Giovanna Laudisio Reducing Microplastic Pollution with Renewable Resources at Naturbeads

1. Giovanna Laudisio: Reducing Microplastic Pollution with Renewable Resources at Naturbeads Global environmental issues are a growing concern every day. These problems are increasing rapidly and are currently affecting the Earth’s natural biodiversity and ecosystem in detrimental ways. These issues are Global Warming, Climate Change, Increased Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Deforestation, Marine and Air Pollution, Endangering Ecological Life, Extinction of Species, Soil Degradation, Depletion of the Ozone Layer, Depletion of Natural Resources, Overpopulation, Acid Rain, and many more. All in all, every living organism on this Earth is in danger and is threatened when made to exist in the present living conditions. Unfortunately, if these problematic concerns aren’t handled and managed well in time, there can be quite horrible and adverse consequences. One such global environmental issue and concern in water consumption and marine life is Microplastic Pollution. This type of pollution is caused by the over production of plastic products. The use of plastic is directly proportional to the continued production of plastic to meet needs and requirements. Statistics say that disposed plastic products take around 20-500 years just to break down and unfortunately even that doesn’t decompose completely and remains present in the environment. Microplastics are plastics that are less than 5mm and which take over 100-1000 years to break down. They are produced from plastic products after hard use or overuse. Since these microplastics are non-biodegradable as well as in fact micro and small, they are easily present in the air, water, and land and can get inside the body’s system and cause health issues. They are majorly present in oceans and seas as well thereby detrimentally harming the marine and aquatic life. A solution that can be taken to reduce the production of non-biodegradable items such as plastic which can have quite adverse reactions when overproduced and overused are by using biodegradable materials, recyclable, and eco-friendly products that do not cause any harm to the environment and which are sustainable. Therefore in this article, we will uncover and talk about the entrepreneurial journey and story of a Chemical Manufacturing company - Naturbeads, co-founded by Giovanna Laudisio, that’s on a mission towards providing natural and sustainable solutions for a greener planet. Giovanna Laudisio - Co-founder and CEO at Naturbeads: The co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Naturbeads is Giovanna Laudisio. Hailing from Bath, England, in the United Kingdom, Giovanna is an inspiring and motivating entrepreneur, leader, creative, and an innovative thinker who realized it was high time to call for action towards combating global environmental issues by providing natural and sustainable solutions towards a greener planet and future. The co-founder has a Master’s Degree in Chemistry and a CNR Fellowship in Biomaterials. She went to receive a PhD. in Materials Engineering and then a Masters in

2. BusinessAdministration in Innovation Management. Giovanna started her employment and working life while she was still studying and worked in diverse roles and positions. From being a Research Fellow to a Research Associate, from an Advanced Materials Technology Manager at DuPont to Manager/Executive Advisor/Entrepreneurial Lead in Technology Translation and Innovation Partnerships at NUS Enterprise, from Director at CleanTech and Advanced Materials at Budding Innovations to being a Mentor at Lead for Sustainability, Giovanna has had an extensively skilled, talented, and experienced working career in her field before co-founding Naturbeads alongside David Mattia who was the company’s Technology Advisor. For more interesting reads and insights, visit The Europe Entrepreneur. NATURBEADS: Naturbeads is a chemical manufacturing company co-founded by Giovanna Laudisio in the year 2018. The company is established in The United Kingdom, in Bath, England. Naturbeads specializes itself in manufacturing and commercializing Cellulose Microbeads that are biodegradable, recyclable, and as a substitutable solution towards the fight against reducing microplastic pollution. Showcasing and providing the same features as plastics, Naturbeads’ Cellulose Microbeads are manufactured and commercialized impersonal care and in cosmetics and are currently looking to expand their applications with more production plants. There have been many sustainability initiatives taken alongside the use of greener technology as eco-friendly alternatives. Environmental innovation is the approach and strategy taken to decrease the detrimental consequences that occur due to global environmental issues. Improving products and services, Using renewable resources, Encouraging the implementation of new regulations for sustainable living, Fostering eco-friendly and environmentally conscious mindsets, and Preservation and Conservation of the ecosystem and biodiversity, are some of the solutions that can be adopted and followed by the people. Naturbeads Cellulose Microbeads - “A material which conjugates unique mechanical and chemical characteristics with the same biodegradability of a tree’s leaf “. The scientists and engineers at Naturbeads join hands to bring out the best innovations in producing biodegradable microspheres made of Cellulose to reduce the production of plastics and its pollution, which are being incorporated into everything that we know of. The presence of these plastics in enormous quantities in water, air, and the land is harmful to every living and breathing organism. Since only very few companies are built on providing innovative solutions in combating the problem associated with the continued production of microplastics, Naturbeads believes in making every possible change and transformation necessary in the world through fostering and establishing the use of - “Circular, Renewable, Sustainable, and Natural Resources”.

3. Naturbeads have been working hard towards building their first ever production plant which is estimated to be completed and to be in operation by 2025. The company has received approximately 1.4 million pounds from 3 Innovate UK grants in order to build two production plants thereby expanding their production of the cellulose microbeads in paints, coatings, and other consumer applications. The company also has won the “Winner Manufacturing and Engineering Startup of the Year 2022”.