Burkina Faso Chamber of Commerce GM Martial Tapsoba this week expressed his pleasure at the country being honoured at this year’s Pollutec 2018 – an environmental trade show that attracts thousands of exhibitors showcasing eco-innovations and clean technology solutions.

The event, being held in Lyon, France, also features discussions and debates on green growth.

This year marked the fortieth anniversary of the show, with this year’s edition focusing on 14 key industry sectors.

French-speaking Burkina Faso is taking centre stage at one of the exhibition areas this year.  

The country is heavily reliant on agriculture, making adaptation to climate change and the development of renewable energy integral to its future growth. The country has experienced high growth levels in cities over the past two years, with the country having to contend with greater pollution, transport, health and other associated challenges.

These facets fit keenly into Pollutec’s theme, with the event offering access to solutions, ideas, technologies and innovations to maximise natural resources, fight climate change, improve living conditions and protect biodiversity.

Tapsoba emphasised the importance of Burkina Faso adopting clean, green technology.

He indicated that the majority of the country used generators to meet electricity demand but the country was seeing a major push towards solar power, to maximise use of the high levels of sunlight, while balancing the high capital costs of using diesel generators.

Meanwhile, one of the exhibitors at Pollutec is the Bee Diversity company, which analyses the pollen that bees bring back to the hive in an area, to see what is happening in the environment in terms of pollution and biodiversity.

For the former, the company can recognise over 500 pesticides, 25 heavy metals, as well as radioactivity and other pollutants.

For the latter, it can measure the quantity and quality of the biodiversity.  

Following this, it can propose solutions to reduce pollution, as the source is known; and can advise on better planting practices to engender plant diversity.

“This innovation entails working with nature to enhance it. It is grounded in scientific research of more than ten years, with the pollen analysed in conjunction with several laboratories in Europe,” explained Bee Diversity developer Valèrie Fobe.

First-time exhibitor, Taiwan-based Ju Tian Eco-Materials (JTEM) international sales manager Mona Jian told Engineering News Online that the company manufactures cutlery and straws from natural waste material fibres. For example, a straw or plate could be made from a combination of different percentages of waste from sweet potatoes, bamboo, coffee or sugarcane, besides others.

“This is a feasible environment-friendly alternative, as it includes no plastic at all, and is biodegradable after a while.”

This company was launched in September 2017, and offers the solution globally, and is looking to expand – with Pollutec serving as the ideal platform for this.

A key topic of discussion at Pollutec this year is the circular economy, which involves a set of practices designed to preserve natural resources and use them more efficiently, while avoiding waste.

Pollutec is, this year, featuring the pioneer international summit for cities and regions driving the circular economy, in conjunction with Grand Lyon – the city of Lyon and its surrounding region.

This entails plenary sessions, themed operational workshops and local authority/business speed-dating sessions, which are encouraging the implementation of local projects based on cooperation between public and private sector players, as well as civil society.