While the Bioresource Engineering & Science (BSE) students who participated in the 2019 Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge didn’t win any of the top awards, they did take home favor from the judges and a $1,000 prize.

The Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge at the University of Washington taps into the passion, smarts, and motivation that university students have for solving environmental/cleantech problems. The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students at accredited colleges and universities across the Cascadia Corridor – Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia.

The NanoPrint team, comprised of business, BSE and mechanical engineering University of Washington students, created a 3D printing filament using a zero-waste manufacturing process that is recyclable, biodegradable and affordable. The idea for the technology was born from a BSE capstone project and aims to lead to businesses making use of waste biomass resources.

The team received one of two $1,000 Judges Also Really Liked (JARL) awards, which were handed out by judges to support any of the 20 teams in attendance.

Read more about the challenge and winners here.