UK biotech company, Torphene, is preparing to unveil its biodegradable, compostable and commercially viable alternative to plastic packaging.
The company said it has developed a new material, also called Toraphene, which uses biopolymers that compost naturally and biodegrade without human intervention.
The biopolymers are combined with graphene, which is derived from carbon and is stronger than diamond at an atomic level, according to Toraphene.
While biodegradable plastics currently exist, they rely on commercial composting, which uses energy to heat the compost, as well as presenting other logistical challenges.
In addition, some bioplastics produce methane gas when they decompose, a compound with a global warming potential 25 times that of CO2, the company explains. Toraphene can be optimised to mostly produce CO2 along with mulch that can be used to fortify topsoil.
“Amidst a climate crisis, plastic waste is known to be a huge, global problem and many plastic alternatives now exist, so why don’t we see them everywhere?”, asks Gaute Juliussen, CEO and founder of Toraphene. “It’s because they need specific manmade conditions to biodegrade, and many degrade into microplastics, which contaminate our oceans and food chain for centuries”.
Such bioplastics have “effectively been ‘greenwashed’ and mis-sold to environmentally responsible consumers and companies,” continues Mr Juliussen. “They also tear easily, shorten the shelf-life of the contents they contain and cannot be produced economically at scale”.
Due to the addition of Graphene, Toraphene has been shown to be stronger, thinner, and less permeable than alternatives, improving food safety and shelf-life, the company states. The company said it is already in talks with major consumer brands, retailers and food packaging suppliers.
Birgit Liodden, founder of The Ocean Opportunity Lab, said: “Toraphene has the potential to create a critical turning point in tackling the global plastic pollution crisis. We all know how pressing the climate crisis is, and plastic pollution is a huge problem, particularly in our ocean environments.”
Ahead of the launch of Toraphene, which is patented in the UK, EU, and the US, Mr Juliussen is launching an equity crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube.
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