As the world grapples with the dual challenges of environmental sustainability and economic viability, Sedron is leading the charge in transforming waste into valuable resources. In this Q&A, Lucas Reid, Vice President of Development at Sedron and a fifth-generation farmer-rancher, shares insights into how the company’s innovative Varcor® system is revolutionizing agriculture and waste management.

With a timely spotlight on soil health—amplified by a pair of documentaries recently released on Amazon Prime—Reid discusses Sedron’s mission to create a circular economy, balancing profitability with environmental impact, and the future of clean tech in ensuring food security and sustainability.

Lucas, can you provide some background on your focus in agriculture and how it ties into Sedron’s mission?

Certainly. My focus on agriculture is deeply rooted in my family’s history. I’m a fifth-generation farmer-rancher from southeast Idaho, where my family has been farming the same land since 1870. Bringing innovative technologies to the agricultural space is imperative for me. Sustainability practices in agriculture have evolved as new information becomes available.

Farmers who remain in business today have effectively combined environmental sustainability with the business side of operations. If you extract all value from the land without replenishing it, it’s not a sustainable practice—you’d deplete the region and move on, like a nomad. Sedron’s Varcor technology addresses this by completing a circular economy in agriculture. It processes waste streams, like dairy manure, into valuable resources, ensuring both environmental stewardship and economic viability.

The Varcor system transforms waste into valuable products like fertilizer and clean water. How do you balance the economic viability of this technology with its environmental impact, and what challenges have you faced in its broader application?

Balancing economic viability and environmental impact is at the core of our approach. When developing the Varcor technology for nutrient recovery and waste upcycling, we carefully considered current market conditions, such as price points for fertilizer products and the costs associated with managing manure today. Our current facilities—either operational or under construction—are not subsidized; they operate within existing market economics. We extract value from waste streams, turning cost centers into revenue streams.

For example, in the dairy industry, manure has nutrient value but is dilute. Traditionally, farmers apply it to fields, requiring conventional tillage that prevents/reduces no-till or cover crop practices. The Varcor system processes manure in real time, separating it into liquid nitrogen, solids containing carbon, organic matter, potassium, phosphorus, and micronutrients, and water, which is 94–96% of manure’s composition. This allows repurposing water for irrigation or surface discharge, as we’re doing at the dairy facility under construction in Wisconsin, enabling them to shift to a much larger percentage of no-till practices, improving soil health and reducing fertilizer needs.

This creates a win-win-win scenario: a win for agriculture by removing cost centers and environmental liabilities, a win for communities by eliminating odors and risks from manure application and helping with food security, and a win for private industry by monetizing nutrients at current market prices. The challenge lies in scaling the technology to smaller operations. Currently, larger projects offer better economics, but as we advance the technology, we aim to reduce costs to make it viable for smaller farms and municipalities, ensuring it’s not a tax burden on those entities while achieving food security and environmental sustainability.

Technology Design for Market Conditions & Optimal Value

That ties perfectly into the next question. How are you identifying new market opportunities, and what qualities make a city, state, or region a prime candidate for Sedron’s technologies?

Scale is critical for new market opportunities, as larger projects provide efficiencies that improve economics. The Varcor technology has been developed over nine years, starting with our VP of Engineering scraping manure off a pancake griddle in 2016. By the end of 2025, we’ll have three dairy facilities in two states, processing nearly a million gallons of dairy waste daily. We target waste streams of 130,000 to 600,000 gallons per day, whether dairy manure, human waste, or other sources.

We evaluate economic factors, such as tipping fees—costs for waste disposal—and the viability of repurposing nutrients. Our goal is to fit within current market pricing without becoming a tax burden. By focusing on high-cost disposal areas and strong demand for our products, we ensure economic viability. As the technology matures and costs decrease, we plan to target smaller municipalities and projects, expanding our reach while maintaining financial sustainability.

Clean tech often faces skepticism, with some associating it with government waste or failed projects. How is Sedron addressing this perception, and can you share case studies demonstrating the Varcor’s economic impact?

Skepticism in clean tech often arises because early-stage technologies require price premiums to attract early adopters. However, market pressures, like rising biosolids disposal costs due to PFAS regulations, create opportunities for innovation. For instance, New York City spends approximately $180 per ton to dispose of 500,000 wet tons of biosolids annually—a significant cost center.

Land application is becoming harder due to environmental concerns, especially with PFAS, and landfill disposal leads to methane emissions and nutrient loss. The Varcor technology processes these waste streams, recovering nutrients to create a circular economy, reducing disposal costs and environmental impact. By fitting within current market pricing, we demonstrate economic viability without subsidies.

Innovative Upcycling Reduces Municipal Costs & Restores Competitive Rates

You’ve mentioned collaborating with various stakeholders, from farmers to municipalities. I imagine agricultural deals are simpler than those involving municipalities, though both involve complex stakeholder layers. How do you build trust with these diverse groups?

Our story, rooted in the innovative culture of our parent company, a world-leading aerospace firm, resonates with stakeholders. We approach challenges optimistically, viewing them as opportunities. When identifying new project areas, we bring solutions to specific waste management challenges. In the U.S., waste is often out of sight, out of mind, but increasing public visibility on these issues creates demand for solutions.

We build trust by offering solutions that fit within market economics, not requiring public funds. We also aim to be good neighbors—our facilities are designed to blend into residential areas with no odor or visual impact, like a well-maintained building. We engage communities through forums, emphasizing our commitment to solving problems without burdens. Additionally, we create high-skilled jobs in process engineering, controls, chemical engineering, and manufacturing, boosting local economies. This win-win-win approach—solving challenges, benefiting communities, and creating economic value—fosters trust across stakeholders.

Final question: What emerging technologies or trends in the clean tech space will be pivotal for Sedron in the next five to 10 years, and how do you see Varcor® and Sedron evolving? If you want to use your crystal ball, tell us what you can about future technological growth within the company.

The Varcor system unlocks significant potential by separating diluted waste streams into valuable components—liquid nitrogen, solids with carbon and nutrients, and water—enabling synergies with other renewable technologies. For example, it complements anaerobic digesters by processing high-ammonia digestate, which is challenging to manage, into valuable agricultural fertilizer. This allows digesters to focus on efficiency around renewable natural gas creation instead of the strength of the digestate stream and creates more value. We’re also exploring integrations with technologies like thermal hydrolysis to extract additional value from waste streams, further improving the nutrient recovery systems rather than waste.

Looking ahead, I’m optimistic about clean tech’s growth over the next five to 10 years. Innovations like sustainable aviation fuels and maritime fuels, such as Maersk’s initiative to achieve net-zero shipping by 2050, will drive demand for nutrient and energy recovery systems. I recently visited Copenhagen, where Maersk and other shipping companies are collaborating on a think tank to solve these challenges, highlighting the level of innovation needed. Similarly, ensuring a stable food supply for a growing global population requires transforming waste streams into resources. The Varcor positions Sedron to lead in creating a circular, sustainable economy by recovering nutrients and energy, supporting food security and environmental goals.

About Sedron

Founded in 2014 and headquartered in the Pacific Northwest, Sedron designs, manufactures, installs, and operates advanced water and waste upcycling technologies. Sedron transforms agricultural, municipal, and industrial waste into climate-smart commodities using environmentally and financially sustainable methods. For more information, please visit sedron.com.

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