Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for the packaging sector. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we decided to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising bio-based packaging companies.
Heat Map: 5 Top Bio-Based Packaging Solutions
Through the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering over 3 790 000+ startups & scaleups globally, we identified 119 startups developing bio-based packages. The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights the 5 bio-based packaging startups you should watch as well as the geo-distribution of all 119 startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Based on the heat map, we see high startup activity in Western Europe, followed by the US.
Interested in exploring all 110+ bio-based packaging startups?
Compackable manufactures Polylactic Acid Mailers
Polylactic Acid (PLA) represents a class of bio-based and biodegradable polymeric packaging materials, possessing high performance and high elasticity. They are primarily used in the food, industrial, and medical markets. PLA originates from renewable sources as a result of eco-friendly fermentation and degrades into non-toxic content.
Compackable is a Danish startup that develops cornstarch-based PLA mailers. The startup harvests corn and processes it into cornstarch, along with materials from other plants, to develop a non-toxic compostable mailer. It allows businesses, especially eCommerce companies, to reduce their carbon footprint.
LignoPure offers Lignin-based Packaging
When utilized in packaging production, lignin as an organic polymer increases the barrier properties of finished products, especially against UV rays. Thanks to its moderate thermal stability and biodegradability, lignin stands for a good choice in terms of supply materials for producing bags, packaging films and coatings.
Found in 2019, German startup LignoPure creates industrially compostable and thermally stable lignin compounds for the production of packaging, tableware, and bathroom goods. Moreover, LignoPure’s solutions have also been effectively tested for biopolymer composites and packaging adhesives use cases.
Origin Materials manufactures Bio-PET
Bio-polyethylene terephthalate (Bio-PET) has the same molecular structure as conventional fossil fuels-based PET packaging, but find their base in the use of plants and biomass. Due to increased renewable content, Bio-PET possesses a better eco-balance, emits less carbon and is more suitable for recycling compared to traditional PET.
The US-based startup Origin Materials develops recyclable plant-based Bio-PET plastic for packaging applications, based on agriculture and wood waste. As its mission, Origin Materials focuses on commercializing carbon-negative materials.
TBM makes a Limestone-based Material
Despite being of sedimentary rock origin, limestone compounds add decent rigidity, durability, and barrier protection to plastic-based and paper-based packaging. As a natural mineral substance, limestone does not deprive food crops or comprise harmful artificial chemicals and is supposed to degrade back to its original form.
Japanese startup TBM develops LIMEX, a limestone-based material, used in the production of shopping bags, garbage bags, and food containers. Their patented technology enables proper thermal processing of LIMEX and ensures recyclability and biodegradation.
Universal Biopack offers a Starch-based Packaging Material
Starch possesses superior thermal processing and plasticization characteristics, which makes it eligible for melting and forming under usual packaging-related processes of injection molding, film extrusion, blowing, vacuum- and thermoforming. Besides, starch originates from almost abundant renewable supplies of potatoes, corn, tapioca, as well as is suitable for blending with other polymers, e.g., PLA and PE.
The Thailand-based company Universal Biopack creates UB Pack, a patented cassava starch-based biodegradable and compostable material with decent temperature resistance and insulation characteristics, eligible for tableware and food packaging.
Discover All Emerging Packaging Startups
The bio-sourced packaging startups showcased in this report are only a small sample of all startups we identified through our data-driven startup scouting approach. Download our free Packaging Innovation Report for a broad overview of the industry or get in touch for quick & exhaustive research on the latest technologies & emerging solutions that will impact your company!
