Waste Prevention

Mycocycle has developed an innovative technology that uses fungi for waste management and recycling. This patent-pending process enhances the natural capabilities of fungi to transform construction waste into low-carbon raw materials suitable for the built environment. Mycelium, the root structure of fungi, is naturally fire and water-resistant, insulative, durable, and lightweight—making it an ideal raw material for the building industry. Mycocycle’s lab process uses mycelium to consume and eliminate toxins from construction waste, producing environmentally safe raw building materials.

Intropic Materials is pioneering a technology designed to replace traditional plastics with biodegradable alternatives. The company’s approach integrates enzymes with a patented stabilization technology, allowing these materials to be either composted or fully recycled. Intropic Materials has developed advanced nanoprotectants that maintain enzyme stability and activity in various environments, enabling their use in a broader range of solvents and thermal processes for incorporation into plastics.

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.

Thaely is a footwear company that makes vegan and recycled shoes to address plastic waste, promote ethical practices, and support marginalized communities. The company’s sneakers are made with 100% recycled fabric and laces, recycled rubber shoes, vegan glue, and vegan detergents. Thaely sneakers are produced using innovative recycling technology to turn plastic waste into fashionable footwear. Plastic bags are sourced from Triotap Technologies, a proprietary platform developed by Thaely to transform waste plastic into ThaelyTex using simple heating.

Miraterra is a cutting-edge technology platform in soil measurement and precision fertilization. Developed by the company Terramera, this innovative platform integrates remote sensing with proximal sensing and advanced modeling techniques to offer a comprehensive approach to soil management. By combining these technologies, Miraterra reduces the cost and complexity of soil testing while increasing accuracy and minimizing uncertainty. The platform features the Digitizer, a state-of-the-art tool that enables precise and cost-effective soil analysis.

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.