The investment helped to increase in-house product development expertise and equipment for the production of industrial bioplastics
TerraVerdae has expanded bioplastics product development capacity at Edmonton facility. (Credit: feiern1 from Pixabay)
Canadian company TerraVerdae Bioworks has secured investment from Alberta, federal and other funding partners for its new product development capacity to manufacture fully biodegradable and high-performance bioplastics.
TerraVerdae has secured $4.5m from Alberta Innovates, Natural Resources Canada’s Clean Growth Program (CGP), advisory services, and research and development funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), and other investors.
The firm has used the investment to boost its bioplastics product development capacity at its facility in Edmonton. It also added an advanced capacity to custom-design bioplastic formulations for strength, elasticity and impact resistance.
The investment helped the company to improve in-house product development expertise and equipment for the production of industrial bioplastics used in the agricultural, forestry, food packaging, adhesives and personal-care markets.
TerraVerdae’s PHA uses renewable carbon feedstock such as municipal and forestry waste or agricultural residues
Advanced polymer technology or polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) produced by TerraVerdae is said to use renewable carbon feedstock such as municipal and forestry waste or agricultural residues. It is also carbon-neutral.
Its products are suitable for films and coatings, thermoplastic mouldings, adhesives and speciality PHAs.
Bioplastic pouch produced by the company for tree seedlings will be consumed by soil microbes, as well as disappear within several months of planting in the forest.
TerraVerdae is also planning to test launch the bioplastic pouches for commercial use by foresters by the end of this year. Later, the company also plans to test other bioplastic products for use in other sectors.
TerraVerdae Bioworks CEO and founder William Bardosh said: “Each year the forest industry plants millions of tree seedlings.
“With Arbor Day taking place in many jurisdictions from late April to early May, we think this is a great time to announce this major funding from Alberta Innovates, Natural Resources Canada and the National Research Council of Canada, along with private investors in our global network.
“We have achieved major milestones in the last year, including a significant expansion of our technical resources and capabilities, and increased partnerships for technology access, development and commercialisation.”
In June 2019, Biome Bioplastics and the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) have collaborated with the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE) to develop and install a new polymerisation reactor at the BDC to boost the development of novel bioplastic polymers.