Newlight Technologies opens new commercial-scale AirCarbon production facility

Photo courtesy Newlight

Newlight Technologies, Inc., a California biotechnology company that manufactures PHB, a type of PHA, has announced the opening of a new commercial-scale AirCarbon production facility in Southern California, called Eagle 3.

Newlight has spent over a decade perfecting the production of AirCarbon: a material made by life from the ocean using air and carbon from greenhouse gas.

To make AirCarbon, Newlight uses naturally-occurring microorganisms found in the ocean, and recreates ocean conditions on land with saltwater, air, carbon from greenhouse gas, and renewable power. These ocean microorganisms use air and carbon from greenhouse gas to grow a material inside of their cells: an ocean-degradable, carbon-negative material called AirCarbon, which can replace conventional petro-based polymers in numerous applications.

Based in Huntington Beach, California, Eagle 3 is Newlight’s largest commercial production facility to date. The material produced at the facility will be used in the two new brands which the company has also just launched: Restore foodware and Covalent fashion.

Through Restore, Newlight uses AirCarbon to bring high-performance, regenerative foodware to market, starting with cutlery and drinking straws, that work for both people and the planet.

Because AirCarbon is made by life, like paper and wood, if it ends up in the ocean, AirCarbon degrades as fast as cellulose; but, unlike paper and wood, AirCarbon stands up in hot and cold conditions, never gets soggy, and is dishwasher safe for reuse—so that it never needs to go to waste.

Restore uses AirCarbon to offer high-performance, ocean-degradable, regenerative straws, as well as reusable, regenerative cutlery, with a mission to help address climate change and end the accumulation of synthetic plastics in the ocean in this generation.

Restore foodware is made in Southern California, and is available at from the website, with shipping estimated to be begin in Q4.

Covalent is a direct-to-consumer fashion brand that marries high quality craftsmanship with AirCarbon to bring regenerative, carbon-negative fashion to market, starting with eyewear, wallets, and handbags. Covalent products are third-party verified as carbon-negative and also leverage IBM blockchain tracking technology to provide the precise carbon footprint of each individual Covalent product.

Covalent shares the carbon footprint of every product, verified through LCAs by a third-party carbon accounting firm. Covalent has also developed a ‘Carbon Date’ – a unique timestamp placed on every Covalent product that reveals the time when the AirCarbon for each product was formed. When entered into the Covalent website, the Carbon Date enables the consumer to access IBM blockchain history for that exact piece, showing each stage from cradle-to-gate, and the carbon footprint associated with the overall production process.

Covalent’s AirCarbon resin used for eyewear is rich and weighty, with a matte texture, and its AirCarbon leather replacement (Non-Leather™) has a modern grain and a smooth matte hand. AirCarbon itself has a naturally off-white hue, which is maintained for several AirCarbon products, with all pieces available in Carbon Black.

Covalent’s mission is to help demonstrate the beauty in greenhouse gas and inspire the use of carbon from greenhouse gas as a resource to help end climate change.

Covalent fashion is made in Southern California, and is available now for pre-order with shipping estimated to be begin in Q4.

Source: Bioplastics MAGAZINE, 2020-09-25.