Two bio-tech companies in the Netherlands have teamed up to produce polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) from side-stream materials derived from the agricultural and food sectors.

According to Dutch firms Paques Biomaterials (Balk; www.paquesbiomaterials.nl) and Looop (Venlo; www.looop.company) PHA is a promising biopolymer “because it is made by nature and also completely degrades in nature, both in the soil and in the sea and without any specific equipment or conditions. 

“In this way PHA can prevent plastic pollution and microplastics.” 

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Looop noted that it brings organic side streams back into the food chain as animal feed, raw materials for pet food, and bio-based products, while Paques Biomaterials said it has several collaborations running to produce PHA, including Dutch companies with industrial wastewater, a consortium with water authorities for municipal wastewater, and a multinational in South Korea.

René Rozendal, co-founder of Paques Biomaterials, said: “Looop has a lot of experience in [deriving value from] side streams. They are innovative and apply high quality control. Because Looop can combine different side streams from the agri-food sector, they can guarantee the best feedstock for our PHA production.”

In July, Paques Biomaterials announced a deal with another Dutch firm, Senbis Polymer Innovations (Emmen; www.senbis.com), to develop different PHA grades suitable for a wide range of applications.