Project description
Eco-friendly biomaterial made from nanocellulose on the path to commercial availability
Denmark-based biotech startup Cellugy is replacing single-use plastics with 100 % natural cellulose. The new biomaterial can replace plastics in several packaging applications and is completely harmless to the environment. It can be used in combination with paper, cardboard and other bio-based materials and meets the performance requirements of the packaging industry, all whilst being fully recyclable and biodegradable. After securing funding for developing the new biomaterial, Cellugy now aims, in the context of the EU-funded EcoFLEXY project, to scale up production, focusing on technical optimisation strategies, a pilot plant setup and relevant pre-deployment activities.
Objective
Plastic pollution is a dramatic problem of our times. A large percentage of plastic production is destined to packaging, which is designed for single use but at the same time can stay in the environment for thousands of years. Efforts to replace conventional, oil-based plastics with more environmentally friendly materials have so far failed due to their reliance on food crops and end-of-life challenges. Cellugy has designed EcoFLEXY, a biomaterial able to replace plastics in several packaging applications, which is completely harmless to the environment. EcoFLEXY is produced by bacteria and yeast starting from sugar or agro-industrial waste, in low-energy conditions. Being made of nanocellulose, EcoFLEXY can be either recycled in the paperboard stream or home composted, whereas if leaking into the environment it safely biodegrades in a short time, leaving no toxic residues behind. EcoFLEXY production emit 94% less CO2 emissions compared to conventional plastics and at the same time enables a circular economy by making use of second-generation feedstocks. Cellugy will first sell EcoFLEXY to packaging companies and chemical companies serving them. It will start marketing Cellugy in Northern Europe where consumer and customer demand for sustainable products is highest. EcoFLEXY will be sold at a price competitive to that of bioplastics, leveraging on important collaborations within the chemical and packaging industry. To reach market launch, Cellugy will expand its production from the laboratory to a full industrial volume scale in a stepwise manner, with considerable interest from prospective investors in the biotech sector to follow product development. Cellugy’s team is well-rounded and led by award-winning entrepreneur Dr Isabel Alvarez Martos.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- social scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managemententrepreneurship
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbioplastics
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
2860 Soborg
Denmark
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.