Home compostable Styrofoam™ alternative

Plastic foam like Styrofoam is a ubiquitous, harmful and nearly immortal single-use material that is long overdue for a good, green replacement — and Cruz Foam is here to supply it. The startup creates a durable yet backyard-compostable packing foam out of shrimp shells produced (and discarded) by the seafood industry. It recently extended its seed round to accommodate the interests of Leonardo DiCaprio and Ashton Kutcher, and is scaling up to meet the demands of its first major customer, Whirlpool.

Investors Include At One Ventures, Sony Innovation Fund, and Regeneration.VC High Profile Advisors, Awards, and ASTM Certifications Add to Momentum

Over 380 million tons of plastic are produced every year and 50% of that for single-use purposes such as product packaging. Until now, companies have been hard-pressed to find a replacement for styrofoam for protecting fragile items like electronics and appliances.