The Israeli Company That Is Revolutionizing the World of Plastic Substitutes

Very few materials have influenced the human race as plastic has. From the 19th century until today, various synthetic materials made from plastic, have become common in all walks of life and have created a wide range of popular consumer goods. In fact, it is almost impossible to imagine the age of abundance in which we live without plastic: from children's toys, the keys on our computer keyboard, and countless different kitchen utensils.

But this is exactly one of humanity's most pressing tasks: to reimagine the age of abundance in which we live in without plastic. Given the growing awareness to the climate crisis and the serious consequences of environmental pollution, a long list of regulatory bodies and business entities are taking steps to develop new sustainable materials, which will make it possible to significantly reduce and even eliminate the use of polluting plastic.

The Israeli company, W-Cycle is one of the leading companies invested in this effort. "I came to the company after spending my entire professional life in the high-tech industry," says the company's CEO, Isaac Rome. "The previous CEO whom I knew from working together elsewhere reached out to me and asked me if I wanted to do something positive for humankind. By the next morning, we had already started talking about contracts, and I found myself at W-Cycle."

According to Rome, the development of plastic substitutes is a global task in which enormous resources are invested. "Regulators, governments, multinational food producers – everyone is aiming for a significant reduction in the use of plastic. In order for us to be able to live on Earth for many years to come, we must put an end to its usage. One option we are all familiar with is recycling: using recyclable or recycled plastic. But recyclable plastic only solves part of the problem and requires a huge investment in educating the public. "We, at W-Cycle are focusing on the world of biodegradable materials, which can offer a complete replacement for plastic."

Rome explains that the company produces innovative materials that can fulfill the same tasks that plastic does today but are non-polluting. "We want to produce something that even if it is tossed out on the street – It will disappear over time," Rome mphasizes. "Even if it takes a hundred days or a year – the material will degrade by itself. This is a very important change compared to materials that degrade only after hundreds of years."

Natural production from sugar cane waste
In order for these innovative materials to be biodegradable, W-Cycle uses natural raw materials. "We were looking for a material that would be cheap and competitive enough for companies to be able to purchase it, and that led us to materials like cellulose, which is our main raw material. Cellulose is present at a certain level in every tree, bush or plant in the world. And the best material for producing cellulose is sugar cane bagasse."

“The decision to produce cellulose from sugar cane bagasse”, Rome explains, “meets another environmental need: reducing pollution in the sugar production process. "Today, after the sugar is removed from the cane, all that remains is garbage, and much of that is burned. I used to live in Singapore and once or twice a year the air was filled with smoke from the burning sugar cane in Indonesia. By taking the cellulose to develop plastic we can prevent this pollution."

W-Cycle's choice of sugar cane bagasse as a source of cellulose aligns with broader trends in the plastic substitutes industry. "This process has been going on for 20 years. Already today, you can find disposable packaging made of sugar cane in every supermarket," Rome clarifies. "Our product is quite similar, but we apply different chemical processes to it, providing it with capabilities that normally won't be found in disposables sold in the supermarket."

A biodegradable product that is durable in extreme conditions
To date, W-Cycle has focused on developing plastic substitutes with advanced durability capabilities needed for more demanding uses in the food industry. "One of the clearest examples is the ability to put a container with oil in the oven without experiencing oil leakage," he explains. "Our products meet the needs of various food manufacturers as well as the airlines. For example: until now, the airlines have served their meals in plastic or aluminum casseroles that can be heated in the oven. We currently provide an alternative that can withstand a steam oven, oil, water or a freezer: all kinds of extreme situations in the food industry that standard food packaging cannot accommodate."

All this corresponds with a dramatic change in the world of plastic substitutes that has been taking place in recent years. "One of the ingredients that all plastic substitutes companies use to create an oil barrier has been eliminated from the industry," Rome explains. "This is a severe blow to the field of plastic substitutes and R&D progress has come to a halt. Without this substance, called PFAS, no one can prevent oil from leaking and this makes it very difficult to produce packaging for different kinds of food such as hamburgers and hot dogs and even more complex dishes."

After an intensive R&D process, W-Cycle developed a green and clean plastic replacement material that does not contain PFAS. "Three years of hard work in the laboratory led us to produce a plastic substitute based on sugarcane bagasse that is oil and water resistant – without PFAS," Rome announces. "After the hit the plastic substitutes industry suffered, we are making it possible, for the first time, to produce a biodegradable product that enjoys all the durability requirements, including oil resistance for 24 hours, and even microwave heating."

Good news for the consumer market
The current plastic substitutes produced by W-Cycle are mainly intended for use in the aviation industry. "The aviation world relies on ready-made meals with a lot of oil that go directly into the oven, and our products offer a solution for this. Airlines around the world are using our product," Rome says. "However, with the new product, we are targeting additional markets the fast-food industry as well as the single-use disposables sold in the supermarkets. Beyond that, W-Cycle markets another product that is water-resistant only and is used by multinational food manufacturers for water-based foods."

The company's CEO, Isaac Rome, is optimistic about the coming years. "I see 2024 as the breakthrough year for the company," he cautiously asserts. "After years of success with food manufacturers, we are ready to penetrate the broad consumer market. In the next year or two, we intend to enter the fast food market – from the fries in the hamburger chain to the hot dog in the soccer stadium. Our development of a PFAS-free substitute is of a dramatic importance: One can say we cracked the atom of the plastic substitutes industry."

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In collaboration with W-Cycle