AARC 



178 



Alternative AgricuKural Research ft Commercialization Center 



Recycled, Renewable 'Environ' 

 from Minnesota 



Mixing used.newspapers with this 

 country's abundant supply of soy- 

 bean meal creates a versatile new 

 material for a wide range of uses. At the same 

 time, it promises to create new jobs and eco- 

 nomic activity in rural America. 



With these economic and environmental 

 benefits in sight, the Alternative Agricultural 

 Research and Commercialization (AARC) 

 Center is providing public funds to support 

 development of the new product, "Environ," 

 made by Phenix Composite Inc. of Mankato, 

 Minnesota. The composite material, created 

 mostly from waste paper and soybean meal, 

 combines the easy-working properties of 

 wood with the appearance and sales-appeal of 

 pohshed granite. 



Environ began with a schoolgirl's 

 sixth-grade science fair project. Her 

 experiment with old newspapers and her 

 mom's kitchen blender wrecked the 

 blender, but she now shares in the patent 

 and owns stock in the company 



Phenix Composite's next step is to 

 move from pilot scale to full production, to 

 fill a promising market in decorative pieces 

 and furniture in a variety of colors. To help 

 make that step, the AARC Center is providing 

 S 1 million to supplement S 1 .5 million in new 

 Phenix Composite investment. So far, Phenix 

 Composite has invested S5.2 million to devel- 

 op Environ. The AARC Center investment will 

 be repaid out of Environ sales. 



To minimize transportation costs. 

 Environ is expected to be produced in a net- 

 work of small plants located throughout rural 

 America. The first Environ manufacturing 

 facility, to be located in the Mankato area, is 

 expected to employ 60 people. Environ 

 should provide a growing market for the waste 

 paper that represents more than 40 percent of 

 the materials dumped in landfills today The 

 market for Environ itself is expected to grow 



rapidly hiitially being introduced for use in furniture and small items, it soon should be available as a 

 structural building material for both interior and exterior uses. 



Phenix Composite Incorporated, MN 



Sponsor's Contact: Rodney D. Skillman, (507) 387-4848 

 Raw Material: Soybean Flour & Recycled 



Newsprint 

 Product: Granite-like Material 



AARC: 



Cooperators Contributions (est.): 



$1,000,000 

 $1,500,000 



USDA-AARC CENTER • 12th & C St. S.W. • Washington, DC 20250 

 Telephone: (202) 401-4860 • Fax: (202) 401-6068 



Pnniea on recycled paper using soyPean-based ink 



