Bio-based PHA pellets for sustainable rigid plastic packaging
Mango Materials offers formulated polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) pellets as a bio-based, renewable alternative to conventional plastics for rigid packaging applications. PHA exhibits material properties similar to polypropylene, processes on existing injection molding equipment, and is commercially validated through products already on the market. Ideal for packaging manufacturers seeking to decarbonize their product lines.
Overview
Mango Materials provides formulated polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) pellets designed to replace traditional petroleum-based resins in rigid plastic packaging applications such as bottles, caps, closures, containers, and preforms. PHA is a bio-based polymer produced from renewable feedstocks including plant sugars and waste greenhouse gases, offering a pathway to decarbonize the packaging industry. The material's physical and mechanical properties closely resemble those of polypropylene, enabling manufacturers to adopt it without significant changes to their existing processing infrastructure.
Technical specifications
Key features:
- Injection molding grade PHA pellets compatible with existing conventional plastics processing equipment
- Material characteristics comparable to traditional resins such as polypropylene
- Blow-molding grade PHA also available for additional application testing
- Renewable feedstock options including plant sugars and waste methane
- Sustainable pigments available in nine colors for finished products
- Processing guidelines developed for injection molding grade to ensure consistent results
- Each batch ships with Certificate of Analysis, Technical Data Sheet, and Safety Data Sheet
Validated applications:
- Bottles, caps, and closures for consumer packaged goods
- Containers and other rigid packaging form factors
- Soap dish product already commercially available in retail stores in Brazil
- Prototype parts produced across ten countries including caps, cups, toys, and shoe parts
Technology readiness level
Mango Materials' PHA technology has progressed beyond pilot scale into early commercialization. The company is currently supplying injection-molding grade PHA to global brands in the fashion and cosmetics industries. A Natura-branded soap dish made from this PHA material is already available for sale in Brazil, representing a real-world commercial deployment. Hundreds of kilograms of pellets are available for further molding trials, with a proposed 4–8 week evaluation cycle followed by a 4–8 week formulation refinement phase to tailor the material for specific partner applications.
About Mango Materials
Founded by Stanford graduates in 2010, Mango Materials has received grants from NSF and NASA for its methane-to-plastics technology. The company has steadily scaled from lab to pilot, focusing on making PHA cost-competitive by leveraging cheap waste methane as feedstock. It has won sustainability innovation awards and partners with both waste management and materials companies.
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