PolyGone The Microplastic Hunters
In the depths of our oceans, an invisible crisis is unfolding. An estimated 171 trillion microplastic particles are floating
In the depths of our oceans, an invisible crisis is unfolding. An estimated 171 trillion microplastic particles are floating in the world’s waterways, with 358 trillion more on the surface alone. These tiny pollutants, smaller than five millimeters, are infiltrating everything from marine life to our own drinking water. While the scale of the problem seems overwhelming, two Princeton architecture graduates refused to accept that nothing could be done about it. Their response? PolyGone, a groundbreaking startup that’s developed the world’s first portable, affordable solution to capture these nearly invisible threats.
Founded in 2021 by Nathaniel Banks and Yidian Liu, PolyGone emerged from what started as an architecture thesis project that quickly evolved into a mission to tackle one of the planet’s most pervasive environmental challenges. What began as academic research has now secured over $2.4 million in funding and earned the founders recognition as Forbes 30 Under 30 fellows for social impact.
The Problem That Sparked Innovation
“Outside of water treatment facilities, there’s currently no system to remove microplastic waste that’s effective, especially with particles below 1 millimeter in size,” explains Banks, now PolyGone’s CTO. “We wanted to see if we could address this large issue using our design skills.”
The challenge was significant. Microplastics originate from the breakdown of larger plastic debris, synthetic clothing fibers, and microbeads found in personal care products. Once in the water, they become notoriously difficult to collect and remove. Marine life, from plankton to whales, ingest these particles, causing physical harm, reduced feeding efficiency, and death. Even more concerning, these particles are making their way into human food and water supplies.
While studying at Princeton University School of Architecture, Banks and Liu were working on their thesis about waste infrastructure when they noticed a critical gap: existing systems could block larger plastics but were largely unsuccessful in stopping more dangerous microplastic pollutants.
“My co-founder and I have a strong passion for turning a concept into a real world solution, and we were not happy that as designers, we’re often limited to a concept proposal,” Liu explained.
The Breakthrough: Biomimetic Innovation
PolyGone’s solution centers around their revolutionary “Plastic Hunter” device, which uses proprietary silicone fiber filters called Artificial Root Filters. These filters were inspired by aquatic plant roots, which naturally sequester small contaminants from water through their fibrous structures.
“The root structures of aquatic plants are very fibrous and can be used to sequester very small contaminants from the water column,” Banks explains. However, using real plants presented problems: pollution or extreme weather could kill them, and hardy alternatives might introduce invasive species.
The PolyGone team’s breakthrough came through developing biomimetic filters that replicate the structure and function of natural plant roots without the biological complications. The key insight was understanding that both microplastics and their silicone filters are hydrophobic, meaning they naturally repel water and attract each other.
“Since microplastics are also hydrophobic, they attract and stick to one another when in water,” says Banks. This simple but powerful principle allows the filters to passively capture particles while allowing marine life to swim freely underneath.
Proven Results in the Field
PolyGone’s technology isn’t just theoretical. Lab tests showed that 72% of microplastics between 0.1-0.5mm were captured in 24-hour tests using fluorescent plastic beads. In some cases, the collection was so effective that researchers could weigh the captured material rather than count individual particles.
Field trials have been equally impressive. During a pilot at Ridley Creek with the Willistown Conservation Trust, PolyGone’s prototype achieved a 25% removal success rate in the first 24 hours of deployment. The company now has pilot projects running across multiple environments:
- Tributaries of the Hudson and Delaware River watersheds
- A research lake in Ontario, Canada
- Wastewater treatment plants in Richmond, California, and Atlantic City, New Jersey
- Municipal water treatment facilities processing millions of gallons daily
At the Atlantic County Utilities Authority facility, PolyGone has installed the first-of-its-kind microplastic filtration system for treated wastewater before it’s released into the ocean. The project includes an educational pavilion where visitors can see captured microplastics illuminated under ultraviolet light.
Scaling the Solution
PolyGone has developed multiple products to address different environments. The Plastic Hunter stations can be deployed in various water bodies to monitor microplastic pollution without requiring pumps or electricity. For industrial applications, they’ve created PolyPods designed to treat water quickly with minimal contact time, each with a capacity of 10 million gallons per day.
“Each day, trillions of new microplastics continue to infiltrate the world’s waters, escalating a crisis that demands immediate action,” the PolyGone team emphasizes on their website.
Recognition and Funding
PolyGone’s innovative approach has attracted significant attention and funding. The company has secured over $2.4 million in grants and investment, including:
- $1.9 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sea Grant program
- Funding from the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program
- New Jersey state grants for clean technology demonstration
- Pre-seed venture capital investment
In 2024, founders Banks and Liu were named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for social impact. Recognising their “exceptional contributions and commitment to excellence within the field of sustainable design and water treatment.”
Beyond Technology: Education and Community
PolyGone integrates educational initiatives into all its pilot programs. In the Hudson and Delaware watersheds, they run community sampling programs and internships, training volunteers and students to take samples and analyze data. They also involve high school students in their projects, fostering the next generation of environmental advocates.
The company’s lab can analyze water samples to quantify and classify microplastics for as low as $349 per sample, making monitoring accessible to a broader range of organizations and researchers.
The Vision: Turning Waste Into Resource
Perhaps most innovative is PolyGone’s approach to what happens after collection. Rather than simply disposing of captured microplastics, the company is working on upcycling solutions. They’ve partnered with researchers at Washington University in St. Louis who are developing microplastic-digesting enzymes.
“You can’t just burn it or store it forever,” Banks points out. “They have an enzyme that works in the lab, but they don’t have many real-world samples to test it on, so they’re very happy to collect any microplastic particles we capture to see how well it can digest them.”
PolyGone envisions becoming “the first supplier for microplastic upcycling, turning this hazardous waste into a resource.”
Looking Ahead
As PolyGone continues to expand its pilot programs and refine its technology, the company maintains ambitious goals. “We want to have our system deployed in as many entryways to the water as possible,” Liu states. “We want to provide comprehensive solutions for microplastic monitoring to remove all microplastics from the entire ecosystem.”
The startup represents a new model for environmental innovation: combining design thinking with scientific rigor to create practical solutions for seemingly insurmountable problems. By proving that microplastic removal is not only possible but economically viable, PolyGone is opening the door for widespread deployment of remediation technologies.
In a world where environmental challenges often feel overwhelming, PolyGone demonstrates that innovative thinking, rigorous science, and determined execution can turn crisis into opportunity. Their floating filters may be small, but their potential impact on ocean health and human welfare is immense.
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