PolyGone

PolyGone, a U.S. zero-plastics engineering company, is an innovative clean-tech firm spun off from Princeton University. For their outstanding contributions to environmental fields, its two co-founders, Nathaniel Banks and Yidian Liu, were named to the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. PolyGone provides groundbreaking microplastics filtration technology and detection systems, dedicated to effectively monitoring and removing trillions of harmful microplastic particles from water bodies. The company has received multiple accolades, including the U.S. National Science Foundation Award, NOAA Marine Debris Removal Fund Award, New Jersey Clean Tech Award, and was ranked #1 among the "20 Clean Tech Companies to Watch in 2025."

Microplastics are recognized globally as emerging aquatic pollutants, yet current water purification systems cannot efficiently and economically remove these contaminants before they enter major watersheds and drinking water sources. To address the rapidly worsening microplastic pollution, Princeton University and PolyGone developed a bionic filtration system resembling plant roots. Utilizing a dense structure driven by water flow, it traps and immobilizes microplastics within the filtration unit. This system is widely applicable to diverse water environments, such as wastewater discharge channels, drinking water treatment conduits, open streams, estuaries, marinas, and lakes, enabling systematic monitoring and collection of microplastic pollutants. Products include modular filters and floating devices that can be flexibly combined based on water body scale. Additionally, PolyGone offers microplastic monitoring reports and tailors optimal cleanup solutions for target water bodies.

PolyGone’s portable floating microplastic filtration device, named the "Plastic Catcher", incorporates its core innovation—the "bionic fiber filter". Shaped like plant roots, it uses dense silicone fiber tubes to adsorb microplastics from flowing water. Since most microplastics are less dense than water, the device is deployed at a depth of approximately 250mm below the water surface for targeted collection in high-concentration zones. PolyGone’s products effectively remove over 76% of microplastics. Notably, the bionic fiber filter successfully captures microplastics smaller than 100 microns in open waters, achieving precision unmatched by other plastic collection technologies.

Key advantages of PolyGone’s systems include: modular designs that adapt easily to any waterway; passive filtration driven solely by water flow, requiring zero electricity and enabling zero-carbon microplastic removal; and simple installation without reliance on heavy infrastructure. PolyGone’s cost-effective and portable solutions benefit not only municipalities with existing infrastructure but also remote communities vulnerable to aquatic microplastic pollution. The company has successfully piloted microplastic filtration systems of varying scales and environments, including at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority Wastewater Plant (New Jersey), West County Wastewater District (California), Hudson River Watershed (New York), Lower Delaware River Basin, and Lake Laurentian Outflow (Canada).

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