The partnership was formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed at DESPRAY’s headquarters in Almelo, The Netherlands. Key representatives included Eelco Osse, CEO of DESPRAY, and Ifedolapo Runsewe, Founder and Managing Director of FREEE Recycle Limited, government officials of The Netherlands and the government officials of Nigeria.
1. linkedin.com/in/eelcoosse and linkedin.com/in/ifedolapo-runsewe
Origins of “Food Fuel”
The “Food Fuel” concept was pioneered by DESPRAY Co-founder and Managing Director Mike MacKay. In 2018, while on a family vacation, MacKay encountered a news article highlighting the widespread use of contaminated, cancer-causing cooking fuels in Africa due to limited access to clean alternatives (AP News: https://apnews.com/article/un-electricity-cooking-fuel-goal-8b97d82edbe350c7bb9eed92e809d0b2). Recognizing an opportunity, MacKay envisioned repurposing aerosol propellants—often viewed as waste—into a viable cooking fuel solution. A casual Facebook post about the idea went viral, garnering over 2 million likes in just two days, validating the potential for global impact.
Six years later, this vision is becoming reality. “Food Fuel” leverages one recycling byproduct to solve a pressing public health issue, aligning with circular economy principles central to the aerosol industry.
Technical Overview and Project Scope
FREEE Recycle will operate DESPRAY’s DS5000 aerosol recycling system, a containerized unit capable of processing up to 10 million aerosol cans annually. The system achieves 100% recovery of metals, liquids, and propellants, with DESPRAY’s patented gas purification technology ensuring the reclaimed gases—primarily propane and butane—meet “end-of-waste” standards. A single DS5000 unit can produce up to 200,000 liters of purified gas per year, sufficient to supply clean cooking fuel to thousands of households.
The Freee project involves:
- Collection and Processing: Aerosol cans are safely deconstructed in an ATEX/CE -compliant environment with 29 integrated safety features.
- Gas Recovery and Purification: Propellants are captured, liquefied, and cleaned to remove impurities, enabling safe repackaging for household use.
- Distribution: The resulting “Food Fuel” will be distributed as an affordable, low-emission alternative to traditional biomass fuels.
This technology not only diverts waste from landfills but also supports the aerosol industry’s push toward zero-waste solutions, reducing the environmental footprint of the estimated 16 billion aerosol cans discarded globally each year.
Addressing a Global Health and Environmental Crisis
Household air pollution from inefficient cookstoves claims approximately 700,000 lives annually in Africa and 3.2 million worldwide, per World Health Organization data (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/household-air-pollution-and-health). In sub-Saharan Africa, over 900 million people depend on polluting fuels like wood, charcoal, dung, or crop waste, exacerbating deforestation at a rate of 1.3 million hectares per year (Boston College: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/nation-world-society/international/air-pollution-in-africa.html).
The “Food Fuel” project directly tackles these challenges, promoting United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). By reducing reliance on biomass, it also mitigates greenhouse gas emissions and fosters job creation in waste management and distribution.
The partnership stemmed from a serendipitous encounter at IFAT 2024 in Munich, where Runsewe approached MacKay during booth teardown, sparking a discussion that evolved into this transformative collaboration.
“It’s remarkable how a chance meeting can evolve into a project with such profound potential,” said Mike MacKay, Co-founder and Managing Director of DESPRAY. “We’re turning aerosol waste into a lifeline for healthier communities.”
Eelco Osse, CEO of DESPRAY, commented, “This initiative combines cutting-edge technology with humanitarian impact, delivering scalable solutions that benefit both people and the planet.”
Ifedolapo Runsewe, Founder and Managing Director of FREEE Recycle Limited, added, “Partnering with DESPRAY enhances our waste-to-resource strategy, enabling us to build healthier homes, cut emissions, and drive economic growth in Nigeria. This partnership addresses the urgent challenges of hazardous waste in Africa by integrating Desprays’ unique technology into our operations.”
Timeline and Call for Collaboration
The full-scale pilot will launch in early 2027 in Ibadan, Nigeria, with modular community units rolling out in 2028. Expansion across Africa and other regions facing similar fuel challenges is planned thereafter. DESPRAY and FREEE Recycle invite governments, investors, NGOs, and communities to join in accelerating adoption. For inquiries, contact Mike MacKay at mike@despray.com.
