February 2025

From Plastics to Microplastics

Microplastics pollution is similar to other types of chemical pollution. NOAA and the European Chemicals Agency define microplastics as fragments of plastic less than 5 mm in length that have not been properly disposed of or recycled. Plastics that escape in nature can break down into smaller and smaller particles. Very small plastic particles can move through, interact with, and accumulate in living tissues. Researchers have found microplastics almost everywhere they looked, including fish, the arctic wilderness, and human brains. An extensive report published in 2023 by The Minderoo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health summarizes the impacts of plastics on human health.

Every day we interact with plastic products and packaging and this provides an understanding of the source of the microplastics in the environment. Because of the visibility of the source, microplastic pollution is easier to grasp compared to other chemicals of concern that are invisible to the human eye, such as mercury, lead, bisphenols, PFAS, or phthalates.

Research in this field is still developing but we expect that microplastics’ prevalence correlates with the production volumes of the different plastics, and with their environmental persistence. Most microplastics we find are polyolefins, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, and polystyrene, often in rough proportion to the production volumes of these plastics.

A significant part of the toxicity associated with microplastics is likely caused by residual monomers, additives, and breakdown products. The higher the toxic potential of the original plastic material the more hazardous the microplastic particles that come from it are likely to be. Polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride are made from carcinogenic building blocks and often use harmful additives so they should be at the top of the list of efforts to find alternatives.

The impact of microplastics could be reduced by using less persistent materials. Materials like paper and bio-derived products that have natural pathways for degradation in the environment would make for safer packaging. These materials are more likely to break down in the environment and therefore less likely to accumulate in food chains. Promising early stage approaches to developing safer packaging materials include companies like: Cellulotech, Earthodic, Kelpi, Lactips, Mi Terro, NotPLA, Papkot, Sustanix, Sway, and Xampla. There are also efforts underway by Intropic Materials and Enzide to develop enzymes that can be added to bioplastics, to ensure that they biodegrade quicker in various natural and composting environments. Check out our earlier articles on paper coatings and plastics for more information about safer alternatives.

Hair with Care

US consumers spent over $13 billion on haircare products in 2024. Haircare products have high use frequency and many consumers are willing to try new things if they expect improved performance. The rapid growth and ultimate acquisition of both Living Proof and K18 as well as the IPO of Olaplex are examples of success stories built around performance and new ingredients in haircare.

Haircare products contain various functional ingredients including silicones, quaternary surfactants, anti-dandruff active ingredients, dye chemistries, and hair straighteners that are potentially hazardous. The products that use them would benefit from safer alternatives.

Silicones

Silicones, such as dimethicone, amodimethicone, and cyclomethicone, are widely used to provide improved hair feel, shine, and combability. They form a thin, hydrophobic film on the hair, which locks in moisture, reduces frizz, and protects against heat damage. Silicones can accumulate on the hair, are persistent in the environment, and some are suspected of endocrine disruption activity. P2 Science’s Citropols are a new class of safe, bio-based and performant ingredients, good alternatives to silicones for haircare. Some of the haircare brands that use P2’s Citropols include: California Naturals, Evolvh, Haeckels, Curly, Intelligent Nutrients, Living Proof, and Mielle Organics.

Quaternary Surfactants

Apart from making the hair shiny and smooth hair conditioners also try to address the hair damage and dryness. Quaternary ammonium cationic surfactants are used in conditioners to neutralize the hair negative charges, reducing static electricity, and smoothing the hair cuticle, making it softer and easier to style. Quaternary ammonium compounds can be environmental persistent and have potential aquatic toxicity. Inolex recently released Aminosensyl, a line of non-quaternary ammonium cationic surfactants for haircare.

Anti-Dandruff Active Ingredients

Anti-dandruff shampoos use selenium sulfide, zinc pyrithione, and ketoconazole (prescription) as active ingredients with antifungal properties. Functional shampoos that address scalp health without using harsh antimicrobial agents and petroleum derived chemicals would have an advantage in the marketplace. Several brands such as Dermazen, OUAI, and Shea Moisture make scalp health claims, relying on salicylic acid and other natural ingredients.

Color Chemistry

Many hair dyes rely on p-phenylenediamine (PPD) for hair coloring. Concerns about PPD’s irritation, sensitization, and acute toxicity have helped shift formulators to related alternative chemistries such as 2,5-diaminohydroxyethylbenzene and 2,5-diaminotoluene, but these are also potentially harmful. There is a need for inherently safer color chemistry alternatives that work as well as current products. Hair Print is an example of an alternative hair coloring product.

Hair Straighteners

Hair straighteners use sodium hydroxide, ammonium thioglycolate, or guanidine hydroxide to break the disulfide bonds within the keratin structure of hair. After the hair is straightened it is maintained straight by using cross-linking chemistries sometimes based on formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde. Concerns about the toxicity of formaldehyde have created opportunities for brands with formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde free products. Some of these products still use quaternary surfactants and silicones, leaving room for improvement.

Financings

Aquaria, developer of appliances that extract clean drinking water from the air, raised $12 million.

Agrion Agrisolutions, producer of eco-friendly fertilizers, raised $50 million.

Applied Carbon, a manufacturer of machines that convert agriculture waste into biochar on the field, raised $21.5 million. 

Basetwo, a software company integrating chemical engineering principles to improve manufacturing processes, raised $11.5 million.

Archive, a company that helps apparel brands create and manage their own resale programs, raised $30 million.

Biosphere, makes bioreactors that use UV light instead of steam for sterilization to make biomanufacturing more cost-effective, raised $8.8 million.

BiocSol, creator of safer biopesticides for agriculture, raised $5.4 million.

Boston Materials, manufacturer of carbon fiber materials for semiconductor and aircraft applications, raised $13.5 million.

Celleste Bio, producer of cocoa ingredients using cultivated cocoa cells, raised $4.5 million.

Copernic Catalysts, developer of advanced catalysts to produce chemicals and fuels from biobased feedstocks, raised $8 million.

Ecolectro, manufacturer of hydrogen electrolyzers without PFAS or iridium, raised $10.5 million.  

Enduro Genetics, creator of a genetic tool to optimize yields of fermentation, raised $12.3 million.

Epic Cleantec, developer of technologies that help buildings recycle up to 95% of their wastewater, raised $12 million.

FibreCoat, manufacturer of metal and polymer coated functional fibers, raised $21.1 million.

Flocean, developer of a subsea desalination systems that use the natural pressure of deep ocean water to reduce energy consumption, raised $9 million.

General Galactic, a company transforming industrial CO2 emissions into natural gas, raised $8 million.

Heirloom, a company using limestone to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, raised $150 million.

Hula Earth, provider of real-time environmental data to help industries track and manage their impact on nature, raised $1.7 million.

Liquid Wind, a company producing methanol from using renewable electricity and biogenic CO₂, raised $46 million.

Mangrove Lithium, producer of lithium compounds used in batteries, raised $35 million.

MacroCycle, a company transforming plastic waste into high-quality, reusable plastic, raised $6.5 million.

Modern Synthesis, producer of nanocellulose based textile alternatives to animal leathers and plastic fabrics, raised $5.5 million.

Mojave Energy Systems, Maker of sustainable air conditioning systems that don’t rely on hazardous refrigerants, raised $9.5 million.

Nanoramic, maker of PFAS and NMP free battery materials, raised $44 million.

Naturbeads, producer of biodegradable cellulose microspheres for cosmetics, detergents, and paints, raised $9.8 million.

OceanWell, maker of underwater modular pods that use ocean pressure to produce fresh water, raised $11 million.

One Bio, maker of plant-based fiber additives for food, agriculture, and medicine to support gut health and immunity, raised $27 million.

Oxyle, maker of a PFAS destruction technology, raised $15.7 million.

Planet A Foods, maker of cocoa-free chocolate using plant-based ingredients through fermentation, raised $30 million.

Plantible Foods, producer of plant-based protein from duckweed, raised $30 million.

Tidal Vision, a company transforming crab shells into chitosan to be used in water treatment and agriculture, raised $140 million.

Tozero, a lithium-ion recycler, raised $11.7 million.

Veir, developer of superconducting power lines, raised $75 million.

Zymofix, producer of beneficial microorganisms for agriculture, raised €2 million.

Also Noted

• Carbon black in PVC and PS catalyzed the release harmful monomers when exposed to sunlight.

• New biobased glue.

• Toxic Free Future retailer report cards are out.

• Joel Tickner’s suggestions for supporting sustainable chemistry development in the US.

• Clearya-Software to find safer products and improve chemicals management.

• Why Doctors Think Cancer Is on the Rise in Millennial Women.

• $3 Million prize to the person that solves recycling on the Moon. 

• Lawsuit to force FDA to remove phthalates from food packaging and test results showing the presence of phthalates and other endocrine disrupting compounds in food.