Contact:
Lauren Mixon
[email protected]
313-833-0100 ext. 408
www.nextenergy.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sustainability pilot: Autonomous robot collecting food waste from Detroit restaurants for repurposing
NextEnergy, Bedrock, NoHo Hospitality Group, Orange Sparkle Ball and Ecosphere Organics collaboration turning food waste into products restaurants can reuse
Detroit, MI (July 8, 2025) — NextEnergy, Bedrock, NoHo Hospitality Group, Orange Sparkle Ball and Ecosphere Organics are supporting a pilot to repurpose restaurant food waste, turning kitchen scraps into coasters and other products restaurants can reuse. NextEnergy secured more than $200,000 from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), which awarded $5.6 million to various organizations to bolster circular supply chains across the state.
“We pride ourselves on working with partners to improve the quality of life of Detroiters and Michiganders,” said Jim Saber, NextEnergy CEO. “With this funding from EGLE, we can begin testing the functionality of technology meant to reduce air and noise pollution and lessen the amount of organic material going into landfills. Through our partners’ expert research and scaling, the success of this project will help small businesses see a return on their investments while lowering the costs and carbon emissions typically associated with waste management in the downtown corridor”.
The grant, awarded through Michigan’s NextCycle Circular Economy program, supports the pilot in which food waste is picked up from Detroit restaurants with an autonomous robot sourced by Orange Sparkle Ball. The project starts with food pick-ups from San Morello, an Italian-inspired eatery at the Shinola Hotel, operated by NoHo Hospitality Group. Then, the scraps are taken to the Bedrock-owned and NextEnergy-operated Urban Tech Xchange (UTX), where Ecosphere Organics staff evaluate the type of waste received, developing formulas it can use to make new products for the restaurant. Items may include menu holders, table decor, coasters or other pieces. The food waste and resulting finished products will move between the UTX and San Morello — both located on Woodward Avenue — via the ground-based robot.
“The goal of the Urban Tech Xchange is to provide a space where sustainable building innovations can thrive in the city of Detroit,” said Kevin Mull, senior director of urban strategy and innovation for Bedrock. “This Circular Economy grant enables us to utilize Bedrock’s Urban Tech Xchange and San Morello to not only reduce harmful carbon emissions and pollutants that come out of landfills, but to give back to small businesses that are the backbone of the economy. We can’t wait to see Ecosphere Organics and Orange Sparkle Ball collaborate in this space, helping to create a healthier future for Detroit residents and business owners.”
The first phase of the pilot began on July 2, 2025. Future phases, scheduled to begin throughout the summer of the same year, will add additional restaurants from the Bedrock portfolio as pick-up sites for mixed materials. The project will conclude by the end of 2025, with findings from the project meant to inform the feasibility and scalability of similar programs in the future.
“We’re excited to be a partner on the Circular Economy pickup initiative using our Penny Pickup platform to deploy the Ottonomy robot in Detroit,” said Hannah Ranieri, innovation strategist for Orange Sparkle Ball. Detroit is an ideal location to launch this initiative because it’s the home of future mobility and serves as the perfect setting to deploy solutions meant to improve the environment, making life easier and more accessible in urban ecosystems.
“By turning would-be food waste into products small businesses can use, we’re helping them operate more efficiently, cutting their cost of goods and waste management. Through this collaboration, we’re proud to achieve our mission of reducing greenhouse emissions while contributing to Michigan’s goal of a cleaner, healthier future through recycling and upcycling,” said Brittanie Dabney, chief executive officer at Ecosphere Organics.
To read more about the pilot, visit urbantechxchange.com.
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About NextEnergy: Founded in 2002, NextEnergy is a nonprofit that accelerates smarter, cleaner,more accessible solutions for communities and cities by working with innovators locally and across the globe. Since its inception, NextEnergy has worked with more than 500 companies, universities, federal agencies and philanthropic organizations to drive over $1.6 billion in advanced energy and mobility technology investments.
About Bedrock: Bedrock is an award-winning real estate developer focused on comprehensive city building initiatives in Detroit and Cleveland. Its work includes creating iconic cityscapes, rehabilitating historic properties and making space for the community—all with the philosophy to operate for more than profit.
Since 2011, Bedrock has invested and committed more than $7.5 billion to develop and restore more than 140 properties, totaling over 21 million square feet of office, retail, residential, hospitality, industrial, data centers and parking. In 2024, Bedrock was named one of the world’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
For additional information about Bedrock, please visit bedrockdetroit.com or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
About NoHo Hospitality Group: Since first partnering in 2009, chef Andrew Carmellini, Josh Pickard and Luke Ostrom have opened a national portfolio of restaurants and culinary services at preeminent hotels, live music venues and major metropolitan sports arenas and airports across New York City, Detroit, Baltimore and Nashville including Locanda Verde, The Dutch, Joe’s Pub and The Library at The Public, Lafayette, Bar Primi, Leuca, Westlight, Mister Dips, Rec Pier Chop House, The Cannon Room, San Morello, Evening Bar, The Brakeman, Penny Red’s, Carne Mare, Café Carmellini and The Portrait Bar. The team actively runs food and beverage operations in five hotels, including The Greenwich Hotel, The William Vale, Sagamore Pendry Baltimore, Shinola Hotel, and The Fifth Avenue Hotel. Known for delivering quality experiences and pertinent culinary culture, each place is a distinctly owned, handcrafted labor of love. They’ve received widespread critical acclaim, recognition on countless “Best of” lists, a Michelin star, multiple Michelin hotel keys, and two coveted James Beard Foundation awards.
To learn more, visit nhgnyc.com or AndrewCarmellini.com.
About Orange Sparkle Ball: Orange Sparkle Ball is an innovation and impact accelerator sitting at the junction of research, technology, and human-centered design. Orange Sparkle Ball creates organization and community-focused innovation programs, runs data-driven pilots to demonstrate proof of the future state, creates multi-faceted communication strategies to stakeholders, and develops environments that support progress toward key metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs). Experience with government, industry, technology startups, public/private partnerships, and academia allows Orange Sparkle Ball to provide a full ecosystem approach to customized solutions. For further information about Orange Sparkle Ball, please visit www.orangesparkleball.com.
About Ecosphere Organics: Ecosphere Organics transforms food and organic waste into industrial-grade raw materials for sustainable manufacturing. From biodegradable pigments and fillers to bio-based additives and fertilizers, our materials are designed to replace harmful inputs and close the loop on waste. By combining science, circular design, and modular infrastructure, we help businesses turn waste into opportunity, decarbonizing supply chains and fueling the future of sustainable products. More info can be found at https://ecosphereorganics.com.
