Now more than ever, it’s clear that business owners have a duty to make the world around them a better place. Over 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans, making plastic pollution an incredibly pressing issue. Luckily, entrepreneurs everywhere are rising to the challenge. From household appliances to reducing the usage of plastic bags, these startups are working to create a more sustainable planet for us all.
Startup Companies Tackling Plastic Pollution
Here are some of the top businesses working toward cutting down plastic waste. Keep an eye on these startups if you’re looking to partner with entrepreneurs who are also passionate about recycling and keeping our planet thriving.
Disclaimer: With so many exciting startups launching and growing worldwide, we aren’t able to cover them all. Furthermore, the startups that are listed below are not officially ranked and are listed in no particular order.
1. Flexi-Hex
- Location: Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Founder(s): Sam Boex, Will Boex
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Seed, $3.84 Million
- Investors Include: Crowdcube, The FSE Group
Product packaging contributes to plastic waste more than we think. Flexi-Hex started their business to create a better alternative to plastic packaging with its patented packaging sleeve. Made entirely out of paper, Flexi-Hex’s product is hefty enough to protect your items and is easily compostable/recyclable from home.
2. Xampla
- Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Founder(s): Marc Rodriguez Garcia
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Series B, $25.4 Million
- Investors Include: Horizons Ventures, Martlet Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners
Rather than recycle plastic, Xampla (pronounced “Zam-plah”) aims to eradicate single-use plastics once and for all. They’ve created the world’s first plant-based material for commercial use. This state-of-the-art substance acts and feels like plastic but decomposes naturally. In addition to getting rid of those pesky single-use plastics, Xampla is also working to cleanse other everyday products like laundry soap from microplastics.
3. Novoloop
- Location: Silicon Valley (Menlo Park, California)
- Founder(s): Jeanny Yao, Miranda Wang
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Series A, $25.9 Million
- Investors Include: Seabird Ventures, Alante Capital, Valo Ventures
Another upcycling startup, Novoloop is working to convert plastic into chemicals and oils. They take things like plastic bags, packaging, and containers and break them down to the molecular level. These materials are then transformed into reusable, upcycled properties with a reduced carbon footprint.
4. Mushroom Material
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Founder(s): Shaun Seaman, Jotinder Singh, James Aleksander
- Founded In: 2020
- Funding: Seed, $8.78 Million
- Investors Include: Black Kite Capital, Wavemaker Partners, SEEDS Capital
Mushroom Material is a startup also looking to tackle sustainable packaging. Their packaging product (made out of, you guessed it, mushrooms!) is a great plastic and styrofoam alternative, as it’s able to be recycled and/or composted.
5. Lasso Loop Recycling
- Location: San Mateo, California
- Founder(s): Aldous Hicks, Alison Richardson
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Seed, $3.25 Million
- Investors Include: Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, AcceliCITY powered by Leading Cities
We come full circle with Lasso Loop Recycling. Lasso Loop is the world’s first at-home recycling solution. Using their Lasso AI machine and app, Lasso makes recycling easier than ever. If an item isn’t recyclable, Lasso simply returns it to you. Additionally, their machine eliminates food residue and other impurities so that items that would be considered “contaminated” may be recycled, too.
6. Notpla
- Location: London, England
- Founder(s): Pierre Paslier, Rodrigo García González
- Founded In: 2014
- Funding: Series A, $14.4 Million
- Investors Include: Horizons Ventures, Astanor, Sky Ocean Rescue
Notpla is a London-based startup that has developed an innovative, biodegradable packaging material made from seaweed and plants. The company’s flagship product, Ooho, is an edible water bubble that can replace plastic bottles for events and races. Notpla has expanded its technology to create sustainable alternatives for other single-use plastic items, including food containers, sachets for condiments, and linings for takeaway boxes. The company’s mission is to make packaging disappear naturally, offering a solution that’s eco-friendly and safe for marine ecosystems.
7. Carbios
- Location: Auvergne, France
- Founder(s): Jean-Claude Lumaret
- Founded In: 2011
- Funding: Grant, €73 Million
- Investors Include: Truffle Capital, France 2030, Ademe
Carbios is a French biotech company pioneering enzyme-based solutions for plastic recycling. The company’s innovative technology uses enzymes to break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic into its base components, allowing for infinite recycling without loss of quality. This process can handle colored, opaque, and multilayer plastics that are challenging for traditional recycling methods. Carbios aims to revolutionize the plastic industry by creating a circular economy for plastics, reducing waste and the need for new petroleum-based materials.
8. Loliware
- Location: San Jose, California
- Founder(s): Leigh Ann Tucker, Sea Briganti
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Pre-Series A, $15.4 Million
- Investors Include: Tech Square Ventures, CityRock Venture Partners, Alumni Ventures Group
Loliware is a materials technology company that creates seaweed-based, edible, and biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics. The company’s flagship product is a marine-degradable straw that looks and feels like plastic, but can be eaten or safely discarded and decomposes in weeks. The company has expanded its product line to include cups and other disposable items — all made from its proprietary, seaweed-derived material. Loliware’s mission is to replace billions of plastic straws and other single-use items with sustainable alternatives.
9. Algramo
- Location: Santiago, Chile
- Founder(s): Jose Manuel Moller
- Founded In: 2013
- Funding: Series A, $11.5 Million
- Investors Include: Dalus Capital, Planet Fund, Sky Ocean Ventures
Algramo is a Chilean startup that has developed a smart dispensing system to reduce plastic packaging waste. The company’s vending machines allow customers to refill reusable containers with common household products like detergents, cleaning supplies, and dry goods. The system uses radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology to track containers and offer discounts for reuse, incentivizing sustainable behavior. Algramo’s model not only reduces plastic waste, but also makes products more affordable by eliminating the cost of single-use packaging.
10. Cove
- Location: Los Angeles, California
- Founder(s): Alex Totterman
- Founded In: 2019
- Funding: Series A, $11.6 Million
- Investors Include: Seaside Ventures, Litani Ventures, Valor Siren Ventures
Cove is a startup founded in 2019 by Alex Totterman, who was inspired to tackle plastic pollution after discovering the challenges of removing microplastics from water while working at a UK nanotechnology company. Initially focusing on home water filtration systems, Totterman realized a more comprehensive solution was needed and pivoted to developing alternative materials for water bottles. Cove has since gained recognition from major media outlets and industry awards, including TIME’s Top US Greentech Companies and Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas, for the company’s innovative approach to reducing plastic waste. Cove’s mission is to create sustainable alternatives to single-use plastic water bottles, addressing both the immediate waste problem and the long-term issue of microplastic pollution.