UPM Circular Renewable Black™ is the world's first bio-based, NIR-detectable, carbon-negative* black pigment, built to end the recycling standoff around black plastic packaging. Conventional carbon black pigments block near-infrared (NIR) detection, making black items invisible to sorting systems. This has forced brands to choose between iconic black design and circularity, pushing black packaging out [...]

TripleW is transforming bioplastics production by addressing both sugar feedstock supply and post-consumer end-of-life upcycling. Historically, petrochemical refineries extracted underground crude oil to build the modern materials economy. Today, conventional PLA production relies on virgin food crops like corn and sugarcane. TripleW rewrites this narrative by treating organic food waste as the new petroleum [...]

Sustainea's Bio-MEG is produced through a one-step catalytic process that converts corn-derived dextrose directly into a bio-based monoethylene glycol chemically identical to its fossil counterpart. Validated across thousands of operating hours at demonstration scale, the process has been engineered for high yield and selectivity. A preliminary life cycle assessment projects Bio-MEG as carbon-negative on [...]

After reading about microplastics released from plastic cutting boards during use, 21-year-old Wessel Schönekerl started looking for alternatives. But every existing option came with its own disadvantages. Wooden boards require maintenance and are not dishwasher-safe, while glass boards are easy to clean but quickly dull kitchen knives. That raised a simple question: could a [...]

Algenesis Labs is a materials science and technology company founded in 2016 by three UC San Diego professors: Dr. Stephen Mayfield, Dr. Michael Burkart, and Dr. Robert Pomeroy. The company develops high-performance, bio-based, fully biodegradable polyurethanes using its patented Soleic® technology. Soleic® polyurethanes are made from renewable plant-based feedstocks, deliver a 50–65% reduction in [...]