Paques Biomaterials and Looop will collaborate in producing PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate) from agri-food waste streams. Paques Biomaterials has been working for more than 10 years on the technology in which microbes in organic waste streams produce the biopolymer PHA. Looop is an independent (knowledge) partner and supplier of these waste streams from the agri-food sector.
It is hardly surprising that these companies have found each other and will join forces in producing a natural alternative to plastic.
“The cooperation with Looop offers us a secure supply of waste streams to produce PHA,” says René Rozendal, co-founder of Paques Biomaterials. “Looop has a lot of experience in valorising waste streams. They are innovative and apply high quality control. Because Looop can combine different types of waste streams from the agri-food sector, they can guarantee us the best feedstock for our PHA production.”
PHA is also called the most promising biopolymer because it is made by nature and also completely degrades in nature, both on land and in the sea and without any specific equipment or conditions. PHA will therefore be an important solution to plastic pollution and microplastics.
Looop and Paques Biomaterials recently expressed their intention to jointly explore the production of PHA in organic waste streams.
“We guarantee our suppliers the highest valorisation for their waste streams,” says Kelly Vermeer, manager Procurement & Development at Looop. “Producing PHA provides higher valorisation which ensures lower CO2 emissions and is therefore an important broadening within our application areas. It is both biobased and circular and therefore fits perfectly with our mission and vision.
Looop brings organic waste streams back into the food chain as animal feed, raw materials for pet food and bio-based products for the human sector, among other things. In the process, Looop works towards two Sustainable Development Goals, Responsible Consumption (12) and Partnership for the goals (17).
“We have a very strong focus on partnerships. Our whole company is founded on collaborations and connection,” says Paul Slits, shareholder of Looop. There is no other way when you are in a circular chain. That’s why we have joined forces with Paques Biomaterials. Paul Slits is an intuitive thinker who depends on his instincts. “The cooperation with Paques Biomaterials just feels right. We both work towards a world in balance with nature, in this we have a great ally in each other.”
Paques Biomaterials has several collaborations running to produce PHA. Dutch organisations with industrial wastewater, a consortium with water authorities for municipal wastewater and a multinational in South Korea. In the months ahead, the cooperation between Looop and Paques Biomaterials will be defined both in terms of business development and technology development. development.
About Looop
Looop, based in Venlo (NL), is an independent (knowledge) partner for upgrading by-products derived from the food, beverage and fermentation industries. The portfolio includes versatile by-products from grains, maize and other organic raw materials, which can be used as high-quality ingredients for animal and livestock feed, as renewable energy sources and for the production of innovative bio-based products. With the valorisation of organic by-products, Looop strives for a fully circular world where waste no longer exists.
About Paques Biomaterials
Paques Biomaterials uses natural bacteria and processes to produce biodegradable PHBV biopolymer, using organic material in waste streams as nutrients. This way, a natural alternative to plastic is produced from waste with high added value and wide applicability. The Paques Biomaterials team has been working on scaling up this technology for more than a decade and is currently preparing to introduce its products and processes commercially.
Source
Looop, press release, 2023-11-22.
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