BioCir - a fully compostable thermoplastic material developed by Balena. (Credit: balena.science)
Balena is a Tel Aviv based material science company founded by David Roubach in 2020. Balena Science develops compostable and biodegradable thermoplastic materials. Their mission is to create a circular model for consumer goods products and solve one of the fashion industry's biggest challenges: the products’ end of life. According to their website Balena’s top priority is to continue disrupting the materials industry by innovating and developing cutting edge circular materials to replace hazardous, polluting, non-compostable, and synthetic materials currently in use across different industries. Balena’s flagship material is called BioCir, a durable and flexible bio-material that is said to be the world's first fully compostable thermoplastic. This way Balena is paving the way to reduce toxic and fossil fuel-based materials commonly used by the fashion industry. BioCir can be used as granulate for mass production in injection molding, for extrusion, as well as as filament for 3D printing. “We believe that in the near future, all consumer good products, across diverse industries, will have clear end of life solutions, and we’re working hard to make that a reality, one industry at a time.” Products made of BioCir reach their end of life responsibly in a biological recycling mechanism, including full decomposition and biodegradation of the material back to the ground safely, and by that completing a fully circular process required for a sustainable future. In line with their brand philosophy Balena also offers a Take-Back Program for their BioCir Slides. Once you are done wearing them you can send them back and they will have them composted in one of their industrial compost facilities ensuring the full decomposition and biodegradation of the material back to the ground safely, and by that completing a fully circular process.
The BioCir Slides - made from fully compostable thermoplastic material. (Credit: balena.science)
