Please share some background on yourself and your company

The idea behind EcoPure® technology came from experiences at the Albuquerque municipal landfill. EcoPure® was first made available for sale in the fall of 2008. It is a revolutionary product that has the potential to change the way the world views plastic waste disposal. Ordinary plastics are biodegradable but can take an extremely long time to do so because of their strong molecular structure. EcoPure® is a proprietary blend of organic ingredients that has been specifically formulated to substantially increase the rates of biodegradation of treated plastics.

I joined Bio-Tec Environmental in 2019 after spending a decade in the oil and gas chemical industry. During that time, I was frustrated with the plastic waste I was seeing and began searching for a viable sustainability solution, which led me to EcoPure. Since joining in 2019, my passion for finding a better solution to our plastic waste problems has been instrumental in driving the global expansion of EcoPure and its benefits.

Could you provide an overview of what makes the additives you will be speaking about biodegradable?

EcoPure® is an additive that accelerates the natural biodegradation of plastic through a series of chemical and biological processes when disposed of in microbe-rich environments such as landfills. It allows the plastic to be consumed (as a food and energy source) by microbes. EcoPure® works by making treated plastics more susceptible to enzymatic attack. These enzymes attack the surface of the treated plastic, thereby allowing both moisture and microorganisms to enter the polymer matrix and continue the biodegradation process. This process requires the presence of soil bacteria and will not initiate until the treated product is disposed of.

What statistics have shocked you most when it comes to plastic pollution?

One statistic that particularly stands out is that over 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year. To put that in perspective, it’s like dumping a garbage truck full of plastic into the ocean every minute. Another shocking figure is that it is estimated there are over 5 trillion pieces of plastic debris in the ocean. This massive amount of plastic not only harms marine life but also disrupts ecosystems and poses risks to human health. The scale of the problem underscores the urgent need for comprehensive solutions and changes in how we manage plastic waste.

What are you most looking forward to from the expo?

To see the current technological advancement in the plastics industry.

Stephen Andero will be speaking on Day 2 at the Technology and Testing Theater.

Conference Producer

Medwyn Roberts manages AMI's compounding portfolio of events. Over the past 2 years he has put together a variety of programs across three continents, including our various expos - Compounding World Expo Brussels 2024, Compounding World Expo North America 2023, and Injection Molding & Design Expo 2023. Medwyn has worked in a variety of industries and is interested in bringing together speakers from different disciplines to share best practice.