Planet Bioplastics

What Planet Bioplastics does

Planet Bioplastics s.r.l. is an Italian biopolymer compound manufacturer founded in July 2017 as an innovative start-up and spin-off of the University of Pisa. The company produces custom-formulated biodegradable and biobased plastics — with biobased carbon content above 50% — targeting small-to-medium industrial transformers that want to convert from conventional plastics to sustainable alternatives. It is co-owned by six partners: two University of Pisa professors (Prof. Andrea Lazzeri as Legal Representative and Prof. Patrizia Cinelli as R&D Manager), a technical-commercial manager (Doriana Morganti), and three brothers (Massimiliano, Alessandro, Attilio Giorgio Caldara) who co-own production partner Caldara Plast. Research activities are conducted at the University of Pisa Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering laboratories, while industrial-scale production is executed through Caldara Plast's compounding facilities under a co-exhibitor and co-production arrangement.

The company's product portfolio is organized into three application-specific lines: ROOTS (natural fiber-reinforced compounds for injection molding, e.g., horticulture pots); BOLES (heat-resistant, mechanically optimized, and flexible grades for injection molding and thermoforming — including food-contact-compliant variants for coffee capsules, stirrers, cutlery, brushes, and consumer-goods cases); and LEAVES (flexible thin-film compounds for packaging). Selected formulations carry industrial and home composting claims, with certain grades also positioned as soil and marine degradable. A standalone laboratory services offering covers polymer blend preparation by extrusion, specimen production, mechanical, thermo-mechanical, rheological, and thermal testing, and FT-IR spectrophotometric analysis under ISO and ASTM standards.

Planet Bioplastics generates revenue through three streams: (1) sales of small-to-medium production runs of custom biopolymer compounds, (2) fee-for-service laboratory characterization and testing, and (3) participation in EU Horizon 2020 / BBI-JU research projects (PRESERVE, BIOnTop, ECOFUNCO). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. GTM is sales-led and event-driven, anchored on trade show co-exhibition with Caldara Plast at Plast Milano, MECSPE BolognaFiere, and GreenPlast Milano, supplemented by a gated website (Italian and English) and a Facebook page. The company is a full member of the Biobased Industries Consortium (BIC) and operates exclusively within Italy and the wider European Union.

Name

Planet Bioplastics

Legal name

Planet Bioplastic s.r.l.

Website

https://planetbioplastics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Planet Bioplastics s.r.l. is an Italian biopolymer compound manufacturer (University of Pisa spin-off) producing custom biodegradable, biobased plastics (>50% biobased carbon) for small-to-medium industrial transformers in injection molding, thermoforming, and flexible film applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biopolymer Compounds

NAICS

Plastics Material and Resin Manufacturing (325211), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252)

SIC

Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821), Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Bioplastics Compounding & Masterbatch (bio-based additives, colorants, fillers) (IMANANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodegradable Polymers & Resins (PLA, PHA, PBS, PBAT) (IMAEAOAA), Compostable & Bio-based Rigid Packaging (injection/blow/thermoform) (IMANANAD), Biodegradation/Compostability Testing, Certification & Standards Services (IMANANAI)

Keywords

• Bioplastic compounds
• Biopolymer manufacturing
• Compostable plastics
• Injection molding compounds
• Polymer testing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pisa

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Biopolymer Compound Sales: Production and sale of biopolymer compounds in small to medium quantities for research projects and local clients. The company produces custom-formulated bioplastics for specific customer applications including injection molding, thermoforming, and film production.
2. Testing and Characterization Services: Laboratory services including preparation of polymer blends and composites by extrusion, production of standard specimens by injection molding, mechanical tests, thermo-mechanical tests, rheological tests, thermal analysis, and spectrophotometric analysis according to ISO and ASTM standards.
3. European Research Project Participation: Participation as partner in European Horizon 2020 projects (PRESERVE, BIOnTop, ECOFUNCO) providing research funding and enabling development of innovative bioplastic solutions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Planet Bioplastics manufactures and sells custom-formulated biopolymer compounds for industrial customers needing to transition from conventional plastics to biobased, compostable, and in some cases soil- and marine-degradable alternatives. The product range spans natural fiber-reinforced injection molding grades (ROOTS), heat- and flexibility-optimized injection molding/thermoforming grades (BOLES), and flexible film grades (LEAVES), all based on biopolyesters with over 50% biobased carbon content. The company also offers laboratory polymer testing and characterization services (mechanical, rheological, thermal, spectrophotometric) performed to ISO and ASTM standards at its Pisa R&D laboratory.

Product overview

Planet Bioplastics is a biopolymer compound manufacturer offering three product lines organized by application type. ROOTS products contain natural fibers for injection molding applications; BOLES products are optimized for injection molding and thermoforming with various performance characteristics (heat resistance, flexibility, mechanical strength); and LEAVES products are designed for flexible film production. The company also provides laboratory services including polymer blend preparation, specimen production, mechanical testing (tensile, compression, bending, impact), thermo-mechanical testing (HDT, VICAT, DMTA), rheological testing (MFI), thermal analysis (DSC), and spectrophotometric analysis (FT-IR) according to ISO and ASTM standards. Products are based on biopolyesters with high biobased carbon content (over 50%) and biodegradable additives, with formulations that are compostable and in some cases soil and marine degradable.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ROOT PWF-01 Thermoplastic resin composed of biodegradable materials, 75% biobased with ligno-cellulosic vegetable fiber content, optimized for injection molding applications. Example application: horticulture pot. Supplied as cylindrical pellets (approx. 3 mm diameter and length) in natural brown color derived from wood fiber content.
• BOLE PT-04
• BOLE PB-02
• BOLE PB-01
• BOLE PT-02
• BOLE PT-03
• BOLE PL-02
• BOLE PL-01
• LEAF PH-01
• Polymer Testing and Characterization Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Products contain over 50% biobased carbon content
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PRESERVE Project (Horizon 2020)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202148-month European research and innovation project 'High performance sustainable bio-based packaging with tailored end of life and upcycled secondary use'. Consortium of 26 institutions from 8 countries. PRESERVE aims to enhance food packaging performance via bio-based barrier coatings for bioplastic and paper/board substrates. Planet Bioplastics contributes expertise in biopolymer compounding and biodegradation.
• BIOnTop Project (BBI JU Horizon 2020)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2019Four-year European research project 'Novel packaging films and textiles with tailored end of life and performance based on bio-based copolymers and coatings'. Consortium of 20 institutions from 8 European countries. Objective is to create recyclable and cost-competitive packaging that can be mechanically recycled, composted, or suitable for anaerobic digestion using novel PLA copolymers.
• ECOFUNCO Project (BBI JU Horizon 2020)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2019Three-year European research project 'ECO sustainable multiFUNctional biobased COatings with enhanced performance and end-of-life options'. Consortium of 17 institutions from 8 countries. Project focuses on developing innovative bio-based coatings from waste biomass (tomato, legumes, sunflower) for paper and bioplastic packaging with improved performance and sustainable end-of-life options.
• Caldara PlastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaldara Plast is the co-owner and production partner of Planet Bioplastics. The three Caldara brothers (Massimiliano, Alessandro, and Attilio Giorgio) are co-proprietors of Planet Bioplastics and responsible for industrial production. Caldara Plast, which performs recycling and compounding of traditional plastic materials, provides manufacturing capabilities and facilities. The partnership combines academic expertise with industrial production capacity.
• BIC (Biobased Industries Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlanet Bioplastics is a full member of the Biobased Industries Consortium (BIC), the European Bioindustries Consortium that coordinates and promotes bio-based industry development across Europe. This membership enables participation in European research initiatives and provides access to a broader ecosystem of bioindustry stakeholders.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• NatureWorks: Global leader in PLA biopolymer resins (Ingeo). A scaled incumbent competing in the same bio-based polymer compounding space that Planet Bioplastics targets, but at much higher volumes and with a broader product portfolio.
• TotalEnergies Corbion: Joint venture producing Luminy PLA resins for packaging, durables, and consumer goods. Directly comparable as a bio-based PLA supplier serving injection molding and film converters, but operating at industrial scale.
• BASF (Ecovio / Ecopond): BASF's Ecovio line offers compostable PBAT/PLA compounds for packaging and food-contact applications. Highly comparable product portfolio (heat-resistant and film grades) and overlap with Planet Bioplastics' BOLES and LEAVES ranges, but as part of a global chemicals giant.
• Kingfa: Chinese compounder of bio-based and biodegradable plastics with ECOPOND and other PLA/PBAT compounds. Comparable in supplying injection molding and film compound grades to industrial converters, at significantly larger scale and global reach.

Direct peers

• Biotec: German developer of BIOPLAST compounds based on thermoplastic starch and biodegradable polymers for packaging, food service, and agricultural films. Closely comparable as a European specialty compounder serving injection molding and film converters with bio-based grades.
• Novamont: Italian-headquartered bioplastics producer (Mater-Bi) and fellow member of the European bio-based industry ecosystem. Closely comparable to Planet Bioplastics as a European bio-based polymer compounder serving industrial converters, though significantly larger in scale.
• FKuR Kunststoff: German compounder specializing in bio-based and compostable plastics including Biograde, Terralene, and Fibrolon. Closely comparable in size and model as a European specialty compounder selling custom bio-based formulations to industrial converters.

Regional players

• Bio-On: Italian bioplastics developer producing PHA-based Minerv PHA. Direct regional peer to Planet Bioplastics in the Italian bio-based materials ecosystem, focused on specialty biodegradable polymers for industrial applications.

Emerging players

• Danimer Scientific: US-based producer of PHA-based bioplastic resins (Nodax) targeting compostable packaging and food-service applications. Comparable as a biodegradable polymer compounder serving injection molding and film end-uses, with overlapping food-contact regulatory positioning.
• Green Dot Bioplastics: US-based bioplastic compounder offering bio-based and compostable resin formulations for consumer goods and packaging. Comparable as a smaller specialty compounder developing application-specific grades for industrial converters.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/planetbioplastics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/planet-bioplastics

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Planet Bioplastics