Scientists estimate that the millions of tons of plastics buried in landfills can take hundreds of years to decompose. Some student entrepreneurs from Brigham Young University in Utah have developed and patented an eco-friendly product that, when sprayed on plastics as they enter landfills, will make the plastics biodegrade in three years or less.
The students’ company — Inviroment LLC — recently won $100, 000 in the National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition, a grant program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs and scientists to tackle some of the greatest challenges facing the United States.
The competition, launched in 2011, is designed to build regional networks of student-focused business creation contests across the country. It is part of the Obama administration’s Startup America initiative to inspire and promote entrepreneurship.
