Materials and data for the future of packaging

Three start-ups, three different approaches to the same challenge: developing bio-based materials that are aesthetically compelling, technically high-performing and scalable for industrial production. Krillmat transforms agri-food waste – including citrus peels, hazelnut shells, coffee grounds and grape pomace – into bio-based polymers that can be injection-moulded using conventional plastic manufacturing processes. This enables industrial scalability without requiring manufacturers to redesign existing production lines. The New Materialist begins with the brand brief and identifies the biomaterial best suited to its needs, building a process in which aesthetics are not merely decorative but a prerequisite for adoption. A material that creates a strong visual impact generates the internal commitment needed to carry a project through the challenges of scaling up. L-ife uses Ganoderma mycelium to grow protective packaging directly inside a mould within a week, creating a compostable material with a negative carbon footprint when biogenic carbon is taken into account. Despite their different technologies, all three companies face the same end-of-life challenge. Krillmat focuses on recyclability within existing plastic recycling streams – a solution that is technically feasible but not yet fully supported by infrastructure. The New Materialist works to ensure compliance with the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) for paper-based materials, while L-ife’s solution is certified compostable. All three acknowledged that, in its current form, the PPWR places innovative biomaterials at a disadvantage compared with conventional recycled plastics, highlighting a regulatory tension that remains unresolved.