[Edaily Marketin JI YEONG-EUI Reporter] Plastic was cheap and convenient. The problem was that it lingered for too long and polluted the environment. It takes hundreds of years for a single straw—used for just a few minutes at a café and then discarded—to decompose and return to nature. Paper straws were shunned by consumers because they feel soggy when used, and even existing biodegradable plastics have limitations—most can only break down in specialized industrial composting facilities with high temperatures and humidity. While there was much talk about the need for eco-friendly alternatives, there weren’t many viable options for everyday use.

As conflicts continued to erupt, the plastic problem evolved into an industrial crisis that went beyond the environment. Naphtha, the primary raw material for plastics, is derived from crude oil. As geopolitical risks originating in the Middle East and fluctuations in raw material prices intensify, the industrial structure that has relied on petroleum-based plastics is inevitably being shaken. This is why the government has introduced “plastic reduction” measures aimed at cutting plastic waste and expanding the use of recycled materials.

High dependence on crude oil, environmental destruction—there is a company that has found a solution to the plastic problem. It is not a major conglomerate like Samsung, SK, or CJ, which have robust in-house research institutes, but rather a homegrown Korean startup. Glovix, a biodegradable materials company, has developed 100% biomass-based eco-friendly materials that do not use petroleum-based raw materials or naphtha. Following its achievement as the first in the country to develop an alternative to plastic straws that decomposes even at room temperature, the company is expanding its applications to include sheets, food containers, and packaging materials. Starting with “biodegradable straws,” this small but powerful company is growing by targeting the market for materials that can replace petroleum-based plastics.

“Oil-free, biodegradable plastic”… Biodegradability is the real alternative to “plastic-free”

Until now, the focus of eco-friendly material development has generally been on “how much plastic waste can be reduced.” However, the situation has changed recently as supply instability has emerged due to successive wars. It has become crucial to determine whether the material can be produced reliably even when crude oil and naphtha prices and supplies are unstable, whether it can be immediately integrated into existing manufacturing production lines, and whether consumers can use it without inconvenience.

“BST-100,” developed by Glovix, is a 100% biomass-based material that does not use petroleum components or naphtha. Naphtha is a petrochemical feedstock produced during the crude oil refining process and serves as the core foundation for plastic production. Consequently, the existing plastics industry is inevitably affected by international oil prices, supply and demand in oil-producing countries, and geopolitical risks. Globix’s BST-100 technology, which shifts the raw material from petroleum-based to non-petroleum-based, is significant not only for its environmental benefits but also for supply chain stability.

Contrary to their names, the majority of existing biodegradable products do not decompose easily in natural environments. Many of these products require specialized processing in industrial composting facilities with high temperatures (58–60°C or higher) and high humidity to decompose. Establishing separate collection and processing infrastructure to send them to these facilities is also time-consuming and costly. This is why they have been criticized for being no more effective as a substitute for conventional plastics.

Globix was founded on the belief that for biodegradable materials to establish themselves as viable alternatives to plastic, they must be able to return to nature no matter where they are discarded in everyday life. In other words, they must be able to decompose under conditions close to everyday life—such as in ordinary soil or household compost—rather than requiring specialized treatment facilities. BST-100 was developed to fully decompose within six months at room temperature (20–28°C). This overcomes the hurdle of decomposition at room temperature—a barrier that existing biodegradable materials could not surmount.

Globix products have secured the “OK COMPOST HOME” certification from TÜV Austria. This certification confirms that the materials decompose within one year in a household composting environment at temperatures between 20 and 30°C without leaving any harmful residues.

Straws Are Just the Beginning… Expanding “Biodegradable Materials” to Containers and Packaging Materials

The room-temperature-degradable straws developed by Glovix using BST-100 are a symbolic product showcasing the company’s technological capabilities. Although straws appear small and simple, they must be extruded thin and long while maintaining strength and usability, making them an ideal item for testing the processability of alternative materials. Globix chose to launch with straws precisely to demonstrate both the material’s processability and biodegradability. The scope of application will not be limited to straws but can expand to areas where single-use plastics are heavily used, such as tableware, lunch boxes, side dish containers, and takeout packaging.

However, for eco-friendly materials to survive in the market, simply being biodegradable is not enough. Considering the fate of paper straws, they must not cause inconvenience to consumers, be priced at a level companies can afford, and be producible reliably in factories. Globix’s BST-100 has heat resistance of 90–110°C, making it suitable for cups for hot beverages or food containers, and its cost has been reduced by approximately 50% compared to existing biodegradable materials, bringing it to a level where it can be supplied commercially.

From a production standpoint, it is designed to be compatible with existing plastic manufacturing equipment. If companies were required to install new, dedicated equipment to adopt eco-friendly materials, the pace of market adoption would inevitably slow down. Glovix has successfully conducted tests by feeding raw materials into standard plastic production machinery to create sheets and then linking this process to a vacuum forming process to manufacture single-use trays. The ability to utilize existing production lines without the need for separate, expensive equipment reduces the burden on manufacturers looking to adopt the material.

In Investment Talks with Global Firms… Moving Beyond ‘Biodegradable Straws’ to Become a Materials Company

Globix is simultaneously pursuing domestic commercialization and overseas expansion. It is understood that the company is currently in discussions

with

multiple global

investment firms

to secure funding. With the investment, Globix is expected to accelerate its research and development, expand production, and address overseas certification requirements.

Overseas distributors and manufacturers in countries such as Thailand and China are showing interest in Glovix’s materials and products, and the possibility of local production has reportedly been discussed. However, since it is difficult to rule out the possibility of technology leakage during the overseas production process, the company is considering a strategy of first solidifying its domestic commercialization foundation before pursuing overseas expansion.

Recent instability in naphtha supply has heightened concerns over disruptions in the supply of plastic packaging materials, and with the controversy over shortages of pay-as-you-throw garbage bags, it has become clear that the plastic problem is no longer limited to environmental issues alone. This means that in a structure highly dependent on petroleum-based raw materials, instability in raw material supply can quickly spill over into price and supply issues for packaging materials, plastic products, and household goods. Ultimately, the key question is how quickly we can establish a domestic base of alternative materials that is not vulnerable to fluctuations in imported raw materials.

Now that the government has officially announced plans to reduce the use of naphtha-based plastics, whether domestic biomass-based alternative material companies—such as Glovix, which possess their own technological capabilities—can successfully establish themselves in the industrial sector will serve as a litmus test for the growth potential of Korea’s eco-friendly materials industry.