Waste valorisation in sustainability practices centres waste as a valuable input resource in an effort to move away from linear make-use-discard models. Such approaches prevent waste from ending up in landfills, reduce pressure on natural capital, and bring us one step closer to truly regenerative and circular systems.

Brisil Technologies, a cleantech startup founded in 2016 by Tanmay Pandya, presents an illustrative case of commercialising and scaling an agricultural-waste-into-value model. Brisil utilises Rice Husk Ash (RHA), the residue from a waste-to-energy process involving rice husk (which is agricultural waste left after rice milling) to produce green silica. This silica is a sustainable alternative to conventional sources. 

Transitioning to regenerative systems requires industries and firms to reimagine their demand-supply relationships and build collaborative networks to prioritise closing material loops. This case study is thus undergirded by the notion of circular economy. It explores the opportunities and challenges in technology integration and ecosystem collaboration. Using Industrial Symbiosis as a framework for analysis, the case study examines how Brisil has built and sustained industrial relationships to create buy-in for converting waste into a resource at scale. 

The case study examines how contextual factors may influence the transition towards more sustainable and circular systems and asks how they may be leveraged into focused positive action. It asks: How might sustainable business models and innovative supply chains ease the progression towards materials circularity?