Glossary

Carbon negative activities or products go beyond achieving reduced carbon impact, or net zero carbon impact, to actually remove additional carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Origin's technology produces carbon negative building blocks from biomass that can be used to create a diverse portfolio of carbon-negative chemicals and materials.

Carbon neutral activities or products emit zero net carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The world’s leading companies are increasingly making carbon neutral, “net zero,” or carbon negative commitments for their businesses and supply chains.

Cellulose is a naturally occurring organic polymer. Plants, trees, sawdust, and agricultural residues all contain cellulose. Origin’s patented technology turns cellulose-containing biomass into versatile, carbon-negative materials for making everyday things like clothing, textiles, automotive components, packaging and more.

FDCA, furandicarboxylic acid, is a furanic monomer which may be polymerized with monoethylene glycol (MEG) to produce the next-generation polymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate). PEF produced by Origin technology is 100% plant-based, recyclable, economically produced, and offers a significantly reduced carbon footprint, and superior strength, thermal properties, and barrier properties compared with traditional PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an important tool for finding out about the climate and environmental impact of products. Life cycle assessments may be performed on a cradle-to-grave or cradle-to-cradle basis to assess environmental impact associated with different phases of product life cycle, from raw material extraction through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, and use. To learn about the environmental impact of Origin’s technology, including its reduced carbon emission profile, please see Origin’s coproduct life cycle assessment of platform coproducts chloromethyl furfural, hydrothermal carbon, furfural, and levulinic acid.

A monomer is a small molecule that may be linked with other monomers in a repeating chain to form a large polymer. The patented Origin process enables the cost-effective production of several monomers, including the versatile, sustainable monomer FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid), the precursor to next-generation polymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate).

Polyethylene furanoate is a polyester made from monomers FDCA (furandicarboxylic acid) and monoethylene glycol (MEG). PEF produced by Origin technology is 100% plant-based, recyclable, economical, and offers a significantly reduced carbon footprint, as well as superior strength, thermal properties, and barrier properties compared with traditional PET (polyethylene terephthalate). With applications ranging from hot-fill containers to oxygen-sensitive fruit juices, beer, and other packaging, PEF is set to become the next-generation polymer.

Polyethylene terephthalate is a ubiquitous polymer, traditionally made from monoethylene glycol (MEG), ethylene, and purified terephthalic acid (PTA), a derivative of para-xylene sourced from crude oil. PET is a recyclable polymer valued for its strength, clarity, and versatility, with applications ranging from textiles and clothing fibers to food packaging, bottled water, and soft drinks. PET produced by Origin technology is functionally identical to petroleum-based PET, but with a dramatically lower carbon footprint because Origin’s technology enables the production of para-xylene from biomass instead of oil.

Polymers are large molecules composed of many small, repeating molecules linked together in a chain. Both synthetic polymers and natural polymers play a role in countless materials and processes of everyday life, from fibers and textiles to rubber to biological structures like proteins and DNA.

Recycling captures the value in used materials through re-use. In the case of PET, recycling may be either mechanical, where the PET plastic is melted, purified, and recast as PET pellets, or chemical, which requires the de-polymerization and re-polymerization of the PET polymer. The PET produced by Origin technology is 100% recyclable and can be mixed with existing recycling streams without interruption of the recycling process as it is generally designed today.

Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is one of the most common plastics and is recyclable. Recycling may be either mechanical, where the PET plastic is melted, purified, and recast as PET pellets, or chemical, which requires the de-polymerization and re-polymerization of the PET polymer. The PET produced by Origin technology is 100% recyclable and can be mixed with existing recycling streams with no interruption of the recycling process.

A sustainable product or process is able to be maintained over time. Origin’s patented technology improves the sustainability of the material economy by reducing dependence on finite fossil resources, reducing or reversing carbon emissions impacting the climate, and providing cost-effective alternative materials with superior performance to industry.