Sean Simpson: Converting Waste CO2 Into Valuable Materials

The technology that turns emissions into sustainable products 

Before there were humans, there were microbes. Could these ancient organisms help to drive the modern circular economy?

Certain microbes break down gases like carbon dioxide into valuable molecules. This knowledge sparked LanzaTech: a carbon recycling company that turns waste gases into sustainable products.

LanzaTech was founded in New Zealand in 2005. At the time, the industry was razor-focused on the use of plants to create sustainable materials. The notion of using waste carbon emissions wasn't just unusual; it was radical.

LanzaTech's technology creates ethanol – the molecule used in beer, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels – from waste streams like steel mill and municipal solid waste.

As Co-Founder Sean Simpson points out, their technology not only creates high volumes of sustainable goods, but it does so using abundant resources that are found in every country in the world. LanzaTech have developed their process to convert polluting waste gases into sustainable aviation fuel, packaging, and even clothing.

What was once considered a niche application has grown into an industrial-scale solution. Today, LanzaTech’s headquarters are in the US, and their impact is global.

To learn more about LanzaTech's innovative solution, visit their website.