26 Innovators Disrupting the Plastic & Packaging Value Chain

Rethinking Materials Summit, London, May 4-5, 2022

With consumers and regulators focusing more than ever on the materials we use and how they are disposed of, innovators are revolutionising food packaging, plastic production, and approaches to recycling and waste.

Rethinking Materials reveals 26 start-ups set to shake up the supply chain when they take to the summit stage in London on May 4-5.

“Connecting innovators with investors and corporate partners is one of the greatest opportunities we have at Rethinking Materials. The full value chain must work together to tackle plastic pollution and we’re excited to create moments that spark those vital collaborations” says Ellen McLeay, the summit’s Senior Conference Producer and Technology Scout.

Entrepreneurs at the cutting edge of innovation will present solutions including fully biodegradable PHA polymers, edible coatings preventing food waste, AI-enabled waste sortation, and engineered enzymes that breakdown plastics.

Eight innovators will present their solutions to our industry panels during a five-minute pitch followed by a Q&A.

The first Technology Showcase introduces four start-ups focused on ‘Innovation in Raw Materials’, sharing their sustainable, high-performance materials of the future, with investors from AIIM Partners and Founders’ Factory. The second Technology Showcase is focused on ‘Innovation for Reuse, Recyclability, Sortation and Circularity’, handing the mic to four start-ups addressing the problem of plastic waste, with investors from PA Consulting and Archipelago.

• Biotic (Israel) uses macroalgae within its secret recipe to create fully bio-based, fully biodegradable PHA polymers
• AgroSustain (Switzerland) create edible coatings and fungicides for crops resulting in reduced food waste
• erthos’ (Canada) plant-based plastic alternative is fully compostable in both home and industrial settings
• PolyPerception (Belgium) provides real-time end-to-end waste flow monitoring to plastics and recovery facilities
• traceless produces a novel generation of home compostable bio-circular and plastic-free materials, making use of natural biopolymers
• Again (UK) provides a network of cleaning tech enabling brands to reuse packaging for the same price as single use
• Enzymity (Latvia) engineered enzymes turn plastic waste into inputs for new high-quality plastic with lower CO2 emissions
• Can I Recycle This (CIRT) (USA) is a recycling technology platform that gives retailers, brands and consumers on-demand, location-specific information about how and where to recycle materials

Jamie Stone, Design Strategy, Sustainability and Innovation Expert at PA Consulting said “Innovation in the plastics and packaging sectors is an absolute necessity. New and coming regulatory action, coupled with changing recycling technology are forcing a re-evaluation of materials of all kinds, plastics included. When that is coupled with consumer pressure, corporate commitments, and an appetite for alternatives to plastic, innovation is a critical element.”

Innovators are a critical part of the conversation, and the summit spotlights industry talent as entrepreneurs share their perspectives in panels alongside major retailers, CPG brands, investors, producers and converter, regulators, and established technology companies:

• Cristian Hedesiu (Carbonauten Polymers), Freya Burton (LanzaTech), and Sophie Tuviahu (UBQ Materials) will join the opening panel, discussing how the materials industry can reduce its reliance on fossil carbon.
• Märt-Erik Martens (Gelatex) shares his experience scaling up a new material and working around or with exisiting infrastructure.
• Jess Leber (Ginkgo BioWorks) reveals how syntheti biology addresses challenges in the design of new sustainable, environmentally friendly materials.
• John Williams (Aquapak Polymers), Loredana Moimas (Sulapac), Dave Williamson (Modern Meadow), and Gavin McIntyre (Ecovative Design) explore how next-generation materials are impacting and disrupting product design.
• Simon Hombersley (Xampla), Pierre Paslier (Notpla), and Julia Marsh (Sway) highlight material innovation targeting marine-safe degradation while achieving barrier performance required for packaging needs.
• Kinge Gardien (Grow Future Lab) joins a fireside chat to discuss the role of design in driving innovation in plastics, packaging, and high-performance materials.
• Bruno Langlois (Carbios) dives into recycling and reuse as part of a circular system.
• Clemence Schmid (TerraCycle) will go deeper into reduction and reuse as a sustainable and economical solution for businesses reducing single-use packaging.
• Joshua Young (PragmatIC) and Johan Kerver (FiliGrade) reveal the potential for ‘intelligent’ functionality in packaging for reducing waste, tracing and sorting for reuse.
• Florence Miremadi-Nafici (NER) helps close the summit, joining a panel looking at systemic changes needed to turn the tide on plastic waste.

Meet hundreds of materials and packaging pioneers at Rethinking Materials in London (and online) on May 4-5. The summit will bring together the full value chain for two days of high-impact networking and knowledge exchange to accelerate circular solutions in plastics & packaging and turn the tide on plastic pollution.

The full programme, speaking faculty and delegate registration are available now at www.rethinkingmaterials.com.

Source: Rethinking Materials (13 April, 2022)