ADVANCING A PLANT-POWERED PLASTIC ALTERNATIVE

The journey for startup erthos Inc. started with the determination to help tackle the global plastic waste crisis and led to the development of materials that are significantly greener and more circular than their plastic counterparts.

In order to ensure these materials are compatible with existing plastic technology – and fit seamlessly into pre-existing supply chains – the company built strategic relationships with plastic manufacturers and global consumer packaged goods supply chains.

The erthos team enlisted support from within the innovation ecosystem, most notably from AB InBev’s 100+ Accelerator, to turn its innovation into a functional product. The result? A groundbreaking keg-sealing plant-powered cap.

They may seem small, but keg caps account for thousands of tonnes of global plastic consumption annually. Keg caps made with erthos’s resins, on the other hand, result in significant water, energy and CO2 savings when compared to their traditional plastic counterparts; they are also compostable, biobased and entirely non-toxic, thus food-contact safe.

Building on this success, erthos is currently in the process of scaling up this resin’s production process and working with major consumer packaged goods brands and manufacturers to replace other rigid, single-use plastics.

Dedicated to raising awareness about the plastics challenge and the need to move towards a more circular economy, the erthos team also works with industry leaders and participates on boards, councils and committees that govern the development of compostable plastics – and the industry at large.