Cleaning waterways and creating circular solutions

Climate Tech Company Name: 
SORR (Sustainable Oil Recovery & Remediation)

Introduction

Sustainable Oil Recovery and Remediation (SORR)is a company dedicated to the removal of dangerous hydrocarbons phosphates heavy metal and PFAS from the environment in such a way as to create a zero carbon impact and a circular economy and improved waterways globally.  In 2011 New Zealand experienced their worst environmental maritime disaster when the Rena, a container ship, spilled tonnes of fuel into the pristine Bay of Plenty. 

Dave Guthrie, one of our founders, monitored the impact of the spill on the environment, the marine & bird life, people affected, their pets, and the time taken using irresponsible methods, such as environmentally damaging dispersants, to “mop up the mess”. He decided to find a quicker, more environmentally sustainable solution. After years of R&D and testing multiple ingredients the revolutionary Sucoil® Sponge was born.

Our Unique sponge is optimised to capture hydrocarbons and other pollutants as close to the source as possible to prevent environmental damage. By design they are reused, repurposed and recycled reducing landfill, carbon emissions and creating a sustainable circular economy.

By analysing the materials captured by our patented Sucoil Sponge, we use the data to generate insights and identify pollutants in the environment, enabling SORR to find the source of the problem and create real positive environmental impacts through our patented Sucoil Sponge.

Customer Focus

Across our Stormwater, Marina, Ports and Ocean Divisions we focus on preventing pollutants from entering our rivers, lakes and oceans. Whilst our Commercial, Mining, Industrial and Airport assist customers with the challenges of dewatering and pollution entering the environment through their activities.

Challenges

SORR are focussing on increasing the efficacy of our work through continued research and development, and assessing the requirements of increasing manufacturing capabilities to meet the global demand.

Highlights

In a joint collaboration between SORR, Central Coast Council, ARQ and AWS, supported by the Federal Government, the Tuggerah Lakes and Estuaries Stormwater Trial (TEST) was rolled out. Our Stormwater Solution was installed at a single site Killarney Vale, on the NSW Tuggerah Lakes. SORR is now working with the council and has installed the solution in three further stormwater locations identified by the community as leaching toxic hydrocarbons into the waterways. The Council has engaged SORR to conduct THP-GC (Thermal Desorption-Gas Chromatography) analysis which we hope can provide valuable information about the composition of the volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds from LJ-19.

Press

SORR is a Global Finalist of XTC 2022. Xtreme Tech Challenge is a non-profit organisation behind the world’s biggest startup competition that aims to help startups change the world for the better. In our quest, we are supported by leading corporations, VCs, foundations, policymakers, universities and tech conferences.

SORR was an Australian national finalist of ClimateLaunchpad which is the world’s largest green business ideas competition.

From The Founders‍‍

• ‍Company Name: Sustainable Oil Recovery & Remediation‍
• Website: sorr‍
• Themes: Clean Tech / Circular Economy / Data Collection
• ‍Summary: Sustainable Oil Recovery & Remediation is a company dedicated to the removal of dangerous hydrocarbons phosphates heavy metal and PFAS from the environment in such a way as to create a zero carbon impact and a circular economy and improved waterways globally.
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• Product stage: SORR are in market and are focussed on continued improvement through both organic growth and investment.  Our focus is optimisation of the Sucoil Sponge across Oil Products, (Hydrocarbons), PFAS, Phosphates and Heavy Metals. We are able to respond to triage environmental issues as they occur.‍
• Founders: Captain Marc Kuhl / David Guthrie‍
• Capital raising: Self funded; government and environmental grants. We are currently developing funding programs to enable exponential growth.
  

Company mission:
Our mission is to clean our earth and its oceans more efficiently and sustainably
than ever before, thus leaving the planet healthier than we inherited it.

Why the team wants to solve this problem:
It is in our blood to improve and protect the environment.

What other climate tech companies we admire: 

Carbon Direct, Kelpy, Patagonia & Sway 

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