Soy-based playground, garden mulch wins competition

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Students at Purdue University earned $20,000 for creating a soybean-based mulch for playgrounds and gardens.

Team Smulch competed at the 28th annual Student Soybean Innovation Competition.

Because it is made from soybeans, Smulch is safe for children to pick up and play with as a playground surface.

As a mulch, it is a unique product that is also biodegradable and beneficial to plants.

“We wanted to create something that was going to be safe for those who were around it and safe for the environment that it is in,” said Libby Plassard, a freshman in business management and finance.

“We kind of looked for a problem that needed to be solved. We didn’t want to make a soy-based product just to make a soy-based product. We wanted to fix a problem.”

Team Smulch competed against nine other teams at the competition.

Other creations included Brilliant Bean, a soy-based ink for dry erase markers. Team Brilliant Bean took home second place and a $10,000 prize.

Team Silm created a 100% biodegradable agricultural mulch film. They earned $5,000 and third place for their invention.

The People’s Choice award went to Team Drip Drop, creators of a soy-based coffee filter.

Following the contest, Indiana Soybean Alliance works to develop the products, evaluate their long-term feasibility and commercial viability.

“The goal of the competition is to showcase the versatility of soybeans while tackling a need in agriculture or the general public,” said Denise Scarborough, a farmer from LaCrosse and the chair of ISA’s Sustainability and Value Creation Committee.

“The results of this event expand opportunities and markets for all Indiana soybean growers. Team Smulch has created a safe and necessary product that we think many communities would use.”