Full Cycle Bioplastics, Richmond, California, has announced it has been named the most innovative business of 2016 by Think Beyond Plastic for its process to convert food, agricultural, cardboard and paper scrap into biodegradable polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).
“Full Cycle is honored to receive this award,” says Andrew Falcon, Full Cycle CEO. “As a startup, it is important to externally test and validate our business model, and this is a great boost to our confidence that we are on the right path.”
Think Beyond Plastic hosts a yearly competition to find and highlight innovations that can eliminate global plastic pollution. This year, the organization received 145 applications from 35 countries in Africa, Asia, the European Union and North and South America.“Full Cycle Bioplastics’ innovation is a true example of a circular economy application, an innovative material coupled with an innovative business model,” says Daniella Russo, founder and CEO of Think Beyond Plastic.
Full Cycle will participate in Think Beyond Plastic’s startup accelerator. The program begins Sept. 1, 2016, in San Francisco.
Other plastics companies recognized by Think Beyond Plastic for their effort include the following:
Grow Bioplastics, which was named “Most Innovative Emerging Business,” for its use of lignin to produce biodegradable mulch films for agricultural use, which replacing existing petroleum-based plastic sheets. The switch delivered economic and environmental benefits to farmers, while preventing the landfilling of millions of tons of plastic sheets.
NeuWorld Plastics, was named “Most Innovative Business Idea,” for its compostable, nonpetroleum-based alternatives to single-serve food packaging that measurably reduces plastic pollution.
Receiving recognition with an Honorable Mention Microplastics were Catch Microfiber, for its Save the Ocean! Program; and Plastic Smog Emissions Closed Loop for their approach to preventing microfiber and microbeads from entering the ocean.
Honorable mention in the product design and services area are the following: A Better Way to Drink, United States; Drink Water, United States; and AmrutDhara, India. The three companies were recognized for their excellent, unique and different innovations that aim to measurably reduce or eliminate plastic bottle usage. Also being recognized in the Product Design and Services category was Clickeat, a Chilean company that has a unique patented design of utensils that uses wood particles.
In the Honorable mention for recycling category, the following companies were recognized: Recycle Points, Nigeria; Waste Cycle, also Nigeria; and RAW, Guatemala.
