• Perennial Polymers is a startup that aims to turn fallen autumnal leaves into a plastic alternative.
• Unlike other biodegradable and organic plastics, Perennial Polymers’ process doesn’t require growing food-grade feedstock or fermentation, making it a potentially cheaper alternative.

Several breakthroughs have occurred in the quest for plastic alternatives. We’ve seen materials made from fish andshellfish waste, seaweed, fungi, coffee grounds, and cactus. But a new startup is developing a plastic replacement from a different organic source: fallen leaves.

After realizing that autumn leaves are an organic material that doesn’t require dedicated agricultural land and already has an established collection infrastructure, Nathan Noyes left his job at Cargill (previously Croda), where he worked on biomaterials, to launch Perennial Polymers.