07. Jul 2026
Algenesis wins ACS green chemistry award for biodegradable Soleic polyurethane platform
Algenesis Labs has received the 2026 American Chemical Society (ACS) Green Chemistry Challenge Award in the Small Business category for its Soleic platform of biodegradable polyurethane materials, adding another high-profile accolade to a technology that has already attracted industry recognition this year.
PU Magazine previously reported that Soleic won the 2026 International Green Product Award, following its earlier Polyurethane Innovation Award from the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) of the American Chemistry Council. The latest recognition further strengthens the platform's growing profile within the polyurethane sector.
The ACS Green Chemistry Challenge Awards recognize technologies that incorporate green chemistry principles into chemical design, manufacture and use. Originally established by the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1996, the program is now administered by the American Chemical Society.
Algenesis said Soleic is a family of plant-based polyurethane materials—including polyols, isocyanates, thermoplastic polyurethanes and foams—designed to deliver the performance of conventional petroleum-based polyurethane while fully biodegrading in compost, soil and marine environments.
The company said the USDA BioPreferred-certified materials contain between 56% and 100% biobased content, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50–65% compared with petroleum-based alternatives, and have been validated under ASTM D5338 and ISO 14855 biodegradation standards.
The company will be honored during the ACS Fall 2026 Meeting in Chicago on August 26.
"Winning in the Small Business category is a validation that you don't need a massive R&D budget to solve one of the most urgent pollution crises on the planet," said Dr. Stephen Mayfield, CEO and co-founder of Algenesis Corporation. "We built Soleic from the ground up to address the growing accumulation of microplastics in our oceans, our soil, and ultimately our bodies. This recognition from ACS tells us the science is right and the timing is now."
Photo: Dr. Stephen Mayfield, CEO of Algenesis Labs, at the company's research laboratory where the award-winning Soleic biodegradable polyurethane platform was developed Credit: Algenesis Labs