Woamy

Close-up image of Woamy, a bio-based foam / Source: Woamy

CelluloseDissolvableEdibleEuropeFood & BeverageFood GradeHardwoodLightweightPackagingPaperRecyclableRecycledRegenerativeStrongTextilesWoamy

WHAT WE SAY:

Everyone who tries to avoid plastic knows the disappointment of opening a parcel to find it full of styrofoam packing peanuts. But soon you'll be able to recycle, dissolve, compost, and even eat your protective packaging, thanks to Woamy's non-toxic bio-based foam.

While not exactly a tasty snack, its edible nature is testament to how safe Woamy's namesake foam is. Made from wood or agricultural waste, it can go toe-to-toe with its plastic counterpart without lingering in the environment for 500 years. There's a long way to go until Woamy can reach the same production volumes as styrofoam, but a successful seed funding round and plans to scale bode well for the future.

Woamy

WHAT IS WOAMY?

Woamy is an extruded bio-based foam made from agricultural or Wood waste; modified food grade Cellulose; and water.
The foam's directional strength properties mimic the structure of wood — it is strong and shockproof in one direction, and soft and malleable in the other.
Strong and lightweight with low density, it performs like a standard plastic packaging material, but after use it can be composted (in home or industrial conditions) or dissolved in water in 15 minutes. Certification is underway for Woamy to be included in cardboard recycling streams. Its non-toxic makeup and food-grade source materials are why it can also claim to be edible.
Woamy, the Finnish company of the same name, sources its raw materials from forestry companies, cardboard recyclers, and directly from farmers.
Due to its biodegradability and strength properties, Woamy is initially focusing on creating plastic-free protective packaging with its foam, a replacement for styrofoam products like packing peanuts. Other industry applications Woamy has piloted — but require further R&D — include mattresses, shoe soles, food packaging, building insulation, and laminated boards such as surfboards.
Different foams and applications require different fibre sources, and co-founder and COO Mohamed Elamir says the Woamy team has experimented with the "most common fibrous plants". The company has patents pending so hasn't disclosed all the fibre sources it's working with, but does list wheat stalks and recycled cardboard pulp as two key inputs for Woamy.
In order to scale, Woamy is developing a shipping container-sized manufacturing machine that can be licensed and shipped to any market for localised production.
The machine is modular, made from parts commonly used in the food and Paper industries. Second-hand parts can be used to reduce costs.
The production process involves combining fibres from raw plants or recycled cardboard pulp with cellulose and water. This wet suspension is added to the machine which then forms sheets on a conveyor belt. A solid, dry, "bubbly" foam emerges at the other end. No additional drying time is required.
Raw materials do not determine Woamy’s scalability — the output of its machinery does. Currently, the company can produce one cubic metre of foam per day, and by the end of 2023 production will reach five cubic metres per day. Compared to styrofoam (of which approximately 821,900.8 cubic metres per day is produced globally), there’s still some catching up to do.

KEY PROPERTIES:

Dissolvable
Edible
Food Grade
Lightweight
Recyclable
Recycled
Regenerative
Strong

INDUSTRY:

Food & Beverage
Packaging
Textiles

AVAILABILITY:

Limited Orders

DIVE DEEPER:

Every year, about 15 million tonnes of styrofoam is produced. While styrofoam is technically recyclable, most facilities won’t take it because it’s bulky and needs to be cleaned if it’s been used for food. This means that most styrofoam will end its life as an environmental pollutant in a landfill, incinerated, or in the ocean. Around 2.3 million tonnes of styrofoam is sent to landfill alone every year.
Styrofoam products fill up approximately 30% of landfills, taking up to 500 years to decompose. Like all plastic, its persistent presence leads to toxic chemicals leaching into soils and waterways, as well as microplastics escaping into every part of our ecosystem. Styrofoam specifically also releases ozone into the atmosphere, which affects air quality and respiratory health.
By swapping plastic foams for bio-based alternatives made from waste products, Woamy — which was founded as a research project at Aalto University — not only eliminates the need for fossil fuel products and the many forms of pollution that come with them, but creates additional revenue streams for farmers.
The use of agricultural waste also means the raw materials don’t require any additional land or water to grow. This can help reduce crop burning and the emissions that come from rotting waste.
Woamy’s localised approach to manufacturing, adaptive inputs, and versatility for both large and small businesses means that almost every type of agricultural waste can be put to good use.
Woamy has sought out like-minded partners, including the Finnish companies VIBAe, Paptic, Kiuas Accelerator, and Secto Design.
Woamy raised EUR 1 million (USD 1.1 million) in a seed round ending January 2023. It was led by CMPC Ventures and Secto Design was among further investors.
With Woamy’s Series A round under way, the company is dedicating a portion of its staff to continuous R&D, to branch out into other areas besides packaging.

Woamy samples in a seclection of colours / Source: Woamy

Woamy can be used for shoe soles / Source: Woamy

KEY FACTS:

15mins

Woamy can dissolve in water in 15 minutes

500yrs

Styrofoam products fill up 30% of landfills, and take up to 500 years to decompose

5m³

By the end of 2023, Woamy production will be at five cubic metres per day

Key Questions to Ask:

How much do you need?

Woamy's output is currently limited by its machinery. Until production volumes increase, smaller companies which can trial limited runs would be most suited as a customer. Larger companies should consider long-term investment partnerships to accelerate this solution's scale.

What conditions will your foam experience?

Is the foam likely to get wet during application? Given Woamy's dissolvable properties, its use should be prioritised for dry goods, or liquids contained in protective packaging. If you think leaks are likely, then an alternative such as Flexi-Hex may be more suitable.

Do you have a novel use for Woamy?

Woamy is heavily invested in R&D and expansion, so this is a company open to new applications. If you don't see what you need, it's worth taking your idea to the company to assess the possibilities.

Where are you located?

As Woamy is headquartered in Finland, the company is currently focused on serving European customers until its container-sized machinery is ready to ship. Brands in other regions should be ready to act once the manufacturing capabilities are available, and be first to market with this innovative material.

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