Team PhytoTowel hails from the University College Dublin in Ireland. Team members are Laura Healy, Alice Hand, Jia-Lynn Tham and Charlene Vance.
Water is life. Let’s phyte for it. Clean water is essential for humans and the ecosystem but is under threat due to eutrophication. Sources for eutrophication include wastewaters from various industries, which are increasingly being demanded by governments and communities to clean their wastewaters to a higher quality. Industries, therefore, need an innovative way to treat their wastewater that is affordable, sustainable, and flexible.
The PhytoTowel is a modular, scalable solution that turns wastewater into a resource through the growth of aquatic biomass. By utilizing the process of phytoremediation, the PhytoTowel treats wastewater by soaking up nutrients and simultaneously producing new, valuable green biomass. The PhytoTowel’s innovative design and business structure allow industries the flexibility to clean their wastewater with minimal hassle and environmental impact, while the produced biomass can be used for multiple markets such as food and feed, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, fertilizer, and biofuels, contributing to a sustainable and circular economy.
