BURNING AMBITION

SCARABTECH BEGAN LIFE AS A FESTIVAL SIDESHOW, BUT IT’S COMMUNITY UPLIFTMENT THAT NOW TAKES CENTRE STAGE, EXPLAINS CO-FOUNDER AND CEO JEFF BARBEE

- LINDSEY SCHUTTERS

WHAT THE SCARABTECH BEETLE MACHINE DOES IS CALLED PYROLYSIS: it burns plastic waste to generate electricity.

There are a few catches, though. You need energy to process the plastic and then more energy to run the pyrolysis. Then there’s the problem of emissions because if you’re creating fuel to use in a generator, that’s going to emit exhaust fumes. But ScarabTech is not promising to save the world. In fact, the company purposefully keeps its operations small to serve only communities in need.

What began as an exhibition piece at hippie mega-festival Burning Man then travelled to the local equivalent, AfrikaBurn, and was transformed into a community empowerment project. Amazingly, while ScarabTech develops its technology in South Africa, local regulations do not allow the company to be a 'fuel supplier'.

We asked CEO Jeff Barbee why there isn't a Beetle in every suburb in South Africa.

Beetle sets sail 

ScarabTech has a Beetle aboard the Plastic Odyssey, a ship visiting developing countries across three continents to highlight plastic pollution of the seas. According to the French team behind the Plastic Odyssey project, 80% of plastic marine pollution occurs along the coastlines of developing countries. Over three years, the ship and its crew of 10 will make 30 stops of three weeks each, with specific anti-pollution projects planned for each city. The broader mission is to draw attention to the plastic pollution that starts on land, and that's where ScarabTech's Beetle comes into play. It is used to demonstrate one possible solution for disposing of waste plastic. plasticodyssey.org

Why can't we use the Beetle in South Africa?