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Plastic is ubiquitous and plays an integral role in our global economy. Smart Plastic’s current lineup of products and additives provide immediate solutions to address plastic and food waste, with significant research and development targeting long-term solutions.

We are active members of the following associations:

• FPA (Flexible Packaging Association)
• SPC (Sustainable Packaging Coalition)
• PAC Global
• PIA (Plastics Industry Association)
• SPE (Societ of Plastics Engineers)
• AMI (Applied Market Information)

• EU Directive 2019/904: EU Directive to prevent and reduce the impact on the environment of certain plastic products and to promote a transition to a circular economy.
• Bio-Assimilation by Living Organisms: Evaluation of bio-assimilation by Rhodococcus via titration of CO2 evolution and increase of colony size resulting from exclusive source of carbon from degraded polyolefin.
• ASTM D5511 Compliant: Standard test method for determining anaerobic diodegradation of plastic materials under high-solids anaerobic-digestion conditions.
• ASTM 6954 Tier 1 Equivalent: Standard guide for exposing and testing plastics that degrade in the environment by a combination of oxidation and biodegradation.
• EU 10/2011 via BS EN 1186: Migration test to demonstrate direct food contact safety.
• FDA Direct Food Contact Approval
• California Prop 65: California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act which places restrictions on “known carcinogens and reproductive toxicants.”

Currently, we offer SPTek OYSTERPLUS™, an additive that reduces the environmental impact of conventional plastic with bio-based carbon sourced from oyster shells. This technology improves the mechanical characteristics of plastic, reduces processing times, temperatures and the dependence on fossil fuel-based resins.

At Smart Plastic, we understand the importance of a transition to bio-based plastics and this is reflected in our research and development activities. We see the potential for mass adoption of drop-in solutions and are continually working with our strategic and technical partners to deliver market-ready alternatives.

Learn more about OYSTERPLUS™ here.

Currently, our SPTek ECLIPSE™ Stretch Film (patent pending) is satisfying a major market gap and has become our best-selling product. This product has addressed a critical gap in the shipping and transportation industry by providing a sustainable alternative to conventional stretch film for load containment without sacrificing on performance.

The length of time an ECLIPSE™ (patent pending) enabled product takes to fully bio-assimilate depends on the environment it lands in. Ideal conditions include high UV exposure, heat, humidity and availability of microorganisms. Poor conditions include low UV exposure, heat, humidity and availability of microorganisms.

Smart Plastic additives and products are proudly produced in the U.S.A. However, we work with global partners in North America, Europe, and Asia that sell their ECLIPSE-enabled products (patent pending) around the world!

Bio-assimilation is the final and conclusive stage of biodegradation where microorganisms can convert the material into CO2, water, and biomass. Our bio-assimilation process takes between 6-42 months depending on the type of product and the environmental conditions in which it ends up.

ECLIPSE bio-assimilation technology (patent pending) causes the complete molecular transformation of plastic. In other words, it breaks the carbon-to-carbon bonds within the polymer molecules, allowing microorganisms to feed on the available carbon. Once this process is initiated, it becomes a runaway freight train that can't be stopped, resulting in zero microplastics.

Here’s a step-by-step explanation of what happens during the bio-assimilation process.

• At the end of an ECLIPSE™ enabled product’s functional life, the molecular structure of the polymer within the material has a molecular mass of approximately 200,000 Daltons.
• ‍Stage 1 (200,000 Da): The free radical process begins and carbon-to-carbon bonds within the material begin to break. The molecular mass of the material rapidly reduces as the long-chain molecular structure transforms into shorter and shorter chains.
• Stage 2 (40,000 Da): As the molecular transformation continues, these shorter chain molecular structures change from being hydrophobic (repelling water) to being hydrophilic (attracting water), surrounding them with microorganism-rich water (known as a bio-film).
• Stage 3 (5,000 Da): As the free radical process continues to transform the molecular structure and expose more and more carbon, the surrounding microorganisms begin to utilize this carbon as nutrients.
• Stage 4 (0 Da): As the microorganisms consume all of the available carbon, the molecular mass of the original polymer continues to reduce until there is nothing left but water, C0₂ and biomass.

All that is left is CO2, water, and biomass, with no microplastics left behind.

Yes you can recycle ECLIPSE™-enabled products (patent pending) ! First and foremost, ECLIPSE™ enabled products are designed to be recycled. The addition of ECLIPSE™ technology does not negatively impact the recyclability of the products or the recycle stream, provided the plastic has been collected and recycled before the bio-assimilation process has begun. If the material still has the mechanical characteristics of its original product, it can be recycled. The addition of ECLIPSE technology acts as a safety net in the event that the item evades the recycling system. It is not meant to encourage disposal in landfill.

Will they compost, yes? ECLIPSE™-enabled material will decompose in a composting environment. However, ECLIPSE™ enabled materials are not ASTM D6400 compliant due to the nature of the bio-assimilation process. With ECLIPSE, the vast majority of carbon in bio-assimilated material is sequestered as biomass whereas ASTM D6400 requires the majority of carbon within the material to be turned into CO2.

Together with LMPE, Pisa University, CNR Laboratories, and other university bio-science labs, we designed and conducted the first-ever C-13 carbon labeling test to determine bio-assimilation in ECLIPSE™ enabled plastic (patent pending). This bio-assimilation test conclusively tracks the origin of carbon within a closed environment using Carbon-13.

The methodology of the C-13 bio-assimilation test is quite simple: the test took ECLIPSE™ enabled material and fed it to a colony of microorganisms in order to prove bio-assimilation. To track the amount of carbon given off during the test and the growth of the colony, proving bio-assimilation, the researchers used carbon labeling with Carbon-13 atoms. The carbon labeling showed that the locked hydro-carbon chains in the plastic broke down to an open carbon source which the colony of microorganisms could use as a fuel source, breaking the material down completely with no nanoplastics left behind.