Shellworks introduced Vivomer, a plant-based biodegradable plastic alternative, after securing $15 million in Series A funding to scale production and enter wellness packaging markets. The funding round was aimed at expanding manufacturing capacity and targeting US and EU wellness brands, featuring a biopolymer made from renewable feedstocks designed to break down more readily than conventional plastics.
Shellworks described Vivomer as compatible with common packaging formats, allowing brands to use it in films, tubes and molded containers without major line changes. Backers said the capital will support pilot facilities and commercial partnerships with consumer-health and beauty companies, accelerating regulatory testing and certification timelines.
For consumers, Vivomer promises reduced persistence of packaging waste and easier recycling streams where applicable, aligning with rising demand for circular materials in personal-care categories.
Image Credit: Shellworks
What's Driving This Trend
- Plant-based Biopolymers
- Widespread adoption of plant-derived polymers is enabling materials that decompose faster than petrochemical plastics, opening possibilities for packaging that reduces long-term environmental persistence.
- Compatibility with Existing Packaging Lines
- Materials engineered to fit current film, tube, and molded-container formats are reducing the need for capital-intensive retooling while enabling faster commercial uptake.
- Regulatory-driven Certification Acceleration
- Faster regulatory testing and certification pathways are creating room for novel biodegradable materials to enter consumer-health and beauty markets at scale.
Who This Affects Most
- Personal-care and Beauty
- The sector's high demand for sustainable packaging is creating opportunities for brands to differentiate through visibly compostable or readily degradable containers.
- Wellness and Consumer Health
- Sterile-compatible, biodegradable materials are aligning with consumer expectations for clean-label packaging in supplements, topical treatments, and medical-adjacent products.
- Packaging Manufacturing
- Producers of films, tubes, and molded formats are positioned to gain from retrofit-compatible biopolymers that preserve existing production workflows while meeting circularity demands.
