LanzaTech NZ and Sumitomo Riko to use wastes to produce isoprene

In Illinois, LanzaTech NZ, Inc. and Sumitomo Riko Company Limited announced they have entered into a joint-development agreement to reuse rubber, resin and urethane waste for the production of a key chemical intermediate, isoprene.

Isoprene is produced by plants, and along with its polymers, is the main component of natural rubber. Natural rubber is widely regarded as more eco-friendly than synthetic rubber from virgin fossil inputs, but without strong sustainability certification and audits, the impact of harvesting natural rubber from trees has been linked in some cases to deforestation, biodiversity loss and soil erosion. In addition, much like other agriculturally based industries, climate change and disease can severely impact production.

Using synthetic biology for this new path to isoprene, LanzaTech’s nature-based platform, has the potential to produce a new sustainable source of rubber through recycling, without losing any material integrity.