Waste-to-Plastic Pioneer UBQ Materials Receives $5.6 Million Boost

UBQ Materials' Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Tato Bigio

UBQ Materials, global manufacturer of advanced materials made from waste, announced today that it has been awarded a €5 million (~$5.6 million) grant from the Just Transition Fund (JTF). The JTF grant aims to alleviate the socio-economic costs triggered by the transition to climate-neutrality, supporting economic diversification, creating new business opportunities and helping people to adapt to a changing labor market.

UBQ will utilize the grant to improve the efficiency and sustainability of its industrial scale facility in Bergen op Zoom. The factory is capable of converting 104,600 tons/annually of municipal solid waste from end-of-life sites into 80,000 tons of its low environmental impact bio-based thermoplastic composite, UBQ™.

“UBQ’s innovative technology converts mixed municipal household waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfills or incinerators into a new bio-based thermoplastic composite that replaces conventional plastics in durable and semi-durable applications,” said Gerwin Drent, Finance Manager at UBQ Materials and project leader for the JTF grant application. “This funding will enable us to accelerate the adoption of solutions that maintain or lower the facility’s energy usage while increasing output, a significant step forward for the company.”

After removing any remaining minerals, metals, and glass, UBQ’s waste conversion process breaks down organic content into its basic building blocks. UBQ’s patented process reaches a maximum temperature of 200 degrees Celsius, rendering it more energy efficient than chemical recycling systems requiring substantially higher temperatures to break apart polymers bonds to make new products. The Bergen op Zoom facility also runs entirely on locally produced renewable electricity and re-uses heat generated from production. Using a portion of the JTF grant, UBQ Materials plans to install an energy monitoring system to review how output can be increased with the same energy input for greater energy efficiency.

By 2025, a total of 140 new jobs will be added to the local economy, including employment for people with physical and speech disabilities.

In addition to supporting the sustainability and efficiency projects at the Bergen op Zoom facility, part of the grant will be dedicated to continuing with product portfolio development. Earlier this year, UBQ launched its comprehensive sustainable product portfolio that included a sustainable additive and material replacements that can be used in the building and construction, consumer durables, retail, supply chain and logistics, and automotive industries. UBQ will continue expanding its product offerings across these sectors to address the growing demand for sustainable material replacements that meet performance and sustainability standards, promote a circular economy, and enhance function and reliability.

“Concrete and asphalt production is one of the largest polluters in the construction sector,” added Drent. “We are developing alternative construction materials using our technology, including modified bitumen membrane for roofing. These new materials applied at scale can significantly reduce the volume of greenhouse gas emissions from the industry.”

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