traceless® opens first industrial production facility for nature-based material innovation
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Hamburg-based materials pioneer traceless® has created the world’s first industrial production facilities for a next-generation natural polymer technology. The goal is to combat global plastic pollution, end dependence on fossil raw materials, and build a circular bioeconomy in Europe.
Hamburg, May 13, 2026 – Today, the bioeconomy scale-up traceless® opened its first large-scale production facility in Hamburg-Harburg. At the facility, plant-based residues from the agricultural industry are processed into an innovative material that can be used as a natural plastic substitute. With the opening of the demonstration plant, the company has reached an important milestone in scaling up its material technology.
Dr. Anne Lamp, CEO and founder of traceless®: “With this plant, our mission is entering a new phase. We are literally breaking new ground here: We are creating the world’s first industrial production capacities for thermoplastic natural polymers that can be used directly as plastic substitutes. Together with our partners, we are celebrating today the launch of an innovative materials industry that is circular, clean, and future-oriented.”
Carsten Schneider, Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, attended the official opening and expressed his congratulations: “This is the sort of idea we need for effective climate and environmental protection: an innovative biomaterial that requires no fossil fuels, is made from plant-based residues and is completely biodegradable solves several problems at once. It can replace conventional plastic and reduce CO2 emissions and water consumption. This technology helps combat plastic pollution, protects wildlife and makes us less dependent on fossil fuel imports from abroad. The industrial plant is one of many ‘Made in Germany’ success stories that are driving innovation and new economic strength through environmental technologies.”
INDUSTRIAL BREAKTHROUGH FOR NEXT GENERATION NATURAL POLYMERS
Natural polymers—such as cellulose, lignin, starch, or proteins—are long-chain molecules of natural origin and form the basis for familiar products like paper and cotton. Thanks to groundbreaking technologies, a new generation of materials is currently emerging that significantly expands the range of applications for natural polymers. traceless®’ patented technology relies on a special extraction process that utilizes natural polymers from plant-based industry residues without modification of their natural chemical structure. The resulting granulates are bio-based, home-compostable, and by definition not plastic. The material’s thermoplastic properties allow for further processing using standard industrial technologies. This enables the material to replace plastics in applications where technical recycling is difficult or where products easily end up in the environment—such as in single-use items, packaging, paper coatings or adhesives.
The production process is based on renewable raw materials, is resource-efficient, and enables local supply chains. Compared to conventional plastics, it reduces CO2 emissions by 91% during both production and disposal*.
Katharina Fegebank, Senator for the Environment, Climate, Energy and Agriculture, underlined the relevance of the project: “Cutting-edge research and the circular economy in the lab are turning into real industrial production—this is a huge success for Hamburg as a hub for science and business. Plastic waste is one of the biggest burdens on our environment. traceless tackles this problem at its root: By replacing fossil-based petroleum with plant-based residues, we not only avoid massive mountains of waste but also drastically reduce climate-damaging CO2 emissions. Today, this demonstrates in a very practical way that our climate-neutral transformation and industrial value creation are not opposites but rather drive our city forward hand in hand.”
CAPACITY FOR GLOBAL PIONEERING CUSTOMERS
Spanning approximately 4,000 square meters, the new headquarters in Hamburg-Harburg brings together production, sales, product and technology development, as well as logistics and administration. With a capacity of approximately 3,000 tons of traceless® material per year, the facility will serve renowned pioneering customers in the future—such as the paper and packaging manufacturer Mondi, the e-commerce company OTTO, and the distribution partner Biesterfeld. All central areas of the plant have already been successfully commissioned, and production will be ramped up gradually over the coming months. The plant technology was developed in-house by the traceless® team, which currently comprises around 110 employees. The company’s pilot plant, which has been in operation in Buchholz i.d.N. since 2022, is also set to be relocated to the site.
The investment volume for the plant exceeds €20 million. The project was funded with an amount of €5,128,401 from the Environmental Innovation Programme of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. To further expand production capacity in the future, traceless® is already planning the construction of a larger industrial plant.
*LCA see www.traceless.eu/impact
ABOUT TRACELESS
The Hamburg-based bioeconomy scale-up traceless materials GmbH produces a natural plastic substitute from plant residues from the agricultural industry. With its patented technology, traceless® is a pioneer in the field of next-generation natural polymer materials. The company was founded in 2020, its first industrial production facility in Hamburg was opened in 2026. The team around founder Dr.-Ing. Anne Lamp has been nominated for the 2025 Deutscher Zukunftspreis, among many other awards, and has received funding from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment.