WHEN FOAM RULES THE WORLD
a look inside AIRTech and its dedication to Earth Conscious® technology.
Our Dedication
Who knew that a particular traditional material used in our day-to-day lives could be so dangerous, and have such an adverse impact on the environment? Since the ‘60s this material has undergone some tinkering but has remained largely the same – until now. That material is polyurethane foam, which may bring to mind a particular use or application, but also encompasses a mind-boggling variety of products. We sleep on foam, sit on it, walk on it, surf on it, insulate with it, soundproof with it, clean our bodies and households with it; its applications, and uses go on and on. Advanced Innovative Recovery Technologies, Inc. (AIRTech) has created non-toxic foams that are unrivaled in the industry. They call it BeBetterFoam®. Imagine taking that product we use in our everyday life and using it to clean the planet.
The Challenge
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico was a call to action for AIRTech. They joined forces with one of the top chemists in the world to formulate a new, environmentally- friendly foam product that could provide a cleanup solution for the disastrous oil spill, restore earth’s waterways, oceans, and wildlife, and prevent oil spills and toxins from spreading through our waterways. It can take many forms, but it’s easiest to think of it as a “sea sponge.” It’s made from a unique, flexible foam material that is owned exclusively by the company. According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, the foam and its technology are non-toxic, inert to the environment, oleophilic (high oil absorption rate) and hydrophobic(repels water). It is also approved to be used in all waterways. This was the first major step in the company’s long journey ahead.
This incredible story has been an uphill battle, and labor of love for the original men behind it. They introduced their revolutionary foam to replace 60-year-old toxic technology, had product prototypes made and tested in real world situations, had tests conducted by third-party labs, disseminated thousands of samples, spent years in trials to ensure its efficacy, and accomplished all this on the company’s own dollar, which had to be raised by acquiring investment capital themselves. To realize such success, from concept to EPA approval, of a previously toxic substance that now meets or exceeds all environmental requirements in California (where the rules are most stringent), is truly remarkable!
The Solution
Pura Naturals
But what happens now that they have overcome regulatory hurdles with a product that works? How do they get visibility without spending hundreds of millions of dollars on marketing to the oil industry? Well, it just so happens there is one item found in 98% of all households the world over, and that is a foam sponge. Since BeBetterFoam® worked so well on a large scale, the company decided to try it on a small scale, and created a hydrophobic sponge for the kitchen and household! The immediate feedback was, “This is the best sponge I’ve ever used!”
That led to the creation of AIRTech’s first subsidiary, Pura Naturals, Inc., to take advantage of an existing market that needed a shakeup. The traditional, cellulose sponge is a breeding ground for bacteria, smells toxic from the VOCs upon opening the package, and is toxic to the environment. Pura Naturals’ sponges won’t stink, because they don’t hold water, which fosters bacterial growth. Blake Ward, Chairman of the Board of AIRTech, tells us they had to “market our story and fund our cause in such a way that people could understand what we were doing, but in a different way where the story is told through the product packaging.” This was the solution they needed: another way to deliver their non-toxic, plant-based, highly efficient foam.
Pura Naturals' Sponge
Pura Naturals’ sponge is like no other because it won’t smell, hold, or transmit bacteria. The foam sponge will last longer than any other sponge, which translates to less waste in our landfills. This groundbreaking company has found a way to improve our day-to-day life by introducing a replacement for traditional foam that will not pollute the water, is inert to the environment and will not leach chemicals into our landfills. Since exploiting their very first flexible foam formula, the company has created non-toxic formulas for rigid foam, memory foam, and even polystyrene! In addition to the foam formulas, they have also created a non-toxic polyurea that performs identically to the toxic version now used.
There are a myriad of applications for the formulas, and their advanced technologies, and the versatility of their products is staggering. What they can achieve, and the impact they can have on saving the planet is unprecedented. Not only are AIRTech products cleaning the planet’s oceans, but they have pioneered systems that will clean our rivers, lakes, and streams, and can also keep the pesticides and contaminants out of them.
Did you know that our generation is mostly responsible for polluting our planet enough that we cannot swim or fish in 52% of our lakes in the U. S.? By employing AIRTech’s cleaning and preventative solutions, we will surely change that!
The Continuation
Prevention is the key here. Along with prevention and cleanup applications, which are desperately needed, AIRTech is also working with companies who transport oil and gas inside the refi neries and ports, and also with pipeline companies. “There are two types of pipelines,” says Ward, “those that leak, and those that are going to leak.” To that end, AIRTech is creating Mobile On Demand Response Trailers (M. O. D. R.), and Deployment On Demand Spill (D.O.D.S.) units.
M.O.D.R.s are staged command centers designed for the early stages of a spill response. D.O.D.S. units contain state-of-the-art prevention, con- tainment, collection, and response equipment, and are strategically placed near potential spill sites. Once fi eld ready, the company can leverage relationships with EPA, California EPA, the Coast Guard, and other federal and state organizations.
Since all AIRTech’s foam formulations are non-toxic and emit no VOCs, even bigger things are on the horizon. For example: in 1966, NASA created memory foam to provide a more comfortable ride for the astronauts, protect them from vibrations and help minimize damage from potential accidents. In the end, NASA couldn’t use the foam because when the doors shut on the capsule, the air became highly toxic in the closed environment. The outgassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) would have caused harm to the astronauts. Instead, it was made available to consumers, though it still emits harmful VOCs (the smell from a new mattress topper, pillow or mattress made from memory foam)! AIRTech’s memory foam emits no VOCs.
The potential for helping improve our quality of life and day to day living is immense. Can you imagine the impact possible on those living in third world countries? Ward tells us that AIRTech can “take the oil from polluted waters in third world countries, contain it, capture it, retrieve it, and use it to make fuel cells that generate electricity for hospitals and schools. If a community has no electricity, we can bring it to them where they live. We can take pollution and man-made problems that are right in front of them, and actually turn them into solutions”.
AIRTech has received approval from the US EPA, California Coastal Commission, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and is also listed on the National Contingency Plan for USEPA Spill Response. In 2013, AIRTech received the California Small Business of the Year Award from the state legislature for their innovative, clean energy manufacturing practices.
AIRTech’s BeBetterFoam®, is helping to create a cleaner planet, and leave it better than they found it.
Watch this space in the coming months to read new developments about frack water filtration in the U. S., Japan, and China. AIRTech is also ready to transform construction applications through its next subsidiary, Earth Conscious Technology, Inc., which will introduce non-toxic forms of spray foam insulation, soundproofing, drywall, sheetrock, and roofing materials.
who we are.
Overview.
We came together in response to the British Petroleum (BP) oil spill that occured in the Gulf of Mexico in April of 2010. We were appalled as we witnessed the immediate, devastating impact of the environment. We also saw that the conventional cleanup methods being used were even more damaging to ecosystem, and were not solving the problem. we wanted to help with cleanup effort, so we decided to not be a team of onlookers, but a team that takes action and honors the fact that we are all responsible for the human impact on our planet.
Advanced Innovative Recovery Technologies, Inc. (AIRTech) was our first in finding a solution. Our mission was to be an integral part of resolving this global problem. We joined with one of the top chemists in the world to formulate a new, non-toxic foam product made from renewable resources. By shaping our foam into buoys, booms, and pads, and developing them around an oil spill, we are able to quickly absorb oil from a body of water as easily as you would use a sponge to mop up a spill at home. With the help of family, friends, a few investors, and years of hard work, we developed a product that was approved by the EPA, and also got the green light from the CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE. The foam is water repellent (hydrophobic), while it naturally absorbs oil and silicones (oleophilic). In addition to being highly absorbent on a molecular level, it is so resilient that it an be reused multiple times without degrading. We call it BeBetterFoam®.
Chairman of the AIRTech Board / Founder
blake ward
Blake has extensive marketing experience developing and assisting small to mid-size companies with private placement funding, and brings diversified experience in business management and corporate finance. Blake has extensive expertise in the construction industry. Since 1985, he has managed, consulted and started several construction and concrete cutting, coring and demolition companies which include American Concrete Cutting & Coring, Castillo Demolition & Concrete and Crown concrete Cutting & Coring.
Chief Executive Officer
Robert Doherty
Bob is a seasoned business and technology executive with experience in manufacturing, operations and engineering. He has successfully led global businesses and has a proven track record of consistently exceeding revenue and profit objectives. He has successfully taken two companies from start-ups to multi-million dollars in sales.
