Project description
New class of biopolymers sets the plastics industry on a path towards a greener future
B4P biopolymers, created by Belgium-based company B4Plastics, have beaten world records in strength versus degradation: despite being completely biodegradable in a controlled way, the biopolymers are designed for the highest mechanical strength, outcompeting non-degradable fossil materials such as traditional polymers like polyamides. The EU-funded B4PNOW project aims to move the technology from TRL 6 to 8 and launch two first proprietary polymer families. With support from the EIC, B4Plastics is in the race to become the first unicorn bioplastics company in the world in 2030, helping prevent millions of tonnes of plastic waste from leaking into the ocean.
Objective
B4Plastics (B4P) https://www.b4plastics.com/en is a bio-polymer architecture company, committed to making the greenest plastics ever developed. B4P Polymers have beaten world records in strength versus degradation: Despite being completely biodegradable in a controlled way ranging from years to even days, the biopolymers are designed for the highest mechanical strength, outcompeting fossil materials like traditional polyesters and polyamides. This allows for circularity “on demand”, a key concept in B4P’s polymer design: if the afterlife allows it we design it to be recycled. On the other hand, if the after-life situation demands it (if it will end up as pollution), we design it to completely degrade, triggered by its specific end-of-life situation.
That way, B4P has gained a unique position to change the status quo of the plastics economy, already having market-leading customers, such as STIHL, Huntsman, Capri-Sun, Lankhorst Euronete Portugal, Nike, 3M and Patagonia. B4P Polymers, completely aligned with the European Green Deal, are becoming game-changers in the plastic industry with an unprecedented balance in cost, performance, and ecology.
B4P wants to move from R&D company / developer to commercial supplier. B4PNOW will serve this goal by moving the technology from TRL 6 to 8, and launch two first proprietary polymer families:
• FortePlastics combines unprecedented material strength with full degradability – entering a € 42+ billion market.
• TriggerPlastics has unique controllable (up to the world’s fastest) degradability – entering a € 300+ billion market.
With the EIC support, B4P will become the first unicorn bioplastics company (>1 billion € turnover) in the world in 2030. This allows B4P to prevent 8 million tons of plastic waste that results in 1,5 million ton of micro-plastics leaking into the ocean, yearly. B4PNOW!
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecology
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
- engineering and technologyindustrial biotechnologybiomaterialsbioplastics
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
3650 Dilsen-Stokkem
Belgium
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.