Member Spotlight
BioDome
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BioDome was founded in order to reduce carbon emissions in the agriculture industry by removing the shipping and processing steps. They bring food production to places otherwise thought impossible, creating better localized supply chains, greener communities, and access to fresh food. BioDome’s founder, Jerah Siegal, is on a mission to bring people the type of healthy food that will not only allow them to survive, but to actually thrive.
Why did you become a Circular Philadelphia member?
I decided to join Circular Philadelphia because I wanted to be in a robust network of like-minded individuals committed to creating positive externalities around them. The path to a more sustainable future isn’t paved by a single person. We must all move in the same direction to create and enact the change we wish to see in the Philadelphia and the world. Not only is it fantastic to have support from others who share our mission, but I felt there are a number of people and businesses in Circular Philadelphia who could be great partners or have positive synergy with my indoor farming company, BioDome. I am seeking to feed people, reduce food miles, and cut back on waste which are missions I think many of your businesses share.
What does a circular economy mean to your organization?
BioDome was founded on the principles of circular economy, from the design of the indoor farming technology to our business model. Everything we do at BioDome is to reduce food miles and carbon emissions in the agricultural industry. Our BioDome units are greenhouse style indoor farms that are small and modular, built to be installed in dense urban and suburban areas in small lots, parking lots, or even on rooftops. We designed proprietary technology to use the power of the sun, rainwater collection, and heat recapture to drastically cut carbon emissions and water consumption compared to both traditional farms and other indoor farms. We know that local food production is a must, with shipping and processing making up over 70% of the energy consumption in the agricultural industry, so we bring our farms to where most Americans live, cities. Not only was our technology designed to be sustainable, but we do not let any produce go to waste. Produce that is not sold within 2 days of being harvested is dried or given away. We aim to be the gold standard for sustainable practices in the indoor farming industry and we strive to make our BioDomes as close to self-sustaining as possible.
How is your organization practicing circularity?
We practice circularity in every way we possibly can. We have a jar return program for our dried herbs and spices. We also work to support local schools and provide STEM education to colleges and universities interested in getting into horticulture and sustainable agriculture endeavours. Our BioDome greenhouse farms were built with sustainability and circularity in mind. They quite literally recirculate all the water and nutrients throughout the system to maximize water usage in the growing process for our heirloom tomatoes, herbs, and microgreens. Everything we do keeps sustainability and circularity at the forefront of our business model, because we believe that great businesses not only need to make a profit, but provide positive value to those around them and the environment.
How can others advance the circular economy?
The best thing to do is to just start. Start small and pick 1 thing you want to focus on in order to support a circular economy and build from there. You don’t have to jump in all at once and try to go off-grid and grow your own food and have chickens or anything crazy. I personally think a great place to start is joining your local “buy nothing” group on Facebook or donating things you don’t need anymore to charity. Before you make purchases, you can also take a second to stop and ask yourself how many times you will actually use the item, and whether or not the item is multipurpose. Cutting back on consumption and waste makes a bigger difference than you think. It’s not about being perfect, just about being consistent and making sure we are all pulling in the same direction in our efforts to make the economy more circular and improving the overall health of the environment around us.
Every person’s relationship to sustainable habits and participating in a circular economy is unique. I think the only advice that works for everyone is to try and cultivate an awareness and mindfulness about what things in your life you can’t reuse/repurpose/recycle. In other words, what are you tossing in your trash can? Once you really start focusing your attention on this you’ll start to see the areas where you can make changes that will work for you. Maybe these changes won’t be ones you can make right away, and that’s okay! Do the things that you can, and work towards the harder things bit by bit.