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Danimer Scientific emerged in 2004 and quickly gained a reputation for being able to functionalize poly lactic acid ( PLA ) for some particularly tricky applications . CEO , Stephen Croskrey outlines this initial development : “ PLA is made from corn starches ; it ’ s a renewable material that can be industrially composted in the presence of heat and moisture . We developed an extrusion coating product derived from PLA for coffee cups , which come into contact with both heat and moisture making them a challenging application for the material . This not only put us on the map but also developed our key competencies around formulating products and developing applications . “ The next major development came when we transitioned to using polyhydroxyalkanoates ( PHAs ) which are produced in nature by bacteria . When the bacteria break down materials like dead leaves , they store the carbon as an energy reserve in a similar way to how humans store fat . We ’ ve figured out how to produce this in an industrial process utilizing fermentation . We feed the bacteria canola oil , then break down the cell wall to extract the PHA . The real beauty of the process is that it works just like in nature , our products will break down over time as soon as they ’ re exposed to these bacteria which are everywhere in our soils and water , literally all around us . What we are trying to do is help rid the world of plastic pollution .”
The real beauty of the process is that it works just like in nature , our products will break down over time ... What we are trying to do is help rid the world of plastic pollution
Stephen goes on to explain the product offering : “ For the last four years our primary product has been a PHA-based formulation used to make straws . We ’ re working with partners like Starbucks ®, so whenever you see a green straw in a Starbucks in North America , that ’ s our material . This year we ’ ve expanded our PHA product offerings into coffee pods and are currently launching cutlery . We are also in the process of launching a new thermoforming product for lids as well as extrusion coatings for paperboard , primarily for hot and cold cups . Our primary focus area right now is products for quick serve restaurants , and the cutlery program is rapidly scaling up to reflect that . We ’ re also receiving a lot of requests to expand the offering into everything else these restaurants need beyond cutlery , cups , and straws .”
Expanding capacity
Stephen goes on to outline how the business approaches developing new products with its clients . “ When a customer comes to us with a request for a product we start with the specifications . We then come up with a formula , test it in the lab and adapt it as necessary before moving onto the next stage , where the customer trials it at a smaller scale , ideally on smaller equipment . Following this is an iterative process of receiving feedback and fine tuning until there ’ s a product that works in the operating conditions it needs to at a commercial scale .”
To supply increasing levels of demand , Danimer Scientific has been scaling up its production capabilities . “ Our first site in Winchester , Kentucky was a former fermentation facility when we purchased it ,” Stephen explains . “ We retrofitted the space to produce PHA and that ’ s been our manufacturing base since early 2020 . Demand has since grown so significantly that we need to expand our facilities to meet it . We will do this by working with the
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