Symphony Environmental Technologies (AIM:SYM), which develops technologies to make plastic and rubber products more sustainable, said an independent testing programme has confirmed its d2w plastic technology fully mineralises in soil without leaving microplastics behind.
The ISO 17025-accredited laboratory Intertek India ran eight tests between February 2025 and May 2026, following the ASTM D6954 standard's three-tier framework covering abiotic degradation, biodegradation and ecotoxicity.
After accelerated abiotic degradation reduced the material's molecular weight to approximately 2,200 Daltons, meeting the threshold for progression, the film underwent soil biodegradation testing under ISO 17556 and reached 98.7% mineralisation after 600 days.
Analysis of the resulting biomass using micro-FTIR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy found no microplastic particles and no trace of the original polyethylene.
Ecotoxicity testing under OECD methods 207 and 208 showed no adverse effects on earthworm survival, plant growth or seed germination.
Symphony said the programme, spanning abiotic degradation, biodegradation, ecotoxicity and microplastic analysis in a single study, is the most comprehensive evaluation yet conducted on an oxidative biodegradable polyethylene technology.
"The Board considers these independent verified findings to represent a significant enhancement of Symphony's scientific and regulatory evidence base and to be materially relevant to the Company's future commercial and regulatory opportunities", said chief executive Michael Laurier.
He added that the results build on prior independent studies from Queen Mary University London and the French Oxomar project.
News Intelligence what this means for the company
Independent testing by Intertek confirmed Symphony's d2w plastic achieves 98.7% mineralisation in soil over 600 days with no microplastics or ecotoxic effects—the most comprehensive evaluation yet of an oxidative biodegradable polyethylene technology. The result strengthens Symphony's scientific and regulatory evidence base at a moment when the company is already reporting profitability: it swung to net profit in the first five months of 2026, and its Kenyan distributor has begun commercial supply of d2w-based biodegradable liners following regulatory approval.
The independent verification removes a material technical risk—microplastic residue and ecotoxicity were the core unknowns hanging over d2w's commercial viability. Combined with early revenue traction and a return to profitability, the result materially de-risks the regulatory pathway and customer adoption case for Symphony's core technology.
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