Waste Prevention

Three-step process for reverse osmosis that achieves high-rate water extraction within a low-energy continuous process. Water and salt separation is accomplished with a draw solution called Switchable Water Salt (SWS) and heat. This system extracts the greatest amount of water from the most challenging process streams while using the least amount of energy. Reduced greenhouse gases by up to 40% compared to conventional disposal methods. The process also reclaims up to 90% of the freshwater from the waste stream.

Water treatment system designed to control corrosion, deposition, and biological fouling without "bleed-off." Significant reduction in water usage compared to conventional methods because this system does not require makeup water in cooling systems. Bleed-off is the process of flushing water with high mineral concentrations down the drain and diluting the system water mineral concentrations with fresh water to prevent precipitation. From current data in Philadelphia, treating 30,000 tons of cooling water with this system saved about 132 million gallons of water.

Sulfonated polymer membrane technology for cheaper and less energy-intensive water desalination. This technology can withstand higher pressures, allowing for higher water flux and transport rates. These higher rates increase efficiency while lowering costs. The membrane's structure gives it ion selectivity, low electrical resistance, wet and dry mechanical strength, and good dimensional stability in wet and dry conditions. The membrane's resistance to chlorine also makes it a better option than conventional materials that lack chlorine resistance because it avoids the pretreatment process.

Plant-based leather from banana crop waste. In the leather industry, 10,000 liters of water are required to produced one leather bag. Traditional synthetic vegan leather is made from petrochemical sources. Banofi is short for Banana Fibre Leather. It is produced by upcycling banana crop waste that looks, feels, and smells like traditional leather. Using banana waste addrsses the 80 million tons of banana waste generated annually. Banofi consists of 50% banana stem waste, 30% natural additives, and 20% polymers primarily recycled.

Exhaust dye process that changes the negative charge of raw cotton when submerged in water to a positive charge, making attraction stronger with negative dye stuff. 20% of global industrial water pollution comes from the treatment and dyeing of textiles. The process uses up to 75% less water than the conventional reactive exhaust dye process. It saves time as the process takes 5.5 hours compared to the traditional 8 hours. Produces less salt than conventional methods (salt traps other toxic chemicals when bound into a solid). 70% lower TDS, makes ZLD plants inexpensive.

Non-toxic and biodegradable vegetable-based tanning agent for producing leather. Utilizes tanning agent extracted from olive tree leaves that exists as a by-product of the Mediterranean olive harvest. Reduced emission of CO2 as excess leaves are no longer burned. Free from metals and chemically synthetic reactive tanning agents. Requires neither agricultural land nor food. Reduction of acids, salts, syntans, and dyestuffs compared to traditional tanning methods. 

Converts agricultural waste products into dyes by using microbes. Reduces water consumption by at least 49%, electricity by 35%, and CO2 emissions by 31% compared to conventional dyeing for cotton. Produced using clean, renewable feedstocks (simple sugars, yeast, plant-byproducts) and waste products from the agricultural industry instead of traditional petrochemicals. No heavy metals/organic solvents are used.