A Forever Planet

Published in

Nelumbo Inc

4 min readApr 22, 2021

To celebrate Earth Day, we are releasing a teaser on the new opportunity we are building. This is a first step towards a full launch, and we are excited to hear what you think!

What is Earth Day all about? To start, the future Earth we want is able to support life indefinitely. Energy has become an abundant resource. The Climate is balanced and able to absorb shocks. Products are renewable and input resources can be used at will. With an infinite runway, access to resources, and externalities under control, we can set our sights on great works and further advancement versus just survival.

We are fundamentally held back from this future by long lasting, hazardous materials in the products we rely on today. Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and plastics are the most prevalent examples; these materials were invented many decades ago and are ubiquitous today.

People are now well aware of the issues with PFCs. Also known as PFAS, these materials accumulate in the environment and our bodies where they are carcinogenic¹ and lead to birth defects². Due to extremely attractive oil and water repellency properties, these materials are used in everything from popcorn bags³ to carpet⁴ to firefighting foam⁵. All of these products release PFCs into the environment and it takes hundreds of years for these chemicals to break down.

Plastic needs no introduction and is a fantastic material. Lightweight, strong, and durable, plastic is used to make nearly every type of object in our modern world. Plastic has irrevocably changed countless lives and brought more products and jobs to our economy than nearly any material innovation ever. But, plastic is now the major source of litter across the planet, a significant contributor to carbon emissions⁶, and responsible for microplastics, which are known to kill microalgae⁷ (causing increased ocean acidification and reduced biodiversity) and accumulate in human organs⁸. Recycling rates remain sub 20%⁹ even in countries that have spent decades and billions of dollars¹⁰ to address the issue, and many “biodegradable” products actually require specialized “industrial composting” facilities to actually break down — otherwise they continue to persist in the environment.

Both of these materials classes have held dominant positions in many markets for decades — and again, for good reason — but the tide is shifting and people are demanding products that are just as good or better and have no unwanted side effects. Many have taken notice and there is a movement to force better pathways for both of these materials. Bans on PFCs and single-use disposable plastics are coming into play across the world¹¹ ¹² ¹³ ¹⁴. Corporate and government phase-out plans are already in effect and gaining momentum¹⁵ ¹⁶. Covid-19 slowed this transition down slightly but did not stop it, and in some cases has increased the demand for better products.

Unfortunately the replacement products so far haven’t impressed many: who likes the paper straw? In many instances, replacements sacrifice functionality. Also, people are tired of the greenwashing around recycling, composting, and biodegradable products¹⁸ and are seeking a path that is verifiably sustainable, something they can prove they can trust. There just simply aren’t great solutions that give us more value… yet.

The opportunity now is to create something even better that gives people what we need now and enables the future we want. We believe part of the solution must come from unlocking new materials that start from the perspective of building an infinite runway for the planet. These materials will be the literal building blocks of a new generation of products that we look back on decades from now as the seed that grew into a bigger and better future. How many new products came about after the invention of plastic? Could we possibly have dreamed up those products before plastic existed? We’re a clever species and arming ourselves with new and better materials unlocks a whole new world of opportunity.

In every use case we have built at Nelumbo to date, we have in some way contributed to the theme of transitioning away from the use of plastics and fluorochemicals. We are now proud to announce that we are going straight after this opportunity by working on new products that not only replace these materials but allow you to do more. We think we have an approach that customers will love and look forward to saying more soon.

This will be an awesome journey, make sure you don’t miss it by joining us here.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to James Ma and Andrew Brentano for reviewing the article and Allen Ashton for selecting the cover image.

Citations

A Forever Planet

Written by Nelumbo