Page 162 - CW E-Magazine (23-7-2024)

News from Abroad

WASTE TO WEALTH
AgroRenew building melon-to-plastic manufacturing

plant in US

US-based bioplastics firm, Agro-
Renew, is building the “world’s first pur-
pose-built” facility for manufacturing
100% biodegradable plastic using
watermelons and other crop waste in
Indiana, USA.

AgroRenew plans to produce around
1,000-tpd (tonnes per day) of biodegrad-
able plastic made from crop waste. The
196,000 square foot plant will ship bio-
based plastic pellets to finishing plants,
where they will be transformed into a plete in 2026, though the company will create a product that will mitigate the
variety of finished products, including begin producing and shipping product global plastic crisis, but there are two
plastic bags, hard plastics, straws, and in 2025. When operating at maximum other facets that make this a perfect
single-use packaging. capacity, the plant will ship 300-ktpa of storm of progress. First, we are solv-
biodegradable plastic pellets. ing an economic problem for growers
The company’s founder & CEO by buying unharvested crops that
Mr. Brian Southern said phase one of Mr. Mouzin of Mouzin Brothers would otherwise rot in the fields, and
construction is targeted for completion Farms, who sits on the board of direc- secondly, we are preventing millions
in the first quarter of 2025, with the first tors of the newly formed AgroRenew of tons of crop waste from degrading
test products rolling off the assembly Growers Limited, a co-op representing and releasing methane gas into the
line shortly thereafter. Construction of farmers who will sell crop waste to atmosphere, further contributing to
all three phases is expected to be com- AgroRenew, said, “We are thrilled to climate change”.

TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGH
ZymoChem develops bio-based, and biodegradable

super absorbent polymer

ZymoChem, a US-based biotech late counterparts, Bayse is made from ZymoChem said its proprietary
company, has announced the launch of renewable resources, maintains a lower technology platform enables the pro-
Bayse, claimed to be “the world’s first carbon footprint, and is readily biode- duction of Bayse at a cost which is
scalable, 100% bio-based, and biode- gradable, addressing the environmental competitive with traditional SAPs. The
gradable” Super Absorbent Polymer concerns associated with the 300,000 company said Bayse boasts additional
(SAP). ZymoChem said the innovation diapers that enter landfills or are incine- applications in industries such as agri-
has the potential to “revolutionise the rated every minute. culture, cosmetics, and water treatment.
$145-bn global hygiene industry”. The creation of microplastics from
Dr. Harshal Chokhawala, CEO fossil-based petroleum SAP has been
According to the company, Bayse and Co-Founder of ZymoChem, said, a concern for those industries, which
is a drop-in replacement for traditional, “With Bayse, we are tackling one of the Bayse addresses as a high-performance,
fossil fuel-based SAPs, which are a key world’s most wasteful items head-on, microplastic-free alternative, it added.
component in disposable, absorbent offering a sustainable solution that does ZymoChem recently raised $21-mn in
hygiene products such as infant diapers. not compromise on performance or Series A funding to accelerate the com-
Unlike petroleum-derived, polyacry- affordability”. mercialisation of Bayse.

162 Chemical Weekly July 23, 2024

Contents Index to Advertisers Index to Products Advertised