London-based biomaterials company Demeter Bio has won the environment category of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Emerging Technology competition for its development of Fibrepel, a biobased alternative to PFAS chemicals used for water and oil repellency.

Demeter Bio says Fibrepel is a non-toxic biomaterial designed to replace per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are widely used in products including textiles and packaging because of their resistance to heat, chemicals, water and oils.

“If a sustainable solution can be found, we don’t need to spend the time and money dealing with these chemicals and their impact,” said Osseiran, CEO of Demeter Bio.

Chief Scientific Officer Khayrova said the RSC recognition could help the company establish new collaborations with academic and industry partners, supporting further development of Fibrepel and accelerating the move towards PFAS-free materials.

Ben Voysey, entrepreneurship manager at the RSC, said developing safer alternatives to PFAS is critical given the scale of contamination and the useful properties these chemicals have traditionally provided.