Walmart Collaborates with Rubi to Pilot Innovative Carbon Capture & Conversion Technology

Companies to pilot symbiotic manufacturing process that converts captured carbon emissions from manufacturing waste streams into textiles. World's largest omnichannel retailer advances sustainability goals with a strategic collaboration to deliver affordable apparel and other products made from carbon emissions.

SAN LEANDRO, Calif. and BENTONVILLE, Ark., July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Rubi, the company creating a new way of manufacturing that exists in harmony with the planet, today announced a series of pilot projects in collaboration with Walmart (NYSE: WMT), the world's leading omnichannel retailer, designed to explore the integration of innovative carbon capture technology that could ultimately disrupt supply chains and deliver affordable apparel and other products made from carbon emissions for Walmart customers.

Together, Rubi and Walmart will explore the use of Rubi's patent-pending on-site reactor technology in pilot projects integrating the CO2 capture and utilization technology among Walmart's sourcing and manufacturing collaborators' infrastructure. The output of those projects will be leveraged to produce a prototype apparel collection using Rubi's fabric made from carbon emissions.

Inspired by how trees use CO2 to grow, Rubi uses biochemical processes powered by enzymes at an industrial scale to "eat" carbon emissions and make carbon-negative, resource-neutral textiles. Rubi's patent-pending, cell-free biocatalysis process captures and converts CO2 from the waste streams of manufacturing facilities into cellulose. The converted cellulose is then used to create lyocell yarn, which can be used for clothing and materials.

"Walmart's collaboration with Rubi could reimagine the apparel supply chain by leveraging technology to create textiles from carbon emissions. This technology could play an important role in our journey towards zero waste and zero emissions," said Andrea Albright, Executive Vice President, Sourcing, Walmart. "We see the opportunity to use our scale and reach to have a positive impact wherever we operate, and we're committed to accelerate this impact through our products, services, and business practices. Walmart's joint effort with Rubi underscores this commitment."

A long-time leader on sustainability, Walmart has worked with suppliers, NGOs and climate action leaders to inspire positive change across global value chains since 2005. In its own operations, Walmart has set a goal to be powered 50% by renewable energy by 2025 and 100% by 2035. More than 5,200 suppliers globally are engaged in Project Gigatontm and as of 2022, suppliers have reported reducing or avoiding more than 750 million metric tons of carbon emissions collectively since 2017.

Pilots will Examine Integration to Manufacturing Supply Chain and Prototype Apparel

Walmart is the first company to execute both manufacturing and brand pilot agreements with Rubi. In the first pilot, the two companies will explore how Rubi's modular reactor systems could integrate on-site to CO2-producing facilities at manufacturers in the Walmart supply chain to capture and convert the CO2. In a second pilot, Walmart and Rubi will test Rubi's cellulose fiber performance for use in a prototype garment, and ultimately design and develop a sample apparel collection, with a particular focus on accessibility to the masses.

"The impact of technologies like Rubi Laboratories', combined with the market pull of global brands like Walmart, has the potential to accelerate the needed transformation of today's 'take, make, waste' supply chains. We are excited about this early-stage collaboration to explore and bring innovations that could help protect vital forests, stabilize our climate, and provide innovative solutions to the global marketplace," said Nicole Rycroft, Executive Director, Canopy. Canopy is a not-for-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting forests, species, and climate.

Symbiotic Manufacturing

Rubi is creating symbiotic manufacturing, a new way of manufacturing that exists in harmony with the planet. While Rubi is starting with textiles for the fashion industry, its technology can be applied to all areas of manufacturing including buildings, packaging, food, medicine, and other advanced materials to completely reinvent planet-positive global supply chains.

"At Rubi, our goal is to ensure a thriving future by restoring Earth's ecological balance with reimagined supply chains," said Neeka Mashouf, Co-founder and CEO of Rubi Labs. "Walmart's ability to mobilize positive impact across its supply chain of diverse US collaborations could be massively impactful in scaling our production and delivering on our commitments. We're thrilled to collaborate with them."

The collaboration with Walmart comes just four months after Rubi announced an additional $8.7 million in Series Seed funding and its initial strategic partnerships with global fashion brands H&M, Reformation, GANNI, and Nuuly.

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About Rubi
Rubi is creating a new way of manufacturing that exists in harmony with the planet. Inspired by how trees grow, the company uses biochemical processes powered by enzymes at an industrial scale to "eat" carbon emissions and make carbon-negative, resource-neutral textiles. Rubi was founded by two twin sisters, Neeka Mashouf and Leila Mashouf, each with 10+ years of materials and biology research experience, who ultimately teamed up to re-invent fashion supply chains with a proprietary biomanufacturing technology that is inherently planet-positive. To learn more, visit http://www.rubi.earth.

About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer helping people save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, approximately 240 million customers and members visit more than 10,500 stores and numerous eCommerce websites in 20 countries. With fiscal year 2023 revenue of $611 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.1 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy, and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, on Twitter at twitter.com/walmart, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart.

Media Contact

The Key PR, Rubi, 804-297-8741, [email protected]

Blair Cromwell, Walmart, 1-800-331-0085, blair.cromwell@walmart.com

SOURCE Rubi