Phantm’s vision is a plastic-free planet. Their path for achieving that is to develop technology to make polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) – a natural material similar to other natural materials like rubber, wood, starch and proteins. Phantm’s business is built on a circular economy model, using organic waste as feedstock (food waste and waste whey from the dairy industry that is diverted from industrial waste streams) to make a natural material that displaces fossil fuel-based polymers. PHAs belong to a class of natural materials that have existed in nature for millions of years; they can be used in a range of biocomposite, durable and structural applications, and they are biodegradable in water, and are home-, industrial- and soil-compostable.
Phantm has been successful in obtaining Federal Government funding for a 3-year CRC-P research collaboration with CSIRO, Monash University and industry partners to scale up their technology. Phantm also has a strong partnership with a leading Victorian water authority for supply of feedstock from food waste. Phantm is now positioned to become Australia’s first PHA natural material manufacturer in 2022 from their pilot plant, with plans for a commercial facility in 2023.
