According to a CNBC report, shrimp-shell-based packaging could be the latest bio-plastic material to enter the market via a California-based startup called Cruz Foam.
“What we’ve done is really built a process which allows us to take this waste and essentially manufacture and turn it into large-scale replacements for plastics,” John Felts, CEO of Cruz Foam, told CNBC.
Made from chitin, a material found in shrimp shells, insects, and fungi, it is biodegradable, easily compostable, or it will just degrade quickly in a landfill. Felts calls it “earth digestible.” Since it is made from waste, the costs are lower than other biomaterials.
“We scale with existing manufacturing, and that has allowed us to reach economies of scale and cost very quickly,” added Felts.
The company already works with Rivian and Whirlpool, and investors see significant opportunities.
But this is a big field, with other companies producing packaging from natural materials like seaweed, mushrooms, waste wool, and recycled pulp, among others.
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