Renewable Feedstock

Sway has developed seaweed-based biodegradable substitutes for traditional packaging and containers. The company uses natural polymers found in seaweed to create thermoplastic seaweed resin (TPSea™), which are biobased pellets designed to replace conventional plastics. TPSea™ technology melts and stretches just like petroleum-based pellets and integrates well with plastic manufacturing systems. This technology is also the base for TPSea Flex™, a versatile film made with seaweed suited for various industries, including fashion, beauty, and food.

Keel Labs is a sustainable materials company that develops innovative materials derived from ocean resources. The main product, Kelsun™ fiber, uses seaweed due to its versatility, resilience, and ecological benefits. The production process involves extracting alginate, a biopolymer from seaweed, and combining it with proprietary additives and water to form a solution known as dope. This solution undergoes wet spinning, where polymer chains link to form fine filaments, which are then extruded into an aqueous solution and stretched to align their internal structure.

Bolt Threads is a biotechnology company that creates sustainable materials through advanced bioengineering techniques. Their innovative products cater to the textiles, skincare, hair care, and cosmetics industries. Key products include Mylo™, B-Silk Protein™, and Microsilk™. Mylo™ is a leather-like material derived from mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. Grown in a vertical farming system powered entirely by renewable energy, mycelium matures in approximately two weeks. Post-harvest, it is processed into sheets of soft biomaterial.

Circular Systems is a material science company that transforms biowaste into valuable fiber, yarn, and textile fabrics. Texloop™ is a technology that recycles pre-  and post-consumer textile waste into a high-quality recycled cotton fabric and upgrades it into high-quality RCOT™ recycled cotton fiber.

Woodland Biofuels is a company that converts waste biomass to hydrogen, renewable natural gas, methanol, or ethanol. The company uses gasification, which involves converting biomass feedstock into syngas through a high-temperature, oxygen-limited process. The syngas is then subjected to highly efficient catalytic reactions to produce carbon-negative fuels. Woodland’s technology uses waste biomass from low-cost, non-food sources such as forest, industry, agricultural, and municipal waste as input feedstock.

Seventh Generation is a pioneer company that specializes in eco-friendly household and personal care products made with plant-based, biodegradable ingredients and recyclable packaging materials. The company prioritizes using safe, non-toxic ingredients free from synthetic fragrances, dyes, and phosphates. All ingredients are listed on their products and website, including the environmental impacts of formulations. Many products have third-party certifications from the USDA BioPreferred Program, Leaping Bunny (for cruelty-free products), and EPA’s Safer Choice Program.

Origin Materials has developed the Origin Platform, which replaces oil as the foundational feedstock for the material economy. Woody biomass is Origin’s feedstock, which comes from agricultural waste, wood waste, and even old cardboard. The Origin platform converts C-6 cellulose into four isolated building-block chemicals in one chemo-catalytic step with almost zero carbon loss. Their catalyst is recovered and doesn’t rely on expensive sugars or fermentation.

Enerkem specializes in converting waste materials into biofuels and renewable chemicals using patented gasification technology. This process utilizes waste and biomass residues from municipal, commercial, and industrial sources. The waste is initially sorted to remove recyclable and inert components, then shredded and dried for further processing. In the gasification phase, the prepared waste is fed into a proprietary bubbling fluidized bed gasification vessel, where it reacts with steam and oxygen to break down molecules and produce a mixture called syngas.

Bloom Bio Renewables uses aldehyde-assisted fractionation (AAF) to separate cellulose and stabilize lignin polymers and hemicellulose-derived sugars in biomass. Due to this stabilization, lignin and hemicellulose can be valorized more efficiently, allowing Bloom to transform them into various products. These lignin-derived products are antioxidant, antimicrobial, water-soluble, and efficient in low concentrations. They also filter UV rays and function as excellent emulsifiers and dispersants.

EcoCocon has developed an alternative wall panel system that is 89% straw and 10% timber. The company combines straw construction with modern technology to improve performance and achieve exceptional insulation. EcoCocon’s goal is to use as little as possible to protect forests from over-exploitation. The wood is derived from sustainable forestry, and the straw is sourced from local farms. These materials contain no glues and do not undergo any chemical treatment throughout the construction process. The walls are custom-made to fit any building design.