About
The Company
Conceived in 2012, abandoned for several years, GreenChem Limited re-shaped and invigorated in 2021 as a private NZ company to commercialise technology trialed in NZ. Technology was proven at pilot scale by GreenChem during 2023, with 3 critical steps.
Through several challenges, the team have remained in New Zealand and fortified their vision that biomaterials can empower and enable green compostable food packaging. The true goal is commercialization and deployment.
Technology to be filed, proven and commercialized by GreenChem are new and improved patents from those proven and progressed during engagement in a predecessor up to 2012.
GreenChem has passion, experience, insight, skills and aptitude to empower feasible and valuable biomaterials technologies. The company has been created to bring extraction of biomaterials to a wider market.
GreenChem’s strategy as a technology developer is to create new market focused IP and license this to biomaterials operators. Rather than investing time and capex into infrastructure GreenChem will deploy its key assets, namely proven biopolymer product technology. GreenChem’s business model now includes value add towards food packaging.
Yet our focus on core biopolymers levers GreenChem towards diverse, interesting and impactful opportunities -
biodegradable bottle caps (HDPE solutions can’t be recycled)
sweetener for diabetics (25% of health costs)
biodegradable cigarette butts (ocean microplastics)
food packaging - ~30% of plastics to landfill.
The Team
Kevin Snowdon
Kevin's sustained commitment to roles in the interesting interface between sustainability, business and social outcomes finds its optimal expression in GreenChem. Several years engagement in GreenChem and its predecessors provides deep and hard won insights into the various challenges, technical and business fundamentals. Most importantly we’ve begun to grapple with global opportunities that biomaterials proffer.
Kevin’s focus on lignin as a key fiscal driver for biomaterials was defined while exploring and prioritizing the business fundamentals of an integrated bio-refinery. The core purpose and vision for GreenChem is to drive humanity towards plastics that can perform with parity to crude sourced plastics, yet reduce environmental impacts especially our use of fossil carbons.
Professional experience in forestry, strategic management, entrepreneurship and governance underpins his vision for GreenChem. Significant and global business opportunities exist, so GreenChem’s empowering strategy targets rapid and wide uptake and deployment of biomaterials. Only this approach addresses climate change with the urgency it deserves.
Kevin worked in a leadership, management role. He drove feedstock development for GreenChem’s predecessor, while using his entrepreneurial skills to identify key factors driving the business. Opportunities to deploy the technology are inherent via building relationships within the biomass sector and the science community. Many of these opportunities remain.
Kevin’s vision is that biomaterials, especially lignin, can de-lever oil thereby addressing GHGs. While we act locally, solutions that have commercial and performance rigor must be deployed globally.
Ross prestidge
Ross is an experienced biochemist who is passionate about science, has a deep understanding of GreenChem’s technology. He is effective at straddling science and commercial outcomes and a great team member
Rob Gallagher
Rob is our partner in GreenChem Polymers, the subsidiary in Australia. He has a long term commitment to commercializing and scaling biotech within rural Australia.
Having built relationships across NSW forestry sector, business and government Rob is well positioned to accelerate GreenChem’s prototype and industrial scale up.
Tom condon
Tom is a director and angel investor with deal making aptitudes. He is visionary and attracted to business and environment. Tom is excellent at structures and complements Kevin!
