Rimax, UBQ Partnership Incorporates Waste-Based Materials in Pet Products

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Press release: UBQ Materials

UBQ Materials, climate tech developer of advanced materials made from waste, recently announced that its novel thermoplastic is being incorporated into consumer items for pets made by Rimax, a major plastics products manufacturer based in Colombia.

Until now, UBQ has been used to substitute petroleum-based plastics in automotive, shipping and logistics parts, and limited retail solutions. This partnership marks the first pet-related retail products made with UBQ to be made available in the market.

UBQ is a substitute for conventional raw materials that is made entirely from unsorted municipal solid waste, including all organics, that have been diverted from landfills. UBQ has already been adopted by leading industry enterprises and is used for manufacturing durable products with reduced or even offset environmental footprints.

“If we are going to fight climate change, the change has to start from within. Our goal is to standardize the use of safe plastic alternatives that prioritize the environment” said Elsa Coello, communication and digital marketing manager at Rimax. “Sustainable pet products are just the beginning. We hope to introduce climate-positive UBQ material into a wide variety of consumer goods.”

As an initial launch, Rimax is implementing UBQ into the manufacturing of doghouses for medium and large breeds, as well as hooded cat litter boxes.

The new line of hooded cat litter boxes is made up of 50 percent post-consumer resin and approximately 15 percent UBQ for a total estimated recycled content of 65 percent. The doghouses are made from 40 percent post-consumer resin and approximately 15 percent UBQ, for a total estimated recycled content of 55 percent. Both products are part of a larger strategy to combat landfills, greenhouse gas emissions, and the continued extraction of finite natural resources. In substituting oil-based resins with UBQ, Rimax is diverting up to 1.3 kg of waste and preventing up to 11.7 kg of CO2-equivalent emissions for every kg of UBQ used within its products.

“Government mandates and consumer preference for eco-conscious products are driving growing demand for sustainable materials across industries,” said Albert Douer, chairman and co-CEO of UBQ Materials. “By adopting UBQ, a leading plastics company like Rimax is setting an example that sustainable transitions can be simple, timely and economically lucrative.”