A US-based startup Mango Materials has recently started making bio-based fibres from methane. It can be used to replace plastic in packaging and polyester in clothing, according to Geosphere Packaging.
The startup turns methane from biogas waste into a biodegradable biopolymer called PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) to fight climate and waste. Well, PHA can be used to replace the plastic in our packaging with the polyester in our clothing.
In an interview with the portal, Molly Morse, co-founder and CEO of Mango Materials said, "We can use many forms of methane because methane is the key component in natural gas, but it's also produced from waste processes like wastewater treatment plants, landfills, agricultural facilities, and abandoned coal mines."
She added, "So we can use this waste methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas, to feed the bacteria to produce PHA. That's what makes Mango Materials unique."
Ms Morse also talked about environmental problems, "We are addressing two problems: One, that of waste methane- what are you going to do with it? And two, the persistent pollution of plastics, when they're improperly disposed of or when they're no longer needed."
The co-founder of Mango Materials said that the change or a movement starts at home- with me, and with you. "Yes, I'm in the business of making materials and would want customers ultimately to choose our material," Molly said. "However, if you don't need something or you can use something that's reusable, that should be what you do first. We should use less stuff in general. And if we do need single-use items, then great - let's make them biodegradable."
