Question 1

What kind of material is traceless®?

Accepted Answer

traceless® is part of a novel generation of natural biomaterials - fully plant-based, fossil free and based on natural polymers. Even though traceless materials can be used as natural plastic substitutes, they are technically natural and are neither plastics nor bioplastics.

Question 2

What are traceless® materials made of?

Accepted Answer

To produce traceless® materials, we use plant residues of the agricultural industry - specifically, by-products of the grain processing industry, like brewery or starch production leftovers. Using secondary biomass is in line with sustainable bioeconomy principles and ensures food availability.

Question 3

What sets traceless® apart from bioplastics?

Accepted Answer

Biobased or biodegradable plastics are still plastics, since they are either synthetically created or chemically modified. traceless® materials are a novel material generation based on unmodified natural polymers, which are directly extracted from plants. They fall outside the plastic category and are certified plastic-free. Due to their natural composition, and unlike most bioplastics, traceless® is not only industrially compostable but also compostable under natural composting conditions, avoiding any pollution risk. Additionally, traceless® is based on plant residues, not competing with food production or causing land-use changes.

Question 4

What are natural polymers, and which ones do you actually use?

Accepted Answer

Natural polymers are substances that were created in nature and can be extracted from natural resources such as plants or living organisms. Examples are cellulose, starch, wool, proteins, chitin, other polysaccharides and polypeptides such as silk, keratin, hair, and rubber. For traceless® materials, we use a mix of unmodified natural polymers that we extract from plant residues of agricultural grain processing. The opposite of natural polymers are synthetic polymers that are man-made. Examples of synthetic polymers are petroleum-based plastics like polyethylene or polypropylene, or bioplastics like PLA.

Question 5

What sets traceless® apart from other biomaterials?

Accepted Answer

The traceless technology offers the known environmental sustainability of all natural polymer based biomaterials and at the same time enables industrial scalability, price competitiveness and a high level of technical integration capability in existing value chains.

Question 6

Is there enough plant-based raw material for industrial scaleup?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there is sufficient raw material to produce traceless® materials in industrial volumes in line with principles for sustainable biomass use. The traceless® technology utilizes by-products of industrial grain processing, which do not compete with food production and are available in large quantities. We are constantly expanding our raw material base to ensure a sustainable supply and expand scaleup options, supporting our commitment to environmental sustainability and large-scale impact.

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