Thuwal — King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has announced the opening of Edama Organic Solutions. Edama is an organic waste recycling KAUST startup.
Located in the KAUST Research and Technology Park, the facility is the first in Saudi Arabia to feature this modern technology. It will provide waste processing and desert agriculture solutions and innovations supporting Vision 2030 sustainability goals.
Landfills take in all waste currently generated in Saudi Arabia. Here it represents a threat to the environment and public health. And is an economic burden on public administrations and businesses. Organic waste constitutes about 65% of the country’s discarded matter.
Waste buildup produces hazardous greenhouse gasses like methane that pollute the air and react with other waste types. These create harmful byproducts such as leachate, a contaminated liquid that pollutes underground soil and water sources.
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Edama’s technology combats this pollution. It masters the delicate biology in the composting process to transform organic waste into high-value products for desert agriculture. These products also help in tree plantations and soil reclamation projects.
This newly developed facility operates in collaboration with KAUST Facility Management. It will recycle 100% of the university’s food and green waste.
And produce 4,500 cubic meters of high-quality compost to benefit the local sandy soils. The facility positions Edama as the only local organic waste recycling company with hands-on and in-depth industry knowledge and experience.
“We’re delighted to see the growth and scale of Edama Organic Solutions since their inception at KAUST and this milestone of their first facility opening,” said Dr. Kevin Cullen.
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Dr. Cullen is the vice president of KAUST Innovation. “This will change how KAUST recycles organic waste. And reshape the future of waste management in the Kingdom.”
By transforming organic rubbish into valuable input products for desert agriculture, landscaping, and gardening, the startup aims to address both environmental pollution and plant cultivation in arid regions.
Edama will reduce public health and ecology threats by diverting organic waste from landfills. It is a shift that will aid the sustainable development of Saudi Arabia’s growing cities and mega-projects.
It fulfills vision 2030 recycling targets while providing soil improvers, which are in high demand due to the recently established Saudi Green Initiative (SGI).
SGI requires massive amounts of high-quality soil amendments, with the government planning to plant 10 billion trees in the desert.
Dr. Sabrina Vettori, Edama Organic Solutions CEO and co-founder, stated,
“At Edama, we believe in sustainable development through efficient management of our resources. By turning organic waste into a resource for restoring our soils, we contribute to improving water management, increase desert agriculture productivity and enable the realization of land restoration and tree plantation projects.”
Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC) has recently awarded Edama the opportunity to design, build and operate their next organic waste recycling facility on a much larger scale.
Along with the new facility, Edama will expand upon its critical work to help prepare the Kingdom and MENA region to respond to significant future food demand growth.
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KAUST has mentored and supported Edama’s growth from a lab-based startup into a leading organic waste recycling solutions organization.
A world leader in sustainable technologies, KAUST has focused on cutting-edge solutions to diversify the Saudi economy and contribute to a sustainable future.
