Catherine Valencia, a third-year student studying ECOdesign of Goods and Services (ECOBS), is completing her end-of-studies internship at the Savoie Technolac incubator, a stone's throw from the institute, within the start-up Bioorganica.
The start-up Bioorganica aims to provide local, short-chain solutions for recycling food waste, while promoting the return of organic matter to the soil and thus its regeneration.
The aim is to offer a comprehensive recycling solution that includes collection, composting, and the sale of certified organic compost with high nutritional value, in order to support local organic farming and urban greening projects in the Annecy basin.
Catherine Valencia joined the PITON program to support Joanna, the founder of Bioorganica. PITON is a unique program in France, created by the University of Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB) with the support of the USMB Foundation. The idea is to bring students and businesses together to tackle the challenges of innovation and digital transformation.
Measuring the environmental impact of different collection scenarios
At Bioorganica, Catherine Valencia is responsible for eco-design and conducting life cycle assessments (LCA): "I measure the environmental impact of different collection scenarios in order to choose the most effective one. Then, I compare different composting alternatives, such as manual composting, micro-industrial composting, and methanization, to show that our activity will have a low impact. I use SimaPro software for all these LCA measurements. It helps to ensure a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach that also promotes the circular economy within the region."
Two other students from USMB have joined the Bioorganica team. One is working on analyzing the chemical composition of compost, while the other is working on market research and the economic model.
At the beginning of August, the students' collaboration with Bioorganica will come to an end. "After graduating, I plan to travel for a few months before finding a job," explains Catherine. "I'm interested in seeing what it takes to launch a project on the market. My father is an entrepreneur in Colombia, and I myself have had a small business making and selling jewelry. Maybe one day I'll start my own company..."
