Mango Materials: How this Startup is Transforming Methane Waste into Polymer

Mango Materials is a biotech start-up in San Francisco that has devised an ingenious method to transform methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into plastic. The process involves feeding methane to bacteria, which then produces a biodegradable polymer, known as polyhydroxyalkanoate, or PHA. This polymer can be spun into polyester fabric used to make clothing, carpets, and possibly packaging, although the company is focusing more on the garment industry at the moment. The methane used by Mango Materials comes from a waste treatment plant in the Bay Area, but the company is looking to partner with other methane sources, such as dairy farms, to get more of its feedstock. Transforming waste gas into environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials in a competitive economy is the mission of Mango Materials, a start-up with a world-class team of engineers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mango Materials produces a biopolymer that is naturally generated from biogas (methane) waste that is economically competitive with conventional petroleum-based materials. Mango Materials produces a naturally occurring biopolymer from biogas (methane) waste that is economically competitive with conventional petroleum-based plastics. Can Be Used for Various Applications Mango Materials focuses on formulations for specific applications. Contributing to the future of fashion, fully biodegradable polyester fibers are a sustainable alternative to the petroleum-based polyester used in the $2 billion fashion industry. Did you know that 60% of clothing now contains polyester? Recycling clothing is difficult due to the large number of different natural and synthetic materials used in a single garment. Only 17% of clothing and other textile products are collected for recycling, while 30 billion pounds of textile waste is discarded in landfills. Not to mention that washing clothes can release synthetic microfibres that impact wildlife and ecosystems. Mango Materials proposes a solution - its natural polyester can be used with other natural textile materials to produce a truly sustainable product. Carbon recycling technology allows for the regeneration of new used garments without reducing quality. It’s made by bacteria so it can be degraded by bacteria, and therefore limiting waste. Natural Biodegradation They also offer fully biodegradable packaging lids, an environmentally friendly solution to petroleum-based plastic lids. Plastic caps are usually made from recyclable materials such as polypropylene or polyethylene, but are often too small for recyclers and end up in landfills. These small items are a big problem, resulting in 250 billion lids being produced each year. The natural biopolymer is biodegradable in both industrial and natural environments. In case of improper disposal in nature, the caps will be decomposed by microorganisms. From nature to nature. If a bio-polymer T-shirt is disposed of in a landfill, it will biodegrade completely. If the methane released by degradation is captured, it can be converted back into new material. If the T-shirt ends up in the ocean, where plastic microfibre pollution is a very serious problem, it will also biodegrade or be consumed by marine organisms that digest it naturally. In other words, the technology offers a completely closed loop.