Ubuntoo’s upcycling model was implemented in 2022, and the project ended with inaugurating the first ever MLP upcycling facility in Southeast Asia.

• Multi-layer laminated packaging (MLP), comprises of varying layers of polymer, metal, and adhesives and is widely used to produce food packaging. As a result, large quantities of MLP waste is generated especially in emerging markets like the Philippines, posing a significant environmental challenge. Even though several companies collect an extensive amount of MLP after use, it is considered a low-value material that is often incinerated and converted into fuel in cement factories. This has raised environmental concerns regarding the product’s end-of-life carbon footprint. The lack of economic value makes collecting and upcycling littered and landfill-bound MLP costly and difficult to scale. 
• FrieslandCampina (FC) worked with Ubuntoo to help develop, pilot, and scale an economically viable and socially impactful business model to recycle/upcycle MLP waste in the Philippines. The goal of the project was to identify business models, materials, formats, and dispensing systems to replace milk pouches in selected markets. 

• Ubuntoo designed a business model considering three major stakeholders: the client providing seed capital, the technology company providing the processing equipment and expertise, and the implementation partner setting up the operation including MLP collection, manufacturing, and sale of the upcycled materials. Using our GreenHouse tool, Ubuntoo led a Sprint comprising of three stages: map, match, and design. In the map phase, Ubuntoo used AI to scout all relevant companies, technologies, and best practices in the MLP recycling and upcycling space. 
• As part of match, we helped our client Friesland Campina narrow down on the best possible partners and practices for their specific use case and criteria in the dairy sector for the Philippines market. As a final step, Ubuntoo facilitated the partnership between FC and the shortlisted suppliers culminating in a pilot run of recycling and upcycling processes. 

• Ubuntoo helped FC identify and shortlist an Indian company, TrashCon, as the technology solution and D&G Pacific as the implementation partner who had experience and infrastructure for MLP waste collection. 
• This model was implemented in 2022 and is now fully operational with plans to scale up. The project ended with the inauguration of the first-ever Multi-Layered Plastic Upcycling Facility in Southeast Asia.