Green waste solution wins Australian eChallenge
Friday, 16 November 2018
An innovative way of making better use of green waste has won first prize in this year’s Australian eChallenge awards. The process, named VitaChar, has won its creators $21,000 cash in prize money plus over $10,000 worth of prizes.
The Australian eChallenge is an annual competition-based learning experience that develops strategic business thinking for early-stage entrepreneurial ventures. Run since 2001 by the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ’s Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre (ECIC), the pre-accelerator program is a proving ground for future entrepreneurs. It is Australia’s longest running program of its kind.
The winning team, VitaChar, proposes the conversion of organic waste into an organic fertiliser with a simple, safe, and efficient device. Methane emissions, which contribute to climate change, would be reduced, as green waste doesn’t end up in landfill. Nutrients are returned directly to the soil, and costs and emissions associated with transport are reduced. VitaChar is proposed as being carbon negative, as it results in a reduction in atmospheric Co2. VitaChar has also won the Climate Response category and the People’s Choice Prize.
VitaChar comprises team members Lewis Dunnigan who recently completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of ÐÂÀ˲ÊƱ and Ben Morton who is currently completing his PhD also in Chemical Eng