FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sept. 28, 2021 EGLE Media Office, EGLE-Assist@Michigan.gov, 517-284-9278

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) NextCycle Michigan initiative has selected eight teams for the Foods, Liquids, & Organic Waste Systems (FLOWS) Innovation Challenge.

Each team selected has a project focused on transforming organics recovery from food recovery and collection to new end markets for finished compost, with the goal of improving Michigan's circular economy. Teams will participate in an accelerator experience designed to take their idea to the next level. 

Organizations and projects selected are:

Organization	Project	Location
Cocoa Corporation	Composting medium density fiberboard with food waste	Holland, MI
Mi Terro Inc.	Ocean degradable and home compostable packaging materials made from agricultural waste	City of Industry, CA
ReMark	A sustainable community-based compost solution in Detroit	Detroit, MI
Savormetrics	AI-driven sensing solution for food and agriculture industries to prevent waste	Southfield, MI
SEEDS	Scaling organics diversion in greater Grand Traverse	Traverse City, MI
Unlimited Recycling, Inc.	Scaling organic collection services in Southeast Michigan	Richmond, MI
Urban Ashes	Developing circular urban wood supply chains in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County	Ann Arbor, MI
Wormies, LLC	Scaling food and yard waste collection and vermicompost operation in West Michigan	Grand Rapids, MI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NextCycle Michigan is an EGLE initiative that leverages public and private sector assistance along with investment across six Innovation Challenge Tracks to improve Michigan's recycling and waste recovery system. Boosting recycling and developing innovative solutions will create jobs, improve the quality of life, reduce greenhouse gases, and help Michigan on its path to carbon neutrality by 2050. 

"The NextCycle Michigan initiative works to provide opportunities to all organizations," said Matt Flechter, Recycling Market Development Specialist, of EGLE. "This includes actively recruiting minority‑owned businesses and encouraging new or existing businesses to locate in Michigan cities that have previously been excluded from the formal labor market or have larger populations of under-employed individuals." 

50 percent of FLOWS teams are minority- or women-owned organizations.  

EGLE's NextCycle Michigan initiative has selected eight teams for the FLOWS Innovation Challenge.

Learn more about the FLOWS teams on the website.

The FLOWS Challenge Track is focused on transforming organics recovery beginning with food recovery and collection to new end markets for finished compost with the goal of improving Michigan's circular economy.

To stay up to date on other EGLE news follow us at Michigan.gov/MIEnvironment.

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