Arns Innovations Carbon Removal Campus Coalition
Coalition for Campus-Based Carbon Removal

Turn your campus into a living carbon removal lab.

Containerized anaerobic digestion + biochar + MRV converts all campus food and organic waste into Frontier-aligned, durable carbon removal — not compost, not wish-cycling.

CDR-first infrastructure, not waste mgmt.
Tech-agnostic modules — swap in new AD, capture, and biochar tech.
MRV-native system built for credit issuance & Frontier scrutiny.
Every plate, cup, and event becomes a measurable carbon removal event — with data, credits, and research to prove it.
Node: Campus CDR Container
Food waste → Biogas → CO₂ capture → Biochar concrete.
1
SmartSort bins route all dining & organic waste to the on-campus CDR node.
2
Anaerobic digestion generates biogas; methane is polished & used in CHP / SOFC.
3
Flue gas CO₂ is captured, logged, and coupled with digestate → biochar / hydrochar.
4
Biochar concrete, asphalt, and soils lock carbon away — with MRV-grade data.
Modeled annual removal (example campus)
1,250–2,000 tCO₂e
Dining + events + stadium organics at ~15k FTE student campus. Real values MRV’d per node.
Campus uses
  • Carbon-negative walkways, plazas, and seating.
  • Living lab for courses, thesis projects, and venture studios.
  • Data stream for grants, papers, and Frontier-style CDR credits.
MRV-native
Tech-agnostic stack
Frontier-aligned CDR
One container, infinite experiments.
Reframing Waste  •  Beyond Compost

Most campuses are exporting emissions — not solutions.

Compost, hauling, and “best effort” recycling feel good, but the carbon math is fuzzy. The coalition flips the model: campus organics become durable carbon removal, with verifiable accounting and zero guesswork.

Before: Status quo compost / landfill
Opaque climate outcomes, logistics-heavy.
  • Multiple bins, contamination, and inconsistent behavior.
  • Trucks haul organics off-site — more miles, more leakage risk.
  • Limited or non-quantified climate benefit; no MRV-grade data.
  • Little connection to curriculum, research, or tech transfer.
After: Containerized CDR system
On-campus carbon removal infrastructure.
  • All organics routed to a single on-campus CDR node.
  • Biogas → energy + captured CO₂ → biochar / mineralized materials.
  • Full mass + carbon accounting, MRV-ready for CDR credits.
  • Continuous data stream for labs, courses, and new campus ventures.
System Architecture  •  Tech-Swappable Stack

A modular, tech-agnostic CDR stack your campus can grow into.

Each module in the stack is upgradeable: campuses can pilot new digester designs, capture systems, and biochar uses, while the coalition standardizes MRV, crediting, and governance across sites.

Module 01
Capture & Intake
  • Smart bins / color-coded bags for all food and organic streams.
  • Dining halls, catering, stadiums, offices, labs.
  • Works with existing haulers and custodial routes.
Module 02
Containerized AD Node
  • Pre-fabricated anaerobic digestion in a branded container.
  • Biogas polishing and methane mitigation layers.
  • Co-located CHP / SOFC / turbine options.
Module 03
CO₂ Capture Layer
  • Post-combustion flue gas capture integrated with AD energy.
  • Onboard storage / compression skid.
  • Option to tie in HVAC-based capture at large buildings.
Module 04
Carbon Lock-In
  • Digestate → pyrolysis / HTC → biochar / hydrochar.
  • Char and captured CO₂ into concrete, asphalt, soils.
  • Documented end-use pathways for durability.
Module 05
MRV & Credits
  • Sensors, flow meters, and sampling across the chain.
  • Automated dashboards for mass, energy, and carbon flows.
  • Plug-ins for existing and emerging CDR credit registries.
Module 06
Story & Experience
  • Carbon-negative walkways, plazas, and signage.
  • Lab, studio, and capstone projects integrated into the node.
  • Branded campus showcase for donors and corporate partners.
Each module can be swapped or upgraded — the coalition keeps the orchestration, data, and crediting consistent as technology evolves.
Campus as Platform  •  Living Lab

A CDR node that doubles as a research platform, classroom, and venture studio.

The same container that handles your organics becomes a multi-department sandbox: engineering, policy, business, and design teams all have a stake in how the system performs and scales.

For Researchers & Labs

Controlled, instrumented environment for experiments in AD efficiency, capture, sorbents, and materials.

  • Standardized protocols across campuses for comparative studies.
  • Shared datasets and co-authored publications.
  • Pathways to IP and patentable improvements.
For Students

Real infrastructure to build around — not case studies from 10 years ago.

  • Capstones in engineering, business, policy, and design.
  • Student ops teams, paid fellowships, and work-study roles.
  • Spinout-ready ventures leveraging coalition-wide IP scaffolding.
For Facilities

Simple logistics, clear KPIs, and fewer trucks.

  • Single destination for all organics.
  • Energy and heat generated on-site.
  • Transparent performance metrics instead of “best effort”.
For Tech Transfer & Advancement

Direct pipeline from operational improvements to IP, sponsorship, and philanthropy.

  • New patents across AD, capture, MRV, and materials.
  • Corporate-sponsored research anchored to the node.
  • Naming rights and donor-ready “carbon removal quad”.
Behavior to Tonnes  •  Every Plate Counts

Simple student actions become quantifiable carbon removal.

Instead of a vague “be sustainable” message, each bin and container is wired into an MRV system that translates daily behavior into tCO₂ removed, credits issued, and research enabled.

Behavior → System → Removal Ladder
01
Student sorts food scraps into a dedicated SmartSort bin in the dining hall or at events.
02
Campus logistics route organics to the on-site CDR node instead of off-site compost / landfill.
03
AD and energy systems convert biomass to biogas; methane is polished and used in controlled power or heat generation.
04
Flue gas CO₂ is captured and combined with digestate-derived char to lock carbon into durable forms.
05
Biochar concrete, asphalt, and soils physically store carbon — each batch logged in the MRV system and credited back to the campus.
Quick impact sketch (illustrative)

Use this simple sketch to communicate scale. Actual values are site-specific and MRV-backed.

Enter rough campus numbers to show a ballpark. For many mid-sized campuses, a single node can support thousands of tCO₂e of removal per year when fully optimized.
Protocol-Ready  •  Frontier-Aligned MRV

Built backwards from the hardest CDR questions, not the easiest marketing ones.

The coalition is designed to plug into Frontier-style CDR expectations: additionality, durability, leakage control, and transparent, instrumented measurement across each node.

✓
Additionality
  • New, measurable CDR pathway vs. existing compost / landfill baseline.
  • No double-counting of avoided methane and removal credits.
  • Coalition-wide baseline definitions and documentation.
✓
Durability
  • Biochar, hydrochar, and mineralized products designed for 100+ year storage.
  • Documented end-use with chain-of-custody records.
  • Use cases aligned with emerging CDR durability standards.
✓
Measurement & Verification
  • Mass and energy balances at feedstock, AD, energy, capture, and char stages.
  • Continuous or high-frequency sensor data with lab spot checks.
  • Standardized MRV playbooks, auditable across campuses.
✓
Leakage & Methane Control
  • Methane polishing and leak mitigation around digester and gas lines.
  • Digestate management pathways that prevent fugitive emissions.
  • Integration of leak detection and flare-free operation where possible.
✓
Governance & Transparency
  • Shared governance templates for campus, coalition, and credit buyers.
  • Optional public dashboards for high-level metrics.
  • Alignment with emerging waste-to-CDR methodologies.
✓
Creditability
  • Architecture designed to be mappable to CDR credit registries.
  • Clear mapping between operational data and tCO₂e removed.
  • Structures for campuses to share upside with students, labs, and facilities.
Ops, Economics,  •  Zero New Headcount

Minimal new complexity, maximum leverage of what you already have.

The coalition treats the campus like a platform: existing logistics, utilities, and talent are orchestrated into a CDR node instead of building a parallel system from scratch.

Logistics Simplified
  • Single destination for all food and organic waste on campus.
  • Integrates with current haulers, custodial, and facilities teams.
  • Container placed at transfer station, utility yard, or behind dining halls.
Existing Resources, Rewired
  • Use existing power and thermal interconnects for AD / CHP / SOFC.
  • Recruit from engineering, business, and policy programs for ops roles.
  • Embed performance review into campus sustainability dashboards.
Economics & Funding
  • Reduced hauling + tipping vs. landfill / off-site compost.
  • New value streams from CDR credits, energy, and materials.
  • Coalition-wide grant, donor, and corporate playbooks for scaled funding.
R&D Flywheel  •  From Node to Venture

Each campus becomes a CDR venture studio with a lab attached.

Operational data becomes invention fodder. Spinouts, sponsored research, and cross-campus collaboration move from “nice to have” to built-in features of the infrastructure.

Step 01
Deploy CDR Node
Install containerized AD + capture + biochar system sized to campus waste streams and energy context.
Step 02
Instrument & Observe
Collect high-resolution data on flows, efficiency, and performance across modules and seasons.
Step 03
Discover & Invent
Identify optimization opportunities in digestion, capture, MRV, and materials — and patent them.
Step 04
Spinout & Scale
Launch ventures and partnerships via campus TTO + Arns Innovations system-level IP bundling.
Step 05
Partner & Procure
Attract corporates, cities, and infrastructure partners who want proven, campus-tested solutions.
Step 06
Reinvest & Upgrade
Use revenue, credits, and funding to upgrade modules and onboard new campuses into the coalition.
Coalition  •  Campus Nodes & Scoreboard

A distributed network of campus-based CDR nodes, learning in public.

As more campuses join, the coalition becomes a comparative lab: same MRV backbone, different climates, feedstocks, technologies, and partners.

Founding campus nodes (illustrative)
Replace this with an embedded map or image showing coalition campuses and regional clusters (e.g., West Coast, Northeast, Europe, Asia-Pacific).
Pacific Coast University
CDR: 1,450 tCO₂e / yr 4 active research projects
Midwest Tech Institute
CDR: 980 tCO₂e / yr 2 student spinouts in progress
Urban State University
CDR: 1,260 tCO₂e / yr Stadium & arena organics integrated
Coastal Climate College
CDR: 710 tCO₂e / yr Biochar concrete pilot in quad
Coalition scoreboard (sample)
Top CDR this year Pacific Coast University · 1,450 tCO₂e
Most student projects Urban State University · 23 projects
New nodes online 3 campuses this quarter
Active tech pilots New capture sorbent at Midwest Tech

Coalition metrics are designed for internal benchmarking and external storytelling — helping campuses justify funding, sponsorship, and continued investment in campus-based CDR.

Next Steps  •  Become a Founding Node

Make your campus a launch site for the next generation of carbon removal.

Founding campuses partner on system design, protocol development, and coalition governance — while turning their own organics into measurable, durable climate impact.

What a founding engagement looks like
  • Phase 0: Waste, siting, and energy assessment for your campus.
  • Phase 1: Containerized CDR node deployment + MRV integration.
  • Phase 2: Curriculum, research, and spinout framing with faculty and TTO.
  • Phase 3: CDR credit pathways, donor packaging, and coalition-wide visibility.
Frontier-aligned CDR
Campus as living lab
Spinout-ready IP