Circular bioeconomy startup traceless, founded in 2021 in Hamburg, recently launched its first pilot product: a new sock hook made from traceless materials’ advanced biodegradable plant waste-based material that looks like plastic but is completely plastic-free, according to the company.
The new material, called traceless, is a biomaterial made of natural ingredients that is compostable under natural composting conditions. It decomposes, says the company, without leaving a single trace and is suitable for applications ranging from flexible and rigid packaging (food & non-food) to single-use products, high abrasion products, paper and cardboard coatings & adhesive solutions.
Sock hooks are traditionally made from plastic and are challenging to recycle because of their small size.
C&A and traceless materials joined forces to engineer a traceless grade suitable for use in C&A’s single-use sock hooks. On the 8th of December the product debuted in the C&A Store in Hamburg Altona in Dec. 2022 where it will replace the conventional plastic hooks used throughout a pilot period of several months.
This small hook means a big step forward, said Anne Lamp, CEO & co-founder at traceless materials. “It is the first pilot product to hit the shelves made from our bio-circular material innovation.”
For C&A, the collaboration with traceless is an important step on the way to reaching its ambitious goal of replacing consumer facing single-used plastics in our stores with sustainable alternatives by 2028, Aleix Busquets Gonzalez, Head of Global Sustainability at C&A, said.
As the material is home compostable, the hooks can be disposed of in a garden composter and, one composted, safely released into the environment.