SBIR Phase II: Upcycling Mixed Plastic Waste into Agricultural Products

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to address the growing problem of mixed plastic waste by transforming that waste into something useful: an organic fertilizer that improves soil health. Most plastic waste today cannot be recycled and ends up in landfills or the environment, especially foam packaging and plastic films. This project aims to solve that problem by creating a system that chemically and biologically converts difficult-to-recycle plastics into a valuable product that farmers and gardeners can use. The result is a cleaner environment, reduced landfill burden, and a new domestic source of regenerative fertilizer. The project is also expected to create jobs and new revenue streams by combining waste recovery with sustainable agriculture. If successful, it could become a model for local recycling solutions that work in both urban and rural communities. The technical innovation in this project lies in using genetically modified microbes to help consume and convert melted-down plastic waste into a form that soil-dwelling decomposers can process into nutrient-rich castings. This approach brings together advances in plastic processing, microbial engineering, and soil science. Phase II research will focus on developing an integrated approach, iteratively combining optimized pyrolysis with advanced microbial digestion and enzyme-driven processes, to effectively convert mixed plastic waste into valuable agricultural products—primarily nutrient-rich worm castings. Additionally, enzyme by-products will be developed into market-ready solutions for microplastic-contaminated soil remediation. It will systematically tackle each stage—pyrolysis optimization, microbial genetic engineering, enzyme production, bioreactor design, and final agricultural validation— to ensure scalability and commercial readiness. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.