EF Polymer

EF Polymer is an agri‑tech and materials startup spun out of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology that develops a fully organic, fully biodegradable superabsorbent polymer called EFP, which is the only superabsorbent in the world to have obtained organic certification. In agriculture, EF Polymer supplies EFP as a soil amendment intended to reduce irrigation by up to 40%, decrease fertilizer use by around 20% and increase crop yields by 10–15%. In new materials markets the company positions EFP as a biodegradable alternative to petrochemical superabsorbents for applications such as sanitary products, ice-pack gels and cosmetic thickeners, and is conducting R&D to repurpose it into absorbent sheets for sanitary napkins and diapers.