Circular Economy

This new packaging is a flexible packaging that is an all-encompassing option for several applications including cosmetics, food, consumer, and industrial products. Typically constructed with multi-layer materials to provide the necessary properties for structural integrity and protection of the packaged contents, these packaging products are not recyclable due to the variety of materials used. This technology offers a unique packaging solution that gathers all the advantages of existing packaging options (stand-up pouches, doypacks, bottles and tubes) while overcoming their limitations. Based on the concept of a pastry bag, the technology is a conical flexible pouch which is eco-friendly and 100% recyclable. Made of a mono-material, this eco-designed packaging utilises lesser materials (up to 70%), is ultra-compressible and suitable for all types of products from liquids to solids, making it adaptable to every sector’s needs. With an optimal restitution rate (no loss of contents), it can reduce wastage of the packaged contents and has been certified to reduce 70% of greenhouse gas emissions as compared to a conventional plastic bottle. The technology owner is interested to work with Singapore companies on R&D projects for sustainable packaging and out licensing opportunities to manufacture this patented eco-designed packaging product.

Lignocellulosic biomass side streams derived from the agri-food value chain such as agricultural residues, have the potential to be converted into high-value products, including biofuel, bio-composite construction materials, and sustainable packaging. Among the various conversion processes, pre-treatment plays a crucial role in maximizing the value of lignocellulosic biomass. The primary objective of pre-treatment is to address the complex and heterogeneous structure of the biomass by removing lignin, reducing biomass size, and increasing the surface area for hydrolysis. Unfortunately, current pre-treatment methods for lignocellulosic biomass are energy-intensive, costly, and produce inhibitory compounds that impact subsequent production stages. To overcome these challenges, this technology offers a catalytic oxidation pre-treatment process. This innovative approach operates under ambient or mild conditions, with a short reaction time, resulting in reduced energy consumption and treatment costs. The technology provider is seeking interested parties from the agricultural, biofuels, or biogas industry to license this catalytic oxidation pre-treatment process to enhance their operations and achieve a more sustainable and cost-effective production of valuable products from lignocellulosic biomass.

Plywood is a preferred material used in furniture and home building for its durability since the Egyptian and Roman times. In 2019, the world consumed 165 million cm3 of plywood and was responsible for the creation of more than 3 billion tons of CO2. Applications for plywood are widespread including construction, home, retail, and office interior works and furnishings such as cabinetry, woodworking, renovations, and outfitting. Regulations and protectionism to slow down deforestation plus the tightening of sustainable forestry management lessen the supply of logging for plywood.  As global demand continues to be strong, the search for a viable replacement for plywood has become more pressing. More importantly, it is important to find a non-wood-based replacement with similar performance to plywood. Plywood is desirable because of its superior performance properties. Alternatives like medium-density boards (mdf) and particle boards are made from recycled wood waste. Unfortunately, plywood can only be made from virgin wood and there are no direct replacements for plywood currently. This technology leverages the global abundance of lignocellulosic fibre waste which is the discarded waste material after the harvesting and production of palm oil, rice, and wheat. The technology transforms these lignocellulosic fibre wastes into a direct replacement for conventional plywood.  This provides a sustainable, economically viable, and environmentally friendly solution to the continuing demand for plywood and the resolution to the growing lignocellulosic fiber waste problem in agri-food-based countries all over the world. The technology owner is open to various forms of collaboration including IP licensing, R&D collaboration, and test-bedding with different types of agrifood sidestreams. In the case of palm biomass waste, rice, and wheat straw waste, the technology is ready for commercialization.

Pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are viscous resins that are designed to adhere to various substrates under light pressure. Majority of commercially available PSAs are derived from non-renewable petroleum sources such as acrylics and silicones, providing the required bonding performance for either permanent or removable applications for use in labels and packaging. However, conventional PSAs present environmental concerns at their end of life, even when its substrate is biodegradable. The technology on offer is a patented bio-based, compostable PSAs comprising of 95% soy and other bio-derived materials that costs less than petroleum adhesives. These PSAs can bond to a variety of substrates (including paper and foams), contains no solvent or water, lowers CO2 emissions when compared to conventional PSA. It can be applied using standard application techniques (slot die or gravure systems) and upon curing will result in a light, cream coloured film. The technology owner is seeking for R&D collaborations and IP licensing opportunities with Singapore partners to manufacture/utilise the technology in packaging and non-structural applications.

Bioplastics have gained significant attention due to the environmental issues of fossil-based plastics and the realisation of limited petroleum resources. On the other side, industrial and agricultural organic wastes are produced in huge quantities worldwide, resulting in serious environmental and economic impacts. To solve the above problems, the technology owner has developed a 100% natural biotechnological process to convert industrial and agricultural organic waste into bioplastics. Bioplastics are fully biodegradable and biocompatible, with no harm to humans and environment. These bioplastics are applicable to industrial plastic processes and potentailly replace conventional plastics in short lifespan applications. The use of industrial and agricultural waste as cheaper sources not only makes the production process more economic but also helps in the management of organic waste, contributing to the goal of a circular economy. This technology is available for IP licensing and R&D collaboration with industrial partners who are interested in the sustainable production of bioplastics using organic waste.

Anti-corrosion coatings have attracted tremendous attention due to their significant safety, financial, and environmental impacts. However, the protective coatings are highly susceptible to damage during transport, installation, and service. The detection of initial micro-cracks is very difficult, but the propagation of corrosion can be quite fast. Therefore, smart coating with self-healing function is a promising route to address the above challenges. The technology owner has developed a polymer-based hollow microcapsule that can release the active ingredients in response to external stimuli. Microcapsules encapsulated with corrosion inhibitors can be added as anti-corrosion additives in coating primer. In the presence of damage, microcapsules get activated and release corrosion inhibitors directly onto the corroding site to prevent the corrosion. This self-healing anti-corrosion coating can effectively extend materials’ lifetimes, reduce maintenance expenses, and enhance public safety. The advanced microcapsule technology can also largely reduce the content of toxic corrosion inhibitors by 90%, enabling an environmentally friendly coating solution. The technology owner is interested in IP licensing and R&D collaboration with industrial partners who are seeking self-healing smart coatings for corrosion protection. The microcapsule technology is also available for co-innovation in other applications, such as anti-fouling and agricultural pest control.

One-third of the food produced globally is lost or wasted. At the same time, millions of people are hungry and unable to afford a healthy diet. Having said that, food loss and waste could potentially impose food security and impact the world with nutrition, socioeconomic, and environmental issues.  This technology offer is a process technology that provides an efficient and environmentally friendly approach to utilise agri-food side stream and convert it to a valuable, high protein biomass. The technology develops precision approaches, i.e., the proper treatment methods for food sidestreams, specific separation means for target ingredients, suitable strains for protein production, and optimized operational conditions for the fermentation process. The process also utilises the inexpensive agri-food side stream as the novel feedstock for protein fermentation. The technology is available for R&D collaboration and test bedding, with partners that are interested in valorisation of food sidestreams to value-added edible protein. The technology owner is also keen to license and commercialize this technology.

Keratins are naturally occurring proteins found in hair, feathers, wool and other external protective tissues of animals. They are highly abundant, naturally produced and generally underutilized. At the same time, keratins offer versatile chemical properties that allow interactions with themselves or with other materials to improve behaviour. The technology provider has developed sustainable, biodegradable plastic materials by upcycling keratins derived from hair and feathers. In the preliminary studies, the technology provider has found ways to produce films that have the potential to be used as packaging materials. These films do not disintegrate readily in water, yet they fully degrade in soil within a week. They can be made in combination with other waste-derived biopolymers to improve strength to meet the needs of specific use cases. This technology is available for R&D collaboration, IP licensing, or IP acquisition, with industrial partners who are looking for a green packaging solution and to explore specific-use-case products. The technology provider is also interested to collaborate with the OEM partners having the keratin extraction facility from feathers and hair for the deployment of this technology.

Mixed plastic waste is an abundant resource containing approximately 7-12 wt.% hydrogen (H2). Traditionally, hydrogen is produced from non-sustainable fossil feedstock, such as natural gas, coal and petroleum oil. This technology offer is a thermo-catalytic process that sustainably recovers hydrogen from plastic waste instead. During hydrogen recovery process, instead of releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) that causes greenhouse gas effect, the technology converts emissions into a form of solid carbon, called carbon nanotubes (CNT). Solid carbon is easier to store and handle compared to the gaseous carbon dioxide. Furthermore, carbon can be sold as an industrial feedstock for manufacturing of polymer composites, batteries, concrete, paints, and coatings. With over 150-190 million tonnes of mixed plastic waste ending up in landfills and our environment annually, the technology offers a sustainable solution for the elimination of plastic waste and decarbonization while providing a clean hydrogen supply.