The Startup That Turns Plastic Bottles Into Desalination Membranes

On this episode of The Climate Tech Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how a Boston-based startup, AquaCycle, developed a new reverse osmosis membrane made entirely from recycled PET plastic. The company's breakthrough could cut the cost of seawater desalination by 30 percent while diverting millions of plastic bottles from landfills. Lucas breaks down the chemistry, the economics, and the scalability challenge: can a membrane made from bottle flakes hold up under years of high-pressure operation? Luna pushes back on whether recycled materials can meet the purity standards required for drinking water. The conversation touches on the hidden carbon footprint of traditional membrane manufacturing, the startup's pilot plant in San Diego, and why the biggest investor in this technology is a beer company that needs ultra-pure water for brewing. #AquaCycle #Desalination #ReverseOsmosis #RecycledPlastic #PET #WaterTech #ClimateTech #MembraneTechnology #SeawaterDesalination #CircularEconomy #PlasticWaste #CleanWater #Sustainability #SanDiegoPilot #BrewingIndustry #Business #Technology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo