Twelve & LanzaTech are turning CO2 emissions into polypropylene

Carbon transformation specialists Twelve and biotech company LanzaTech have partnered to transform CO2 emissions into polypropylene, an important thermoplastic used for medical devices including syringes and IV bags, as well as for large-scale applications in the automotive sector, furniture, textiles and other everyday products.

California-based Twelve converts CO2 into materials traditionally made using fossil fuels using its carbon transformation technology. The process has helped brands reduce or even eliminate emissions by substituting the petrochemicals that were previously in the products with their CO2Made carbon-negative chemicals and materials, as well as carbon-neutral fuels.

Read more: Capturing CO2 From Trucks And Reducing Their Emissions By 90%

Illinois-based LanzaTech brings to the table its carbon recycling Pollution to Products tech, which uses nature-based solutions to make ethanol and other materials from waste carbon.

The companies say that the partnership will bring the two technologies together, allowing for the development of more products from CO2 streams.

"Polypropylene is a key material for essential medical supplies and for many products we rely on in our daily lives. Today, 100% of new polypropylene in use worldwide is made from petrochemicals. We now have a way to produce this critical material from CO2 and water instead of from fossil fuels, with no tradeoffs in quality, efficacy or performance. Replacing all of the world’s fossil polypropylene production with CO2Made polypropylene would reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 700 million tonnes per year or more," said Twelve Chief Science Officer, Dr Etosha Cave.

Read more: Cambridge Start-Up Turns CO2 Into Construction Material

"By harnessing biology, we can leverage the power of nature to solve a very modern problem. The overabundance of CO2 in our atmosphere has pushed our planet into a state of emergency. We need all carbon transformation solutions to turn this liability into an opportunity, keeping fossil resources in the ground, and our climate safe for everyone," said LanzaTech CEO, Dr Jennifer Holmgren.

To continue the partnership, the two companies were awarded a grant of $200,000 from Impact Squared, a $1.1 million fund established by Barclays bank and entrepreneur platform Unreasonable. They say that the grant money is being used to take a collaborative approach towards mitigation of the impact fossil fuels have on essential products.

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