ORLANDO, Fla. \u2013 An Orlando startup called Wriggle Brew is pioneering a unique approach to two major environmental problems: plastic pollution and fertilizer runoff. <\/p>\n
Wriggle Brew organic fertilizer is ready to ship to customers. (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n
Founded by Sam Baker and his longtime friends and researchers, Wriggle Brew produces an organic fertilizer made from earthworm castings, the nutrient-rich manure of earthworms, while also developing a breakthrough method to break down plastic waste using bacteria and worms.<\/p>\n
At the heart of Wriggle Brew\u2019s process are earthworms, specifically red wiggler and blue Indian worms, which thrive in Florida\u2019s climate. <\/p>\n
Wriggle Brew uses worms to produce their organic fertilizer (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n
These worms consume organic food waste and, remarkably, can also process certain plastics after they have been pretreated. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey reproduce extremely quickly,\u201d said Baker. \u201cThey double in population every 60 days and can scale up from a single pallet to the size of a landfill.\u201d<\/p>\n
The worms produce castings, a natural fertilizer rich in humic and fulvic acids, which are essential compounds found in high-quality soil. <\/p>\n
\u201cPound for pound, earthworm castings are the single best fertilizer on the planet,\u201d Baker explained. <\/p>\n
This organic fertilizer helps farmers reduce reliance on petrochemical-based fertilizers, which are costly and contribute to environmental issues like Florida\u2019s notorious red tide algal blooms caused by fertilizer runoff.<\/p>\n
Wriggle Brew\u2019s innovation goes beyond composting food waste. The company discovered that bacteria living in the guts of earthworms have the natural ability to degrade certain plastics. <\/p>\n
By superheating plastics in a process called pyrolysis, they convert plastic waste into an organic oil that bacteria can consume. The bacteria then break down microplastics and nanoplastics, converting them into biodegradable materials that worms can safely ingest.<\/p>\n
Sam Baker demonstrates how plastics are heated in a kiln (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n
\u201cWe start with plastic bags or cut-up pieces of plastic, superheat them to about 500 degrees Celsius in a steel vessel, and produce an organic oil,\u201d Baker said. \u201cThis oil has almost no traces of micro or nanoplastics left. The bacteria eat the oil and convert it into biodegradable material, which becomes food for the earthworms.\u201d<\/p>\n
The process eliminates toxic microplastics from the environment and transforms plastic waste into valuable fertilizer. <\/p>\n
Baker said, independent lab tests confirmed that worm castings produced from this method contain no detectable micro- or nanoplastics, making the fertilizer safe for use in agriculture.<\/p>\n
Wriggle Brew operate out of a small warehouse space in Orlando. (WKMG-TV)<\/p>\n
Wriggle Brew\u2019s operation is a blend of high-tech science and scrappy ingenuity. The team builds much of their equipment themselves, from water towers to hoists and filtration systems, to keep costs manageable as a startup. Their microbe lab grows and preserves the bacteria essential for breaking down plastics and enhancing the fertilizer.<\/p>\n