The production process of PHA is fundamentally different from conventional plastics: instead of cracking petroleum into monomers and then polymerizing them, PHA is produced through engineered microbial fermentation — microorganisms convert carbon sources (such as glucose, oils, and waste cooking oil) into intracellular PHA granules, which are then extracted via cell disruption to obtain PHA resin. This production method generates far lower carbon emissions than petrochemical plastics. According to third-party assessments, each ton of PHA can reduce approximately 3.2 tons of CO₂ equivalent over its full life cycle.
Bluepha's core product is PHBH — poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate). Compared to conventional PHB (polyhydroxybutyrate), PHBH incorporates hydroxyhexanoate units, which lower the degree of crystallinity and improve flexibility and processability, thereby solving the problems of pure PHB's brittleness and narrow thermal processing window. PHBH's mechanical properties are comparable to those of PP, its barrier properties surpass those of PE, its heat resistance exceeds that of PLA, and it also exhibits excellent hydrolytic stability.
In short, PHA is a "microbe-made plastic" — one that can spontaneously degrade in soil, freshwater, and seawater without the need for industrial composting. This is something that PLA and PBAT simply cannot do.
Degradability is PHA's core differentiating advantage. PHA can be fully biodegraded by microorganisms in a wide range of environments, including soil, freshwater, seawater, industrial composting, and home composting. It has obtained marine biodegradation certifications from the EU, the United States, and Japan. This means that PHA-based plastic products, even if accidentally released into the ocean, will not persist as microplastic pollution. For brand clients with marine environmental protection requirements, this is an advantage that PLA and PBAT cannot replace.
On the certification and compliance front, Bluepha™ PHA has obtained food contact material certification from China's National Health Commission, making it the world's first PHA company to receive this certification. It also meets the food contact material regulatory requirements of the U.S. FDA and the European Union. In terms of marine degradation, it has passed the EU OK Marine Biodegradable certification, the U.S. ASTM D6691 standard, and Japan's marine biodegradation certification. When exporting food-contact-grade PHA products, these certifications serve as the entry ticket to overseas markets.