Aquapak Polymers Ltd, which specialises in polymer-based material technologies that can deliver both performance and environmental responsibility at scale, has today announced the appointment of sustainability and circular economy expert, Debbie Luffman, to its Advisory Board.
Debbie has over 20 years’ experience of working in fashion, textiles and sustainable business. She currently runs the change agency Think Circular, which helps businesses to unlock opportunities through a circular approach to design, sourcing and exploring alternative means of production and consumption.
For fourteen years, she was Product Director at pioneering outdoor clothing brand and Bcorp, Finisterre, where she led ambitious innovation initiatives, and implemented new business models and strategic partnerships to advance circularity. Debbie is also a carbon literacy facilitator at Fashion Declares, a tutor on the Business Sustainability Management course at the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable leadership, and a trustee at environmental behaviour change charity Hubbub.
The Advisory Board provides advice and input to support Aquapak’s management team as they embark on an exciting phase of global growth and innovation. This includes identifying multiple applications for its Hydropol polymer technology. Developed and manufactured in the UK, Hydropol is soluble, non-toxic and marine safe. Products made with Hydropol are safe for existing recycling processes and are fully biodegradable, leaving no trace or harmful microplastics should they enter the environment.
Commenting on Debbie’s appointment, Mark Lapping, Chief Executive Officer, Aquapak, said: “Debbie’s experience in the fashion and textiles sector is highly relevant to us as it is an important strategic market opportunity for Hydropol technology. Several brands have already introduced our Hydropol garment bags in place of conventional single-use plastic as part of their commitment to sustainability and the circular economy. We look forward to working closely with Debbie to grow our market share.”
Debbie Luffman said: “I work with many different businesses who are committed to the circular economy. Moving to sustainable packaging with better end of life options is a big part of meeting this challenge, so I am delighted to be joining Aquapak’s advisory board and helping develop and promote its ground-breaking Hydropol technology.”
To help reduce plastic packaging pollution Aquapak has developed Hydropol, a unique new polymer which is soluble and non-toxic to marine life. Hydropolcan be used as an alternative to conventional plastic in a wide variety of applications as it provides the same functionality and performance but without the associated environmental problems. It is currently used to make products such as garment bags, offering all the necessary features of traditional polybags: strength and puncture resistance; clarity of film; and protection from leakages and dirt.
Crucially, Hydropol garment bags present zero end-of-life issues for consumers and brands. They can be disposed of in existing domestic waste streams without contaminating other recyclable products or they can be dissolved immediately in hot water at home without producing harmful micro-plastics. They are also compostable and degrade harmlessly on land or in the ocean.
