72P, a young Belgian start-up founded in 2018 by Pieter Dondeyne, is in the process of developing a new biobased polymer derived from waste and by-products from the food industry.
"Food processing residue,” is how he framed it. “ So, our feedstock is not suitable for food or feed. “Only lo

cal sources are used, he emphasised.
It is very early days yet, said, Dondeyne, and the material has not yet been granted the certifications it needs to be labelled as such, but it is ‘very likely’ to be biodegradable.
The new material is ‘compatible with conventional processing technologies’. 72P is currently focussing on biocomposites. “It could also be a monomaterial, but adding fiber enhances properties and adds value,” he said. The current product has the look of wood but can be shaped like plastic.
72P is currently scaling the technology. The first pilot projects are in progress, with clients from the furniture industry.
“Our mission is to be fully circular, both in the technical and the biological loop, “said Dondeyne. “And we have succeeded.”
He was unable to provide much more information at this time but promised that at the K Show in October, more details will be made public.