ByFusion Announce Boise Exhibition Build to Demonstrate How Idaho Residents are Changing the Future of Plastic

by byfusion-wpadmin | Mar 8, 2022 | Press

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) | MARCH 07, 2022

ByFusion is hosting a live build at Boise Towne Square to continue to showcase how cities can put their hard-to-recycle and unrecyclable plastic waste to work. Starting March 8th, ByFusion will be assembling a multipurpose structure called ByPad®, which diverted 2.1 tons of plastic waste from the Ada County Landfill. Each ByBlock was produced using the materials collected from the Boise Hefty® EnergyBag® program. This demonstration will provide another example of how this new reusable building material can help the Boise community support the increase in commercial and residential construction demand and local infrastructure projects. After the 3-day event, the finished structure will remain on display through March 19th, 2022.

“ByFusion is committed to providing every community – large or small – the capability to repurpose their unrecyclable plastic into a reusable building material,” said Heidi Kujawa, Founder and CEO of ByFusion. “Boiseans participating in the city’s Hefty® EnergyBag® program are showing the world how we can make a positive impact on the environment by working together.”

“Sustainability is at the core of our values at Boise Towne Square, and those of our management company, Brookfield Properties. This partnership with ByFusion was a no-brainer for us,” said Jack Yejekwe, General Manager of Boise Towne Square. “This exhibition is a great, tangible example of the efforts that can be made to positively impact our community, and we look forward to hosting the build and finished structure at our center.”

ByBlock stacking starts Tuesday, March 8 at Boise Towne Square. In addition to ByBlock, the 80 square foot ByPad kit incorporates timber framing, door and windows, exterior cladding material, roof structure, and represents another use for this new and innovative building material. The unit is made for DIYers and is available for purchase as a kit. Representatives from ByFusion will be on-site to answer any questions during the three-day event.

ABOUT BYFUSION
ByFusion is dedicated to enabling communities worldwide to transform unrecyclable plastic waste into a reusable building material to collectively address the global plastic crisis.
Recognized by Fast Company, The New York Times, US Green Building Council, B Corps Best for the World, 1% for the Planet’s Innovation of the Year, Waste Dive’s ‘Most Disruptive Innovation of the Year’, and an essential cog in the wheel of circular economy, our systems convert all types of waste plastic – including marine debris and fishing nets – into an advanced building material called ByBlock® that enables communities, corporations and governments to block plastic waste for good.

New Project in Greater Boise Turns Hard-to-Recycle Plastics into Community Infrastructure

by byfusion-wpadmin | Feb 16, 2022 | Press

The pilot project is led by the Hefty® EnergyBag® program and Dow, in collaboration with ByFusion, and offers an exciting and sustainable way to reuse hard-to-recycle plastic waste

LAKE FOREST, Ill., February 16, 2022 – Today, Reynolds Consumer Products and Dow announced the Hefty® EnergyBag® program is collaborating with ByFusion on a pilot project to introduce a new creative use for hard-to-recycle plastic items collected by local participants in the Greater Boise area. The ByFusion pilot project demonstrates how communities of all sizes can innovate solutions to environmental challenges and put their hard-to-recycle plastic waste to good use by converting it into a building material that supports their community. The current project leverages public-private partnerships and will divert up to 72 tons of hard-to-recycle plastics from the Ada County Hidden Hollow landfill, which helps decrease its environmental impact.

The ByFusion pilot project will convert the hard-to-recycle plastics collected by the Hefty® EnergyBag® program into ByBlocks, the first-ever construction-grade block made from collected, previously unrecycled plastics. ByFusion’s proprietary, no-emission process creates ByBlocks made entirely from plastic waste, containing no chemicals, additives or fillers. The fusion process does not require traditional sorting, cleaning or pre-processing. The ByBlocks can build a range of structures, including benches, bus shelters and much more. The first ByBlock application planned for the Greater Boise area is a large bench in Manitou Park. Additional projects are planned over the next few months, including a park bench in Garden City and other benches and kiosks within the area.

“I was excited when I learned about the ByFusion pilot project in the Greater Boise area because not only is it a beneficial way to use hard-to-recycle plastics, but the plastic collected comes from local residents who use the Hefty® EnergyBag® program,” said Jennifer Ellis, Greater Boise community sustainability advocate. “From material collection to a finished post-consumer recycled-content product, this really makes an impact on the distance the material has traveled in the past and the endgame for the material. I appreciate that the Hefty® EnergyBag® program encourages people to find alternatives to simply throwing that plastic away. While the first priority should always be to refuse, reduce or reuse unnecessary plastic waste, having the program available to collect the hard-to-recycle plastics is a welcomed diversion from landfill. It’s because of us, the citizens of these communities, that this project is even possible. I am looking forward to visiting Manitou Park, enjoying the park bench and talking about it with my fellow Boiseans.”

The Hefty® EnergyBag® team is also taking the opportunity to determine the environmental impact of the ByFusion pilot project from beginning to end, through a life cycle assessment. Having a better understanding of the full global warming impact of the material used in ByBlocks in comparison to other usages of the collected materials will inform how the Hefty® EnergyBag® program and ByFusion may work together in the future.

“We are always exploring new end-usage opportunities for the hard-to-recycle plastic collected by the Hefty®® EnergyBag® program, including the potential to expand beyond plastic as an energy source, which is why participating in the ByFusion pilot project is such an exciting moment for the Hefty® EnergyBag® program,” said Lisa Burns, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Reynolds Consumer Products. “Seeing the transformation of these challenging plastics into this impressive park bench is a testament to what is possible and what the future could hold for the Hefty® EnergyBag® program.”

“ByFusion is excited to be part of this collaboration with Dow and the Hefty® EnergyBag® program that collectively empowers the residents of the Greater Boise area to take control of their plastic waste and use it to support their growing, environmentally-conscious community,” said Heidi Kujawa, CEO, ByFusion. “We are confident that the area’s implementation of ByBlocks will show other cities how they can repurpose their plastic waste and transform it into an alternative building material that helps support their infrastructure needs, instead of being an ongoing burden.”

The ByFusion pilot project was developed in collaboration with Dow’s Business Impact Fund, which is a competitive grant program. The Hefty® EnergyBag® program, which is conducted in partnership with Dow, was already in place when the ByFusion pilot project launched. The program was first adopted by the City of Boise in 2018, and other local communities within Ada County soon followed.

“Since the Business Impact Fund was introduced in 2016, it has awarded over $5 million for 35 projects around the globe. Every project, including the ByFusion pilot, has the potential to have a tremendous and positive impact on the local community,” said Julie Zaniewski, Dow’s North American Sustainability Director for Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “Dow and the Hefty® EnergyBag® team, along with ByFusion and the Greater Boise area, are committed to this project as an innovative way of reducing the amount of plastic that is otherwise sent to landfills. It is our collective hope that other cities and communities, beyond Boise, will be inspired to think creatively about new uses for this valuable material.”

Developed with Dow and other program supporters, the Hefty® EnergyBag® program is a hard-to-recycle plastics collection program that offers eligible residents in the Greater Boise area a convenient way to divert hard-to-recycle plastics from the landfill (learn more about the program here and check here for a list of the participating communities in Idaho). The Hefty® EnergyBag® orange bags can be purchased at select local retailers or online. Once the orange bag is filled with hard-to-recycle plastics, residents simply place it in the same bin or cart as their traditional recycling. The regular recycling truck takes the orange bags along with normal, loose recyclables, and the recycling center then separates these bags from other materials and sends them to facilities that use the hard-to-recycle plastics as valuable resources.

Through April 2021, the Hefty® EnergyBag® program has diverted over 1,300 tons of hard-to-recycle plastics from landfills and is currently active in communities in Nebraska and Idaho, along with five counties in the metro Atlanta, Georgia, area.

About Reynolds Consumer Products

Reynolds Consumer Products (REYN: Nasdaq) is a leading provider of household products that simplify daily life so you can enjoy what matters most. Our Reynolds® and Hefty® brand products help make mealtime easier with preparation, cooking, cleanup, and storage solutions. For more information, visit ReynoldsConsumerProducts.com and HeftyEnergyBag.com.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth, asset integration and scale, focused innovation and leading business positions to achieve profitable growth. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company, with a purpose to deliver a sustainable future for the world through our materials science expertise and collaboration with our partners. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer care. Dow operates 106 manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 35,700 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $39 billion in 2020. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.

About ByFusion

ByFusion® is an innovative manufacturing company committed to protecting the environment and giving a second life to plastic waste by reshaping its future. A certified B Corporation and an essential cog in the wheel of a circular economy, ByFusion has a patented process that converts all types of plastic waste, including marine debris, into a building material called ByBlock®—the first-ever construction-grade block made from unrecyclable plastic. ByFusion’s solution enables communities, corporations and governments to realize a cleaner world while creating jobs, improving infrastructure and revitalizing neighborhoods everywhere. For more information, please visit www.byfusion.com/or follow @ByFusion on Instagram and Twitter.

Media Contact:

HeftyEnergyBagPress@reynoldsbrands.com
Media@ByFusion.com

This startup is turning nonrecyclable plastic into building blocks fit for construction

by byfusion-wpadmin | Jan 21, 2022 | Press

FAST COMPANY | by ELISSAVETA M. BRANDON | Jan 20, 2022

In a world of disposable everything, single-use plastics continue to reign supreme.

Every year, Americans generate about 42 million tons of it. And yet only 9% of that gets recycled, in part because the recycling infrastructure in the U.S. can’t keep up with the country’s plastic production, but also because some plastics simply can’t be recycled. Los Angeles-based startup ByFusion is on a mission to change that.

ByFusion uses a combination of steam and compression to shape all kinds of plastics, even nonrecyclables, into standard building blocks called ByBlocks. These can be used to build anything from fences and retaining walls to public terraces and bus stops, but the real stars are the patented machines used to make them. Called Blockers, these hefty machines are fed mounds of plastic that are squeezed into blocks—no sorting or cleaning needed. After years of R&D, the company has installed a full production unit in L.A., where it can process 450 tons of plastic per year, with 12 more Blockers in the pipeline across the country.

To date, the company has recycled 103 tons of plastic, with a goal of recycling 100 million tons by 2030 (about a quarter of the U.S.’s annual plastic production.) ByFusion has already partnered with a host of cities, including Boise, Idaho, and Tucson, Arizona. In Lihue, on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, the company worked with an elementary school to build a pavilion with blocks made from locally collected marine debris and fishing nets. The ultimate goal? To sell Blocker machines to every city in the U.S. and abroad, helping municipalities take control of their plastic waste and turn it into building material.

ByBlocks come in a standard 16-by-8-by-8-inch building-block size and three variations: Some are molded with pegs so they can interlock; others are flat so builders can easily mount other components like a roof on top; and others are a combination of the two. ByFusion is also working on developing smaller, cube-size blocks.

The blocks are 10 pounds lighter and more durable than hollow cement blocks. They can be clad with any kind of material or left exposed, but since plastics are susceptible to sunlight, outdoor projects would have to be coated in clear paint or paired with another weather-resistant material.

The system works with virtually any kind of plastic, including fishnets, but excluding Styrofoam. And because the plastic isn’t melted but fused (hence the company’s name), it doesn’t require an ounce of adhesive, glue, or mortar. As a result, the process yields no waste whatsoever: 22 pounds of plastic makes a 22-pound block. “You [can] literally eat your lunch, throw in [the leftover plastic], make a block, then stick it in the wall,” says Heidi Kujawa, who founded ByFusion in 2017.

In 2019, ByFusion partnered with the Hefty EnergyBag program and the city of Boise, which asked its residents to separate their hard-to-recycle plastics. Only 20% of residents obliged, but the effort still garnered about 30 tons of plastic grocery bags, bubble wrap, and fast-food containers that were diverted from the landfill. Instead, they were turned into building blocks, some of which were used in a local park.

For this particular project, the plastic was processed at ByFusion’s facility in L.A. But the company wants to partner with materials-recovery facilities, municipalities, and even corporations across the country that would run the Blockers themselves. “Our primary goal is to get a Blocker in every city, to enable every city to capture their own recyclable waste,” Kujawa says.

Blockers machines come in two sizes: One is the size of a shipping container and can process up to 30 tons of plastic per month; the other is a floor-mounted affair that can process more than 90 tons per month. With a $1.3 million price tag for the large Blocker, the investment is significant, but Kujawa says recycling plastic comes with its own set of financial challenges. “Right now, this unrecyclable plastic creates a cost burden across the board, and I don’t think people realize how much taxpayer dollars go into that cost burden,” she says. Blockers are also available to rent, starting at $280,000 annually.

By now, many of us have been conditioned to think that some plastics (numbers 3, 6, and 7, for example) simply can’t be recycled, so whether an effort like ByFusion’s can truly take off would rely on quite a bit of consumer retraining and a hefty municipal effort. But if even a fraction of those nonrecyclable plastics can find a home that isn’t the landfill—or our oceans—the payoff could be tremendous. “If we get 9,000 Blocker systems installed around the world by 2025,” Kujawa says, “together we can hit our 100-million-ton goal.”

VP, Global Partnerships & Alliances

by byfusion-wpadmin | Apr 7, 2021 | Join Our Team

VP, Global Partnerships & Alliances

INNOVATION CENTER - LOS ANGELES, CA

Apply Now

ABOUT US

ByFusion is a waste to infrastructure company dedicated to providing innovative solutions to address the global plastic crisis.

Recognized by Fast Company, The New York Times, US Green Building Council Net Zero Accelerator, B Corps Best for the World, 1% for the Planet’s Innovation of the Year, Waste Dive’s ‘Most Disruptive Innovation of the Year’, and an essential cog in the wheel of circular economy, our systems convert all types of waste plastic – including marine debris and fishing nets – into an advanced building material called ByBlock® that enables communities, corporations and governments to block plastic waste for good!

ByFusion believes Earth and our team are our most valuable resources. We are dedicated to promoting diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion throughout our company. We are fully focused on equality and believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different. Our relatively flat organizational structure keeps everyone informed and enables people to get involved in solving the problems they care about most.

JOB DESCRIPTION

The VP of Global Partnerships & Alliances will develop, drive, and execute the strategy and programs essential to grow our partner network. In addition to strategy, this position will be responsible for building the team necessary to execute, the operational activities required to lead the organization, and overall business development across our key markets.

The VP will collaborate with the growing leadership team across all areas of the business to build a fully integrated partner ecosystem. This role is a high impact role that will contribute significantly to ByFusion’s overall success. We’re obsessed with helping our partners achieve their sustainability and zero waste goals.

You must be passionate about the environment and making a difference in the world, as it is the foundation of what we do.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop and execute ByFusion’s global partner strategy in alignment with our business objectives.
Build and lead a high-performing team of partner managers around the globe. Cultivate a team culture that includes high ownership, customer-first focus, fast-paced, high integrity, and an optimistic and positive environment.
Evolve the partner programs and structures as both ByFusion and the partner programs grow to ensure that they are generating the right outcomes for all parties, maximizing success for both our partners and the planet.
Optimize partner performance through business reviews, identify additional business opportunities to expand revenue, and deploy a joint sales and/or marketing approach with our partners and sales team.
Identify and develop programs, resources, and capabilities across internal teams to achieve partner goals.
Develop partner packages, deal strategies, and all required collateral to support operations and contracting.
Report out on a regular weekly, monthly, and quarterly cadence to all key stakeholders, with a strong analytical approach and crisp communication style

QUALIFICATIONS

Successful track record of developing and growing strategic partnerships at the executive level as well as high volume partnerships
Professional and technical knowledge, as well as an extensive understanding of industry trends and the key players in the competitive landscape
Strong leadership experience, including building out teams and creating high-performance, positive team cultures
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with deep experience presenting to senior management. Demonstrated ability to negotiate high-value deals with a C-level audience and positively influence the outcome
Sound business judgment, proven ability to influence others, strong analytical skills, and a proven track record of taking ownership, leading data-driven analyses, and influencing results
Experience working within a high-growth, technology company with the ability to operate successfully in a lean, fast-paced organization, and to create a vision and organization that can scale quickly
Highly organized, multi-tasking skills, take ownership and be efficient in ambiguous situations
Willingness to travel (once it is safe to do so in the future)

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s Degree and 10+ years of building and leading high performing partner, sales and/or business development teams in a high growth technology environment. MBA a plus.

POSITION

This is a full-time position

LOCATION

Los Angeles, CA

To Apply, send your Resumé and Cover Letter to: careers@byfusion.com

Product Designer

by byfusion-wpadmin | Apr 7, 2021 | Join Our Team

Product Designer

INNOVATION CENTER - LOS ANGELES, CA

Apply Now

ABOUT US

ByFusion is a waste to infrastructure company dedicated to providing innovative solutions to address the global plastic crisis.

Recognized by Fast Company, The New York Times, US Green Building Council Net Zero Accelerator, B Corps Best for the World, 1% for the Planet’s Innovation of the Year, Waste Dive’s ‘Most Disruptive Innovation of the Year’, and an essential cog in the wheel of circular economy, our systems convert all types of waste plastic – including marine debris and fishing nets – into an advanced building material called ByBlock® that enables communities, corporations and governments to block plastic waste for good!

ByFusion believes Earth and our team are our most valuable resources. We are dedicated to promoting diversity, multiculturalism, and inclusion throughout our company. We are fully focused on equality and believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different. Our relatively flat organizational structure keeps everyone informed and enables people to get involved in solving the problems they care about most.

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are looking for a talented, high-motivated Product Designer to work on various products developed for our clients, partners, and internal requirements.

To be successful in this role, you should have an eye for color and shape and be able to translate requirements into practical product features. You will be hands-on from concept to prototype building, and market readiness. Ultimately, you will help us build products that are easy to use and visually appealing to our clientele.

You must be passionate about the environment and making a difference in the world, as it is the foundation of what we do.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Identifying opportunities for new products
Analyzing how a new product ties in with market needs and consumer preferences
Setting design requirements based on briefs from internal teams and external partners
Consult with clients to determine design requirements
Research the various ways a particular product might be used, and its end-user(s)
Use computer software to develop virtual models of different designs and associated product materials
Create physical prototypes of design concepts
Examine materials and manufacturing requirements to determine production costs
Work with other specialists, such as mechanical engineers and manufacturers, to evaluate whether their design concepts will fill needs at a reasonable cost
Evaluate product safety, appearance, and function to determine if a design is practical
Present designs and demonstrate prototypes to clients for approval

QUALIFICATIONS

2+ years experience in industrial design, product design, or similar role
3+ years of hands-on experience with power tools
Ability to communicate conceptual designs into sketches or computer rendering for evaluation and development
Proficient in CAD, 3D modeling software, and/or design programs (such as Illustrator and Sketchup)
Must be able to think and design outside the box while maintaining a commercial appeal
Strong written and oral communication skills
Must feel comfortable packing and presenting your ideas to an audience with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and opinions
At ease working independently and with a team in a fast-paced environment

EDUCATION

BSc/MSc in Product Design, Manufacturing Design Engineering or relevant field

POSITION

This is a full-time position

LOCATION

Los Angeles, CA

To Apply, send your Resumé and Cover Letter to: careers@byfusion.com