Recycling forest waste into futuristic plastic

This lignin-based thermoplastic could lessen our reliance on fossil-based alternatives

Over 450 million tonnes of plastic are generated globally each year, and most plastic production still relies on fossil fuels as a primary feedstock. While plastic recycling remains important, it’s not enough on its own to curb the sector’s impact. Swedish startup Lignin Industries is addressing this problem by transforming an abundant waste material – lignin – into a scalable, drop-in alternative to traditional plastics.

Lignin is a complex natural polymer found in the cell walls of all plants and is often discarded or incinerated as low-value waste in forestry and agriculture. Lignin Industries has developed a patented process that upcycles this by-product into Renol, a versatile bio-based thermoplastic. Designed to integrate seamlessly into existing plastic manufacturing lines, Renol can be blended with widely used plastics like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyethylene (PE), and polypropylene (PP) to produce moulds, films, and packaging.