Does this $133m bet on biodegradable ‘plastic’ hold water?

Around 1.4 trillion – that’s the amount of single-use plastic straws Singapore-based startup RWDC Industries is aiming to replace by 2025. Straws made from its bioplastic raw material called Solon can biodegrade in two months – a mere fraction of the 200 years that polypropylene plastic straws take to decay and be absorbed by the environment.

Producing and incinerating traditional plastic also results in the emission of greenhouse gases on a massive scale. In comparison, Solon-based products leave behind no harmful by-products after they decompose, according to RWDC.

“As Solon is made from entirely renewable resources, every ton of plastic we replace will be preventing the corresponding release of methane or carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,” says RWDC co-founder and executive chairman Roland Wee.

Solon is a type of polyhydroxyalkanoate or PHA, a polymer that’s fully biodegradable in soil, and water, leaving no toxic residue. Apart from straws, Solon can be used in a wide range of everyday consumer goods, including cups, plates, and drink lids.

“Some people describe PHA as biodegradable, as it sounds very sexy, but scientists call it a thermopolymer. That means it is easy to degrade and melt,” explains Henry Leung, senior lecturer at the School of Chemical and Life Sciences in Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP).

In June 2019, Solon made its debut at the Ecosperity Week in Singapore in the form of straws. RWDC says that “roughly a dozen clients” are now testing its products, and the straws will soon be available in several leading food and beverage outlets in the city-state.

The company declined to reveal its clients due to confidentiality agreements but said they’re “large global brand owners” and “multinational companies.”

Widening horizons

RWDC tells Tech in Asia that the firm’s new US$260 million plant in Athens, Georgia will be operational by the third quarter of this year. The US-based facility can initially produce about four kilotons of Solon per year, but output will be ramped up by over 80 times to 350 kilotons by 2025. The company also plans to build more plants in Asia to meet growing demand.

“We have designed our PHA production systems as 25 kiloton modules that can be quickly installed at locations that are defined to be strategic to best serve our customers,” adds Wee.

The company will also hire 200 more employees at its Georgia headquarters to support its “24/7 operations” and to fill needs for research, engineering, and business development.

How it’s made

Yield or the environment?