4 StartUps you MUST know about this Environment Day

Akshat Sood

It is no secret that nature’s resources are depleting with each passing minute and that the human species is responsible for it. Marine pollution, global warming and human overpopulation are some of the issues that need to be addressed immediately.

To raise awareness about the above issues, and to work towards a safer and cleaner future, the United Nations marked 5^th of June as World Environment Day. The day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 in an attempt to integrate human interactions and the environment. The first World Environment Day was held in 1974, with a theme of “Only One Earth”. 

The 2018 World Environment Day will be hosted by India and has a theme of “Beat Plastic Pollution”. The theme was chosen so that people make a conscious effort to reduce the heavy burden of plastic pollution.

Since plastic is non-biodegradable, it cannot be recycled easily. Or can it?

Here are some start-ups that are working towards successfully recycling plastic waste:

Origin Materials

The start-up, founded in 2008, is working towards ‘a better plastic bottle’ and has raised over $80 million in venture capital funds. It is backed by giants like Nestlé and Danone.

Origin Materials aims to manufacture plastic bottles using renewable materials like sawdust, cardboard and angel’s tears. The start-up aims to make plastic bottles with upto 60% organic material.

Read more about Origin Materials and what they do here.

Agilyx

Agylix has been working since 2004 to make plastic a renewable resource and has developed a Polystyrene-to-Styrene Monomer Technology that converts waste polystyrene into a liquid that it then sells to manufacturing facilities. That liquid is then modified and used to make different plastic products.

This technology can be used to convert plastic wastes into usable commodities, such as making bicycle helmets from used plastic cups.

Agylix has raised over $61 million and is working towards technology to fully recycle polystyrene.

On another front, Aglyix has commercialised technology that converts plastic to superior-quality crude oil. Read more about Agylix here.

Saperatec

The German start-up tackles the problem of recycling plastic mixed materials. Saperatec has developed specialised micro-emulsions that are based on surfactants. This will tackle products that aren’t quite pure-plastic and include layers of aluminium and cardboard, such as tetrapak cartons.

Saperatec has raised $5.3 million and is aimed at achieving the separation of individual materials for recycling. Learn more about Saperatec here.

Ioniqa Technologies

The Dutch start-up is known for its Magnetic Smart Materials technology. It works on the principle that smart materials exhibit changes in their properties in the presence of a magnetic field. In the case of plastics bottles, colorants and contaminants are removed, leaving behind a raw material that can be reused and recycled to make more plastic bottles.

This procedure reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 70% as compared to the conventional bottle manufacturing process.

The company has raised about $3 million and is about to open a 10,000-ton production facility soon. Read more about Ioniqa here.

Banyan Nation

The Indian start-up used a complete value chain approach to develop technology that cleans plastics and eliminates all potential contaminants such as auto paints, metals, inks, labels and adhesives.

The start-up has been working with Tata Motors and helped them reuse plastic waste as raw materials in manufacturing. Banyan Nation handles ‘bottle-to-bottle’ production of shampoo bottles for L’Oreal.

Through its website, Banyan Nation also provides a portal to buy recycled plastic and to sell waste plastic. The start-up was up and running in 2013 with a seed fund of $800,000. Read more here.

According to reports by Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the World Economic Forum, by 2050, oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish by weight!

We need to actively work towards a lifestyle that resonates the theme of the 2018 World Environment Day.

Do let us know about your thoughts on World Environment Day and the importance of cutting down on plastic usage in the comments section, and as always, thanks for reading!