Technological watch

UBQ Materials, climate tech developer of advanced materials made from organic and unrecyclable waste, announced that Rimax has launched the first consumer pet line ‘Made with UBQ™,’ which will initially be available in Colombia and then roll-out globally.
Caring For the Planet While Loving Animals
Rimax’s pet line, including large and mid-size doghouses and hooded cat litter boxes, is the first such line to incorporate and display the ‘Made with UBQ™’ mark, empowering consumers to make more sustainable purchasing decisions. The pet line will be available on Rimax’s website as well as with retailers in Latin America such as Home Center in Colombia and Home Depot Mexico. The commercial launch of this pet line advances the company’s sustainability strategy to reduce its environmental impact.
UBQ™ is a novel material with thermoplastic properties that can integrate with existing manufacturing processes and materials. UBQ™ enables manufacturers to make simple material replacements to reduce the carbon footprint of durable products in industries such as automotive, consumer goods, logistics and supply chain applications, with endless opportunities to integrate into additional industry applications.
“After successfully piloting a line of pet items ‘Made with UBQ™,’ we made the manufacturing decision to introduce UBQ™ across our entire pet line because loving animals goes hand in hand with caring for the planet,” said Elsa Coello Costa, communication and digital marketing manager at Rimax. “With our initial launch in Colombia, we anticipate a methodical expansion throughout Latin America.”
Replacing Oil-based Resins
According to the Pet Sustainability Coalition, the pet food industry alone creates 300 million pounds of plastic waste annually from pet food and treat packaging. This figure does not include the waste from other pet accessories, often made with plastic for its durability and flexibility.
By substituting oil-based plastics with UBQ™, Rimax is diverting up to 1.3 kg of waste and preventing up to 11.7 kg of CO?-equivalent emissions for every kg of UBQ™ used within its products.
“Consumers have incredible power to influence the sustainability standards of corporations and industry at large. Every purchase decision is an opportunity to drive change,” said Jack ‘Tato’ Bigio, co-CEO and cofounder of UBQ Materials. “The new ‘Made with UBQ™’ mark distinguishes Rimax in the market, indicating to consumers that their products replace oil-based resins, in part, with material made from landfill or incineration destined waste.”
Source: UBQ