build a strong team.

To overcome the illegal competition, we have created a business model to work with the underground collectors, MotionECO become an open platform that all collectors no matter legal or underground can work with us to gather the volume and supply. In this way we work with all stakeholders to create a formalized market. We will raise supportive finance, build up a strong team and work with strategic key partners to achieve the goals. 

MotionECO is an independent social enterprise

Full-time staff : 7

part-time staff: 5

contractors: 4

Born and raised in China, Shutong studied and worked in Europe for 9 years, He graduated from VU University Amsterdam with a Master’s of Environment & Energy Management. He previously worked in corporate CSR, electric vehicle, solar power and sustainable biofuel industries. After his master study, he joined SkyNRG- the world first sustainable biojet fuel provider, supplied Royal Dutch airline KLM with biojet fuel made from “Used Cooking Oil”. As the Asian business development manager, he used to ship a large volume of the used cooking oil from Asia to Europe to produce Biofuel. After seeing the serious social and environmental issues caused by illegal use of waste oil , he moved back to China to found MotionECO with a mission to solve food safety and environmental problems.  Shutong is a fellow of Harvard SEED for social innovation, Forbes China 30 under 30

The team has 30+ years working experiences with business, technology, environment NGO, policy and consultancy including experiences in BCG, NRDC, BP, MIT Sloan MBA, Harvard MPA, developer from Cisco etc.The solution was developed from the team's unique European industry working experience and Asian life experience. We believe we have found the best solution to tackle the problem locally.

The team has been awarded :

• 2018 UNEP Low-Carbon Lifestyles Challenge
• 2017 CSA Climate Strategic Accelerator finalist
• 2016 SEE foundation Green Entrepreneur 
• 2016 China regional Winner of The Venture global social Entrepreneurship competition 

MotionECO has several different partners across different sectors of the value chain.

• UNEP UN Environment Program, partnership in developing sustainable waste management solutions for cities in Asia. 
• Impact Hub China, Partnership in China circular economic solution development.
• Yum China (KFC), Piloting kitchen waste and waste cooking oil collection and tracking & trace system.
• SEE Foundation and Green startup incubator, mentorship and advisory on product development, strategic planning and connections to investors and grantors for fundraising. 
• IKEA China, partnership in piloting China green logistics fleet program by using biofuel produced from waste cooking oil.

MotionECO created a systemic solution, a platform to directly connecting the restaurants, collectors to guide all their waste cooking oil into the production of biofuel and use in the transportation fleet of large cooperates and government who has incentive to reduce their footprint from the supply chain.  MotionECO aims to become the central hub, connecting gutter oil collectors, refineries, processing, distribution, and users to stimulate sustainable biofuel use in China today, and in the future, around the world. 

We provide IOT system to large restaurant chains as well as government to monitor the waste flow, we have an extensive database of waste collectors, producers, biodiesel and advanced low carbon fuel producers as suppliers, B2B service fee is a base charge, additional revenue will come from the trade and supply of waste cooking oil and biofuel through our platform. 

closed loop model

A unique example is our pilot project with KFC restaurants, we provided collection service together with an IOT track&trace monitoring system, then will help to convert their oil into sustainable biofuel and supply to KFC's own logistics fleet. This model can be extending to a city level closed loop 

Impact value: Every 1 liter of the waste based biofuel burned in vehicles equals to 2.5kg of GHG emission reduced but also means 1 liter less food health threats, as well as reducing waste volume and pollution for the cities.

Initially we were supported by grants from social and environmental foundations and NGOs, we have build the trail system and launched pilot projects, the business model has been tested with proven revenue model. we will continue fundraising from grants, but open to strategic impact investors as well.   

MotionECO will use fee for service model as the foundation, we provide IOT based track & trace and collection service, as well as sustainable biofuel supply service. 

In the long run, with the extensive data throughout the whole supply chain, MotionECO will become a digital B2B platform for the supply & trade of sustainable biofuel and materials. 

With the proven technology and successful pilot project, we believe that we have found the best solution to tackle this problem in China. Many developing countries are facing the similar issues. Our experience can be shared and we could expend the business globally. Solve is a great platform that could connect us to the international community on sustainable development. Sharing and learning from the international community.

The funding or potential investment will bring the company into the development of next stage. Further more, mentorship and training to utilize our business model and technology will be also a key success factor for our future expending. 

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International NGOs and foundations in Environment or Sustainable development. They will be a key stakeholder to engage with the public, society and government, increase the awareness of the problem and promote our solution. Also help to influence the policy change. 

Strategic partners such as corporations in Environment, Renewable energy or Waste management etc. They could help us to improve the technology and provide industrialization experience, which would accelerate the commercialization of the solution.

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MotionECO has created a closed loop circular economy solution to turn a harmful waste into a renewable energy. 

We have proven our technology and business model with some pilot projects, the prize money will mainly used roll out larger commercial scale projects. 

We could build our on operational team and invest in our own facilities as well as build up the information system platform to empower more partners to join us. We have a pipeline of projects lining up, we are starting a corporate program to engage large corporates, transpiration companies, airports to use our sustainable fuel in their commercial fleets. We believe with the support we could turn a whole city into a green oil field, where all waste oil is taking out from the food chain, and supply city transportation with sustainable fuel.

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