Worker with logs in a wood recycling plant.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $100,000 in small business innovation grants to encourage 24 companies to develop their ideas, such as reusing waste, into products that help the environment.
A total of $2.4 million in grants were awarded Jan. 13 by the EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research program to companies in the first of a two-phase process. Phase I requires companies to develop a proof of concept to deploy their technology within six months. After successful completion of this initial phase, companies can apply for up to $400,000 in Phase II grants to commercialize their technology.
“Congratulations to these small businesses for their commitment to spur innovation and address today’s environmental challenges,” said Maureen Gwinn, EPA’s Assistant Administrator in the Office of Research and Development, when she recently announced the grants. “Their innovative ideas not only address critical needs, but also pave the way for a healthier planet and a stronger, more sustainable economy.”
The companies are located in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.
The financing is intended to encourage small business products to enter the market. Products must be innovative environmental technologies in the following categories:
- Air quality and climate,
- Clean and safe water,
- Homeland Security,
- Revitalization of the soil,
- risk assessment,
- Safer chemicals,
- Sustainable materials management/circular economy.
Companies also have the opportunity to receive $100,000 as a commercialization incentive from EPA in the second phase of the grant program if they receive a third-party investment. SBIR was created to help finance and commercialize innovative green technologies to protect the environment.
One company that received seed funding was Pacific Reclaimed Lumber & Supply of Sebastopol, Calif. It will design a web-based platform to increase procurement of reclaimed timber and building materials.
“The US reclaimed lumber industry is poised to become an $11 billion industry by 2030, but can strive for a more ambitious goal with increased sales efficiency. The construction industry currently disposes of over 27 million tons of wood waste per year, most of which can be salvaged through deconstruction. Recovered matter provides significant environmental benefits, reducing climate emissions by up to two times compared to disposal and sequestering embodied carbon for 50-100 years when reused. However, for the reclaimed lumber industry to significantly reduce national waste, it must increase operations and sales. A key step will be making the timber inventory more accessible online, which is currently a challenge,” the grant proposal states.
Relief molded terracotta tiles in a salvage yard.
A flooring and construction company in Florida called Nativo Inc. of Pompano Beach will use its grant to apply a new vibration technology to remove installed ceramic tiles without damaging them. This new method would enable ceramic tiles to be reused or salvaged from floors.
PAGE Technologies Inc. based in Boulder, Colo. aims to develop chemical sensors that can be placed directly in the environment for real-time measurements for water monitoring. “The company’s development of low-cost, handheld, printable sensors for water quality monitoring will provide an innovative and new tool for maintaining water quality and public health,” an EPA spokesperson said in a statement to the grant.
The fabric is spun inside a stable workshop.
In Hull, Georgia, EcoaTEX LLC plans to use its EPA grant to create a technology capable of converting agricultural waste into high-performance biodegradable fibers as a sustainable alternative to cotton and synthetic fibers.
“The commercial potential for this technology is huge, especially in the textile industry, where there is a growing demand for sustainable materials. By converting agricultural waste into valuable fibers, EcoaTEX not only provides a cost-effective alternative to traditional fibers, but also supports local economies by providing farmers with a sustainable outlet for their waste. This approach not only helps farmers economically, but also prevents environmental damage associated with traditional waste disposal methods,” according to the grant proposal.