Imagine the tiny plastic beads in exfoliating scrubs that end up in the ocean; this project replaces them with a natural material grown from food waste. It's like turning leftover food scraps into a high-tech 'bio-sponge' that mimics the feel and function of plastic. These new additives fully disappear in nature within 60 days, leaving no toxic trace behind.
Companies using synthetic polymers and microbeads face a legal ban in the EU and consumer backlash due to microplastic pollution. Existing bio-alternatives often lack the necessary customization or true biodegradability.
A zero-waste production process for 100% biodegradable microbeads and rheology modifiers using food industry waste.
If you are a skincare brand dealing with the EU ban on intentionally added microplastics — this project developed biodegradable microbeads that replace PMMA and other synthetic polymers. This allows you to keep your product texture while meeting strict environmental laws.
If you are a detergent manufacturer dealing with the need for sustainable thickeners — this project developed a bio-based rheology modifier. This replaces liquid microplastics with a zero-waste alternative derived from food industry side streams.
If you are a personal care company dealing with consumer demand for plastic-free ingredients — this project developed customizable, all-natural additives. These ingredients are biodegradable within 60 days and do not compete with food sources.
Based on available project data, the company improved fermentation yields using food industry waste streams, which is intended to result in higher production efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The project specifically focused on optimizing, scaling up, and automating the production process to prepare for large scale orders.
Based on available project data, there is no specific mention of patents or licensing terms, though the technology is being developed by BIOWEG GmbH.
The technology is designed to comply with the European Commission's September 2023 ban on intentionally added microplastics.
The project period runs from 2022-07-01 to 2025-06-30, with current efforts focused on scaling and automation for client testing.
The project is led by a single German SME, BIOWEG GmbH, which holds 100% of the industry ratio. This lean structure suggests a fast-track approach to commercialization, focusing on internal scaling and direct collaboration with industrial players rather than academic research.
Contact BIOWEG GmbH in Germany for scale-up partnership opportunities.
Contact us to connect with BIOWEG GmbH for biodegradable additive sourcing.
