UK-based biotech company Toraphene is preparing to unveil the world's first truly biodegradable, compostable and commercially viable alternative to plastic packaging.
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First naturally biodegradable plastic packaging alternative containing graphene
The company has developed a new material, also called Toraphene, that uses biopolymers that compost naturally and biodegrade without human intervention, even in the ocean.
The biopolymers are combined with Nobel Prize-winning graphene, which is derived from carbon and is stronger than diamond at an atomic level.
Gaute Juliussen, CEO and Founder of Toraphene, said: “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? It’s because they need specific man-made conditions to biodegrade, and many degrade into microplastics, which contaminate our oceans and food chain for centuries.”
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. This presents the first commercially viable alternative to plastics.
Birgit Liodden, Founder of The Ocean Opportunity Lab, added: “Toraphene has the potential to create a critical turning point in tackling the global plastic pollution crisis … I’m very heartened by the prospect of Toraphene, which should be a transformative step in tackling plastic pollution and play a huge role in making the world’s oceans plastic-free”.
Toraphene is renting production equipment from plastic bag manufacturers and plugging directly into existing supply chains. The company is already in talks with major consumer brands, retailers and food packaging suppliers. Ultimately, Toraphene aims to render plastic packaging obsolete and disrupt the $4 trillion plastics industry.