Diego Mendoza

Peruvian entrepreneur pioneering biodegradable packaging from cactus waste

Diego Mendoza, a 32-year-old Peruvian chemical engineer, revolutionized sustainable packaging through his startup CactusPack. Launching in 2020, his company converts cactus byproducts into compostable food containers, addressing both environmental and agricultural challenges. Diego's breakthrough came during the 2021 COP26 conference where his prototype won the UN ClimateTech Innovation Prize. His patented process uses prickly pear cactus waste from the $2 billion agro-export industry, creating jobs for rural communities while reducing plastic pollution. By 2024, CactusPack's products were adopted by major retailers like Walmart (Walmart Sustainability Report). Diego's TED Talk "Growing Sustainability in the Desert" (2023) has garnered over 2 million views. His team developed a mobile app (CactusTrack) to trace the product lifecycle, ensuring transparency. In 2024, he partnered with NASA to test biodegradable materials for space missions. His work was featured in National Geographic's Planet or Plastic? series and profiled in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 30 Under 35" issue. Diego's vision extends to expanding into Mexico and Chile, aiming to eliminate 500 million plastic containers annually by 2026.