The Philippines is one of the biggest producers of seaweed or macroalgae and a startup aims to transition our use of fossil-based plastic to its environmentally friendly alternative
The plastic pollution crisis impacts every living thing on our planet. And with only 9 percent of the 400 million tonnes of plastic produced annually getting recycled, the problem continues to mount. Replacing plastics remains difficult, however, as they are undeniably versatile and convenient, structuring modern life as we know it. This is why a Dutch startup Biotic has developed bioplastic flakes or pellets, which it believes could provide an alternative.
The company’s bio-based, fully biodegradable PHBV polymers are made using macroalgae and their secret recipe. By extracting macroalgae, which is non-toxic and carbon absorbent, and using saline water, which reduces energy consumption and contamination risks, Biotic’s solution is an environmentally friendly process. It further eliminates the need for recycling and shows that a circular plastics economy is attainable.
Mark Durno, the Managing Partner of AgriFood at Rockstart, a Biotic investor, states: “plastic production has grown faster than any other material since the 1970s, a worrying trend in light of climate change,” but Biotic has “demonstrated that they understand the complexity of this challenge and the need for solutions that can fit our current manufacturing and user requirements.”
Biotic is currently in the process of attaining market validation. To speed up this process, Rockstart has invested €2 million in November 2022, which the startup will use to build a plant, optimize processes, and increase production capacity.
This is further boost the utilization of seaweed in the Philippines being surrounded by sea and will definitely benefit from this.
Some info source from Springwise.
