Anomera receives $4.25M to produce forestry-based alternative to plastic microbeads

The federal and Quebec governments today announced an investment of $4.25 million for Anomera Inc., to support the construction of a demonstration plant that will produce 250 tonnes per year of carboxylated-cellulose nanocyrstals (cCNC) and bring the product to market.

The facility will create up to 20 new jobs. Carboxylated-CNC is a biodegradable solution that can replace plastic and silica microbes in personal care and cosmetics. Anomera has created an eco-friendly conversion process that will create new, high-value market streams for the forest sector.

“Anomera is pleased to be supported by the Canadian and Quebec governments to enable us to expedite the development of our advanced technology which creates new products from Canadian forests in a sustainable manner. Our initiative to replace plastic microbeads worldwide with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-harvested Canadian forest products is truly redefining the future of cellulose. As we move into the industrial markets, there will soon be tens of thousands of tonnes of demand for the Canadian-sourced cellulose nanocrystals,” said Howard Fields, president and CEO, Anomera Inc., in a statement.

“Consumers increasingly demand that industry be more respectful of the environment, and Anomera’s products offer global industries natural, bio-degradable alternatives to silica and petroleum-based microbeads. Partnering with Anomera allows us to expand our biofuture strategy and help us to do what we do best: providing customers with sustainable, innovative products for a purer planet,” added Paul Boynton, president and CEO, Rayonier Advanced Materials.