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Can ZERI Get to Zero?

Series: December 2006 - Isla Earth Radio Series
From: Pat Maxwell
Length: 00:01:34

Gunter Pauli is the director of "ZERI," which is short for Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives. He started out making biodegradable detergents that don't pollute the environment. Later, he helped build a brewery in Namibia that uses brewing byproducts in innovative ways. Read the full description.
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Piece Description

Gunter Pauli is the director of "ZERI," which is short for Zero Emissions Research and Initiatives. He started out making biodegradable detergents that don't pollute the environment. Later, he helped build a brewery in Namibia that uses brewing byproducts in innovative ways. Methane and other gas byproducts are used to power the operation, or they're sold to other firms. Wastewater is used for raising pigs. And the spent grains, which are rich in fiber and protein, are used to grow mushrooms. The mushrooms are used to feed pigs and other livestock. Pauli says that the plant is an example of ZERI's "non-linear" approach to industry. Waste products aren't just dumped into the environment. Instead, they're used to create new cycles of production that result in other useful products. The goal is to design production methods that mimic the cycles found in nature and result in zero waste.

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