How UBQ Materials is Transforming Circular Supply Chains
UBQ Materials is bringing a new approach to the supply chain conversation by treating household waste as a raw material.
As waste volumes rise and landfill space diminishes, UBQ Materials has introduced UBQ Masterbatch, a thermoplastic alternative that offers supply chains both environmental and commercial advantages.
This material is bio-based and designed to fit seamlessly into existing manufacturing infrastructure.
By doing so, it gives manufacturers and supply chain professionals a cost-competitive, sustainable option to help navigate price volatility and supply disruption without the need for major operational overhauls.
Using waste as a resource
UBQ Masterbatch is derived from a patented conversion process that turns unsorted municipal solid waste – including food scraps, paper, cardboard, mixed plastics and other non-recyclables – into a thermoplastic composite.
It’s a solution developed specifically for supply chains seeking resilience without compromising on material performance.
The company’s Chairman and CEO, Albert Douer, explains: “Right now, supply chains are facing massive disruption around the globe.
“Manufacturers and retailers need partners who can provide stability amid the chaos and deliver circular solutions that are reliable, price-stable and cost-competitive to keep their operations running smoothly and efficiently.”
Albert says the innovation is a response to the dual challenge of rising material costs and pressure to meet environmental targets, adding: “The good news is we’ve innovated a material solution made from renewed household waste that accomplishes this.”
The thermoplastic composite resulting from UBQ’s process can substitute for oil-based resins across a variety of manufacturing applications.
Because it is bio-based and derived from waste, it offers a negative carbon footprint – meaning its production results in fewer emissions than it prevents, based on current company claims.
Circular and compatible
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, hundreds of millions of tonnes of waste enter American landfills annually. UBQ claims its Masterbatch product can divert up to 95% of this waste from landfill or incineration, offering a productive end-use for otherwise difficult-to-process materials.
The product is particularly notable for manufacturers due to its compatibility with conventional production methods.
It works with a range of polymer systems, making it suitable for applications such as injection moulding and thermoforming. The company also states it offers excellent dispersion, meaning the material distributes well throughout the production mix, and handles easily on the shop floor.
“UBQ Masterbatch unlocks the ability to replace oil-based resins with a circular material made entirely from household waste with no need to compromise on performance or process,” says Albert.
“This is more than sustainability, it’s smart sourcing. There are no more excuses for relying on virgin materials when waste can do the job better.”
With this innovation, UBQ is positioning itself as a contributor to long-term supply chain risk management strategies.
In particular, as material shortages and cost inflation continue to affect industrial production, UBQ is promoting Masterbatch as both a hedge against supply-side volatility and a means to reduce environmental impact.
Low carbon collaboration
Global manufacturers are already trialling or integrating UBQ’s materials into products and processes. Partners include Mercedes-Benz, PepsiCo and McDonald’s, who are exploring UBQ’s circular inputs across product and packaging lines.
The company’s operational footprint currently includes European production sites, and it plans to build a manufacturing facility in the United States to better serve North American customers and reduce emissions linked to long-distance shipping.
To support this growth, UBQ has secured backing from the European Commission.
The Commission’s Just Transition Fund awarded UBQ a €5m ($5.6m) grant to help commercialise Masterbatch and scale the use of circular materials across the region.
Leadership at UBQ is reinforced by figures with regulatory experience. Its advisory board includes Gina McCarthy, former Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, and Connie Hedegaard, former European Commissioner for Climate Action.
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