When Lara Hussein and Ceylan Uren gave up their jobs during the height of the pandemic to tackle the problem of food waste and climate change, many thought they were out of their minds. “Everyone said, ‘You have great stable jobs, don’t do this,’” recalls Uren, 30, an architect. But the co-founders of The Waste Lab refused to be deterred. “We decided it was now or never. The pandemic had us asking big questions, and we couldn’t just close our eyes and go back to our corporate lives.” They spent months talking to farmers and soil scientists in southern Turkey to create a completely nature-based composting start-up that would redirect food scraps from landfills and, as a result, reduce methane emissions and enrich the soil.
Overcoming obstacles
Despite facing multiple obstacles, such as investors who favoured technology-heavy solutions over nature-based ones, the women remained undaunted. “Everyone was looking for a technology-heavy solution, the next shiny object, and our technology was just nature,” explains 38-year-old Hussein, a communications and customer relationship specialist.
We realised we shouldn’t be working against nature or trying to outsmart it. We must learn from it and mimic it in a way that fits our modern age.
“But we realised we shouldn’t be working against nature or trying to outsmart it. We must learn from it and mimic it in a way that fits our modern age.” They persevered, found angel investors and sustainability-focused incubators, and launched their paid services in December 2021.
A growing success story
Today, the Dubai-based company has built pioneering partnerships with well-known brands such as The Hilton group, Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre, Vox Cinemas, Coffee Planet, and won a grant from Visa’s She’s Next program. Their pilot urban composting site at The Sustainable City became a community centre and permanent fixture. They have diverted 112 tons of food waste from landfills, which is equivalent to 129 tons of CO2 emissions, thanks to acquisition of farmland in 2022 allowing for larger-scale operations.
A bright future
For the co-founders, this is just the beginning. They now lead a team of 12 and plan to expand their service to other emirates. They want to work with local farmers, grow their own food using compost and encourage others to join them in understanding the cycle of life and building a sustainable future.
The rise continues
From grit to glory, The Waste Lab’s journey is a testament to the power of determination, innovation and authentic passion. As they continue to rise every day, they inspire us all to join them on this fascinating journey of triumph.
