The U.S. EPA issued a flurry of grants to small companies within the last days of former President Joe Biden’s administration. That features funding allotted via the Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis program.
The recipients every acquired $100,000, with listed venture begin dates of Dec. 16. In all, 24 firms have been awarded grants on this spherical, per a launch.
The Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis program was first established by laws in 1982, and 11 businesses together with the EPA take part in this system. The EPA gives funding for 2 phases of rising companies. Section 1 funding assists early stage firms creating options for public well being and environmental challenges to run a six month proof of idea for his or her proposed know-how. Section 2 funding helps these companies as they work to commercialize their know-how.
All the recipients introduced final week acquired Section 1 funding. An inventory of people who developed options for waste-related points are beneath.
- Greensboro, North Carolina-based AxNano proposes a “subject deployable” therapy course of for PFAS in biosolids utilizing sintered wave know-how and supercritical water oxidation.
- Tempe, Arizona-based BetR-blok is creating a concrete constructing block substitute produced from forest biomass and different recycled supplies.
- Portland, Oregon-based Daring Reuse is creating a listing administration system to facilitate its reverse logistics system for packaging, enabling a extra streamlined reuse system for purchasers.
- Saratoga Springs, New York-based Dynamo.AI is creating packaging that makes use of biochar to soak up ethylene gasoline and moisture and lengthen the shelf lifetime of produce as a way to cut back meals waste.
- Hull, Georgia-based EcoaTex proposes utilizing agricultural waste to create new recyclable fibers and yarns.
- Binghamton, New York-based Klaw Industries proposes utilizing waste glass to displace the fly ash utilized in cement-making right now.
- Los Angeles, California-based Symmetry Wooden is creating a alternative for wooden from the bacterial nanocellulose present in meals waste.
- Amarillo, Texas-based Talon LPE is creating a three-pronged answer for mitigating PFAS contamination in biosolids utilizing biochar and pyrolysis.
The Biden administration took a sequence of actions in its last days earlier than former President Donald Trump started his second time period. Company officers have braced for a dramatic change as Trump assumes workplace, as his allies have vowed to intestine the federal workforce and reverse local weather insurance policies.
EPA additionally introduced $1.3 billion in grant funding via the Group Change Grants program in December, which financed waste-related tasks in a number of municipalities across the nation. Different businesses, just like the Vitality and Agriculture departments, have additionally introduced funding for waste-to-biofuels and composting tasks in latest weeks.
The EPA nonetheless has funding to provide out for its local weather and surroundings targets, a few of which was allotted via the Inflation Discount Act and different main legislative packages. Funding bulletins for the Strong Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grant program and Recycling Schooling and Outreach grant program, for example, stay unfulfilled however are scheduled to be introduced later this 12 months.