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TEL AVIV, Israel – December 21, 2021 – UBQ Materials, developer of a thermoplastic converted from 100% landfill-destined waste, was today announced as a winner of the 2021 SEAL Business Sustainability Awards. The award honors the company’s innovative and impactful product, UBQ™, a climate-positive and fully recyclable raw material that is “purpose-built” for a sustainable future.
“Increased corporate prioritization of ESG initiatives has been a welcome and needed change as our climate crisis further accelerates. This increased investment in sustainable business practices has raised the bar for ESG excellence, making this our most competitive award event ever with a record number of submissions,” commented Matt Harney, SEAL Awards’ Founder. “Our mission at SEAL is to rigorously assess and then celebrate extraordinary sustainability leadership. We’re honored to present these 2021 Sustainability Award winners.”
UBQ™ is the first raw material converted from the entire heterogeneous waste stream, meaning that there is no need to separate dirty diapers and chicken bones from cardboard and mixed plastics. The process creates value from waste that is commonly considered unrecyclable, diverting and upcycling 100% of its feedstock from municipal landfills – the third largest human source of methane. For every ton of UBQ™ produced, the solution can prevent as much as 12 tons of CO2 equivalent from entering the atmosphere.
“UBQ™ is establishing a new standard in responsible manufacturing, introducing the market to a material that is both environmentally and economically sustainable. A solution can only power the transition to a truly circular economy if it is also cost-competitive.” said Jack “Tato” Bigio, Co-founder and Co-CEO of UBQ Materials.
Manufacturers use UBQ™ as a substitute for virgin petroleum plastics, wood, and concrete to reduce the carbon footprint of their products. “With the likes of Mercedes-Benz and McDonald’s integrating UBQ™ in their operations, industries are rising to the challenge to divert waste and preserve our finite natural resources,” said Albert Douer, Chairman and Co-CEO of UBQ Materials.
2021 SEAL Sustainability Award honorees ranged from global brands (like Disneyland, General Motors, Salesforce, Samsung, and Skullcandy) to high-growth start-ups and scale-ups (like Convoy, Mapistry, and Polestar). Judged by a panel of ten sustainability and ESG experts, the event featured four distinct sustainability award categories: 1) environmental initiatives; 2) sustainable innovation; 3) sustainable product; and 4) sustainable service.
This award follows UBQ Materials’ announcement of its Series D funding of $170 million, led by TPG Rise, TPG’s global impact investing platform.
About UBQ Materials
UBQ Materials Ltd. has developed an advanced conversion technology, patenting the world’s first bio-based thermoplastic (UBQ™) made entirely of unsorted household waste, including all the organics; a revolutionary way to divert municipal solid waste from landfills and convert it into a sustainable substitute for oil-based plastics. A certified B Corp, UBQ is a globally awarded cleantech company with customers including Mercedes-Benz, global retail solutions provider Mainetti, and Arcos Dorados, the world’s largest franchisee of McDonald’s restaurants across Latin America.
With a climate-positive impact and cost-competitive price, UBQ™ empowers manufacturers with a simple transition to greater sustainability. Learn more by visiting UBQMaterials.com.
Media Contact
FINN Partners for UBQ Materials:
Nicole Kaufman Grubner
929-588-2011
Nicole.grubner@finnpartners.com
About the SEAL Awards
SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement & Leadership) Awards is an environmental advocacy organization that honors leadership through our business sustainability awards & environmental journalism awards while funding research and pursuing our own environmental impact campaigns. For more information: https://sealawards.com.
The SEAL Awards core pillars are:
- Business Sustainability Awards – honors the most sustainable companies in the world, like Adidas, AMD, Cisco, and Tide
- Environmental Journalism Awards – representative past winners include journalists from Guardian, New York Times, and Grist
- Impact Campaigns – representative campaigns include “#UpTheCup” and “Eco Rewards”
- Environmental Research Grants
