From waste to biogas to fertiliser: Circular economy startup founder shares how one resource can create several revenue streams

Agricultural and organic waste is usually seen as a disposal problem. But the same material can become a potential source of multiple products, linking renewable fuel production with agricultural inputs, feels Smit Gadhiya, founder and managing director of RenewSphere Energy.

In a recent LinkedIn post, Gadhiya said that the organic material left after Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) production can potentially be developed into bio-fertiliser products, creating another value stream from the same resource. He described this approach as part of the company's circular-economy model. Instead of viewing the process simply as converting waste into gas, he said the focus is on generating both clean fuel and agricultural value from the same resource cycle.

From waste to CBG and beyond


CBG is generally associated with the production of renewable gas from organic material. But Gadhiya's post focuses on what happens after the gas has been produced. He argues that the organic material remaining after processing should not automatically be treated as waste. According to him, it can be developed into bio-fertiliser products such as LFOM and SFOM.

This changes the basic model from a single-output process to one in which the same waste stream can potentially support more than one product. Gadhiya described the approach as: “Waste → Clean Fuel + Agricultural Value”

Why the model connects three problems

Gadhiya said the opportunity comes from connecting three separate challenges. Agricultural waste creates a waste-management issue. At the same time, India needs cleaner energy, while agriculture needs productive and sustainable inputs. A circular-economy approach attempts to connect these requirements rather than addressing each one separately.

In this model, agricultural waste becomes the starting point. It can be processed to produce CBG, while the organic material left after processing can potentially be developed into agricultural inputs. The result, according to Gadhiya, is a model that seeks to extract more value from the same resource.

The business case behind circular economy

For Gadhiya, the idea is not limited to the environmental benefits of using waste. He said sustainability becomes more meaningful when it also makes commercial sense.

That distinction is important for the business model he describes. A company producing CBG can look at the resource not only as a source of renewable gas but also as an opportunity to develop additional products from the same cycle.

The approach could therefore create multiple avenues for value generation from a single waste stream, although the LinkedIn post does not provide details on the economics, production volumes or commercial scale of these products.

The larger question raised by Gadhiya is whether other materials currently classified as waste could also be turned into useful resources.