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Plant-Based Leaders | Sustainea
Transforming Corn into Sustainable Solutions
Sustainea represents the cutting edge of the bio-based revolution, pioneering sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based chemicals through innovative partnerships.
The company emerged from a strategic collaboration between Brazilian petrochemical leader Braskem and Japanese trading company Sojitz. Since its founding in 2022, Sustainea has positioned itself at the forefront of Bio-MEG (monoethylene glycol) and Bio-MPG (monopropylene glycol) development – renewable alternatives to conventional chemicals widely used in textiles, packaging, and consumer goods.
“Our products represent a fundamental shift in how industries can adopt more sustainable solutions: access to competitive and low carbon footprint raw material,” explained Gustavo Sergi, CEO of Sustainea. “We’re creating bio-based alternatives that maintain drop-in solutions for our clients while reducing carbon emissions in essential sectors like packaging, textiles, and cosmetics.”
From Research to Reality
Sustainea’s journey began in 2017 when Braskem initiated technological research into bio-based glycols. This early work laid the foundation for what would eventually become a global venture. After years of development and testing, Braskem and Sojitz formalized a partnership in 2022, leveraging Braskem’s expertise in renewable chemicals and Sojitz’s strong market presence in Asia – a region that accounts for 80% of the global MEG market.
With headquarters in the United States and an office in São Paulo, Brazil, Sustainea brings together international expertise and local market knowledge. This unique perspective has shaped the company’s approach to developing solutions that meet regional needs while addressing global environmental challenges.
Products with Purpose
Sustainea’s portfolio focuses on two key green chemicals: Bio-MEG and Bio-MPG.
Bio-MEG serves as a renewable alternative for polyester fibers in apparel and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in food and beverage packaging. Unlike conventional MEG derived from fossil sources, Sustainea’s bio-based version maintains identical performance while significantly reducing products’ carbon footprint.
“When you look at a plastic bottle or polyester shirt made with our Bio-MEG, you won’t see any difference in quality or performance,” noted Sergi. “The difference is in the environmental impact – substantially lower carbon emissions across the product lifecycle.”
Bio-MPG addresses diverse applications in the automotive, cosmetics, and industrial sectors. It functions as an eco-friendly solvent and ingredient in products ranging from unsaturated polyester resins to personal care items.
Both products are designed as drop-in solutions, meaning manufacturers can integrate them into existing production lines without costly retooling or process changes. That removes a significant barrier to the adoption of sustainable alternatives.
Strategic Partnership with Primient
At the heart of Sustainea’s approach is a groundbreaking partnership with Primient, a leader in corn-based ingredient production. This co-location arrangement will supply corn-based dextrose from Primient’s facility in Lafayette, Indiana, to Sustainea’s first U.S.-based Bio-MEG plant – creating an integrated, sustainable supply chain.
“This partnership represents a significant advancement in building one of the largest sustainability ventures globally,” said Sergi. “Primient’s operational synergies, great location for production and distribution, local and national institutional activity and shared values make them an ideal long-term ally. Their energy-efficient, low-carbon dextrose production process positions our products to excel in both market competitiveness and sustainability.”
The decision to co-locate with Primient in Lafayette was a carefully considered strategic decision, driven by Primient’s proven capability in supplying low-carbon, sustainably sourced corn dextrose — an essential element that aligns with our sustainability goals. This decision followed a comprehensive site selection process that evaluated a wide range of geographies and key operational factors.
“From the carbon footprint to the sustainability of the entire value chain, we assessed multiple criteria, including sustainable corn production in the region, market access, and the availability of local talent to support Sustainea’s first industrial facility,” said Éverton Van-Dal, Chief Business Officer at Sustainea.
The collaboration leverages Primient’s expertise in maximizing the potential of corn kernels – utilizing starch, protein, fiber, germ, and water in a circular approach that minimizes waste. By converting Primient’s high-quality, low-carbon dextrose into Bio-MEG, Sustainea will produce a renewable chemical essential for everyday products without relying on fossil resources.
“Our companies have an aligned vision and mission. We bring deep experience in plant-based manufacturing excellence and long-term partnerships, and Sustainea’s Bio-MEG has a very strong value proposition in today’s marketplace,” Primient CEO Jim Stutelberg said. “The partnership integrates the strengths of the two companies all while driving biobased innovation and filling the strong need for renewable, plant-based solutions.”
Investing in the Midwest
The $400 million Bio-MEG facility, set to begin operations in 2028, represents a significant investment in American manufacturing and the Midwest bioeconomy. Lafayette’s selection for this groundbreaking facility was influenced by the region’s robust infrastructure, advanced transportation networks, and supportive local policies.
Leaders in the community were quick to welcome the news, including Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski, who said the $400 million partnership will “create a significant number of new local jobs in this emerging ag-bioscience sector … The benefits this project will bring to our economy and environment align with our city’s long-term vision for growth and innovation for decades to come.”
The economic impact extends beyond manufacturing to include new opportunities for local farmers, whose crops will serve as raw materials for Bio-MEG production. The facility is expected to create approximately 100 high-wage jobs, with additional economic benefits throughout the supply chain and service sectors.
With support from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, which has committed up to $6.9 million in performance-based tax credits and $100,000 in training grants, the project demonstrates how environmental innovation can drive regional prosperity.
Don Lamb, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, highlighted the agricultural benefits for the state’s producers, which harvest more than 1 billion bushels of corn each year. The new facility and the products it will produce, he said, “will open a new market for Indiana producers.”
Academic Partnership Drives Innovation
Sustainea’s relationship with Purdue University exemplifies the company’s commitment to continuous innovation. The university’s College of Engineering, particularly through programs like CISTAR (Center for Innovative and Strategic Transformation of Alkane Resources) and LEAPS (Leading Energy-Transition Advances and Pathways to Sustainability), provides resources and expertise to advance biomanufacturing.
“Working with Purdue will support our growth,” said Sergi. “Our collaboration on Bio-MEG is a practical example on how innovative scientific effort can help to transform value chains, and we’re excited to see such impacts throughout our business plan implementation. As we bring a first-of-its-kind technology to the market, it will be beautiful to see the convergence between this bold entrepreneurial initiative and the brilliant and practical minds from this environment.”
Collaborating with Purdue University offers immense value due to its excellence in strategic fields for Sustainea, such as clean energy, chemical innovation, and sustainable agriculture. According to Van-Dal, “The presence of Purdue certainly positions Lafayette on the map as a hub for biomanufacturing excellence.”
This academic partnership extends beyond research to include workforce development – ensuring a pipeline of skilled professionals for the growing bioeconomy.
Purdue professor Fabio Ribeiro said the university looked forward to “partnering with Sustainea and other forward-thinking companies to advance innovations in renewable manufacturing and establish Lafayette as a model for sustainable industrial growth.”
The Circular Vision
Sustainea’s business model embodies circularity. By utilizing corn as a renewable feedstock, the company creates materials that reduce dependency on non-renewable resources. When these materials reach end-of-life, they have inherently lower environmental impact than petroleum-based counterparts.
Looking ahead, Sustainea’s first Bio-MEG plant is just the beginning of broader plans to build as many as three industrial plants worldwide, with production capacity reaching 700,000 tons annually.
The company’s approach to geographic expansion is strategic as well. Rather than shipping feedstock materials globally, Sustainea plans to identify local agricultural feedstocks in target markets that can be processed in nearby manufacturing facilities, reducing carbon emissions from transportation while supporting local agricultural economies.
Industry Collaboration Through PBPC
Sustainea recently joined the Plant Based Products Council (PBPC).
Sustainea said they are looking forward to the benefits of membership, including enhanced industry visibility, participation in policy-shaping working groups, and valuable consumer research insights to refine market strategies. The company also hopes to leverage PBPC’s platform to highlight its innovative contributions to sustainable development while collaborating with industry leaders on systemic challenges.
We’re eager to collaborate with other forward-thinking companies to accelerate the transition to a bio-based economy that benefits both industry and environment.
“As Sustainea will reach a global commodity market, we will play an important role in raising consumer awareness of the prowess of bio-based products. Also, our company will be establishing a new value chain, from corn all the way to consumer goods and this means helping to shape a more effective environment for industries, local and national governments and long-term policies to address U.S. national supply-chain security. In this sense, there is an outstanding fit between Sustainea’s commercial and institutional plans to PBPC goals and ambitions.” explained Sergi. “We’re eager to collaborate with other forward-thinking companies to accelerate the transition to a bio-based economy that benefits both industry and environment.”
Through this strategic alignment with PBPC and its members, including Braskem and Primient, Sustainea is positioning itself at the center of the growing bioeconomy — demonstrating that sustainability and commercial success can grow together from the ground up.
Join our growing group of plant-based leaders working toward a more sustainable economy. Learn more about the benefits of PBPC membership.