Though members of the Forbes Under 30 community won’t be able to physically convene in Detroit this year, they did gather remotely last weekend for Forbes’ first-ever virtual hackathon. The event kicked off a monthlong initiative, the Forbes Under 30 Detroit Hackathon: Accelerating Change, in partnership with the City of Detroit, Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans and Major League Hacking.
The hackathon focused on creating more equitable and sustainable supply chains in Detroit across four categories: plastic waste, food deserts, auto manufacturing and healthcare. After two days of intensive research, the recycling team landed on a novel concept: turning plastic refuse into “bricks” that could be used to construct new homes, playgrounds and roads.
Of the 350 million metric tons of plastic generated annually, less than 20% is recycled, the Under 30 team reports. That issue is intensifying in the U.S. now that China is no longer accepting recycling exports, which has dramatically increased the price of recycling.
“It started off thinking at a macro level,” says Robert Ervin, a member of the team who works at Quicken Loans. “After talking to a couple people, we refined our idea a lot more to say, ‘Okay, what can we do that’s actually cost effective?’ That’s when we really started looking at the block concept.”
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The team was inspired by the startup ByFusion, which launched in 2015 and produces similar bricks that have had some success in California and the Netherlands. They suggest acquiring one of ByFusion’s manufacturing systems to kickstart work in Detroit.
David Fialkow, cofounder of the venture capital firm General Catalyst Partners and the team’s mentor, found the proposal intriguing. “Leverage the fact that you’re in a renaissance city where they’re encouraging people to thinking creatively and think collaboratively,” he said in a video call on Saturday.
The team estimates its plastic blocks would cost roughly $7 apiece—less than conventional bricks—and could cut recycling costs by 87%. The challenge will be getting the city to buy in. Right now Detroit residents must either pay $25 for a recycling bin, or complete an in-person workshop or online educational “game” to get one for free. That has seemingly reduced participation.
“One of the biggest barriers is efficient sourcing and management of waste,” says Grace Paulsen, another team member. To combat that hurdle, the team proposes a $5-per-ride Lyft credit for residents who are transporting recyclables to a local facility, paid for by the city. Lyft has previously partnered with the clothing retailer H&M to give free rides to New Yorkers recycling clothes.
“If there’s traction in leveraging existing ride-sharing platforms to source the material, then I think [the concept] certainly has viability, Paulsen says.
The team hopes its idea can contribute to the renaissance in Detroit already underway. “Imagine if the plastic bottle you threw out became a part of the city,” says team member Lindon Gao.”
“That’s what’s really cool about Detroit: the collaboration,” adds his counterpart Allen Largin, who works for Rock Ventures. “We all have skin in this game.”
Team Members: Robert Ervin, Technology Team Leader, Quicken Loans; Lindon Gao, Cofounder and CEO, Caper AI; Yilin Huang, Cofounder and Vice President of Hardware, Caper AI; Allen Largin, Adjunct Professor, the College for Creative Studies; Grace Paulsen, Senior Associate, Arena Investors LP.
