The rapid global production of plastic has led to a disproportionate increase in plastic waste, which now pervades the environment, causing serious detrimental effects on our planet.
Thankfully, new startups are constantly emerging to create solutions for collecting, recycling, and generating useful by-products from this waste, giving a second life to materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, seas, or in the soil.
In this article, we present some of the innovative startups that are making a mark in technology and a positive impact on environment.
ReNew ELP
This British startup specializes in converting plastic waste – objects that have reached the end of their life – into high-quality chemicals and oils. They utilize a patented catalytic hydrothermal reactor in the conversion process, which involves using water at supercritical temperatures. This technology enables them to create valuable byproducts that are particularly useful for industrial purposes.
Loop Industries
According to data collected by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately 14 million tonnes of solid waste are composed of PET plastic, posing a significant challenge for recycling.
Canadian startup Loop Industries has patented a plastic depolymerization process that separates DMT and MEG from waste. These by-products are then used to make new plastic packaging, extending the material’s life cycle. Additionally, this process requires less heat and pressure than conventional conversion methods.
Brightmark Energy
Many startups focus on converting waste into new reusable plastic or other materials. However, the US startup Brightmark Energy specializes in converting organic and inorganic waste into renewable resources.
The company’s conversion process recycles all types of plastic into ultra-low-sulfur diesel, naphtha (petrol), and commercial-grade wax.
This process is designed to be easily scalable and to help cities significantly reduce plastic pollution.
PURA Loop
Not all plastic waste comes in the form of solid items like plastic bottles. Many industries generate waste in the form of sludge during their production processes. The liquid state of this waste makes it challenging to process using conventional technologies. Furthermore, plastic mixed with sludge cannot be effectively sorted or separated using traditional methods. As a result, some emerging companies are working on developing new technologies to process this sludge and extract useful by-products.
PURA Loop, a startup based in Hong Kong, develops solutions for treating and recovering nonrecyclable hazardous industrial sludge and mixed plastics. The company’s technology treats waste at the molecular level, eliminating the need for pre-treatment or sorting of the waste. This process produces various compounds as end products, which are then used in multiple applications
Novoloop
The management of plastic waste is a significant challenge, and developing the capability to process it is an even bigger one. Currently, solutions for treating plastic waste involve complex machinery and high temperatures or pressures, which can be a barrier to entering the market. To tackle this problem, startups are working on solutions that use chemicals to break the bonds between plastic molecules without requiring additional equipment or external factors.
One example is the US startup Novoloop, which has developed Lifecycling, a circular economy for plastic waste. Through its innovative ATOD technology, Novoloop can transform hard-to-recycle polyethylene into valuable chemical elements with a lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels.
These elements are then used to create high-performance materials like TPU. For instance, Novoloop created a running shoe sole using Lifecycle TPU obtained from plastic waste, demonstrating how the process turns waste materials into valuable new products.
Are you familiar with these companies? The startup landscape is diverse and sometimes unpredictable. It’s truly inspiring to see so many entrepreneurs committed to helping our planet by making plastic recycling more accessible. Plastic is a versatile material with endless applications, and it’s great to see so many people working to recycle it.
If you’re interested in learning more about plastic recycling processes, we invite you to visit our blog. You’ll find plenty of insightful content and discover some fascinating industry dynamics!