Edmonton Tech Startup, Alberta Universities named Semi-finalists in Federal Food Waste Challenge

An Edmonton Tech Startup and two Alberta Universities are among 18 organizations across Canada receiving $100,000 from the federal government to help develop food waste reduction solutions.

Semi-finalists in the Novel Technologies Streams are focused on technological solutions to food waste to extend the life of perishable food, transform food waste and accelerate their advancement in the Canadian market.

Edmonton-based Climacteric Control Solutions, Inc. is working on technology that can continuously remove trace amounts of ethylene from refrigerated, humid air. The colourless, faintly odorous gas is a potent plant hormone that tells fruits and vegetables that it’s time to shut down their lifecycle, reducing the lifetime of perishables. Learn more.

The University of Calgary is working on a technology that converts food waste into an advanced energy saving material that can trap the heat escaping a home or building and release it when needed, generating savings in heating and cooling. Contact the U of C to learn more.

The University of Lethbridge is evaluating the utility of commercially available silage inoculants in ensiling and extending the shelf-life of retail food waste and food processing by-products for animal feed. Contact the U of L to learn more.

Each semi-finalist will receive $100,000 and move on to the prototype development stage of the Challenge. Learn more about the Food Waste Reduction Challenge.