Breakthrough materials: Xampla talks bio-based commercialization as new brand propels plastic-free

12 Oct 2023 --- Last month, University of Cambridge spin-off firm Xampla launched a consumer brand named Morro following 15 years of research. The brand will provide a “Morro marque” label for supermarket products to authenticate bio-based packaging. 

The launch followed consumer research showing public demand for natural materials and the confusion around green claims. Nearly three-quarters of UK consumers (73%) said they need clarification on the sustainability credentials of plastic substitutes and would benefit from clearer labeling. 

Morro uses materials made exclusively from plants. We speak to Stanley Mitchell, head of business development at Xampla, about the launch and what it means for the wider UK packaging industry. 

What sets Xampla’s material aside from other bio-based formulations? 
Mitchell: Morro is a plastic-free, plant-based range of materials that are strong, natural and fully biodegradable that protect and deliver products and ingredients without harming the planet.

Morro is a plastic-free, plant-based range of strong and biodegradable materials.It is important to note that Morro materials are neither plastic nor bioplastic but a range of breakthrough materials, all made from sustainably sourced feedstocks. Morro has no harmful chemical cross-linking. This means it breaks down safely, quickly and fully without leaving any harmful chemicals behind.

Working in partnership with global brands, Morro materials are used to create reliable plastic-free solutions for films, coatings and microcapsules.

The patented process results in a natural polymer that provides exceptional performance, high strength and excellent oxygen barriers and offers a drop-in solution for manufacturers to enable brands to make a simple swap.

Our materials enable progress beyond plastic and are exempt from upcoming regulations such as the Single Use Plastic Directive and the ECHA’s proposed restriction on intentionally added microplastics.

How cost-competitive is Morro compared to plastic products? 
Mitchell: Pricing of Morro materials is commercially sensitive. However, in our launch applications at scale, we can compete with synthetic materials at cost. Additionally, in the long term, our materials aim to be no more expensive than plastic.

We can offer this cost-competitive advantage due to Xampla resin being a “drop-in solution” for manufacturing processes. Manufacturers can use Xampla resin to make Morro materials on their current manufacturing equipment. This means there is a low hurdle for implementing commercialization and scaling-up.

What are your main barriers to commercialization? 
Mitchell: When bringing any material to market and rolling it out at a scale, the cost of outsourcing research and product development is a huge barrier.

Xampla has a talented in-house team of industry experts in product development hired directly from leading global FMCG companies. This gives us a superior understanding of our customers, the process of getting products onto shelves and the technology the industry needs.Three-quarters of Britons would prefer products in natural, completely plastic-free packaging instead of trying to recycle plastic.

Additionally, Xampla has acquired new lab space in the past two years, which has enabled each of our product applications to expand into a dedicated space. Our facility now features specialist analytical equipment to further new product developments and bring our Morro materials to market.

What can policymakers do to aid your research and the spread of the Morro brand? 
Mitchell: A significant driver for Xampla and the Morro brand is the plastic crisis and, in particular, consumer demand and regulations to phase our plastics.

Recent consumer research by Morro showed that more than half of the UK public (54%) is optimistic that as more and more plastic products are banned, plastic will become a material of the past.

Policymakers can support Xampla and the widespread uptake of the Morro brand by increasing regulations on the most polluting plastics. Natural and scalable replacement materials are already in the market and will grow at pace as polluting plastics are consigned to the past.

How responsive do you expect consumers to be to the brand? 
Mitchell: Morro’s recent consumer insights found that most UK adults are unsure of what happens to their recycling if collected by their council, with only a quarter (24%) confident that it is “actually recycled, not incinerated or landfilled.”

Additionally, shedding light on consumer confusion around false green claims, the insights found that two in five respondents (42%) have thrown away “compostable” plastics in the regular waste bin because they are uncertain what to do with it.

As a result, three-quarters of Britons (76%) would prefer products that come in natural, completely plastic-free packaging instead of trying to recycle plastic. Morro plant-based materials meet this demand by providing exceptional, high-strength performance while being biodegradable in the natural environment. 

By Louis Gore-Langton