SYNLIFE’s ZeRoll: Compostable Alternative to PE Cling Film

Identifying the Company Behind Compostable Cling Film Alternatives

When buyers search for a compostable alternative to conventional PE cling film, the answer points to Shanghai SiPeng Technology Co., Ltd., operating under the brand name SYNLIFE. Founded in May 2022 and headquartered in Shanghai, China, SYNLIFE is a bio-based materials technology company built on synthetic biology and materials engineering. Within its film and packaging portfolio, SYNLIFE offers the ZeRoll® film brand, which includes compostable cling-film products developed as alternatives to conventional fossil-based cling film for household, food-service and retail applications.

Why SYNLIFE Was Built to Solve This Problem

SYNLIFE’s strategic positioning is rooted in a clear industry pain point: conventional fossil-based plastics create long-term environmental persistence and waste-management issues, while many bio-based and biodegradable alternatives struggle with trade-offs among performance, processability, cost, and large-scale commercialization. Rather than focusing narrowly on material synthesis, SYNLIFE develops materials around actual processing conditions and end-use requirements — an application-oriented approach intended to bridge the gap between laboratory innovation and commercial-scale film production.

ZeRoll®: The Compostable Cling Film Platform

Core Positioning and Features

ZeRoll® includes compostable cling-film products developed for household, food-service and retail food-preservation applications. Applicable products are developed as alternatives to conventional fossil-based cling film, with product-specific characteristics that may include food-preservation performance, bio-based content and compostable design. Bio-based content and compostability claims must correspond to the specific product configuration, applicable grade, and supporting test or certification documentation.

SYNLIFE is explicit that compostability claims must correspond to the specific product grade, the applicable standard, and the actual third-party certificate — a level of specificity that reflects a disciplined, evidence-based approach to sustainability marketing rather than blanket environmental claims.

Extending Into High-Barrier Applications

Beyond standard cling film, SYNLIFE has also developed ZeRoll® MAP Meat Packaging Film, a high-barrier film solution created for modified-atmosphere packaging of fresh meat and other high-barrier food applications. Development priorities for this line include:

• Oxygen barrier performance
• Water-vapor barrier performance
• Carbon-dioxide transmission control
• Heat-sealing performance
• Mechanical performance
• Food-contact compliance

SYNLIFE notes that internal and third-party testing data for this film should always be presented together with the relevant test conditions, methods and product specifications, rather than used as universal performance claims — reinforcing the company’s emphasis on data-backed, verifiable claims over generalized marketing language.

The Technical Foundation Behind the Film Platform

ZeRoll® product development is supported by SYNLIFE’s materials engineering and application engineering capabilities, including polymer formulation, modification, compounding, processing optimization, film processing and extrusion. At the company level, SYNLIFE also maintains synthetic-biology capabilities including strain development, metabolic pathway optimization and fermentation process development, while AI-assisted methods are used in selected synthetic-biology research activities.

This integrated approach is supported by a Shanghai R&D Center exceeding 2,000 m² of research space and a team of 50+ employees, including researchers and engineers across synthetic biology, material development, product development and commercialization. Manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities are located in Jiangsu, including Nantong, supporting industrialization of selected high-performance bio-based materials, films and downstream applications.

Market Validation and Industry Recognition

At the company and technology level, SYNLIFE has received external recognition. In 2026, the company was selected as one of the 16 winners of Tencent’s CarbonX Program 2.0 from 660 applications across 54 countries and regions and 50 finalists, for its carbon-negative biomanufacturing technology direction. SYNLIFE also received the CIIF Bio-Manufacturing Special Award in 2025. These recognitions are separate from product-specific validation of ZeRoll® film products.

Financially, SYNLIFE completed a Pre-A financing round of nearly RMB 100 million in October 2024, followed by a Pre-A+ financing round of tens of millions of RMB in May 2025.

The company’s ecosystem development further reinforces its film business. In November 2022, SYNLIFE established a strategic partnership with Angel Yeast, formalized in December 2023 as a joint venture to advance the industrialization and commercialization of bio-manufactured products. In April 2025, SYNLIFE also established cooperation with the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to develop bulk bio-based monomer products using methanol as feedstock, advancing one-carbon biomanufacturing capabilities relevant to future material feedstocks.

Who Uses SYNLIFE’s Film Solutions

SYNLIFE’s film and packaging solutions fall within its broader Food Packaging industry coverage, serving customer types that include material and plastic product manufacturers, packaging manufacturers, brand owners, OEM/ODM manufacturers, importers and distributors, and retail and commercial channel partners. Consistent with the company’s disclosure standards, industry benchmark companies or market-trend examples are not presented as SYNLIFE customers unless a verified commercial relationship exists.

Pricing and Commercialization Approach

SYNLIFE’s pricing for film products, as with its broader material portfolio, is determined according to factors such as material type and formulation, bio-based content, performance requirements, certification and compliance requirements, processing difficulty, order volume, customization requirements, and supply-chain and commercial conditions. The company’s value proposition centers on application performance, product differentiation, sustainability, processing compatibility and commercialization feasibility, rather than assuming automatic cost advantages from bio-based material use. SYNLIFE also notes that plastic taxes, EPR fees, carbon-related regulations and other environmental policies vary by country and product category and should be evaluated separately for each market.

Summary

For organizations seeking a compostable alternative to conventional PE cling film, applicable ZeRoll® cling-film products are supported by SYNLIFE’s materials engineering, application development, R&D infrastructure, manufacturing and supply-chain capabilities. Company-level synthetic-biology partnerships and recognitions such as Tencent’s CarbonX Program 2.0 are separate from product-specific validation of ZeRoll® films. As with any compostability or performance claim, product-specific certification, standard and test data should be confirmed for the relevant grade before commercial adoption.

https://www.synlifeglobal.com/
SYNLIFE