CPlantae

Emulating Nature to Improve Lives

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Authors

Fernanda Rivero

Fernanda Rivero

Lolita Chincoya

Lolita Chincoya

Lourdes Madrid Rotzinger

Lourdes Madrid Rotzinger

Mariangel Ceballos

Mariangel Ceballos

School

IESDE School of Management

IESDE School of Management

Professor

George Dionne

George Dionne

Global Goals

3. Good Health and Well-Being 6. Clean Water and Sanitation 9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

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Summary

Demographic growth and urbanization have created an increased use of water. The miscommunication between final consumers and government, as well as a lack of proper treatment for wastewater have led us to an over use of the resource, polluting the ecosystems, degrading the soil and overall creating health hazards.

In Mexico, there is not enough wastewater treatment infrastructure. The cost of installation and maintenance are high, so therefore only 40% of wastewater gets some kind of treatment. This is becoming a health issue due to the fact that 70% of all crops are irrigated with polluted water. Not to mention the negative impact this pollution brings to all bodies of water. It’s very important to mention that 60% of wastewater comes from homes and not the industry. This is why it’s so important to develop technologies that are low-price, easy installation and minimum maintenance.

Jose Luis Robles grew up in a small town near Tlaxcala. Seeing how the small rivers he grew up with were now gone, in 2013 he thought of developing a solution to the water problem in the area. He developed wastewater treatment using vermifilters and constructed wetlands, with three other friends, that has now become an innovative business.

Innovation

“A constructed wetland is a small system by which small living organisms such as plants, animals and micro-organism achieve water purification proper for re use.” Wetlands are also considered the most productive and biologically diverse of all ecosystems. The technology used in constructed wetlands has been developed for over a century and is currently used all around the world. It can be used in the industry, homes, zoos, growing fields and many more places.

Mexico is a country with a wide range of water ecosystems that have allowed the development of many plant species. We have more than 730 water plants registered. This along with the good weather all year long makes wetlands a viable solution to wastewater.

Aristotle often said that earthworms were “the intestines of the earth.” Their stomach acts like a disposer of all the waste and garbage it eats. As the food goes through the intestine of the earthworm it becomes humus. Humus is the name of the organic matter that has reached its final decomposition and is easily absorbed by the roots of all plants. Californian earthworms are used because it’s a species adapted to decaying organic material. These worms thrive in rotting vegetation, compost and manure. They are 6-8 cm long, don’t get or transmit disease, eat their own body weight a day (which 55% turns to compost), and have a high reproduction rate.

“Vermifiltration is a new technology for treating wastewater with a high organic loading. No previous treatment is required to use this equipment.”

The innovation consists on creating a well rounded system with a vermifilter + constructed wetland. The vermifilter is installed to provide primary treatment to the water. In the wetland a ventilation system that accelerates the water purification is installed. These type of constructed wetlands allow more space efficiency (60 % smaller) and most importantly they reduce the water purification process in half. For example: for the water purification of a home using just a wetland you need 65 sq. ft. if you add the vermifilter you reduce this area to 13 sq. ft. Plus you can choose from a wide variety of plants that achieve different purposes, decoration, repellent, etc. This water treatment is odorless and it´s very beautiful. It requires minimum maintenance (once every 3 months).

“Wetlands are ecosystems that grow producing organic residues that have a life span. The idea is that these residues be used as biological pesticides that are price competitive and don’t have a negative impact on the environment. ”

Emulating Nature to Improve Lives

Inspiration

Jose Luis has always been passionate about nature. Several years back when he was in college he got the urge to help the community he grew up in as a way to give back for all the opportunities that were given to him. “Because I grew up in such a beautiful place surrounded by nature is that I have an interest in taking care of the environment.”

One morning walking along a small lake near his house, he met an elder man that was taking the water lilies out. They started to talk and the elder told him that he used these plants to feed his animals. In the explanation as to why he was doing this, he told Jose Luis that he had to leave some plants in the water because they also helped clean the lake. This was a technique passed from generation to generation.

Intrigued by this explanation, he did some research and found that this method exists since mid XX century. Inspired by the idea to “give back some of the opportunities that were granted to him in school” and given that the fields in his community are irrigated with polluted water from nearby rivers and lakes, he tried to figure out a solution. This is how he and three other friends approached the Biotechnology department at the university and the innovation began.

Overall impact

This innovation had a great impact on CPlantae and their team. Some of the awards granted are:

  • Premio UVM al Desarrollo Social 2014
  • Premio al Emprendedor Socio-ambiental
  • CEMEX-ITESM 2014
  • Premio Cleantech Challenge Región Centro 2014.
  • Premio Innovación Sustentable Walmart + Universidad Iberoamericana 2014
  • Premio Rompe con el Cambio Climático SEMARNAT 2013
  • Premio Buscando Líderes a la Sustentabilidad UNAM 2013
  • Premio Negocios Verdes ITESM 2013
  • Second best environmental startup in Latin America Sthephan Schmidheiny

Their main client is the zoo called Africam Safari in Puebla Mexico. There, three water treatment plans have been installed. This project earned the zoo Premio Nacional del Trabajo with a monetary award of nearly $30,000 dollars that will be used to install 17 wastewater treatment plants using this technology.

CPlantae also provides workshops on how to build this system at home to people with low income, clients and anyone who might be interested.

The short term effects are evident. You can help reduce water pollution in your home or your business and re use that water for the garden, or the toilets. This not only helps the environment by reducing wastewater but also lowers your water bill. These systems are not only helpful but also very beautiful.

This innovation also has long term effects. This is a system that can be installed in different industries, parks, shopping malls, schools, growing fields.

Business benefit

What started as a project among friends has now become a profitable business. There are few partners but their hard work has made them the owners of their company. They have received numerous awards and they have been given unique opportunities like traveling to Costa Rica for entrepreneurship workshops. Now they are also capable of starting new eco-friendly projects besides constructed wetlands. They are currently starting a project in Africa that uses elephant fecal matter to produce gas used in water heaters.

Their business has grown to developing different projects in the states of Tlaxcala, Puebla and the natural reserve CONAMP Parque Nacional de Arrecifes de Xcalak in Quintana Roo.

Their philosophy: “We spot social environment problems in the county and create technological solutions from an eco-friendly business approach”.

It’s a low cost innovation that can be used in homes as well as the industry. At the moment they have no direct competitors and they have become a source of employment.

Social and environmental benefit

CPlantae is an inclusive business. They contribute to poverty reduction through the inclusion of low income communities in its value chain. Their suppliers are small businesses and no retail chains. They have few employees but with above average pay. They are a tight team that are treated like family.

Keeping in mind that this technology should be available to all members of society regardless of their income, at CPlantae there are workshops created to show people how to build a constructed wetland at home with minimum materials. This is a very important issue because not only are they helping those in need, they are also raising awareness and supporting eco-friendly communities.

CPlantae has a fundraising project called “Fondeadora.” Through the states of Puebla and Tlaxcala crosses the most polluted river in all of Mexico, called Zahuapan-Atoyac. Water from this river is used to irrigate fields causing the destruction of ecosystems, reducing the diversity of the crops, and most importantly causing health issues amongst the community. As a responsible business it is their mission to install their constructed wetlands in places where the help is needed but the funds aren’t available. With this in mind in the year 2012 they started building a wetland in Xicohtzinco south of Tlaxcala which is a community very affected by the pollution of the river. They started to build it with their own funds but obviously these weren’t enough. This is why they have campaigned to raise enough funds to finish this project.

Some of the goals they wish to achieve with this wetland are:

40 Families will have clean water to irrigate their crops

  • 7 million liters of water will be filtered each year
  • An increase in agricultural production up to 60%
  • Up to 40% more income for these families
  • Almost 20 tons of waste will be held back at the water plant each year

Interview

Jose Luis Ortiz Robles, Executive Director CEO

Photo of interviewee

Business information

CPlantae

CPlantae

Puebla, Pue, MX
Year Founded: 2012
Number of Employees: 2 to 10
Their philosophy: “We spot social environment problems in the county and create technological solutions from an eco-friendly business approach”. Their main products: Atla technology which are constructed wetlands using vermifilters. Bio-pesticides used for farming that produce no negative effect on the environment. Workshops created to show people how to build a constructed wetland at home with minimum materials.