Designtex is proud to share the latest initiative in their fourteen-year history of climate actions. In 2023, the brand is supporting a methane avoidance and fuel switching project in Uganda that will deliver 10,000 biodigester and cookstove systems in the region in the coming years. This project allows families to obtain new, effective farming technology and enables farmers to receive ongoing support with installation, training, and maintenance service. Designtex’s support for this project makes the technology accessible to small-scale farmers, helping to expand the role of biogas technology in this region and reduce carbon emissions from wood burning.
“We are pleased to support a new project that has a multi-faceted impact: reducing carbon emissions to the atmosphere while creating practical solutions on the ground. This community-based carbon reduction project in Uganda provides tools for longer-term climate solutions and brings healthful benefits to the farmers,” says Susan Lyons, President of Designtex.
How it works:
Farmers put waste from their livestock into the biodigester where methane emissions are captured. Methane from the biodigester is piped to efficient gas stoves that families use for cooking. The cookstoves are fueled by the transformation of organic waste into biogas, which is captured for use in the home kitchen. The transformation also produces a byproduct of organic fertilizer that can be used to improve crop health and yields. The biogas displaces the wood fuel that families formerly relied on for cooking, which had caused respiratory issues, GHG emissions, and deforestation. With biogas as a new, streamlined source of fuel, women (who are primarily responsible for fuel-sourcing and cooking in the region) save time and income that they can invest in their own and their families’ wellbeing and livelihoods.
“Designtex is among the first to support this initiative, playing an important and catalytic role making biodigesters available to farm families, and reducing global carbon emissions over the coming decade.” – Jennifer Cooper, VP of Client Strategy at Native
Further explore the intricacies and impact of this project here: https://native.eco/project/waste-to-fuel-improving-agriculture-livelihoods-uganda/
About Designtex
Designtex is the leading company in the development, design and manufacturing of applied materials for the built environment. For over sixty years, Designtex has been providing innovative materials to customers around the world. Designtex is a Steelcase company, headquartered in New York City, with national and international locations. www.designtex.com