Courtesy Micromidas

A Sacramento company has devised a way to turn raw sewage into biodegradable plastic, simultaneously treating the sewage and reducing plastic waste. The process relies largely on bacteria to produce a resin, which is extracted and turned into “plastic.” Because municipalities actually pay the company, aptly named Micromidas, to take the sewage off their hands, it expects to turn a profit once its initial investments are paid off.

Fear not! The poop plastic won’t be turned into forks or water bottles, but it’s good for non-food uses because it tolerates high temperatures and biodegrades in 18 months.

Micromidas was a Clean Tech Open finalist in 2009, and its Chief Technology Officer, Ryan Smith, is a PopTech social innovation fellow.