Companies Are Finding New Ways to Use Waste and Fight Climate Change

By World Resources Institute

Not long ago, the idea of harvesting almond shells and sewage sludge to lock away climate-harming emissions might have sounded like something out of a science fiction movie. Today, it’s not only possible — it’s happening.

A new wave of startups is turning agricultural waste and forest residues into permanent carbon dioxide removal using a process known as biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS). These BiCRS startups sell carbon credits to companies seeking an efficient and verifiable tool for achieving climate targets. Reducing emissions alone won’t be enough to reach net-zero and climate-related goals, so carbon dioxide removal is becoming an important long-term method for achieving them.

The concept behind BiCRS is simple: As plants and trees grow, they soak up planet-warming carbon and store it in their stems, leaves, roots and wood; this carbon-rich organic material is known as biomass. Usually, biomass carbon gets released back into the atmosphere when plants and trees decompose or are burned. But BiCRS interrupts that cycle, capturing and permanently storing the carbon underground, preventing carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.

In recent years, new research and BiCRS companies have proliferated, finding novel ways to supplement the increasing challenges the planet faces to reduce emissions. Globally, BiCRS is gaining momentum; in Europe, recent legislation established a framework for carbon removal certification and an EU-wide registry (to be implemented in 2028), while other countries (like Japan and Canada) are investigating how to scale these technologies. In the U.S., there are a growing number of companies (one February 2025 report counts 40, the highest of any country) dedicated to turning biomass wastes and residues into carbon removal and storage.

Among them are Corigin, Charm Industrial, Graphyte and Vaulted Deep. These innovative companies, which we profile below, illustrate different approaches to using waste or residue biomass and storing it underground to fight back against a warming planet.

Graphyte: Finding a Simpler Storage Process

Graphyte, a carbon removal company in Arkansas, is using a simple, physical process to compress residues from local sawmill and rice hulls from local agriculture and then burying them underground. First, the biomass is dried extensively and condensed into solid blocks to reduce water and oxygen. Next, these bricks are sealed in a polymer barrier and stored in heavily monitored underground pits. While the barrier is designed to keep moisture and microbes away to prevent decomposition, the material of the barrier and how it performs long-term is undisclosed.

Unlike Charm and Corigin, this process doesn’t involve chemical transformation, keeping it simple, accessible and low-cost. Therefore, Graphyte can easily expand the feedstock types they use and deliver carbon removal quickly. After receiving $30 million in funding last year, Graphyte is expanding, expecting to remove nearly 50,000 tons of CO2 by early 2026. The company is also planning to open several more facilities in 2026 and 2027.

Because of their speed and simplicity, Graphyte is currently able to sell carbon credits, at $150/ton, an already-low number that may decrease as they expand. Graphyte’s first customer, American Airlines, purchased 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide removal in 2023.

Biomass burial is by far the simplest method, but the process is still very new and research is not as developed as other carbon dioxide removal methods. However, there are already standard practices and approaches to life-cycle assessments or monitoring, reporting and verification methods, which are common practices used to assure carbon removal is actually happening. Graphyte, whose carbon credits are issued by Isometric, adheres to their BiCRS protocol. Burial projects must be careful to evaluate the potential tradeoffs from disturbing large swaths of land. Graphyte minimizes land use impacts by using only degraded land for carbon storage, such as their Arkansas project which is sited on an old gravel mine.

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