Slashing CO2Plastic-eating enzymes.
Big Picture
Plastics are a one-two punch on the planet. Not only are they made from fossil fuels, 70% of plastic waste is unrecyclable, ending up in landfills. Nylon is one of the worst offenders. Found in almost everything – yoga pants, car parts, you name it – nylon can’t be recycled and is often mixed with other materials, rendering them unrecyclable too. Despite new taxes and fines, it’s still cheaper to make virgin oil-based plastic and toss it in the landfill rather than figure out how to recycle it.
How it Works
Epoch has developed tunable enzymes that break down mixed plastic waste into the chemical precursors required to make new plastic. By feeding the polymers back into the same plastics production process, Epoch’s solution drops into existing infrastructure, effectively displaces fossil fuel feedstocks, and enables the profitable upcycling of plastics. They’re making the unrecyclable – even nylon – infinitely recyclable, in a truly circular process.
Unfair Advantage
Epoch’s “biorecycling” is a game changer for commercial users and producers of plastics. The enzymes work their magic on a broad range of plastic waste without any need for cleaning, sorting, or treatment, creating high-value ingredients for many industries. These outputs are also just plain cheaper than their petroleum-based counterparts. It’s no surprise that so many companies that rely on plastic in their manufacturing are lining up to use Epoch’s process at their sites.
100
Trillion enzyme variants
sequenced per hour
JACOB NATHAN CEO & CO-FOUNDER
Jacob postponed attendance to the University of Chicago to build Epoch after discovering their first bacterium as a high school senior.
BEATRIZ LOPEZ CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER
Beatriz is a seasoned People executive who previously led HR at Softbank Robotics and helped scale Sequel from 40 to 400 employees.
A New Epoch
Epoch
The startup brewing plastic-eating enzymes to gobble up waste
Sifted (FT)
Epoch Biodesign raises a $11 million seed
Business Wire