CIRCULAR SOIL With Biochar Debuts at The Philadelphia Flower Show!
Why Does this Matter?
Soil is foundational to creating thriving gardens and landscapes, but its environmental footprint is often overlooked.
The sourcing and extraction of soil components, such as topsoil, sand, and organic matter like peat moss, are associated with negative environmental, social, and human health impacts worldwide. It depletes non-renewable materials formed over hundreds to thousands of years, contributes to soil erosion, nutrient depletion, and habitat destruction, and causes significant water, air, and noise pollution.
OLIN LABS asked, “What if we could create a soil with the same performance as conventional soils while simultaneously reducing these negative impacts?”
OLIN Labs, Bottle Underground, Benett Compost, and other local partners developed a glass-based horticultural soil that reduces reliance on mined sand while matching the performance of sand-based soil.
OLIN’s vision is a future where Circular Soil transforms landscapes of all sizes—from backyard gardens to public parks and green stormwater infrastructure projects—throughout Philadelphia and beyond, fostering robust ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity, and diverting reusable materials from landfills.
Olin CIRCULAR SOIL: Glass Sand, Compost, Biochar
Glass-Sand
First, glass waste is pulverized and sieved (by an Andela Pulverizer System owned by Bottle Underground) to create sand, a critical component of engineered soil blends. In many parts of the world, construction-grade sand is running out, and its extraction disrupts ecosystems because sand is one of the most heavily extracted materials on the planet. Conversely, about 7 million tons of glass is landfilled in the U.S. annually.
More about Olin Lab’s Circular Soil research here
Food-Based Compost
Food waste is combined with oxygen, water and microbes to break down scraps and make compost. As an alternative to non-renewable organic amendments, food-waste compost provides essential nutrients, retains soil moisture, and supports plant health, while reducing the amount of food in the local waste stream. Nationwide, 30-40% of our food supply is landfilled, generating potent methane emissions through decomposition while wasting the fossil fuels used in its transport and disposal. Bennett Compost operates Philadelphia’s first composting operation focused on food waste.
Biochar
Wood waste is chipped and heated without oxygen to make biochar, a carbon-rich soil amendment. Biochar sequesters carbon by storing it in a stable form rather than releasing it back into the atmosphere as the harmful greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. As a soil amendment, it can improve water retention, nutrient availability, plant growth, and soil structure. In collaboration with the USDA, OLIN Labs has successfully produced a biochar prototype using local wood waste, transforming a costly municipal burden into a valuable resource.
Learn more about Olin Lab’s Biochar research here
More information and photos of OLIN Lab’s Flower Show Installation here
Research and Photo credit: Olin Labs
The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is both the nation’s largest and the world’s longest-running horticultural event, featuring stunning displays by premier floral and landscape designers from around the globe. Started in 1829 by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Show introduces diverse and sustainable plant varieties and garden and design concepts.
