Enterprise: Eywa
Green Credentials: The emerging energy technology entrepreneur is set to revolutionise the way we dispose of business and residential waste and, in so doing, cut emissions and generate green electricity.
Bodhi Kawulia and Riley Lankshear trace their friendship back to their pre-school days. Lovers of the outdoors – whether it be ocean, land, or snow – they found the sad reality of waste and its mismanagement impossible to escape. “There is nothing more disappointing than watching plastic float past you whilst surfing,” Bodhi says. “Humans have produced some amazing innovations, but the garbage bin isn’t one of them.”
Determining that the kerbside bin is at the core of the world’s waste problem, the friends founded Eywa in 2020, to create the ‘bin of the future’. “The way we see it, the bin is an antiquated interface between waste producers and the entire waste-management system, from which most of the world’s waste-related problems stem,” Bodhi avers. “Our hypothesis is that if we fix the bin, we fix waste.”
Eywa is an onsite waste-to-energy bin. By using a thermochemical process, Eywa converts common waste materials directly into green electricity. “Think of it like an everything bin,” Bodhi explains. “And we do mean everything. Receipts, yoghurt tubs, coffee cups, avocado pits, nappies etc. You can throw all of your rubbish into one stylish bin and have it quietly and safely converted into green electricity. That’s a huge savings for you, and a huge sigh of relief for the environment.”
The Eywa is a boon for businesses: it removes the chore of having to sort waste into multiple bins, saves money by enabling the generation of electricity and diverts tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere by preventing rubbish from going through traditional waste-management processes.
Bodhi is adamant that sustainability really is at the core of everything they do. “Our materials are largely recycled, we have a digital first preference, even our business cards are smart digital business cards,” he says. “Sustainability is literally the driving decision variable behind every choice our company makes.”
Bodhi and Riley have succeeded in getting Eywa into some exciting programs – such as Macquarie Group’s Green Sprint accelerator – and are partnering with some of the world’s leading experts in their field while collaborating with others. “These networks are ultimately what has gotten us as far as we have in such a short time,” Bodhi says. “Whether it be in the national finals at the world’s largest cleantech comp or building prototypes, with their help we’ve made some impressive strides and created some unforgettable memories. The whole ride has been a highlight.”
Bodhi’s goal is to have Eywa in a billion buildings by 2050. A bold dream? Perhaps. But one that the graduate of the University of Technology Sydney, who has a double bachelor’s degree in Business and Creative Intelligence and Innovation, believes is very achievable. “To reach that goal, we have a series of sales and development milestones to hit over the next couple of years,” he explains. “Eywa’s core target is largely the hospitality industry for now; however, we are eagerly looking to develop an Eywa for home, because let’s be honest, waste is a problem for everyone.”
This article first appeared in issue 35 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine
