Mealworms Recycling Styrofoam Study
Donation protected
Styrofoam is an environmental nightmare and we plan to do something about it!
http://www.livestrong.com/article/159954-facts-about-landfill-styrofoam/
Several recent studies including one by Stanford University researchers and my own study have shown that meal worms can live on a steady diet of Styrofoam alone.
https://news.stanford.edu/pr/2015/pr-worms-digest-plastics-092915.html
More info here...
http://www.treehugger.com/animals/mealworms-can-eat-all-plastic-diet-and-not-die.html
It isn't a DREAM! This is possible!
Check out this cool video by National Geographic!
As a worm farmer, I know the power of worms to help with composting and recycling organic material, but early testing shows mealworms can safely digest Styrofoam. Their colonies not only survive on an all Styrofoam diet - they THRIVE!
Ideally, we would like to raise enough money to create habitats for 500,000 mealworms and over the course of a one year study effectively recycle over 100 lbs of Styrofoam - over 300,000 cubic inches!
Many questions are still to be answered and this campaign is designed to fund a one year follow-up study to determine :
1. What environmental conditions can be tweaked to increase overall effectiveness? Currently it takes about 5,000 mealworms to process 1.3lbs of Styrofoam in a year. By testing living conditions we hope to be able to improve this.
2. Population Stability - Do colonies of 5,000 mealworms grow, shrink or stay the same on a Styrofoam only diet.
3. What is the chemical makeup of the mealworm frass (poop) and does this "recycled Styrofoam" have valid uses either in farming or as ingredients in things like cement.
I am Chad Currin, owner of BioSoil.farm and I love worms and I love tackling environmental challenges.
The money we raise will be used to purchase colonies of mealworms and test environmental impacts on rate of consumption and to get independent lab testing done on the mealworm frass produced by this process.
Together we can help reduce the amount of Styrofoam that goes into Landfills every year! It may not "fix" the problem" but we plan to do as much as we can with your generosity and help.
The more we raise the more Styrofoam we can recycle. Please consider a donation and help us reduce the impact of Styrofoam in our landfill.
All mealworms in this study will live and work on our farm.
For more information, please visit our website
http://biosoil.farm/mealworms-eat-safely-recycle-styrofoam-ongoing-study-biosoil-farm/
http://www.livestrong.com/article/159954-facts-about-landfill-styrofoam/
Several recent studies including one by Stanford University researchers and my own study have shown that meal worms can live on a steady diet of Styrofoam alone.
https://news.stanford.edu/pr/2015/pr-worms-digest-plastics-092915.html
More info here...
http://www.treehugger.com/animals/mealworms-can-eat-all-plastic-diet-and-not-die.html
It isn't a DREAM! This is possible!
Check out this cool video by National Geographic!
As a worm farmer, I know the power of worms to help with composting and recycling organic material, but early testing shows mealworms can safely digest Styrofoam. Their colonies not only survive on an all Styrofoam diet - they THRIVE!
Ideally, we would like to raise enough money to create habitats for 500,000 mealworms and over the course of a one year study effectively recycle over 100 lbs of Styrofoam - over 300,000 cubic inches!
Many questions are still to be answered and this campaign is designed to fund a one year follow-up study to determine :
1. What environmental conditions can be tweaked to increase overall effectiveness? Currently it takes about 5,000 mealworms to process 1.3lbs of Styrofoam in a year. By testing living conditions we hope to be able to improve this.
2. Population Stability - Do colonies of 5,000 mealworms grow, shrink or stay the same on a Styrofoam only diet.
3. What is the chemical makeup of the mealworm frass (poop) and does this "recycled Styrofoam" have valid uses either in farming or as ingredients in things like cement.
I am Chad Currin, owner of BioSoil.farm and I love worms and I love tackling environmental challenges.
The money we raise will be used to purchase colonies of mealworms and test environmental impacts on rate of consumption and to get independent lab testing done on the mealworm frass produced by this process.
Together we can help reduce the amount of Styrofoam that goes into Landfills every year! It may not "fix" the problem" but we plan to do as much as we can with your generosity and help.
The more we raise the more Styrofoam we can recycle. Please consider a donation and help us reduce the impact of Styrofoam in our landfill.
All mealworms in this study will live and work on our farm.
For more information, please visit our website
http://biosoil.farm/mealworms-eat-safely-recycle-styrofoam-ongoing-study-biosoil-farm/
Organizer
Chad Currin
Organizer
Schenectady, NY
