Releaf®

releaf® is a plant-based, recyclable plastic developed by Avantium, launched under its own name in 2024 after almost two decades of research that began with PEF in 2006, moved to FDCA in 2011 and reached a flagship plant in 2024. The material is made from plants and from agricultural, forestry and textile waste rather than fossil feedstock, and is designed for circularity.

Its barrier properties block oxygen and carbon dioxide, so food and drink stay fresher for longer, and it can be recycled in existing streams rather than needing new infrastructure. Applications run from juice bottles and food packaging to apparel fibres and cosmetics, with Albert Heijn, Carlsberg, PANGAIA, LVMH, Auping and Kvadrat among the brands working with it. Avantium is based in Amsterdam.