Boilermakers create soy-based Styrofoam alternative

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A biodegradable soy-based foam, called StyroSoy, earned the $20,000 grand prize and the People’s Choice award at the 29th annual Student Soybean Innovation Competition.

StyroSoy is a plastic-free alternative to polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, which is a product owned by Dow Chemical.

It’s designed to make a variety of density packaging materials, cushions, foams and additional products for protecting merchandise.

“StyroSoy not only offers equivalent commercial performance versatility to polystyrene, but also economic competitiveness with respect to other petroleum-based and alternative packaging products,” said Alyssa Choi, co-creator of the product.

“Replacing petroleum-based products is critical in the packaging industry given the unsustainability and catastrophic impacts on environment and human health associated with the use of polystyrene.”

StyroSoy’s creators said their product could significantly reduce Styrofoam final disposal, which currently encompasses 30% of U.S. landfills and does not decompose.

The annual estimated cost in landfills due to polystyrene is calculated at $665 million.

Second place in the Student Soybean Innovation Competition went to SoySafe, a soy-based replacement for construction-quality drywall that is fire resistant and more environmentally friendly than gypsum-based drywall. SoySafe drywall is also cheaper and easier to produce than commonly used drywall products.

Third place went to SOYscara, a mascara that is composed of mainly soy materials. SOYscara is made from 99% natural, organic ingredients. The soy-based formula is a better option for personal wellness, and it is also more sustainably sourced than the materials that make up most of the affordable products on the shelf.

The Student Soybean Innovation Competition is sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance and Purdue University.

“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.

“ISA looks forward to working with Purdue students each year and seeing what unique products they create. The results of this event expand opportunities and markets for all Indiana soybean growers.

“The students who came up with StyroSoy created a safe and necessary product that we think many businesses will use.”

Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/4bypkubv.