Eco Innovation Awards 2022

54 REAL-LEADERS.COM / FALL 2022 ECO INNOVATION AWARDS 2022 33. GREENHOPE ADDRESSING PLASTIC WASTE AND IMPROVING FARMERS LIVES Greenhope manufactures biodegradable technologies to address hard-to-recycle items that are too small, contaminated, or not economically viable (i.e. snack bags, garbage bags). Its Ecoplas product sources cassava starch from local farmers and turns it into sustainable packaging for apparel, food, and non-food applications. Ecoplas is reusable, bio-based, and biodegradable. Naturloop was also invented using bio-based (cassava starch) material and is designed to be compostable in various commercial and home conditions. Greenhope.co 32. SMARTER SORTING PRODUCT INTELLIGENCE IN THE HANDS OF RETAILERS & BRANDS Smarter Sorting’s Back of Store System (BOSS) displays the best way to dispose of unsold or damaged products, or whether they could be donated to charity. Employees scan the product barcode, weigh the item, and follow easy on-screen instructions. The BOSS accesses its cloud-based decision engine, the Product Intelligence Platform™, to provide instant and accurate answers on what to do with every product. Through its partners Costco and Wegmans, it has diverted 22,885 tons of waste from the landfill and is being deployed across Albertsons Companies stores in 2022. SmarterSorting.com 34. GREEN HAMMER BUILDINGS THAT PROMOTE HEALTH AND PROTECT THE PLANET Green Hammer has led the design and/or construction of more than 70 residential homes, and three commercial buildings that have received and/or are pursuing Passive House, LEED, Living Building, Zero Energy and/or Earth Advantage certification. Many of its projects produce more clean energy than they consume, eliminate harmful toxicants, emit little-to-no carbon, and provide healthy interior environments. GreenHammer.com 35. MPOWERD HARNESSING THE SUN’S POWER FOR SAFER CYCLING Biking in cities has become much more common to lessen dependence on fossil fuels and reduce transmission rates by avoiding public transportation during the pandemic. Amidst a looming climate crisis and the global pandemic, MPOWERD decided this was the perfect time to promote healthy and safe commuting practices. Its product provides consumers with a sustainable option to other products in the market–a solar-powered bike light. The Luci® Bike Light Set has helped contribute to the 250 million tons of carbon dioxide averted by MPOWERD’s solar powered products. Mpowerd.com 31. PROPAGATE CLIMATE-SMART SOLUTIONS FOR FARMERS Through its analytics and project development platform, Propagate makes it easy for farmers and landowners to increase profitability while helping investors fund low-risk regenerative agroforestry projects. Its design and development product, Overyield, enables farmers and service providers to analyze farmland so they can plant faster–turning supply chains into carbon sequestering machines. Propagate currently advises nearly 20,000 acres of agroforestry in the United States, supporting 600,000 trees and shrubs, and also manages 480 commercial acres through its regional agroforestry hubs. PropagateAG.com 30. SCALE MICROGRID SOLUTIONS ENERGY MICROGRIDS THAT RAPIDLY DEPLOY IN EMERGENCIES Scale Microgrid Solutions’ proprietary modular microgrid system, the Rapid Response Modular Microgrid, facilitates rapid access to cheaper, resilient, and sustainable energy by reducing project development times. Areas with a high risk of wildfires, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events can particularly benefit from this system because it can be deployed quickly. In 2019, Scale worked with Bowery Farming, a prominent vertical farming company in Kearny, New Jersey, to develop a more reliable renewable energy solution for its state-of-the-art facility, reducing their carbon dioxide equivalents by over 450,000 lbs per year. ScaleMicrogridSolutions.com “I'D RATHER HAVE A SMALL COLLABORATIVE TEAM THAN A LARGER TEAM OF INDEPENDENTS.” — HAL HINKLE, BAMCORE

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