SOUTH AFRICA – Cape Town-based young-woman-led award-winning biotech startup BAOM eco solutions (BAOM) is developing 100% compostable cellulose-based alternatives to plastics and other packaging materials.
With five effective prototype categories, the startup’s goal is to replace single-use plastics with a cost-effective, locally sourced, earth-friendly solution.
The company’s biofilms, as it calls its products, are not merely biodegradable but compostable, allowing end-users to process biofilm packaging by burying it in their gardens or compost heaps, helping nourish their plants.
Alternatively, they can give the material to their local community garden or dispose of it to for-profit composting companies.
The company further developed its prototype biofilms through scientific engagement, thanks to a micro-grant from Cape Town biotech enabler UVU-Bio.
The grant allowed BAOM access to the UVU-Bio’s laboratories. However, the startup has now outgrown the enabler’s micro-lab facilities.
“The next step for us is to scale up to macro-lab facilities,” explains BAOM product developer Melian Dott.
“A macro-lab would be the beginning of a production facility. This would involve larger-scale laboratory equipment, such as an industrial-scale urn, ideally 500 liters capacity.
“If we get the capital and equipment we need, we could deliver our first production samples within two months.”
The company can produce biofilms with different thicknesses and with different textures. ‘Thick plastic’ biofilms could be used basically for anything that flexible PVC sheeting is currently used for.
‘Thin plastic’ mimics clingwrap and laminated thin plastics. ‘Vegan leather’ mimics smooth cowhide, or textured crocodile or ostrich hide.
‘Cardboard’ would substitute for real cardboard, but BAOM’s material is fire-resistant and, if it gets wet, returns to its shape when it dries out. ‘Paper’ performs exactly like real paper and can be printed on.
It should be noted that each of these categories can be subdivided into different variations. For example, ‘paper’ can be subdivided into ‘writing paper’, ‘baking paper’ and so on.
“Our first go-to-market product will actually be an intermediate thick/thin biofilm, to be used to wrap tree roots, for trees being planted in reforestation and rehabilitation projects,” added company business developer Chloe Cormack.
“There is a lot of investment going into reforestation and food security initiatives now, because of the acceleration of climate change impacts that we are experiencing.
“Our product retains water, before breaking down and turning into compost, thereby being good for both the trees and the soil. Indeed, and importantly, BAOM root-wraps are so far showing efficacy in improving tree, and other plant, transplant survival rates, which is often a major challenge experienced in land restoration and food security projects.”
The company’s future operating concept is to deploy a network of small factories, to serve local markets.
This would be more efficient than centralized large production facilities with widespread distribution networks. This decentralization concept will also be better for both job creation and the climate.
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