Page 58 - Plastics News June 2023

IN THE NEWS

are sustainable alternatives for con- rich biomass. These biomass and/or Traceless is part of a new generation
ventional elastic materials in various industrial organic side streams serve of plastic-free natural polymer mate-
applications. as feedstock for heterotrophic fer- rials that aims to go beyond bio-based
fi u c sho soles. mentations, e.g. yeast oil fermenta- or biodegradable plastics. The mate-
company is working together with tion. rial is based on plant residues of the
shoe producers who make soles from Certain yeast strains have the strength agricultural industry and contains 100
the innovative materials. This avoids of feedstock agnosticism: a vast vari- % bio-based carbon content – hereby
the accumulation of persistent micro- ety of different feedstocks can serve supporting the transition from fos-
plastics and offers an ecological end of as carbon source, among others C5 sils to renewables, while additionally
life perspective for the product. sugars, C6 sugars, volatile fatty acids, avoiding direc foo conflict.
The company says that these materi- and fat residues. Colipi is actively en- It is also claimed that Traceless is a
als can be fully reintegrated into the gaged in joint research and develop- toxic-free and climate friendly solu-
biological cycle by industrial compost- ment with large corporations which tion, as according to the company
ing. provide potential feedstocks whereas the production and disposal emit up
Colipi tests them for purpose fit. The to 95 % less CO compared to con-
Second Winner 2
product consists of triacylglycerides, ventional plastics. The patent-pending
Carbon-Light Yeast Oil (COLIPI (DE))
in composition equivalent to those of production technology is scalable and
COLIPI develops bioprocesses for the plants e.g. oil palm, mainly consisting efficient, saving by average 83 % of
transformation of CO to sustainable of C16:0, C18:0 and C18:1 fatty acids. fossil energy demand during produc-
2
carbon-light alternatives to plant oils Further valuable molecules like anti- tion.
like palm oil. The company says that oxidative vitamins namely astaxanthin, The company also claims that plastics
the ‘’core innovation and enabler is a tocopherols, and other carotenoids and packaging industry can further
patented gas fermentation bioreac- are produced. process this granulate to rigid ap-
tor that safely unlocks world’s fastest Third Winner plications, flex films, coating o
CO utilising microorganisms which
2 Traceless – Plastic-Free Natural Poly- adhesives, using standard converting
turn off-gasses containing CO (di-
2 mer (traceless materials (DE)) technologies.
rectly), H2 and O2 to carbohydrate

58 PLASTICS NEWS June 2023