Success Stories

A Halton Region Success Story

EcoSynthetix Inc.

Global Innovation and Technology Demonstration Centre - Creating green jobs in Halton

Polymer chemistry, big business and good for the environment are not often heard in the same sentence. That is until EcoSynthetix is mentioned. 

John van Leeuwen, the CEO
of Burlington's EcoSynthetix

EcoSynthetix is a bio-based polymer company providing environmentally friendly alternatives to petroleum based products in the paper industry. It produces the chemical coatings and binders that allow colourful graphics to stick to paper and cardboard boxes — the chemicals that make magazines glossy and cereal boxes bright and fun.

Currently, the industry standard for chemically-coated marketing and packaging materials — anything from flyers and billboards, to product packaging — is petrochemical-based polymers.

EcoSynthetix is changing the game with its EcoSphere^® biolatex^® binder, a starch-based feedstock which is a carbon neutral and sustainable polymer. In fact, EcoSynthetix’s environmentally friendly polymers were used in this year’s “green” Super Bowl game program.

At a typical coated paper mill, the biolatex^® binder replacement results in a reduction of 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the equivalent of eliminating CO2 emissions from approximately 1,700 cars.

If the entire paper industry switched to biolatex® polymers for their paper and paperboard needs, it would result in the reduction of 10 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually or the equivalent of 1.7 million cars.

Not only would that switch be good for the environment, but it would be good for business. The world market for latex polymers is about $20 billion and growing.

That is why Ontario is investing in EcoSynthetix through the Innovation Demonstration Fund (IDF). The money will go to the creation of a Global Innovation and Technology Demonstration Centre in Burlington which will house a biolatex^® pilot plant. This is where the eco-friendly chemical will be developed and commercialized.

“The IDF was a major component in the decision to consolidate our headquarters and research and development offices from Michigan to Burlington. Government funding has been a major catalyst to making significant growth,” said EcoSynthetix CEO, John van Leeuwen.

The company has already grown from just 5 employees to 20, and has seen more than a 650 per cent revenue growth.

“We expect to hire about 20 more employees as a direct result of the pilot plant,” said EcoSynthetix CFO Robert Haire.

Investing in EcoSynthetix is just another great example of Ontario’s commitment to creating jobs and helping the environment.