A recently-opened $1.2M Biodegradability Lab at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth was created through a unique private-public partnership, including a $739,936 Massachusetts Technology Collaborative grant and a $450,000 investment from PrimaLoft. The state-of-the-art research, learning and product development lab, in the School for Marine Science & Technology, will explore plastics biodegradation in the environment.  

“Ultimately, this is a wonderful opportunity to bring together a business with a specific need, and a university with the ability to bring it to life," said Mike Joyce, PrimaLoft CEO, class of ‘85. “This lab is positioned to be one of the premier biodegradation labs in the United States and our hope is that this lab will be the nucleus of an expanding center for sustainable innovation and research in the SouthCoast region.” 

The lab was designed to measure biodegradation of products in environmental systems where plastic waste persists including landfills, oceans, wastewater, soil and compost. The lab components and key features were designed in close collaboration and with critical feedback from PrimaLoft textiles engineers, chemical engineers, and environmental scientists. 

In addition to PrimaLoft, partners on the project include Radical Plastics of Beverly, Paramount Planet Product, UMass Boston, UMass Lowell, the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Boston-based SeaAhead, and the U.S. Army Soldier Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center.