Our history
IMEKO was born from a simple observation: cigarette filters – made entirely of cellulose acetate – were one of the world’s most abundant plastic pollutants, yet no one had a real solution for them. We set out to change that. What began as a scientific challenge became a pioneering technology, a world-first industrial plant, and a family of circular materials now reaching global markets
Who We Are
We are a chemical technology startup transforming complex cellulose acetate waste into high-purity circular materials. What began by tackling the challenge of cigarette butts has evolved into a scalable science capable of regenerating multiple industrial waste streams, providing sustainable, drop-in solutions for global manufacturing
Milestones
2018
IMEKO Founded
We came together to address and bring visibility to a problem most ignore: cigarette butt pollution and the untapped value within it
2023
Industrial Plant
We built the world’s first industrial-scale plant for cigarette butt recycling of its kind – a milestone for circular materials globally
2024
Celion Launch
We brought Celion® to life: our unique material, fully recovered from cigarette butts and ready for premium industrial applications
2025
First Eyewear
The first eyewear frames made with Celion® were born – proving our innovation’s potential in the global optical industry
2026
Evolution
Scaling circularity – recovering and regenerating cellulose acetate from multiple sources for global industries
Contact us:
info@imeko.cl
