Lindomar Ribeiro dos Santos

Brazilian inventor revolutionizing sanitation in favelas through biofuel waste systems

Lindomar Ribeiro dos Santos created a sustainable sanitation solution for Brazil's favelas by converting organic waste into biofuel. His Projeto Ecofiltro system, launched in 2020, uses anaerobic digesters to process sewage into biogas and nutrient-rich sludge. This innovation provides clean energy while reducing disease transmission in communities like Rio de Janeiro's Complexo do Alemão.

By 2024, his systems had been implemented in 150+ communities across Brazil, serving over 80,000 residents. The process he developed recycles 90% of household waste, producing enough biogas to power entire neighborhoods' street lighting. His peer-reviewed research has inspired similar projects in Kenya and India.

Lindomar's approach includes training local youth as technicians through his Ecopreneur Academy, creating sustainable job opportunities. His 2022 TEDx talk "Turning Trash into Treasure" has gained 2.3 million views. In 2023 he partnered with UNICEF to scale the model to 10 more countries, proving that grassroots engineering can address global sanitation challenges.