By Jandia van Wyk
Copyright namibian
At Gondwana Collection Namibia, we are constantly inspired by the changemakers we meet across the country.
Each carries a story – a spark of an idea that grew into something bigger.
Our recent visit to Better Earth Everyday (BEE) Biofuel, a Namibian-owned company, showed us how powerful that spark can be.
What began over a decade ago as what founder Bruce Salt jokingly calls “a very expensive cup of coffee” has grown into one of Namibia’s most innovative recycling enterprises.
The idea was simple: instead of discarding used cooking oil, why not recycle it? Today that thought has evolved into a business producing biodiesel, eco-friendly cleaning products, firelighters, wood oils, and wastewater treatment solutions – all from waste that would otherwise end up in landfills or drains.
FROM BUCKET TO BIOFUEL
The journey of used oil starts in kitchens across Namibia. Whether from a bustling city restaurant or a Gondwana lodge, cooking oil is collected in BEE Biofuel buckets.
Once full, the buckets return to the plant, where the oil is filtered, cleaned, and chemically treated into biodiesel – a renewable alternative for generators and older vehicles that cuts fossil fuel use and emissions.
The process doesn’t end there. Every by-product is repurposed.
MORE THAN JUST FUEL
One of those by-products, glycerol, is converted into environmentally friendly cleaning products and degreasers, strong enough for kitchen splatters and workshop spills.
Another innovation is charcoal firelighters, developed specifically for Gondwana.
Instead of chemical cubes, these are charcoal soaked in biodiesel, producing a clean, smokeless, odourless way to start a fire – perfect for a Namibian braai.
The company also produces wood oil, blends biodiesel with linseed oil to help furniture last longer, and Baczyme, an enzyme solution for sewage systems.
A teaspoon twice a week breaks down solids, reduces odours, and keeps systems running smoothly.
BUILDING AWARENESS AND OPPORTUNITY
BEE Biofuel is commited to education and community development.
Sustainability, they believe, grows when people are empowered to take part.
One initiative encourages schoolchildren to bring used oil from home, teaching families to see everyday waste as valuable.
In northern Namibia, the company supports women and youth to build small businesses around oil collection – turning what was once dumped in pits or drains into income and opportunity.
GONDWANA’S PART
As part of our own sustainability journey, Gondwana has partnered with BEE Biofuel since 2017.
Between November 2024 and September 2025, our lodges contributed 1 560 litres of used cooking oil – thousands of litres kept out of the soil and water and instead transformed into clean energy and useful products.
For us, it’s proof that small, behind-the-scenes choices – in kitchens, maintenance rooms, and waste systems – can create far-reaching impacts.
Each litre recycled is a victory for Namibia’s environment, and together those victories add up.
A FUTURE FUELLED BY POSSIBILITY
Our visit to BEE Biofuel reminded us that sustainability isn’t only about large-scale solutions.
Sometimes it’s about reimagining the simplest things: a bucket of oil, a firelighter, a cleaning product, a spoonful of enzyme powder.
Each step adds up to cleaner energy, stronger communities, and a future where Namibia leads in innovation.
At Gondwana Collection, we are proud to share stories like these, because they prove that even waste has worth – if we have the vision to see it.*This report was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.
