Ecovative, the Green Island, New York materials science company commercializing a new class of home-compostable composite materials has selected Kenactiv Innovations Inc. as a raw material supply partner in the deployment of Ecovative’s new mycelium technology that is a sustainable alternative to expanded polystyrene (EPS) and other petroleum-based plastics. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Kenactiv, headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, is an innovator and manufacturer of diverse industrial and consumer products meeting rapidly expanding U.S. manufacturing demand for natural fiber solutions from kenaf. Kenactiv’s products have applications in plastics and composites, energy production, drilling, automotive, packaging, textiles, as well as agriculture and environmental management.
“We needed a partner who could supply not only the right bio-based solution, but also at the consistency and scale required to support our various product markets, including protective packaging”, according to Justin Frisino, Director of Operations at Ecovative. “Kenactiv’s kenaf core solution was a great material fit for our technology: its lightweight strength, absorption capacity and sustainability profile is the best we’ve found for our composite solutions..”
Kenactiv’s research, technology, and manufacturing departments worked closely with Ecovative to develop a custom solution of kenaf core enhanced by Kenactiv’s proprietary treatments and processing methodologies.
“Collaborating on the development of a project with such impact on the packaging industry, is really inspiring,” noted Jack Galvin, EVP of Sales at Kenactiv. “The Ecovative team is extremely disciplined and committed to maximizing their technology, yet was always open to the initiatives we took to bring something new to the table.”
For information regarding Ecovative, contact Sam Harrington, sam@ecovativedesign.com and for Kenactiv, Jack Galvin at jgalvin@kenactiv.com, or visit their websites at www.ecovativedesign.com and www.kenactiv.com.
About Kenactiv Innovations Inc.
Kenactiv Innovations Inc. (“Kenactiv”) is a manufacturer of products made from kenaf supplying rapidly expanding U.S. industrial and consumer demand for natural fiber solutions. Kenaf is a rapidly renewable crop with an extremely favorable environmental footprint and applications in a broad range of industries. Kenactiv’s innovative processes and technologies activate the tremendous power of kenaf to make many of the products the world relies on better while also reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing, distributing and disposing of them. The Company, headquartered in Scottsdale (AZ), was founded in 2008 in Snow Hill (NC) where it owns and operates a 160,000 square foot manufacturing facility.
About Ecovative
Founded in 2007, Ecovative is a materials science company developing a new class of home-compostable composites based on mycelium, an organism akin to a living polymer. Ecovative’s high-performance products serve as environmentally responsible alternatives to traditional foam packaging, insulation, and other plastic-based materials. Ecovative was incubated at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Rensselaer, together with 3M Company and the DOEN Foundation, are investors in Ecovative. Ecovative has been recognized with numerous international awards for sustainability and “green” technologies, and was named a Tech Pioneer at the 2011 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Ecovative’s growth has support from key partners including the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance.
Source
Kenactiv Innovations Inc., press release, 2013-03-26.
Supplier
Ecovative Design LLC
Kenactiv Innovations Inc.
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