The Plantbased Network: Starch as a key raw material for the living environment
Starch can replace fossil raw materials in countless products in our living environment and surrounds us in our daily lives without us even noticing. From the ceiling panels above your head to the MDF boards in your bookcase – and the glue that holds everything together. Without compromising on quality, with major benefits for the environment, health and circularity. The best part? These residual flows are abundant: they are extracted from plant-based residual flows such as potato peelings.
In Oosterhout, Rodenburg Biopolymers develops starch derivatives from plant-based waste streams such as potato peelings. These bio-industrial ingredients replace fossil-based components in products that are all around us. The raw material does not come from far away, but from waste streams that would otherwise be lost. This makes starch not only a sustainable alternative, but also a practical and scalable solution for industry.
Three generations of raw material innovators
Rodenburg Biopolymers is an established name in the world of plant-based innovation. What once started as a family-run agricultural business has grown into an international leader. The pioneering spirit is deeply rooted in the company’s DNA: at the beginning of this century, Rodenburg developed its own patent for bioplastics and was one of the first companies to build a bioplastics factory. When the market was not yet ready, they were already thinking one step ahead. Today, the company combines laboratory and production under one roof. This rare combination enables rapid innovation and practical upscaling. ‘We have been pioneering since 2000. Sometimes we are ten years ahead of the market,’ says Koen Homburg, Commercial & Technical Director Industrial Starches. ‘But that is exactly what the raw materials transition needs.’
Proven applications on an industrial scale
Rodenburg’s plant-based ingredients are used in products in your everyday environment. These are proven applications on an industrial scale. Residual flows are given a second life in materials that last for years in our homes and living environments. And it doesn’t stop at replacing fossil raw materials with plant-based raw materials; it’s also about product design. ‘We want our products to offer real added value and contribute to society in some way,’ says Thijs Rodenburg, director of Rodenburg Biopolymers.
An example of what The Plantbased Network wants to accelerate
Rodenburg Biopolymers shows what is possible when you focus on plant-based raw materials. This is precisely where the focus of the Plant-based Network lies: ensuring that materials are available that enable plant-based production. Local and circular. Starch-based ingredients from residual flows fit in seamlessly with this. They are scalable and proven to be applicable in existing industries. If plant-based is to be the norm by 2035, we need parties such as Rodenburg Biopolymers.
The region as fertile ground
It is no coincidence that the organisation is based in West Brabant. Koen: ‘This is where the raw materials are not only conceived, but also actually produced.’ The region has everything needed to apply plant-based raw materials on a large scale. Think of waste streams from the agri-food sector, a strong logistics infrastructure, high-quality knowledge institutions and an entrepreneurial SME sector. Rodenburg Biopolymers works closely with parties such as MNEXT (Avans University of Applied Sciences) to not only develop innovations, but also to test and accelerate them. This cross-pollination between practice, research and production makes this region unique. ‘Cooperation in the region is essential,’ says Koen. “Without good partners and knowledge sharing, no transition is possible.
Building on raw materials, building on impact
The road to a fully plant-based economy starts at the foundation: raw materials. Local, plant-based alternatives lay the foundation for a healthier, circular and future-proof living environment. Rodenburg Biopolymers proves that it can be done. With waste streams that become raw materials, with starch that replaces fossil-based chemicals, and with solutions that are applicable, scalable and socially relevant.
Interested?
The Plantbased Network is the driving force behind this green transition. And the linking pin between entrepreneurs, educational/research institutes and the government. For the pioneers and daredevils who already do, and would like to do, plantbased. Everyone is welcome. No matter which link in the chain you are.
Follow The Plantbased Network on Linkedin
Discover the website of The Plantbased Network: https://hetplantbasednetwerk.nl/story/plantbased-wonen/plantbasedwonen-rodenburgpolymers/
Join Our Journey
Are you passionate about sustainability and innovation? Do you want to make a tangible impact on the future of our planet? Rodenburg Biopolymers is looking for dedicated individuals to join our team as we lead the way in creating sustainable, plant-based solutions.