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TEL AVIV, Israel –July 12, 2023 – UBQ Materials, climate tech developer of advanced materials made from waste, today announced winning the Plug and Play Sustainability Award together with automotive supplier and ecosystem partner, Maxion, for returnable plastic pallets and separators ‘Made with UBQ™.’
UBQ™ is a climate positive material made entirely from unsorted and unrecyclable household waste that has been diverted from landfills or incineration. Substituting oil-based resins with UBQ™ reduces the carbon footprint of end products and helps companies achieve ESG targets.
Announced at STARTUP AUTOBAHN EXPO2023, the Plug and Play Sustainability Award recognizes partnerships between innovative tech companies and industry-leading corporations with a focus on production-ready implementations for the automotive sector.
“As part of Maxion’s ROADMAP ZERO strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, we are actively exploring environmentally friendly solutions across all aspects of our operations, including packaging,” said Dr. Saul Reichman, Global Director Innovation and Corporate Venturing at Maxion Wheels and Head of Maxion Advanced Technologies at Iochpe-Maxion. “By evaluating UBQ Materials’ innovative material solution for this packaging application, we embrace the opportunity to support our ambitious sustainability targets. Sustainable materials like UBQ™ have the potential to significantly reduce our carbon footprint and drive the transformation towards a more sustainable automotive industry.”
“There are clear opportunities for the implementation of sustainable, advanced materials across applications in the automotive industry,” said Sophie Tuviahu, VP Sales and Business Development, UBQ Materials. “Building on previous collaborations with the automotive industry, this partnership demonstrates how sustainability can be built into every aspect of the sector from consumer-facing products through to supply chain, logistics and behind-the-scenes operations.”
Since early 2020, UBQ Materials has developed a track-record of successful collaborations within the automotive industry. Mercedes-Benz introduced UBQ™ into the shell structure and interior of its all-electric VISION EQXX car, an initiative that won Mercedes-Benz AG the 2021 Roland Berger Sustainability Award in Automotive. UBQ partners extend across the entire automotive manufacturing supply chain including specialty compounders like Teknor Apex and Polyram for high performance thermoplastic and elastomer compounds with increased environmental benefits.
UBQ is actively expanding its activities in the automotive industry, working with OEMs and their suppliers to maximize carbon insetting by implementing UBQ materials in as many parts as possible. Applications include vehicle parts: interior, exterior, visible, non-visible and – as in the Maxion case – operational carriers.
This year, UBQ will open its new facility in Bergen Op Zoom, Netherlands, with an annual production capacity of 80,000 tons of UBQ™, converting 104,600 metric tons of annual waste into a new raw material. With the support of the municipality, UBQ’s industrial-scale facility and research & development lab will play a strategic role in transforming the region into a clean tech hub.
About UBQ Materials Ltd.
UBQ Materials Ltd. closes the loop between the ecosystems of waste and materials. Through its advanced conversion technology, UBQ Materials Ltd. has created the world’s first bio-based thermoplastic, UBQ™, made entirely from organic and unrecyclable household waste. An easy material swap for plastic, UBQ™ preserves finite resources, prevents methane emissions in landfills and provides a climate positive solution for a circular economy.
A certified B Corp, UBQ Materials is a globally expanding company providing the world’s largest businesses, municipalities and consumers the ability to create a truly circular economy where human consumption lives in harmony with the planet.
Learn more by visiting www.ubqmaterials.com.
About STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play
STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play is an open innovation platform that provides an interface between innovative tech companies and industry-leading corporations. The basis of the program is the partnership that develops between startups and the corporate business units. The two entities hold an equal footing from the get-go: together they evaluate the potential for a joint venture, move forward to pilot the technology, and work to achieve the ultimate goal – a successful production-ready implementation.
Designed with the intention to exceed startup acceleration, STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play moderates a community for collaboration with a focus on implementable results. Over the years, the platform has successfully cultivated over 400 projects with more than 300 startups since its founding in 2016.
About Iochpe-Maxion
Iochpe-Maxion is a world leader in the production of automotive wheels and a leading producer of automotive structural components in the Americas.
The Company has 33 manufacturing plants located in 14 countries and approximately 17,000 employees, operating its business through two divisions: Maxion Wheels and Maxion Structural Components.
