Page 7 - Packaging News magazine November-December 2022

Samsara develops enzyme-recycled packs for Woolies
AUSTRALIAN ENVIRO-TECH STARTUP, Samsara Eco, which has raised $54 million in a Series A funding to scale infinite recycling, plans to launch its first enzymatically- recycled packaging in Woolworths stores next year.
The new capital injection comes as Samsara Eco also sets its sights on building its first plastic recy- cling facility later this year ahead of full-scale production in 2023.
Samsara launched last year in partnership with researchers at Australian National University (ANU) and CSIRO-founded Main Sequence, having developed a new way to infinitely recycle
plastic to help end the plastic pollution crisis. The technology uses enzymes to break plastic down to its core building blocks, regardless of colour and state, which can then be used to rec- reate brand new, virgin-quality plastic, again and again, mitigat- ing the need to produce plastic from fossil fuels.
Samsara has been work- ing alongside its first partner, Woolworths Group, to bring the potential of infinite recycling to supermarket shelves, which it says will serve as a key milestone for its roadmap to recycling 1.5M tonnes of plastic per annum by 2030.
According to Samsara, the cap- ital round is being used to grow its engineering team, develop its library of plastic-eating enzymes, and fund its first commercial facility which will facilitate the infinite recycling of 20,000 tonnes of plastic from 2024. It is also looking to expand operations into the EU and US. ■
Above: Developing plastic-eating enzymes tech: (l-r) Samsara’s Paul Riley, chief executive officer with Vanessa Vongsouthi, protein engineering lead & research founder
Veggie waste offers packaging possibility
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY RESEARCHERS are working on a sustainable pack- aging solutions project funded by the Victorian government, devel- oping prototypes of compostable plastic packaging made from veg- etable waste, which with the right investment, could provide a future circular solution.
Polymer expert Dr Marlene Cran and her team have been
experimenting with the unusable produce provided by a Werribee South market-farm.
The VU researchers have found celery’s high cellulose content makes ideal food trays, whereas zucchini, broccoli and lettuce can be processed into thick films that could be suitable as a tray insert or produce separator.
Mycelium – the root structure of mushrooms – can be grown on the partially dried waste materi- als to make a good replacement material
for Styrofoam boxes. The team’s goal is to use minimal interven- tions such as intensive drying or the use of excessive additives, so that the processes are as natural and inex- pensive as possible, and easier to scale-up
in the future. ■
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