In August 2026, as per new research on Polymateria’s technology conducted alongside Imperial College London, UK, and the Standard and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM), the company claims it can decompose PE- and PP-based packaging in nature within two years, without leaving any toxic residues.
“The research shows that the technology causes a chemical transformation to take place whereby the plastic is transformed into a bioavailable wax, with no microplastics or toxic residues,” says Dr. Florence Huynh, VP of innovations at Polymateria, and one of the researchers behind the study.
“The process is triggered by the natural elements of decay sunlight, heat, moisture, and air. The bioavailable wax is then consumed by microbes that naturally occur in soil, fully returning the plastic to nature.” Huynh explains that the technology is integrated into plastics at the point of manufacture with no need for changes to processes or new equipment. “This makes it immediately scalable by plastic producers around the world and cost-effective.”
The research mainly highlights the complete consumption of the wax by microbes, as measured by biodegradation testing, resulting in no traces of the original material.
Dr. Jose Jimenez Zarco, research lead and associate professor in Synthetic Biology at Imperial College London, comments: “Uncovering pathways through which polyolefin plastics can fully biodegrade is a remarkable discovery. We now know how plastic materials previously thought to be almost indestructible can safely return to nature. We are excited to see this approach have a real-world impact on tackling plastic pollution.”
Huynh highlights how plastics integrated with Polymateria’s technology compare to conventional biodegradable or compostable plastics in terms of degradation time and environmental conditions.
“Compostable plastics require the same level of biodegradation, but operate in a managed environment requiring collection and transfer to industrial composting facilities where those are available to biodegrade,” she outlines.
The research, published in Nature’s npj Materials Degradation and based on Polymateria’s biotransformation technology, has been proven in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, asserts Huynh. “The PE biodegraded in 292 days and the PP in 269 days.” At the trade show Packaging Innovation 2026, Polymateria and eGreen International presented their bio-based and “biotransformable” VeriGreen Plus cup featuring Polymateria’s technology.
Celine Moreira, global partnership director at Polymateria, states that the packaging industry is now at a point where traditional methods should take a back seat to allow new technologies to do their job to help truly scale, integrate with circular systems, and also deliver measurable outcomes.
Huynh says that the most well-known European biodegradability standard, EN 13432 a standard for compostable plastics is not relevant to this research approach. “The BSI PAS 9017 standard, published by the British Standards Institution (BSI), which is well established around the world, was followed to underpin the biodegradation process.”
“This standard provides a credible and robust approach for biodegradation in the open terrestrial environment, requiring proof of full biodegradation, no microplastics, and no toxic residues. It provides the basis for the SIRIM ECO 098 Ecolabel certification in Malaysia, for example.”
One of the major restrictions faced by the company’s technological method is that the technology is not applicable for industries where plastics are required for a longer period of time, such as the automobile industry.
“The technology is also not designed for plastics like polystyrene or PVC, as these would risk becoming toxic to the environment if they biodegrade.”
SIRIM, Malaysia’s governmental testing and certification body, carried out the biodegradation testing. The research is also said to “substantiate” the SIRIM Eco 098 Ecolabel, based on the UK’s BSI PAS 9017.
Muhammad Zuhayr, senior researcher at SIRIM, says: “We are proud to have contributed to this research with Imperial College London and Polymateria. According to the Malaysia Plastics Sustainability Roadmap (2021–2030), a significant proportion of plastics in Malaysia are not recycled or managed through appropriate end-of-life pathways, contributing to leakage into the environment.”
“This highlights the importance of continuing to strengthen waste management systems while expanding the availability of sustainable material solutions. Alongside a range of national initiatives, credible alternatives such as biodegradable plastics can play an important role in supporting Malaysia’s transition toward a more circular plastics economy.” Zuhayr continues.
“Through SIRIM’s Ecolabel program, SIRIM is helping to ensure that a range of credible alternatives are available for industry, policymakers, and consumers to adopt with confidence.”
In 2025, Malaysia’s Federal Government tightened its packaging waste import law, requiring all scrap imports to be approved by SIRIM, with an environmental NGO describing the move as a “critical counterbalance” to the global mismanagement of plastic waste.
03 September 2026
02 September 2026
02 September 2026
02 September 2026