Every year, 15 billion kilograms of Styrofoam are used for packaging. Yet, within a day, most of it ends up in landfills, where it can take up to a century to decompose. But is plastic or Styrofoam always necessary? Ukrainian entrepreneur Yuliia Bialetska and her husband asked themselves this question and developed a biodegradable packaging solution made from hemp and mushroom mycelium.
While traveling in Asia, Yuliia and her husband spent time in Bali, where the island's beauty was overshadowed by seasonal waves of plastic waste washing ashore. Locals even joke about a "trash season." Witnessing this firsthand, the couple began researching sustainable alternatives to plastic.
They discovered that existing eco-friendly materials lacked the strength and durability required for packaging. Plastic is convenient and strong, but is it always necessary? Often, packaging is needed for just a few minutes or days, yet its environmental impact lasts centuries.
Creating a new material required two key components: a structural base and a natural binder. Initially, they experimented with hemp stalks, a traditional Ukrainian crop, but struggled with synthetic adhesives, which made the process irreversible.
Their breakthrough came when they discovered mushroom mycelium, a natural binding agent. Scientists at the Institute of Botany in Ukraine confirmed its potential. Mixing mycelium with hemp, they finally achieved a biodegradable alternative to Styrofoam.
By 2021, the couple showcased their innovation. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted excessive plastic use in online shopping, increasing the demand for sustainable solutions. Realizing their material could replace Styrofoam, they focused on packaging, a sector responsible for billions of kilograms of CO2 emissions annually.
Setting up production was challenging. Without ready-made equipment, they built their own machines, refining the technology for scalability. Today, their startup, S.Lab, not only manufactures packaging but also aims to license its technology worldwide.
L'Oréal became S.Lab's first major client, testing the packaging in Ukraine before expanding interest to its headquarters in Paris. The company has also attracted hundreds of potential clients across Europe.
S.Lab has secured nearly €1 million in investments and is raising €2.5 million for further expansion. Their goal? To establish mobile micro-factories that can be installed directly at client sites, reducing transportation emissions.
Despite challenges, including the war in Ukraine, S.Lab continues to grow. The crisis forced many Ukrainian startups to expand internationally, increasing global awareness of the country's innovation potential.
By replacing Styrofoam with biodegradable alternatives, S.Lab is not just building a business, it's driving a green revolution in packaging.
Source: www.rfi.fr