If you haven’t heard yet, there is a new company in Missoula and it is bringing jobs with it. Blue Marble Biomaterials is a Seattle-based company. They are building a biorefinery in Missoula that will reuse waste products from local companies to make chemicals that will be sold internationally.

Blue Marble is bringing a variety of jobs to Missoula, from chemistry to biology to business and more. Their goal is expand their workforce to 80 people within the next two years.

They believe there is no such thing as waste, only wasted resources, which is why they are so passionate about finding a way to recycle waste products from other companies. The biorefinery will be able to take different biproducts from the forest industry, local breweries and even coffee grounds from local shops and turn them into chemicals that are used by food, fragrance, flavoring and personal care manufacturers. They also use green chemistry practices to help eliminate hazardous materials from their refining process.

Not only do they reuse other companies’ biproducts, but they also reuse their own waste. The water that is used in their fermentation process is extracted and then recycled back into the process to cut down on the need for new water. They also capture and utilize all the methane that is made in their refinery and use it to create heat and electricity. By gasifiying their solid waste, the biorefinery is also able to make heat and electricity, and is able to keep that waste from ending up in the local landfill.

Blue Marble Biomaterials is not only good for Missoula’s economy, it’s also good for Missoula’s environment. You can find out more at www.bluemarblebio.com.

Joy Larson is a mother of four, graduate of The University of Montana, animal lover and writer.

 

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