Dr Ramiz Boulos – Founder and Executive Chairman of Veratin Limited
Background
Dr Boulos is an inventor and serial entrepreneur. He was born in Sudan and came to Australia as a humanitarian refugee in 1999. Dr Boulos graduated with a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Western Australia in 2011. Dr Boulos invented a new class of antibiotics and founded Boulos & Cooper Pharmaceuticals in 2013 to commercialise that research. He is the inventor of Verigrow® and the founder of Veratin. In 2016, Dr Boulos founded Boulos & Cooper Labs, which carries out research and development in different fields. He later invented a new type of biodegradable polymer and licensed it to Veratin. In 2021, he founded Founders First to help founders commercialise their IP. Dr Boulos holds an Adjunct Lecturer position at Flinders University and is a previous SA Tally Poppy (2014). He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Dr Ramiz Boulos – VERIGROW – All purpose liquid fertiliser & soil improver
To provide insights into how the green chemistry process fits into the circular economy, and Veratin’s innovation in reducing waste, Tim Langdon, publisher of Eco Voice, had the pleasure of facilitating a Q & A with Dr Ramiz Boulos, Founder and Executive Chairman of Veratin Limited.
Q1 . What is Veratin Limited focused on in terms of innovation in reducing waste?
Veratin is a multi-industry company that has created an innovative process through green chemistry that turns waste wool into high value products. The company has several arms – plant and soil health, cosmetics, biodegradable polymers, and functional foods and nutraceuticals.
Veratin’s liquid fertiliser and soil improver, Verigrow, is an all-purpose product and one of the greenest fertilisers in the market (1 unit of N from Verigrow is equivalent to 3.5 units of N from other products) and it is the first of its kind to be made from amino acids from upcycled waste wool. The amino acids take the need out for having too much nitrogen in fertiliser, while still working to increase crop yield. It also works just as effectively across a wide range of natives, lawns, fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
Veratin is also looking to use the same green chemistry process with another of Verigrow’s products set to launch, a pot that is made using its biodegradable polymer, reducing the need for harmful plastics. More than a plant pot, the Verigrow pot is a plant food in a pot, providing plants with the necessary nutrition as it biodegrades in the soil – a truly revolutionary product.
Q2. What is the green chemistry process?
The green chemistry is the process of reducing or eliminating pollution and harmful substances at its source. Veratin looks to apply this method by reducing waste from low grade wool and upcycling it into high value products. In the plant and soil nutrition space, Veratin does this by reducing nitrogen in its Verigrow fertiliser by using amino acids reducing the environmental footprint from its fertilisers and soil improvers.
Q3. Why is the notion of the circular economy important in chemistry?
There is more of a focus worldwide on reducing emissions and cleaning up the environment, and one of the most effective ways to achieve this is through the circular economy, a system that tackles climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It employs reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing and upcycling to create a closed-loop system, minimising the use of resource inputs and the creation of waste, pollution and carbon emissions.
Therefore, in order to achieve the goals of the circular economy, chemistry must look to reduce or eliminate pollution and harmful substances at the source, and chemistry touches a lot of industries, so it is incumbent on the sector to act.
Q4. Is the industry that you are involved in moving towards green chemistry solutions more generally?
Yes, there is not only more demand for green chemistry solutions due to multiple industries moving towards the circular economy and the green transition, but regulations are also heading towards the use or greener, more sustainable products too.
For instance, the regulatory environment in the agriculture sector for farming means that more farmers will have to use sustainable fertilisers for their crops. We are seeing this in the EU, with regulation passing in July 2022 for the use of organic and waste-based fertilisers meaning that the open single market extend to organic and waste-based fertilisers, allowing for optional harmonisation, and establishing limit values for toxic contaminants in fertilising products. Alongside this, the EU is also looking to make these fertilisers more affordable for its farmers and optimise their use through several means including targeted financial support, improved market transparency, trade diversification, and greening the production of fertilisers.
The EU regulations are ahead of Australia, but it will most likely be coming to Australia soon, as there is an awareness of the environmental damage that inorganic fertilisers can do.
Q5. How can Veratin Limited get more industry players involved in innovation to reduce waste?
Veratin sees itself as a leader and champion of sustainability and environmentally friendly products. The Company has a role to play in stakeholder education and responding to growing customer-driven demand for sustainable products. Veratin believes this trend will push industry behaviour towards sustainable products and business models..
Veratin’s role in the industry should further highlight the need in innovation to reduce waste, as it is well-placed for growth with its suite of existing and new products and its move from the National Stock Exchange to the Australian Stock Exchange.
Q6. How can publications, such as Eco Voice, play their part in promoting sustainability in your business sector?
There is a massive effort in moving towards a more sustainable global economy and doing this across multiple industries has its challenges. There are multiple reasons for these challenges but by educating society on how the long-term benefits of sustainability outweigh the short-term gains of non-sustainable practices, Veratin believes society can truly move towards a greener future. And publications like Eco Voice that focus on sustainability issues are important to help mobilise people towards products and businesses that employ the green transition and circular economy.
ABOUT ECO VOICE
First published in 2003, Eco Voice is your go-to publication for sustainability news in Australia. Eco Voice prides itself as an independent news platform with a clear focus on sustainability, with articles coming from a diverse range of contributors – all levels of government, corporations, not-for-profits, community groups, small to medium sized businesses, universities, research organisations, together with input from international sources. Eco Voice values community, conservation and commerce. Eco Voice is a media partner of the prestigious Australian Banksia Sustainability Awards – The Peak Sustainability Awards.
ABOUT VERATIN LIMITED
Veratin Limited (NSX:VTN) is a multi-industry company with a suite of IP protected sustainable and high-quality products made from upcycled waste wool for use in cosmetics, plant and soil health, biodegradable materials, and food and nutraceuticals.
