Greener Solutions

In partnership with the International Association of Firefighters, this team examined safer alternatives to halogenated flame retardants used in firefighter stationwear.

Final Presentation

Final Report

Students were challenged to identify safer alternatives to the PTFE laminate moisture barrier currently approved by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1971 Standards, which certify firefighter turnout gear. The student team was partnered with the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF), a labor union made up of firefighters and scientists, representing firefighters and paramedics in the United States and Canada.

This team partnered with Noble Ocean Farms, a kelp farming startup in Cordova, Alaska, to identify sustainable and biodegradable packaging strategies. Their first strategy completely replaces polyethylene with a bioplastic, which is significantly less persistent in the environment. Their second strategy uses a durable material (i.e. paperboard) in combination with a bioplastic laminate/coating, eliminating traditional plastics completely. And their third strategy combines a bioplastic packaging with a structural material separate from the bioplastic....

This team examined potential alternatives to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) in floor polish, in response to recent legislation in Maine requiring the removal of PFAS from “avoidable” use in products sold in the state by 2030. Floor polish is under consideration as one possible product category since nearly every floor polish on the market contains PFAS. The team proposed two biosurfactants as potential alternatives to PFAS in floor polish: rhamnolipids and amino acid surfactants, specifically sodium lauroyl glutamate....