US telecoms giant Sprint is to be one of the first companies to use AirCarbon, a new carbon-negative material made from greenhouse gas.
The materia,l manufactured by California-based Newlight Technologies, will be used in black and pink cell iPhone cases.
AirCarbon uses a proprietary carbon capture process to convert air and greenhouse gases (GHGs) into a plastic that has similar durability and performance characteristics to petroleum-based plastics. The conversion technology can synthesize high-performance thermoplastics from a wide range of sources, including methane and/or carbon dioxide from agricultural operations, water treatment plants, landfills, anaerobic digesters, or energy facilities.
“AirCarbon offers a new paradigm in which products we use every day, like cellphone cases, become part of the environmental solution,” said Mark Herrema, Newlight Technologies co-founder and ceo, who addressed Business in the Community's Responsible Business Week last year.
“Newlight’s mission is to replace petroleum-based plastics with greenhouse gas-based plastics on a commodity scale by out-competing on price and performance – harnessing the power of our choices as consumers to make change.”