It is an engineered biopolymer that
- is plant-based, made up of plant fibers and natural materials, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and fostering a circular economy;
- is biodegradable and compostable. When thrown away it degrades into air, water and organic matter, leaving no trace of any man-made materials;
- is biocompatible and hypoallergenic, meaning it causes fewer allergic reactions when in contact with skin;
- does not generate health or environmentally-toxic microplastics. There are no traditional plastics involved in its production;
- has a high degree of processability and attains new properties with the help of nano technologies;
- actively helps to reduce carbon emissions by over 90% ,
- is affordable. We have forged a new way to make biodegradable materials cost-effective, essentially allowing traditionally expensive sustainable products to be much more affordable.
OKOmer™ vs conventional plastics
OKOmer, which is a proprietary material developed by OKOsix, is obtained from renewable and sustainable biological sources such as plants, wood pulps, polysaccharides and other natural minerals and materials, while conventional plastics come from hydrocarbons derived from fossil fuels like crude oil, natural gas and coal.
Plastics are high-molecular-weight organic polymers made of elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, but also include sulphur and chlorine, which can be hazardous. OKOmers are also composed of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, giving them the same valuable properties of plastics without the harmful ingredients found in fossil-fuel-based plastics.
In comparison to plastics that take hundreds of years to decompose and still leave behind harmful microplastics, OKOmers are certified by SGS and Intertek as fully and truly biodegradable and compostable, decomposing fully in 6 months or less, including in landfill conditions.
The applications of OKOmers are more specialized than fossil plastics, but they deliver exceptional value in disposable products where sustainable solutions are rare. These include compostable plastic bags, surgical masks, gowns, cosmetic facial masks, diapers, and many other non-woven products.
What exactly makes OKOmer a sustainable ‘plastic’? OKOmers are made from all natural, renewable and plant-based materials. With no fossil-based plastics in its composition, OKOmers biodegrade in any environment within six months without generating any microplastics.