UBQ Materials produces a bio‑based thermoplastic composite called UBQ™ Evolved Materials™ by converting mixed household waste—including organics and hard‑to‑recycle plastics—into a climate‑positive substitute for oil‑based plastics. The material matches the price and performance of conventional polymers and can be used as a drop‑in replacement in existing manufacturing processes such as injection molding, extrusion, and 3‑D printing, enabling manufacturers to reduce emissions at scale.
Funding
$5.6M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
ESFounders
Product
Problem
Global reliance on oil‑based plastics drives continuous extraction of finite resources and generates large volumes of waste that end up in landfills or incinerators, contributing to greenhouse‑gas emissions and pollution.
Solution
UBQ Materials uses a patented UBQ™ Fusion Process to transform mixed household waste—including organics, hard‑to‑recycle plastics, and other residuals—into a bio‑based thermoplastic composite that matches the price and performance of conventional plastics. The resulting UBQ Evolved Materials™ are climate‑positive, removing more carbon than they emit during production, and can be used as a drop‑in replacement in existing polymer formulations. The material integrates with standard manufacturing equipment (injection molding, extrusion, 3‑D printing, etc.) without requiring new tooling or process changes, enabling manufacturers to reduce material‑related emissions at scale. UBQ’s production facility operates on 100 % solar power and achieves zero water use, zero combustion, and zero emissions, supporting a circular economy while maintaining cost competitiveness.
Target Audience
Manufacturers in automotive, construction, consumer durables, retail, and logistics sectors seeking to replace oil‑based plastics with a cost‑competitive, low‑carbon material that fits existing production lines.
Features
- Patented process converts mixed municipal waste (organics, multilayer packaging, diapers, etc.) into a homogeneous thermoplastic composite.
- Fully compatible with major polymers (PP, PE, PET, PVC, PS, ABS, HDPE, and their recycled grades) for seamless formulation integration.
- Drop‑in ready for injection molding, extrusion, rotomolding, compression molding, and 3‑D printing without equipment modification.
- Climate‑positive lifecycle: net carbon removal of 1.02 kg CO₂e per kg material, verified by third‑party LCA.
- Scalable production capacity of 80,000 tons per year at a solar‑powered facility with zero operational water consumption, emissions, or combustion.
- Consistent material properties (strength, durability, processability) comparable to virgin petroleum‑based plastics.
- Enables quantifiable emissions‑avoidance credits (2.155 t CO₂ avoided per ton of UBQ placed on market) for corporate climate reporting.