Plantd Launches Biochar Line, Turning Waste Into Revenue and Better Soil
Plantd has launched a new biochar product line that converts a manufacturing byproduct from its renewable grass-based structural panel production into a soil amendment for agricultural applications.
The North Carolina-based manufacturer said the new product is part of its broader zero-waste manufacturing strategy, allowing material that would otherwise be treated as waste to become a commercial product while also supporting long-term carbon sequestration.
Plantd’s biochar is produced from the same fast-growing perennial grass used to manufacture its structural building panels. The company says the grass-based material naturally contains higher levels of silica than biochar produced from woody biomass, potentially supporting plant health, soil structure and nutrient efficiency.
The product is now available to growers and agricultural customers and can be used across a range of applications, including vegetable and berry production, turf and golf courses, regenerative and organic farming, and the remediation of clay soils.
“We didn’t set out to build a soil amendment business; we set out to solve a waste problem,” said Nathan Silvernail, Co-Founder and CEO of Plantd. “It turns out the same renewable grass that makes our panels stronger and more cost-effective than OSB also makes an exceptional biochar.”
According to Plantd, the biochar can provide several benefits associated with soil amendments, including improved water retention, better soil structure, increased soil pH and long-term carbon storage. The company also says its higher silica content has shown potential for improving crop disease resistance and agricultural performance.
Researchers at North Carolina A&T State University are already conducting field trials to evaluate Plantd’s biochar against compost, basalt rock and other soil amendments. The trials are measuring factors including soil biological activity, nutrient availability, water retention and crop performance.
The research team plans to expand the work through a greenhouse study, providing additional controlled data on how the biochar performs in agricultural applications.
Dr. Biswanath Dari, Assistant Professor and Soil Health Extension Specialist at North Carolina A&T State University, said the research is intended to generate field-based evidence that can help farmers understand how biochar could contribute to healthier soils, greater agricultural resilience and more sustainable production.
The launch comes as the biochar market continues to expand. North America accounts for more than half of the global biochar market, while the US market is growing at an estimated 13% annually and is projected to surpass $1 billion in the early 2030s.
Plantd is producing the biochar close to its biomass supply and agricultural customers, following the same approach it uses across its manufacturing operations to reduce transportation requirements and logistics costs.
The company is working with biomass processing partners, including Qualterra, to increase production capacity. Plantd also plans to capture energy generated during the biochar production process and redirect it into its manufacturing operations, which could reduce the electricity requirements and operating costs of its facilities over time.
The biochar business builds on Plantd’s existing manufacturing platform, which uses perennial grass as a feedstock for structural panels designed as alternatives to oriented strand board (OSB).
Plantd’s panels are being used by major homebuilders as a replacement for OSB, while furniture manufacturers have also adopted the material for high-end products.
With the launch of its biochar line, Plantd is expanding beyond construction materials into agriculture while continuing to use the same vertically integrated biomass supply chain. The company aims to turn more of its production inputs into valuable products while reducing waste and increasing the amount of carbon retained in long-term storage.
