Samsara Eco does infinite recycling

Samsara Eco are an Australian-based environmental technology startup working to deliver climate repair through infinite recycling of plastic waste with enzymes — yes, infinite recycling! 

We’ve loved having them on our watch list and were excited to hear about their $100 million raise to help scale their growth and build new commercial facilities in Southeast Asia. 

We spoke to SAM at Samsara Eco to learn more about their innovation and how things work.

Great Wrap: Hey team! Can you tell us about the Samsara Eco story and why you started the business? 

SAM: Samsara Eco is an Australian EviroTech Startup with roots in Canberra and Sydney. Our story starts back in 2020 when Samsara Eco's now CEO, Paul Riley, was spending close to a year investigating plastics alternatives and recycling technologies. Paul, who comes from a successful career in venture capital and private equity business building, felt compelled to divert his expertise to the plastics crisis due to a profound passion for change within the space. This journey eventually led him to Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, where two Ph.D students, Vanessa Vongsouthi and Matthew Spence had discovered something groundbreaking in their studies of plastics, and this discovery was all thanks to ENZYMES. The rest folks? Well that's history!

Great Wrap: What a great story, and thank you Enzymes! Can you tell us a little about the Samsara Eco tech and how that enzyme process works?  

SAM: Recycling based on plastic-degrading capabilities found in nature. Samsara Eco uses enzymes which can attack complex plastics (polymers), reverting them back to their original chemical building blocks (monomers). This is what makes our technology infinite: by reverting complex polymers into simple monomers, we can make new, virgin-grade plastics without ever needing fossil fuels again. A truly circular process. Basically, we take a post-consumer waste item of plastic, for example's sake a clear PET single-use water bottle. We chip this bottle down to smaller pieces and introduce these to our enzymatic process. The process occurs at a molecular level (TINY) and at the end, we're left with a product that is essentially just as structurally perfect as virgin plastic. Oh and did we mention this enzymatic process is totally carbon neutral? It sure is! Samsara Eco's process is certified B Corp. 

Great Wrap: This is amazing, thanks for explaining how it all works. With recycling in mind, what are your thoughts on the current state of the recycling system in Australia, and do you have any suggestions for improvement?

SAM: Tricky question that requires a bunch of nuance. Currently the statistic is that only 9% of plastics are recycled, globally. That is due to the various limitations of traditional recycling. Traditional recycling is the type of recycling that most people are familiar with. It is the processing of plastics waste into secondary raw material or products, without significantly changing the chemical structure of the material. Unfortunately, the global average of 9% actually going through the recycling process is eventually destined for landfill regardless, as the structural integrity of plastic can usually only withstand 3 cycles of recycling. After this those materials are deemed useless. This means traditional recycling is actually down-cycling, and almost all plastics eventually will end up in landfill — or worse our natural environments. 

Whilst we truly believe that Samsara Eco's enzymatic technology is a part of the solution to the plastics crisis (and climate crisis at large), we like to say that there are actually four legs at the table of change.

Each of these legs; Reduce, Reuse, Redesign and Recycle, need to be addressed in order to properly see systemic positive change within the plastics space. Samsara Eco's technology is that last leg at the table.

For those playing at home we recommend to focus on the following 3 legs;

1. Reduce your consumption of plastic where possible, especially when it comes to single-use. 
2. Reuse! Yes this goes for shopping bags, tubs, cutlery, clothing- anything! The more we use what we already have, the less we need to produce and dispose of (probably to landfill).  
3. Recycle! Whilst mechanical recycling isn't the best option (for plastic), it's pretty much our only option and it’s important to keep up good habits for when things change for the better. Avoid 'wish cycling' where possible, educate yourself and those around you to recycle properly, to increase the chances of your bin's contents to experience another cycle of life. The best way to do this is to do some research for your particular council or through resources like 'Recycle Right'.

For brands and organisations we would like to see a bigger focus on Redesign. Changing how things are made and constructed is hugely important if we want to see progress. A lot of items are currently designed for single use or have an expiration date. We like to see both legislation and pressure from consumers to encourage innovation to counter the old ways.

What Great Wrap is doing is a fantastic example of redesigning existing products in better and more sustainable ways.

Great Wrap: Thanks for sharing your take on the current state in Australia, we agree and resonate with the three R’s. What products are you currently making from the Samsara Eco Solution? 

SAM: A great question! 

In mid 2024 we announced a partnership with Canadian activewear brand, Lululemon, and subsequently launched the very first infinity recycled Nylon 6.6 long sleeve. It was a world first! Soon after we launched the ANORAK jacket which was for sale on the Lululemon store up until recently — it sold out fast!

Next to that we are always working to expand our portfolio of enzymes to be able to recycle more forms of plastics and… We are working on a lot of exciting things that we can’t share publicly yet. Just make sure to follow SAM for Change to keep up to date with the next developments and breakthroughs

Great Wrap: Love this, that would have been such great exposure for your brand working with Lululemom! Can you tell us who Sam is and how does Sam for Change work in relation to Samsara Eco?

SAM: A great question, and one that we get asked, often. Samsara Eco is the corporate entity responsible for the enzymatic technology and all the other businessy stuff (like raising capital and R&D etc). SAM for Change is what we like to call the 'movement arm' of Samsara Eco. SAM is responsible for educating our community on these four legs at the table of change and to arm people against greenwashing.

There is a lot of misconception about materials, recycling and plastic as a whole which makes it easier for big brands and industries to get away with not so great things. For example, did you know that the triangle with the arrows and the number in it on your plastic bottle has nothing to do with recycling? Yeah, it’s actually just telling you what type of plastic it is. Not only that but as we already discussed, traditional plastic recycling itself is actually down-cycling, because it deteriorates the product until it is deemed useless. These are just two examples that we believe people must understand.

We believe that through education we set the stage for better practices, more informed consumers and maybe even inspire more people to come up with brilliant ideas like the one Vanessa and Matt had just a little over 3 years ago. 

Our hope with SAM is to build a community of impassioned individuals who strive for positive change within the plastics and climate space. We have a lot of fun and we'd be honoured to have you as part of our gang of Changers! 

Great Wrap: Well we think you’re doing an amazing job so far and will keep following on to see what's next. 

Make sure you follow @sam.for.change on IG and @samforchange on TikTok for their fun and educational content!