What we do - Carbonwave

Sargassum, a seaweed that once grew in an isolated part of the Atlantic Ocean, has started to bloom out of control and overwhelm beach ecosystems across the Caribbean. It accumulates on beach ecosystems and decomposes which releases methane gas into our atmosphere, leeches heavy metals into the groundwater, hurts tourism, and blocks sea turtle babies from reaching the ocean. Carbonwave transforms Sargassum into valuable materials, harnessing the potential of this abundant seaweed while mitigating climate change and protecting our environment.

How we do it

Collection

Grupo Ensol, our team of beach cleanup experts, conducts coastal cleaning and remediation of Sargassum seaweed in Quintana Roo, Mexico. We only collect Sargassum on-shore or nearshore to avoid hurting ocean wildlife in the process. We divert as much Sargassum as possible from landfills and bring it back to our facilities to be upcycled.

Refinement

We bring the seaweed back to our processing facility where we do quality control. We take out plastic, rinse it, and control for quality of the seaweed itself. Then we refine the cleaned Sargassum into components that can be stored and used in our advanced biomaterial products.

Products launched and in development

Our products reduce methane emissions and reduce the use of fossil fuels and synthetics. It’s a win win. Our innovative biomaterial science team has launched two products to-date: Sarga Agriscience and SeaBalance – and we have a number of other products in the works. Stay tuned!

Our current product line

Harnessing seaweed power to enhance crop yield

Our seaweed extract harnesses the abundance of Sargassum. With our plentiful seaweed, we are able to focus on the most valuable compounds for your crops (goodbye cellulose filler!). In-field studies in crops from tomato to barley have delivered farmer return on investment (ROI) of 5x or more.

Get growing

The world’s first seaweed-based cosmetic emulsifiers

SeaBalance is a game-changing multi-functional emulsifier for cosmetic formulators. This all-natural, upcycled emulsifier delivers a silicon-like skin feel with exceptional performance in a wide range of personal care applications. Not only does Seabalance emulsify, it has been proven to have a moisturizing effect.

Try a sample

Products under development

Leathers and Non-Wovens

Our plant-based fabrics rely on the extraction of structural seaweed polymers to form films stronger than the seaweed itself. These textiles are competitive with other vegan textiles, without relying on polyurethane (PU) plastic for structure and strength.

Bioplastics

We were awarded a grant to explore a pathway to bioplastics, which led to our innovative process. We are developing a plastic that can immediately be used in conventional plastic manufacturing processes – without any investment in new equipment.