1. Outlander Materials: fighting the plastic problem with brewery waste
Outlander Materials is a biotech company founded by Lori Goff. The Dutch company is dedicated to tackling waste and creating revolutionary materials. They focus on using waste, by-products, and sources from the food industry to develop compostable materials that do not release toxins. Their flagship product, UnPlastic, is a non-plastic alternative to single-use plastics made from food industry resources and waste, ensuring it remains circular, sustainable, and free of harmful micro- or nanoplastics.
Plastic can be unplasticized
UnPlastic is an alternative to single-use plastics, offering a compostable and non-plastic solution that addresses the pressing issues of environmental damage and health concerns associated with traditional single-use plastics.
Unlike conventional plastics, UnPlastic is designed to biodegrade in soil and water without breaking down into harmful micro- or nanoplastics, leaving no toxic environmental residues. This circular product is created from food industry sources, by-products, and even beer waste. UnPlastic's use of beer brewery waste showcases an innovative approach to sustainable packaging.
Notpla: disappearing packaging
Notpla is a company dedicated to creating sustainable and disappearing packaging solutions. Notpla was founded in 2013 and is based in London, England. Their innovative approach to packaging aims to eliminate waste and reduce the environmental impact of conventional containers.
Notpla's products are designed to decompose naturally, leaving no harmful traces behind. They are known for their food containers coated with a 100% natural seaweed coating, allowing them to be composted and disappear, similar to a fruit peel.
Making biodegradable packaging for various applications
Notpla offers a diverse range of sustainable packaging solutions designed to eliminate waste and reduce the environmental impact of traditional packaging materials. Their products, including seaweed-coated food containers and edible options like Ooho and energy gel pods, disappear naturally, leaving no harmful traces. These innovations address the global challenge of plastic pollution while providing biodegradable alternatives for various applications.
Carbiolice: composting at room temperature
Carbiolice is a French company dedicated to addressing the challenges of plastic pollution and environmental sustainability. They focus on creating sustainable solutions for the end-of-life management of single-use plastics. Their core offering revolves around compostable plastic packaging, particularly targeting items like trays, coffee capsules, tea bags, bubble wrap, and various packaging materials that can be included in industrial or household composting or methanisation processes.
The focus on circularity and environmental safety, including the ability to compost plastics at room temperature, makes Carbiolice a brand to look out for.
Enzymatic solution for composting plant-based plastic
Evanesto®, provided by Carbiolice, is an enzymatic solution designed to address the end-of-life challenges of plant-based plastics, particularly those that cannot be recycled due to their thinness, complexity, or food soiling. These plastics often end up being incinerated, landfilled, or dispersed in the environment, contributing to plastic waste accumulation.
Evanesto® offers an alternative that facilitates zero waste. The technology provides a sustainable solution for dealing with plastic waste that would otherwise contribute to landfilling, incineration, or environmental dispersion.
Great Wrap: compostable wraps for all
Great Wrap is an Australian materials science company with a strong commitment to ending human reliance on traditional plastics. Founded by Jordy and Julia Kay, whose backgrounds in winemaking and architecture led them to recognize the pressing issue of plastic waste and the need for innovative solutions. They embarked on a mission to create compostable materials that combat plastic pollution.
The company's ethos is rooted in circularity, transparency, and community, and they work diligently to educate people on sustainable disposal methods for their products.
No-waste stretch wraps
Great Wrap offers a solution in the form of an Australian-made compostable stretch wrap. This product is designed for use both in homes and businesses. The company comprises a team of bio-designers, engineers, and scientists who understand that true innovation against plastic pollution must happen at the molecular level. They have developed a new paradigm in packaging technology, emphasizing the importance of a complete rethink and redesign.
Cruz Foam: compostable and recyclable foam
Cruz Foam is a company co-founded by Marco Rolandi and John Felts in 2017. The company is committed to creating circular materials to reduce wastage. Cruz Foam creates products that are not only biodegradable but also recyclable. Their Cruz Foam Inside products have been designed to be easily recycled. Their products' ability to biodegrade in as little as 60 days surpasses the biodegradation rates of traditional plastics.
Replacing plastic packaging with compostable ones
Cruz Foam offers a range of innovative, sustainable packaging solutions designed to address various industries' needs while reducing environmental impact.
Cruz Cool provides 48-72 hours of cold chain protection with an e-flute cardboard packaging encasing 1.5’’ thick Cruz Foam. It’s customizable for cold chain, pharma, and seafood industries, and it's recyclable.
Cruz Wrap offers bottle protection and thermal insulation. It is composed of recyclable kraft paper and Cruz Foam and is suitable for wine and spirits packaging.
Cruz Cush is a circular alternative to plastic foams, suitable for industries like appliances, electronics, and automotive parts.
Shellworks: packaging that never becomes waste
Shellworks is a company co-founded by Insiya Jafferjee and Amir Afshar in 2019. This company is on a mission to develop naturally-derived materials and packaging with a focus on experimentation and a commitment to creating regenerative solutions.
Their first material, Vivomer, is a regenerative material that naturally degrades in various environments. The company also focuses on end-of-life pathways, ensuring their materials have a minimal impact on the environment.
Compostable packaging made easy
Shellworks emphasizes the importance of design and innovation in creating products, including home compostable multi-purpose jars (Tubby) and a home compostable fragrance cap (Cappy) made from their Vivomer material. They also offer custom packaging solutions tailored to individual business needs. Their Vivomer material has the potential to be useful in various industries beyond personal care, such as healthcare, fashion, and food and beverage.
