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Water is the world’s most precious (and increasingly threatened) resource. Yet every day, millions of gallons of wastewater are flushed away, carrying with them not just pollutants, but untapped potential. What if we could reclaim value from what we discard? What if wastewater wasn’t waste at all, but a source of powerful, renewable materials with untapped potential?
At Harvest Nano, we believe it’s time to rethink everything we know about wastewater. Through our breakthrough process called sewage mining, we’re extracting high-value materials like nanocellulose from municipal, industrial, and agricultural waste streams. We are committed to creating solutions that are not only environmentally urgent, but economically viable.
At the end of every wastewater treatment cycle lies a toxic byproduct: sludge. This thick residue is a cocktail of chemicals, plastics, hormones, pharmaceuticals, and heavy metals. In most parts of the world, this sludge is either buried in landfills, burned, or worse- spread onto agricultural land as fertilizer.
But here's the catch: sludge doesn’t nourish the soil. It contaminates it. Plants don’t need cellulose, synthetic hormones, or trace pharmaceuticals. And when this material breaks down, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2024).
In Chicago, more than 75% of wastewater sludge is applied to farmland across Illinois, contributing to long-term soil and water contamination (National Biosolids Data Project, 2021). On a global scale, the United Nations reports that 80% of wastewater is discharged untreated, polluting rivers, oceans, and agricultural systems (UNESCO, 2017). As wastewater infrastructure around the world continues to age and deteriorate, the need for modern, sustainable solutions has never been more urgent. Without action, the environmental cost to future generations will be severe.
Sewage mining is exactly what it sounds like: extracting valuable materials from wastewater before it becomes a burden. At Harvest Nano, we’ve developed a system that captures and processes cellulose-rich waste before it becomes sludge- you can read more about our process here. This preemptive approach allows us to isolate useful components (like cellulose, which we further refine into nanocellulose) and redirect them into productive cycles.
Instead of polluting ecosystems, we’re turning wastewater into a clean, renewable input for the global materials economy.
Nanocellulose is one of the most promising green materials of our time. Lightweight, biodegradable, and stronger than steel at the nanoscale, it has a vast range of applications, including:
By producing nanocellulose from waste streams, we’re solving two problems at once: reducing pollution and supplying a next-generation material that’s critical to building a cleaner, more circular economy.
The way we manage wastewater today is unsustainable, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right technology and vision, we can transform waste into opportunity and clean up our planet in the process.
At Harvest Nano, we believe that reimagining wastewater is essential for the health of our planet and generations to come.
Join Us
If you’re an investor, municipality, or sustainability leader looking to pioneer a smarter future, we want to hear from you. Let’s build a world where water is protected, waste is reimagined, and innovation leads the way.
Contact us today to schedule a conversation and become part of the clean water revolution.
Sources:
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2024, February 14). Importance of methane. https://www.epa.gov/gmi/importance-methane
National Biosolids Data Project. (2021, November 29). Illinois biosolids management 2018: State summary. National Biosolids Data Project. https://www.biosolidsdata.org
UNESCO. (2017). The United Nations world water development report 2017: Wastewater—the untapped resource. UNESCO Publishing. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000247153
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