Natural polymers Plastic-free injection moulding: Biesterfeld and Traceless Materials form strategic partnership

Biesterfeld and Traceless Materials have formed a strategic partnership to distribute plastic-free, bio-based injection moulding materials across Europe. The collaboration is designed to support industrial applications where conventional recycling is difficult and short-lived products require more sustainable material solutions.

Biesterfeld, one of the internationally leading distribution and service companies in the field of polymers, rubber, specialty chemicals and ingredients, enters into a strategic distribution partnership with Traceless Materials, a bioeconomy scale-up pioneering plastic-free materials based on natural polymers. Within the agreement, Biesterfeld will distribute Traceless-Form, the company's material grades for injection moulding, across Europe.

The Traceless material is based on natural polymers derived from agricultural residues. Through a patented process, these polymers are extracted, functionalised and granulated to achieve thermoplastic properties, enabling processing on standard injection moulding equipment. Traceless-Form can be processed on conventional machines (e.g. Arburg, Engel or JSW), is compatible with cold- and hot-runner systems and suitable for multi-cavity moulds. Processing temperatures of approximately 110–130 °C allow for efficient manufacturing and may reduce energy consumption compared to conventional polymers. The Traceless material is certified 100 percent bio-based, plastic-free (SUPD compliant) and home-compostable (NF T 51-800), and can achieve up to 91 percent lower CO₂ emissions compared to conventional plastics over production and disposal. Production is currently scaling up in Hamburg to enable industrial volumes.

Rather than aiming to replace conventional plastics across all applications, Traceless follows a complementary approach. Designed for the biological cycle, it offers a sustainable alternative in use-cases where the technical cycle cannot be effectively closed. Typical applications include injection-moulded parts with short lifecycles, such as single-use or temporary applications, as well as products with limited recyclability. The material is also suitable for applications where products are likely to enter the environment or where stricter regulatory requirements apply.

Florian Hüter, Head of Sales Standard Polymers at Biesterfeld, says: “With Traceless Materials as our partner, we gain new opportunities to shape applications beyond conventional boundaries. For Biesterfeld, this is an important step: we combine 120 years of experience with forward-looking solutions to actively drive the transition towards a circular economy.”

Anne Lamp, CEO and Co-Founder at Traceless Materials, explains: “This partnership brings together two Hamburg-based companies with a shared ambition to redefine material standards in the industry. By combining Biesterfeld’s distribution strength with our material innovation, we are taking a decisive step towards bringing plastic-free and bio-based materials from niche applications into industrial reality – strengthening resilient material solutions for European industry.’’

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