Interview with the Director of Envit – Recipients of the Gold Award for Innovations in the Field of Circular Economy 2023

Envit was awarded the gold prize at the Call for the Best Inventive Solutions in the Field of Circular Economy for 2023, organized annually by SRIP – Circular Economy.

Envit received the award for their inventive solution ReSoil® – a sustainable remediation method for soil contaminated with heavy metals. This innovative technology cleans soil and sediments heavily polluted with potentially toxic elements. Using the ReSoil technology, it is possible to remove most of the potentially toxic elements, ensuring long-term soil restoration.

Colleagues from SRIP – Circular Economy spoke with Dr. Domen Leštan, director of Envit and a full professor at the Department of Agronomy at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana, about the technology, the circular economy, and the importance of the call for the best inventive solutions in the field of the circular economy.

Please read the original interivew (only in slovenian language) on this linK here: Interview.

Below we are offering you the direct english translation of this interview. Please enjoy reading it.

What challenges does your invention address, and where are its greatest practical application potentials?
ReSoil technology is a completely new method that removes heavy metals from soil in a closed process without generating wastewater. This makes the removal process extremely efficient. At the same time, the soil remains intact, meaning it can still be used.

Other commercial technologies often involve excavating and transporting soil to landfills, which leads to the loss of soil—a non-renewable resource. One centimeter of fertile soil takes approximately 100 years to form. Therefore, it is crucial to preserve as much soil as possible. This applies to Slovenia and Europe as a whole, where approximately 80% of the soil is already degraded.

We fail to recognize the strategic importance of soil. Most of the food we consume is grown on soil. It serves us for recreation, housing, and infrastructure. It is vital to treat soil in ways that preserve it rather than discard it. Where possible, it should be cleaned rather than abandoned.

How long did it take to develop your award-winning invention, and what was the biggest challenge?
The invention was developed at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. Envit itself is a spin-off of the University of Ljubljana.

I have been researching soil remediation and technology throughout my research career, spanning over 35 years. It’s hard to pinpoint when the idea turned into a process with clear commercialization potential, but it may have been about 10 years ago. At that time, we discovered specific chemical principles and were able to apply them in closed-loop processes. That’s when we realized we might have a breakthrough technology for cleaning heavy-metal-contaminated soil.

Globally, no other technology effectively cleans such soil while ensuring that it remains fertile and suitable for reuse. When we saw that our technology made this possible, we decided to establish the spin-off company Envit.

Is the commercialization process for the ReSoil solution already underway?
We established the company primarily because we saw no other funding sources for scaling up the technology beyond European grants, which are mostly tied to businesses. Through European projects and partly through funding from the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency, we scaled the ReSoil technology to a commercial level. We have now reached Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7, meaning the technology is close to commercial application.

We have also partnered with a major equipment manufacturer in Italy. Together, we developed the technology to a commercially viable stage. They can now produce all the equipment necessary for the actual commercial application of the technology. I can confidently say that ReSoil technology is commercially available.

What is crucial for the commercialization of an invention?
For us, finding the right partners has been critical. On one side, we needed an engineering partner capable of producing the equipment, as the technology is technically demanding. On the other side, we are actively seeking a company specializing in soil remediation technologies to integrate our technology into their offerings.

We are currently in discussions with an American company, and we will see where these talks lead. Trying to bring the technology to market ourselves would require too much time and financial investment. Partnering with companies that already have expertise in building equipment and conducting large-scale soil remediation is a more optimal path.

Does your technology address only Slovenian problems?
Our demonstrations of the ReSoil technology have already been conducted in Slovenia, for instance, in Mežica Valley in Prevalje and recently at the Poček military training ground. However, our market is global, encompassing large urban and industrial areas. For example, in China, one-sixth of agricultural land is contaminated with heavy metals. These are significant issues both locally and globally.

What prompted you to apply for the call for the best inventive solutions in the field of circular economy?
Firstly, we accepted an invitation to participate. Moreover, soil has long been a neglected natural substrate. People generally have a poor attitude towards soil, dumping everything onto it. Pesticides and chemicals are introduced into the soil without much thought. We fail to recognize the impact on the environment and our lives. Soil enables food production and acts as a filter for groundwater. Contaminated soil can lead to polluted groundwater. This awareness is lacking.

What advice would you give to individuals and companies entering the circular economy ecosystem?
Circular economy solutions are complex. Currently, it seems these solutions are primarily implemented within individual companies. More collaboration is needed between businesses. Waste from one company could serve as raw material for another. Opportunities lie in sharing projects and expertise, and in collaborating with academia and research institutes.

What is the significance of the Call for the Best Inventive Solutions in the Field of Circular Economy?
The call provides a platform to showcase solutions that can inspire other companies embarking on the circular economy journey. It also facilitates networking among companies and offers decision-makers insight into areas where subsidies or collaboration could enhance development.