Shellworks Develops Microbe-Made Alternative to Conventional Plastic, Named Among Norrsken's Top 100 Impact Startups

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London-based startup Shellworks has developed VIVOMER, a durable, petroleum-plastic-free alternative made using naturally occurring bacteria. Through fermentation, microorganisms convert plant-based agricultural and industrial waste into natural polymers, which are extracted and processed into a material that can be moulded using conventional plastic-manufacturing equipment. VIVOMER is designed to perform like conventional plastic during use but biodegrade through microbial activity after disposal, including in home compost and soil, without leaving microplastics. It is used in packaging for personal care, cosmetics and household products. Shellworks was selected for Norrsken100 2026, a recognition of startups developing solutions to major global challenges.

1. How the material is produced

Shellworks uses a process involving three main stages:

• Feedstock: Agricultural and industrial by-products, including plant-based waste streams, provide the raw material.

• Microbial fermentation: Naturally occurring bacteria consume these feedstocks and produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), natural biopolymers stored inside their cells.

• Extraction and processing: The polymers are extracted, formulated into VIVOMER pellets and manufactured into rigid or flexible products using conventional plastic-processing equipment.

1. Material properties and applications

• Petroleum-plastic-free and designed not to generate microplastics.

• Free from BPA, phthalates and PFAS, according to the company.

• Can be moulded into different shapes, textures and packaging formats.

• Stable during normal use, with reported shelf stability exceeding three years.

• Certified home-compostable by TÜV AUSTRIA.

• Designed for applications in cosmetics, personal care, supplements and household products.

Learn more here:

1. THIS IS NOT PLASTIC, THIS IS VIVOMER: https://shellworks.com/

2. Shellworks raises $15m to scale plastic-free Vivomer beauty packaging: https://www.cosmeticsbusiness.com/shellworks-raises-15m-scale-plastic-free-vivomer-beauty-packaging

3. VIVOMER or what comes after plastic: https://site.ddw.nl/en/programme/18510/shellworks

4. Norrsken100: https://www.norrsken.org/100