Bioforcetech turns sewage sludge into carbon-negative concrete additive, locks CO2 for centuries

California startup Bioforcetech has developed a two-stage process that converts sewage sludge into a carbon-negative concrete ingredient called OurCarbon. The process uses a bio-dryer to remove moisture and a low-oxygen pyrolysis unit to transform the solids into stable biochar, locking carbon away for centuries. The company recently secured a $310,000 grant from Columbia University's Carbontech Development Initiative to build an automated dosing system for concrete batch plants. Third-party tests show the technology also destroys 99.98% of PFAS 'forever chemicals' in the sludge, solving a major disposal problem for wastewater plants facing tighter regulations. Bioforcetech is already pouring concrete at commercial pilot scale in the U.S. and sees New York City as a prime market due to state and city mandates for lower embodied carbon in construction.