News from SymbioTex world of bioplastics and exciting announcements on our awards and partnerships. For press enquiries or to arrange an interview email symbiotex.ltd@gmail.com
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I dispose of SymbioTex Material?
SymbioTex material is home compostable, that means you can throw it away in your compost bin, food waste bin, or green bin! In case you do not have these, throw it in your general waste bin. SymbioTex is designed in such a way that even when disposed of in the bad waste streams, it will end up degrading and will not be a problem for the environment!
SYMBIOTEX WINS SANTANDER X GRANT
If seaweed is so good, doesn't harvesting it damage the environment?
No, not at all! The red Seaweed we use is harvested from seaweed farms, which protect the local environment by creating ecosystems and slowing down costal erosion. Seaweed harvesting is rotated within the farm, with new seaweed constantly being planted, and growing so fast that any seaweed harvested will regrow within a couple of weeks.
What is the difference between your material and PLA?
While PLA can be derived from a bio-based material (land crop polysaccharides), it requires a chemical transformation to produce, making it taxable upon the EU SUPD (single use plastic directive) tax.
On top of that, it relies on arable land, fresh water, pesticides and fertilizers needing crops while SymbioTex raw material is mainly seaweed, which does not require any of those.
Finally, the biggest issue is that PLA is only industrially compostable, meaning it will degrade in industrial heated vessels (above 58dC) but not in natural conditions. It also requires an entirely new waste collection and management infrastructure. On the other hand, SymbioTex material is designed to degrade in natural conditions, a home compost or in a food bin in within 8-12 weeks.
Home
Compostable
Industrially
Compostable
What is your Current Production Capacity?
At our Wolverhampton HQ, we have a 27 mm Twin Screw Extruder, capable of 0.5 Ton/day capacity.
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We have also established strong partnerships with third party compounders which can support our material supply and scale up above the 1 Ton/hour mark.
