Polymateria, a British business developing a new standard in biodegradable and compostable plastics, has announced a partnership with Clariant, one of the world’s leading specialty chemical companies, to bring its new Biotransformation technology to market in South East Asia. The announcement was made at the K Show in Düsseldorf, Germany. Polymateria and Clariant have decided to focus on South East Asia as this is the main source of “fugitive” plastic globally. Fugitive plastic is the 32% of plastic each year which escapes the circular economy and leaks into the natural environment. Previous issues with biodegradable solutions have faltered in the past, largely due to the creation of microplastic and  lack of compatibility with recycling systems. There has also been confusion from consumers around what action to take once they are finished with the packaging.

In order for the circular economy to work, products need to be designed with end of use in mind, ensuring that the materials used are good for all life. What’s really needed for the circular economy to work is “Good Cycling”, which ensures the materials used are able to return to nature when the technical cycle fails without causing any ecotoxicology issues. Any plastic that is unable to demonstrate this, whether degraded or not, is simply “Bad Cycling”. The concept of “Good Cycling” has influenced / been behind the development of Polymateria’s revolutionary Biotransformation technology which ensures return to nature without creating microplastic. It also ensures products don’t begin biodegrading until a pre-programmed timeframe has elapsed and importantly allows for recycling to take place.

Niall Dunne CEO of Polymateria said: “We are delighted to partner with Clariant to bring our Biotransformation technology to market in South East Asia, with the ambition to combine our technology and formulation know-how with their global reach and production capabilities and knowledge of the Masterbatches market.” Dr. Jan Sueltemeyer, Global Head of Innovation & Sustainability at Clariant said: “Clariant Masterbatches has a clear strategy towards sustainability, supporting recycling, bioplastics and biodegradation through partnerships. Polymateria provides a missing link for us and we are excited to bring this technology to regions of the world where fugitive plastic is greatest. Together we will also support government and standards bodies around the world to accelerate work on a new standard for biodegradability.”