Polymeron, which created an innovative solution to convert poultry bio-waste to renewable and valuable source, has won the 2020 $1 million grand prize at the Omniprenuership Award (Sustainability).

 

Polymeron had developed a technology to make environment-friendly biodegradable composite material from biochar. This innovative material will address plastic pollution and poultry waste and at the same time enrich soil quality which will help Tanmiah Food Company (TFC) reduce its carbon footprint. Polymeron is one of the startups from the ‘Taqadam’ accelerator programme of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (Kaust).

 

The award has been instituted under the patronage of the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadley.

 

Processing farm waste

The focus of this challenge was to find a solution that will process chicken farm waste in a cost-effective, commercially viable manner to create a positive impact on TFC as a corporate entity, on the environment in Saudi Arabia and ultimately the global ecosystem. 

 

Nearly 93 competitors worldwide have participated in the grand challenge. The other four shortlisted organisations for this challenge were: Insectum from Kaust, Proteinea from Egypt and the US, Greenfield from South Korea, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University from China.

 

Commenting on the announcement, TFC's CEO, Zulfiqar Hamadani stated: "We'd like to congratulate Polymeron on winning this challenge: it is not just a win for them, but a win also for our communities and planet. We are proud that TFC is playing it's part in enhancing the kingdom's march of innovation towards environmental excellence in the poultry value chain."

 

Ahmed Osilan, Executive Board Member and Managing Director of Tanmiah Food Company, added: "Tanmiah is a leading player in the poultry industry in the kingdom, providing high quality products to all customers due to its exceptional operating model in line with the kingdom's Vision 2030 and the Green Saudi Initiative. The company's national initiatives focus on the growing environmental challenges and how the kingdom is set to confront them in vegetation cover preservation, tackling desertification and reaching carbon neutrality.”-- TradeArabia News Service