Mining Wastewater: Startup Offers New Tech

One man's trash could be another man's treasure, according to the Israeli startup Applied Cleantech.

The idea behind the company's technology is to mine sewage for valuable substances that wastewater treatment plants can then turn around and sell.

"In a new crowdfunding effort, the company is seeking to raise millions of dollars to expand its cellulose harvesting activities, creating a $200 billion a year market — more than Google — by converting sewage into an economic asset," the Times of Israel reported.

The technology takes wastewater and mines it for cellulose. It then creates a product out of recycled cellulose that can be sold to other industries.

The company's "patented technology automatically recycles cellulose from wastewater in commercial facilities, thus reducing sludge by up to 50%. The unique Sewage Recycling System (SRS) mines the cellulose from wastewater, recycling and processing it into a clean, pasteurized, environmentally-friendly product called Recyllose™ (recycled cellulose)," according to Applied Cleantech.

Recyllose can be used in other products, including plastics and insulation, to replace wood and processed plant materials.

"The system can save wastewater processing plants up to 30% on their operating costs, enable plants to handle 30% more sewage than they normally do, and even provide a source of income for governments and plant operators, who can sell the Recyllose to local manufacturers, pocketing the profit for themselves," the Times report said.

Applied Cleantech says it is the first sewage mining company in the world "to convert wastewater into a valuable resource, while producing a dual source of income– sales of the SRS itself, and a recurring revenue stream from the process’ recycled by-product."

The company also says its technology has already been tested.

"Applied CleanTech’s sewage recycling system reduced the Dutch Waterschap Aa en Maas’ daily operational costs by about $2,700 in addition to reducing sludge by up to 30 percent, according to a report that examined the commercial potential of sewage mining," Environmental Leader reported.