Innovation Challenge

Creating rural community drop-off programs to offer food waste collection for composting.

Piloting a black soldier fly composting system utilizing institutional organic waste.

Developing a composting network where food waste generated in Detroit is collected and delivered to Detroit-based urban farm compost operations.

Developing the first municipal log recovery yard in Michigan that will transform wood waste into long-lived lumber, soil-improving biochar, clean mulch, and firewood.

Expanding post-consumer composting across campus.

Seeking engagement with Marquette County municipalities to increase access to composting.

Deploying small-scale, low-cost, portable systems to densify crop and forest residues into higher-value biobased products.

Creating a roadmap to dramatically increase residential access to food scrap composting throughout the county.

Recycling wind turbine blades into lightweight aggregate for redi-mix and pre-cast concretes.

Building its first cryomill plant for end-of-life electric vehicle batteries and e-waste.

Uses a proprietary process to divert difficult-to-recycle, landfill-bound plastic (e.g., grocery bags and pallet shrink wrap) into an asphalt additive.

Building a reprocessing solution for post-industrial plastic extrusion and injection molding scrap.

Developing a multi-modal sorting technology that uses acoustic signatures to sort recyclable plastics.

Building a facility in Michigan to produce a recycled-paper-based foam that replaces plastic packaging foams.

Developing technology to recycle post-consumer/-industrial flexible foam, like that found in mattresses, into high-value functional additives that can be used in new products across multiple industries.

Marketing compostable and biodegradable paperboard containers to replace plastic produce clamshells.

Pivot Point collects and refurbishes household appliances to provide affordable goods to low-income individuals while promoting recycling and reducing landfill waste.

Volt Harbor is developing an affordable, commercial-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) made from retired, second-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

Resourceful Recycling aims to pilot and scale a curbside compost and food waste pickup service for residents and businesses in Shiawassee County, Michigan.

The team’s GO Zero initiative is a tech-enabled platform that enables businesses to sell surplus food (that would otherwise go to waste) at a discount before closing by creating same-day coupons.

Drury Brothers has developed a proprietary roll-off box with an internal sliding wall mechanism that eliminates the need for plastic liners.

Detroit Training Center-Groundbreak is developing GRIT - a training program for contractors, builders, and skilled laborers teaching construction and demolition material reuse techniques.

Collecting discarded fabrics from factories and consumers, transforming them into high-quality, sustainable products such as tote bags, cushions, quilts, and home decor.

2DaLoop is developing an AI-powered platform that identifies electronic devices via UPC symbol, classifies device components and materials, and optimizes pathways into repair, recycling, and other secondary markets in Michigan.

This project seeks to develop a business case for diverting over 80,000 pounds of organic waste generated in WMU’s dining centers away from landfills.

The project team aims to unify and expand recycling and organics drop-off infrastructure in Van Buren County, increasing convenient access for all residents and piloting new food and yard waste collection sites.

Michigan Fibershed is working to create a regenerative circular natural fiber textile economy in Michigan, focusing on sustainable practices using locally grown feedstocks like wool, flax, and hemp.

The team aims to introduce single-stream recycling in Manistique by providing recycling carts to households in the city and utilizing drop-off locations in the rest of Schoolcraft County.

The project aims to expand their food rescue system that uses volunteers and a web-based platform to redirect and divert surplus perishable food.

The team plans to expand its tipping floor space at its material recovery facility (MRF) to accommodate increased recyclable materials from surrounding counties and improve regional recovery.