APAC Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0

Transforming Waste to Value

What if toilet waste, leftover food scraps, and scattered plastic bags could power a small factory, teach a new generation, and unite a city? Backed by AVPN, ADB, and Google.org, our team spent a year building tools, testing ideas, and listening closely to what communities actually need.

What We Built

• Digital tools for real-world waste -- expanded our platform across 4 cities, helping 20+ institutions (from five-star hotels to food vendors) manage and track their waste, plus a GPS-based janitorial attendance system piloted in Jakarta.
• A microfactory that turns sludge into fuel -- with SAMPANGAN and FORKALIM, we processed 1,848 kg of biomass into 722 kg of clean-burning briquettes, now tested in small industries needing sustainable heat sources.
• Waste education that works -- hands-on workshops at three schools and a university reached 332+ students, who sorted real trash and played original waste-sorting board games.

The Numbers

• 570,000+ kg of waste processed -- the weight of 4 blue whales
• 4,500+ kg of human waste processed into briquettes within 4 months
• More than 1.37 tons of CO₂ avoided over the course of the project; at full 250 kg/day production capacity, up to 534 tons/yr is achievable through methane avoidance and coal displacement
• 20+ institutions digitized with real-time dashboards
• 332+ students and educators engaged across 3 workshops

"We used to work with paper records and guesswork. With Gringgo's app, our team finally has the tools to work smarter -- and more transparently." — INGRAM Field Manager, Bandung

What Wasn't Easy

Sourcing toilet sludge reliably took months of negotiation. Getting janitors comfortable with a digital system took training and patience. And keeping field teams and HQ aligned took weekly check-ins and shared dashboards -- all of which paid off.

What's Next

Scaling briquette production for commercial buyers, expanding the platform to more cities and sectors, and growing education programs through new school and government partnerships.