Trash into Treasure: ChainCraft Is Converting Food Waste into Sustainable Chemicals

What if we could turn the mountains of food waste we generate every day into high-value chemicals that replace fossil fuels and palm oil—two of the most environmentally destructive inputs in our economy? That’s exactly what this episode’s guest is doing. Marc den Hartog is the CEO of ChainCraft, a Dutch biotechnology company using fermentation to convert agricultural waste into medium-chain fatty acids—essential building blocks for everything from fats for foods to lubricants to bioplastics and fragrances. Founded as a spin-off from Wageningen University, ChainCraft is pioneering open-culture fermentation process that offers a scalable, circular alternative to petroleum-based chemicals. And they’re not just operating at the lab bench—in addition to having raised 40 million euros in investment so far, the company already has a pilot facility in Amsterdam producing 2,000 tons of fatty acids per year, with plans for a full-scale industrial plant underway. Marc joined ChainCraft after a distinguished career in the chemical industry, including senior roles at Corbion and other global players. Now, he’s applying that experience to scale a cleantech company aiming to rewire one of the dirtiest parts of our supply chains—chemical production—into a model of sustainability. In this conversation, Marc and I talk about how ChainCraft’s technology works, why food waste is a goldmine of untapped value and what it will take for his team to go from demo plant to commercial scale. If you care about the future of sustainable industry, the circular economy, or just finding smarter ways to deal with the waste we already produce, you’re going to love this episode.