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circular economy

Bio-Based Plastics and Chemicals Made from Renewable Feedstocks

Avantium is at the forefront of developing technologies to transition away from fossil fuels by transforming renewable resources into valuable chemicals and circular plastics for consumer products. The company provides innovative solutions for polymers, chemicals, and CO2 conversion, contributing to a more sustainable materials economy.  

Key technologies developed by Avantium: 

Enzyme Plastic Recycling Technology by Samsara Eco

Samsara Eco is working on innovative solutions for recycling plastics and textiles through advanced enzyme technology. Unlike traditional recycling, which often downgrades materials and limits plastic recyclability, Samsara Eco’s enzymes break down complex plastics (polymers) into their original chemical building blocks (monomers). The company creates virgin-grade plastics without reliance on fossil fuels by converting polymers into simple monomers.

Lifecycling™ Platform

Novoloop is a startup working on solutions to break down and upcycle plastics. Through its Lifecycling™ platform, Novoloop transforms hard-to-recycle plastics, such as plastic bags and packaging, into high-performance materials with a reduced carbon footprint. This novel technology chemically converts post-consumer polyethylene into essential building blocks, which are then used to produce thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), reducing carbon emissions by up to 41% compared to conventional methods.

Biomaterials Made from Mycelium

Ecovative is a startup developing mycelium-based materials as sustainable alternatives for the food, fashion, and packaging industries. The company operates three mycelium farms and annually converts over 10 million pounds of wood chips into high-value mycelium products. By using environmental signals, Ecovative guides mycelium to grow into complex structures through specific phenotypic triggers. The company also develops new strains with tailored properties for various applications.

Sustainable Solutions for Energy and Agriculture from Repurposed Organic Waste

Ductor addresses today’s environmental challenges in the energy and agriculture sectors by unlocking bioresources to make food production sustainable and energy generation clean. The company repurposes organic waste, transforming it into carbon-reduced fertilizers and renewable energy. Specializing in high-nitrogen organic waste that cannot be processed in conventional biogas systems, Ductor uses waste from agriculture, aquaculture, and other organic sources. This waste is fed into the Ductor reactor, where a patented microorganism consortium ferments it.