W-Cycle is a company revolutionizing the food packaging industry with its sustainable, compostable pulp-based solutions
Can you introduce W-Cycle and share the story of how the company was founded?
W-Cycle is a company dedicated to creating sustainable solutions for the food packaging industry, offering SupraPulp™, a family of products based on compostable pulp-based material that not only eliminates the need for plastic packaging but also ensures high performance for food-grade applications, including heat resistance, liquid tolerance, and durability. The company was founded by an experienced executive from the sustainable packaging industry, who is on a mission to eliminate plastic pollution.
What inspired the creation of W-Cycle, and how have your backgrounds influenced the company’s direction?
The inception of W-Cycle was driven by the urgent need to tackle environmental sustainability and the challenges associated with disposable food packaging waste management. The diverse backgrounds of our management team play a crucial role in shaping the company’s vision and strategy. With expertise spanning sustainability, organic chemistry, biology, and business management, we adopt a holistic approach to our initiatives. The team’s varied experiences across multiple industries have enabled it to identify market gaps and create solutions that are both practical and economically sustainable. Furthermore, the deep commitment to sustainability and social responsibility fuels our mission to positively impact the environment and the communities we serve.
What is the core vision of W-Cycle, and what steps are you taking to make it a reality?
The core vision of W-Cycle is to eliminate plastic waste. Therefore the main material in our SupraPulp™ products is pulp, which can be derived from a variety of renewable resources like sugarcane bagasse, reed, wood, and banana leaves. The steps we are taking include developing propriety formulas that are added to the pulp, creating high performance packages for food that is resistant to leakage. Additionally, we are partnering with leading molded fiber manufacturers around the world, offering them our patented solutions as well as strategic consulting services to help address their challenges.
Who is your primary target audience for your compostable food packaging solutions, and how do you cater to their specific needs?
SupraPulp™, our expanding line of food-grade formulas for packaging, is marketed globally to packaging producers and businesses that outsource packaging production. We also design food packaging for food manufacturers, institutions, transportation companies, and the food service industry.
What challenges have you faced in developing and scaling your sustainable packaging technologies, and how have you overcome them?
The main challenge the company faced was how to transform a sustainable plant-based material, originally designed to conduct water, into a material capable of holding liquids like water and oil. Additionally, it needed to withstand high baking temperatures for up to 20 minutes without burning, while ultimately being able to decompose. Overcoming this challenge required extensive time in the laboratory, where we conducted numerous experiments to reach the ultimate product.
How does W-Cycle differentiate itself from competitors in the sustainable packaging industry?
W-Cycle offers innovative solutions that accelerate product development for manufacturers seeking sustainable, food-compliant materials. By leveraging our patented formulas and comprehensive expertise, the company enables businesses to create environmentally responsible products with remarkable efficiency. The company’s core offering includes a holistic package: proprietary molded fiber formulas, specialized additives, raw material sourcing, and strategic consulting services. This integrated approach allows clients to streamline their product development process, significantly reducing both time and resource expenditure. W-Cycle’s technology goes beyond mere product creation. Our solutions are strategically designed to meet rigorous food safety standards while simultaneously addressing critical sustainability goals. By providing comprehensive support, we help businesses not only develop high-quality products but also enhance their brand’s environmental credentials and market positioning.
Can you share some success stories or partnerships that highlight the impact of W-Cycle’s solutions?
W-Cycle has established strategic partnerships with leading global brands across multiple industries. Our collaborations include renowned multinational food corporations, as well as meal preparation companies and distributors, that provide catering services for airlines.
We recently collaborated with Melhoramentos, a publicly traded Brazilian company with activities spanning publishing, renewable forestry, and real estate (Altea), and announced a strategic partnership. Together, we will produce compostable packaging made from renewable materials that naturally decompose within 100 days.
The agreement, valued at a minimum of USD 3.45 million and set for an initial term of three years involves the supply by W-Cycle to Melhoramentos Latin America with its proprietary food-grade packaging formula and consulting services. These resources will help Melhoramentos produce its new advanced biodegradable packaging. Melhoramentos will also incorporate their own high-performance cellulose fibres sourced from their extensive renewable forestry operations covering more than 80 million square meters.
With the global push towards sustainability, how do you see W-Cycle contributing to the future of packaging?
W-Cycle’s profound expertise in sustainable packaging positions the company at the forefront of transformative innovation in packaging technologies. Our rapidly expanding portfolio of advanced formulations and our agile development process are strategically aligned to accelerate the global transition towards more environmentally responsible packaging solutions.
What role do innovation and research play in maintaining W-Cycle’s competitive edge?
Innovation and research are the cornerstone of W-Cycle’s strategic approach and competitive positioning in the sustainable packaging industry. The company views continuous research and technological innovation as critical drivers that enable us to: Develop cutting-edge food contact approved sustainable materials, solve complex technical challenges and answer requirements of food packaging, maintain technological leadership by continuously pushing the boundaries of material science, and align with global sustainability trends, corporate sustainability commitments, and stringent environmental regulations.
W-Cycle has gained a competitive advantage by earning a strong brand recognition in the market for molded fiber products and deep expertise in formulas, different types of fibers, and production methods.
Our product line retains the attributes of plastic or aluminum products while maintaining food safety, and supporting extreme hot and cold temperatures. In addition, our products are microwave-, oven-, and freezer-safe.
What are your plans for W-Cycle’s growth and expansion in the next five years?
W-Cycles plans are to partner with at least another 3 manufacturers per annum over the next 2 years and sign agreements with at least 10 global recognized brands. Following this we believe we will grow fast and will become a global brand in this industry. We believe this way we will have the most impact both commercially and on the environment in a relatively short time frame.
What advice would you give to entrepreneurs looking to start a business in the sustainability or FoodTech space?
Successful sustainability entrepreneurs don’t just create products—they reimagine entire systems and value chains. The most critical advice is to focus on solving genuine, measurable problems in the food and sustainability ecosystem. Entrepreneurs should conduct deep market research to understand specific pain points in food systems, packaging, and resource efficiency, rather than creating solutions without a clear purpose.
How has the partnership with Melhoramentos shaped W-Cycle’s strategies and opened new opportunities?
Although we spoke much about licensing our technology to manufacturers, working with Melhoramentos made it a reality. Over the last year of working together we got to understand our strengths and value in the market better than before and this allowed us to change our business strategy accordingly.
The actual partnership provides W-Cycle with a marketing and manufacturing arm in LATAM. Hence, having an access to high quality and affordable raw materials, top notch local manufacturing, and new business opportunities is the. perfect combination for W_Cycle’s expanding
Picture: @ credit Melhoramentos
Thank you Isaac Rome for the Interview
Statements of the author and the interviewee do not necessarily represent the editors and the publisher opinion again.
