Plastic pollution is one of the greatest problems of our time. Despite growing awareness of the issue, plastic waste volumes continue to hit new record highs each year. An estimated 220 million tonnes of plastic waste will be created in 2024, with nearly 70 million of this likely to end up in nature. The plastics industry is also the fastest-growing source of industrial greenhouse gases in the world. At current growth rates, it could be responsible for as much as 19% of global greenhouse emissions by 2040.
Tackling the issue at source
Tackling this massive challenge requires, among other measures, innovation of high-performance sustainable material alternatives. Biobased materials innovation is gaining traction in high-demand industries such as packaging and textiles, with significant carbon reduction and waste elimination potential. Yet share of the market remains small, with slow research and development (R&D) timelines, and commercial viability and scaling, a challenge.
Exploring the potential of generative AI
Materiom was awarded grant funding from Google.org to build a generative AI solution that accelerates biobased materials R&D. We joined a cohort of 21 organisations working across a range of impact areas – climate, economic opportunity, health, education and crisis response – in the inaugural Google.org Accelerator: Generative AI.
- The six-month program supported the cohort to explore high-impact generative AI applications through the provision of funding, technical training, workshops, mentors and pro bono support from a dedicated AI coach.
- Through the program Materiom developed a large language model (LLM)-based software tool for biobased materials discovery, harnessing available expertise on people-centered interaction design for AI products, AI model evaluation, user experience research, product management, user data privacy, and more.
- The Accelerator culminated in the Google Impact Summit, where Materiom and other cohort members were invited to demo their AI solutions to an audience of potential users, funders, and investors.
Accelerator outcomes
Materiom’s genAI-powered solution (currently in beta) supports bio-based materials discovery through:
- Biopolymer exploration: Supporting the exploration and assessment of biopolymers, green additives and solvents, and bio-based ingredients.
- Formulation development: Supporting the development of novel bio-based formulations – including composition and processing method – as guided by performance targets and other criteria.
- Green chemistry screening: Assessing ingredients and formulations based on green chemistry principles, including: ecotoxicity, energy use, water use, and biodegradation.
The solution has been demonstrated at the Google Impact Summit, UN General Assembly, and the AI for Science Forum, co-hosted by Google DeepMind and the Royal Society. It has also been featured in Google Cloud’s AI for Social Good e-book.
Learn more by requesting a demo here.
More links and resources
- https://eventsonair.withgoogle.com/events/impact-summit-live
- https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/google-org/google-generative-ai-accelerator-nonprofits/
- https://cloud.google.com/transform/gen-ai-crisis-response-sustainability-google-org-nonprofit-ai-incubator
