Innovation

MultiPlast has consistently invested in world-renowned scientists, engineers and innovators to develop practical eco-friendly solutions towards the world’s waste and pollution problems. Specifically, MultiPlast has focused on making the packaging industry - which generates and uses millions of tons of plastics that eventually become harmful waste - more sustainable. MultiPlast has several innovative products and patents; two of their more notable offerings are: (1) BEDA – Bio Enhanced Degradable Additive formulas for the plastic industry, and (2) RenewCal – natural renewable minerals harvested from the ocean to replace harmful plastic resins.

During the plastic manufacturing process, MultiPlast’s BEDA is added to plastic resins. BEDA is commonly sold and put into plastic bags (plastic packaging). For every 100lb of plastic resin there is only 1lb of BEDA added to the mix, equaling just 1% of the overall plastic resin volume. Because of this, plastic products above-ground with BEDA will look, feel and perform the exact same as above-ground plastics with no BEDA. However, BEDA’s magic happens underground when plastics are dug into waste landfills. During this time the BEDAs attract microbes that eat, decay and degrade plastic wastes exponentially faster than underground non-BEDA plastics.

RenewCal is a renewable biogenic plastic-resin substitute. In other words, it is a naturally forming, organic calcium carbonite that can be used instead of more traditional and environmentally harmful plastic resins. RenewCal is formed in the Bahama Banks oceanic area, a geographic region that produces 2.8 billion pounds of RenewCal annually. The best part is, RenewCal is not only better for the world, but is also cheaper than more traditional materials, likely leading to RenewCal gaining market share over the coming years. The results have shown strong evidence of sustainability, for every million pounds of RenewCal naturally produced, there is a reduction of 4400 pounds of CO2 which is equivalent to planting 92 trees.

Inspiration

Like many entrepreneurs, Jeff Apisorf found himself in the packaging space through sheer chance. Originally a teacher and then a salesman, Jeff combined his caring and compassionate attributes with his strong people skills to ultimately build and manage two packaging companies. The first company was very successful financially, but did not fulfill Jeff’s desire for positive global change and sustainability. As a result, Jeff sold his shares and started MultiPlast – a company with an unwavering focus on value-added products and sustainability. Around the turn of the century Jeff saw a change in consumer’s level of care for and desire to use sustainable products. He recognized, “if we could find some ways to get solutions to these things [sustainable packaging solutions] it would not only help us [MultiPlast] but would help the environment, so basically that’s how the identity of MultiPlast was created.

Overall impact

Because MultiPlast has found several cheaper and more practical solutions to sustainability within the packaging industry, their products’ market shares are growing. This is good news for the world’s well-being and environment since the more often MultiPlast is chosen over traditional plastics and pulps the less often harmful materials will be put into our Earth’s ground and atmosphere. MultiPlast is impacting the amount of CO2 and harmful landfill materials by selling their products to Walmart, The Home Depot and other Fortune 500 companies. Lastly, because MultiPlast invests in the scientific community focused-on creating sustainable materials and solutions, they are creating financial incentives for our world’s smartest scientists to find net negative productions and turn them into net positive productions.

Business benefit

MultiPlast is a privately-owned company that has not needed to engage in any sort of IPO activity since its products and patents have consistently generated growing profits and positive cash flows. Because MultiPlast puts an emphasis on finding sustainable, practical solutions, they know that potential customers like hotel chains and consumer packaging good conglomerates will have a hard time passing up their alternative packaging materials/practices; especially as Millennials’ (who are environmentally conscious) purchasing power increases. With products like RenewCal, MultiPlast is able to combine their sustainability pitch with the fact that their solution is even cheaper than the current supplier’s product. Having eco-friendly and sustainable alternative products that are as cheap or cheaper than competitors’ products is a recipe for continued financial and business success.

Social and environmental benefit

MultiPlast’s operation produces 2.4 pounds of CO2 per one ton of RenewCal harvested. In contrast, mined CaCO3 generates 203 pounds of CO2 per one ton of calcite mined. That means that MultiPlast is saving 200.6 pounds (98.8%) of CO2 from entering the Earth’s atmosphere through the commercialization of RenewCal. Furthermore, BEDA is enabling plastics that aren’t recycled or recyclable to be degraded underground at a rate exponentially faster than the average plastic degradation process. This reduces the Earth’s exposure to harmful plastics and allows a greater percentage of the Earth’s crust to be used for non-waste landfill activities.

Interview

Jeff Apisdorf, Founder / CEO