bioplastics MAGAZINE 02-2010

02 | 2010

ISSN 1862-5258

Mar/Apr

Highlights: Rigid Packaging | 14 Material Combinations | 18 Basics

bioplastics

magazine

Vol. 5

Certification | 42

5 countries

... is read in 8

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Editorial

dear readers Winter is over (…finally), everywhere we see a multitude of different coloured flowers appearing, and the first trees are coming into bud.

This new issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE also offers you a colourful bouquet of news and application news. In addition we cover ‘rigid packaging‘ as one of our editorial focus subjects.

Because one material often does not fulfil all the requirements of a specific application, the combination of different materials may be a good approach.

Be it the combination of biopolymers with natural fillers or fibres, or a blend of different polymers. The editorial focus ‘material combinations‘ addresses this interesting field.

Claims of degradability or renewability have been discussed intensely in the recent past. Certified products can help manufacturers as well as retailers and consumers in their decision-making process. But what is behind all these certifications, logos, labels and marks. In the ‘Basics’ section we try to shed a little light on this question. But since this is quite an extensive topic, we might pick up the subject in more comprehensive detailed reports in future issues.

Have a look in the editorial calendar (online in the media-data or on page 52) to see other topics planned for our next issues. If you think that you can contribute to the editorial pages of bioplastics MAGAZINE, just let me know.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE.

Yours Michael Thielen

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

Composting Experience of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute 10 Bio-Plastics and Bio-Composites 38 for Household Appliances

Michigan Biotechnology Institute 12

Basics

Biodegradable Hot Cup Lid 15 Biodegradable Packaging in Poland

Thermoforming High Heat Products 16

Infrared Heat for Corn Starch Packaging 17

20

Starch Blends with Enhanced Performance 22

Biobased Flame Retardant Polymers 23

LCA for PLLA based on sugar cane

24

PHA Operation in China

28

Philipp Thielen

Politics

Cover photo:

Basics of Certification

A large number of copies of this issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE is wrapped in a compostable film manufactured and sponsored by Minima Technology

14

Envelope

200 Tonnes of Petro-Based Rigid Packaging eliminated

Editorial contributions are always welcome.

Please contact the editorial office via mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com.

Editorial News Application News Glossary Suppliers Guide Event Calendar

bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British spelling. However, in articles based on information from the USA, American spelling may also be used.

Bio Goes Functional

The fact that product names may not be identified in our editorial as trade marks is not an indication that such names are not registered trade marks.

18

Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher.

Rigid Packaging

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March/April

ISSN 1862-5258 bioplastics magazine is published 6 times a year.

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Bioplastic Material Combinations for Flexible Packaging

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Imprint Content 03

05

32

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02|2010 From Science & Research

42

46

Material Combinations

Materials

New Business Formed To Buy Post-Consumer PLA 30

News

Oxo-degradables Not Environmentally Friendly Some plastics marked as ‘degradable’ might not be as environmentally-friendly as consumers think, according to new research funded by Defra, the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The study, carried out by Loughborough University, examined the environmental effects of oxo-degradable plastics which are made from the most common types of plastic, but include small amounts of additives to make them degrade at an accelerated rate. The complete study is accessible through www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/201002 Oxo-degradable plastics are used in plastic bags and packaging and are often advertised as being degradable, biodegradable or environmentally-friendly. However, the independent study found that using additives to accelerate their degradation will not improve their environmental impact. The study highlighted the uncertainty about the impact of the plastics on the natural environment when they begin to breakdown into smaller pieces. It also raised concerns that these plastics are neither suitable for conventional recycling methods, due to the chemical additives, nor suitable for composting, due to the plastic not breaking down fast enough.

Manufacturers, retailers, trade bodies and waste treatment companies were all consulted in the research, which was also put through a rigorous independent peer review by recognised academics.

Defra’s Environment Minister, Dan Norris said: “The research published today clearly shows us that consumers risk being confused by some claims made about oxo-degradable plastics. As these plastics cannot be composted, the term ‘biodegradable’ can cause confusion. Incorrect disposal of oxo-degradable plastics has the potential to negatively affect both recycling and composting facilities.

“We hope this research will discourage manufacturers and retailers from claiming that these materials are better for the environment than conventional plastics. I’ve been in touch with the companies affected and one retailer, the Co-operative, has already confirmed that it will not be using this type of plastic in its carrier bags in the future. This is a positive step and will make it easier for people to do the right thing by the environment.”

Iain Ferguson, Environment Manager, The Co-operative Food said: “We have already decided to stop purchasing carrier bags with the oxo-biodegradable additive and with the support of our customers and staff, we have reduced carrier bag numbers by 60% in the last three years. We have also launched the UK’s first home-compostable carrier bag, certified by the Association for Organic Recycling (and to EN 13432), which is accepted for food waste collections by a number of local authorities.”

Products made from compostable plastic are tested and able to completely bio-degrade within six months. To be totally sure a plastic product is compostable purchasers and consumers can look for certified products, identified by logos (see article on pp 42ff, the Editor).

Defra is currently updating its guidance on Green Claims that will help businesses make accurate and robust claims about the environmental performance of their products and services and the guidance will be out for consultation during 2010. www.defra.gov.uk

Metabolix begins PHA production at Clinton, Iowa Metabolix Inc., based in Cambridge, Massachussetts, USA recently announced that it has begun production at its new Mirel bioplastics plant in Clinton, Iowa.

In early March Richard Eno, CEO of Metabolix, stated, “We are very pleased to report that the manufacturing of Mirel bioplastic has begun at the Clinton facility and that we anticipate initial commercial deliveries to customers within the next month. We continue to see significant demand for Mirel and are shifting our focus towards the ramp up of sales, the implementation of next generation Mirel technology, and the prospects for a plant expansion.”

The Company noted that it continues to be in a very early stage of commercialization and therefore capacity utilization levels at Clinton are expected to remain relatively low for the next few quarters. Capacity utilization is expected to increase as production processes are optimized and as demand increases through acquisition of new customers. www.mirelplastics.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

News

NatureWorks Ingeo Resins Certified Four Star Renewable NatureWorks Ingeo ™ PLA is the first polymer to earn a four-star ‘OK biobased‘ rating from European certification organization Vinçotte of Vilvoorde, Belgium.

The Vinçotte ‘OK biobased‘ certification (see bM 06/2009), meets the ASTM D6866 standard and quantifies for consumers the amount of renewable carbon content products.

The certification recognizes four levels of renewable carbon content: One star for between 20 and 40 % biobased carbon, two stars for 40 to 60 %, three stars for 60 to 80 %, and four stars awarded for more than 80 % biobased carbon content. According to the test NatureWorks Ingeo plastic resin is made for 99 % from renewable plant sugars - renewable carbon. In reality all the carbon is biobased, but 99 % reflects the accuracy of the test. Every grade of Ingeo resin — 40 in all — received the four-star certification.

“We are proud to announce the first ‘OK biobased‘ certificates, and we congratulate NatureWorks on its across-the-board four-star rating,” said Petra Michiels, contract manager for ‘OK biobased‘. “With the Ingeo resins now certified, the four-star rating can be used as the foundation for downstream products, earning them an ‘OK biobased‘ rating.”

“The ‘OK biobased‘ star rating serves as a sustainability indicator for consumers by identifying materials and products that are helping to alleviate the environmental problems associated with fossil fuels and greenhouse gases,” said Steve Davies, director of corporate communications and public affairs, NatureWorks. “Symbols on packages and products relating to the environment, such as the ‘OK biobased‘ stars, inform and influence consumer buying decisions. NatureWorks is proud to have the highest ‘OK biobased‘ certification ranking for the entire family of NatureWorks resins supplied to the fibers and plastics markets.” www.natureworksllc.com www.okbiobased.be

Packaging Group From Belarus Looking for Partners Ecological conscience is starting to appear in Belarus though bioplastics industry and bioplastics market are still not created and not developing in this country.

Being a part of Europe and viewing the global tendency for sustainability it’s obvious that bioplastics market will soon come to Belarus as well.

In the current situation Belarusian group of companies SINERGIA recently announced to enter the industry and the market of bioplastics and to be a pioneer in Belarus in this field. The long and successful history in the packaging business with experience of multiple successfully executed projects, a broad business network, professional staff, vast production site and good knowledge of the market are combined with a strong will to join the market of bioplastics and move in the ecological direction.

Sinergia Group has announced a wish to find professional partners for a project in bioplastics.

Interesting geographical position of the country, a big new market due to customs union with Russia and Kazakhstan and a membership in CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and EurAsEC (Eurasian Economic Community), agricultural country, sufficiency of raw materials and the benefits of Belarusian investment platforms make Belarus a calling country for investing into new projects.

Sinergia Group solicits offers about production or promotion of sustainable products, technologies and services.

The SINERGIA GROUP consists of: JSC ‘Interpack‘, founded in 1998, is a company manufacturing bags from polypropylene for bread and textile; self-adhesive labels; printing on adhesive tapes, film, paper JV ‘Packland‘ was founded in 2001. Today, the company is market leader in the Republic of Belarus in the field of protective packaging. The business directions are production of bubble film and special protective air cushioned mailers Mail Lite® with the bubble film inside, providing of the Belarusian market with a wide range of protective and specialty packaging materials and systems.

JSC ‘Sinergia‘ is the biggest supplier of materials, equipment and services on the packaging market of Belarus and was founded in 1992.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

www.interpack.by www.packland.by www.sinergia.by

News

Conference ‘Plastics in Automotive Engineering‘

Less Tax For Bioplastics in the Netherlands

Every year in March, the German Engineers Association (VDI) holds its ‘Plastics in Automotive Engineering’ conference in Mannheim, Germany. The event, attended by more than 1000 automotive experts, this year featured ‘sustainability’ as one of the highlights. In a press conference, Professor Rudolf C. Stauber, ‘departmental manager of the engineering strength and materials department’ at the BMW group, and conference chair, pointed out that only 5% of the energy in an automobile’s life is is used during manufacture (including materials) and the rest is for operating, i.e. moving the vehicle around for a period of 15 to 20 years.

Thus from his point of view, weight reduction leading to less fuel consumption is the key factor for sustainability. And (all) plastics contribute to light-weighting of automobiles.

Concerning the use of biopolymers in BMW cars, Professor Stauber explained that there are no current plans but in the long run the market will show which way to go.

The Netherlands instituted a Waste Fund in 2007, financed by a carbon tax on packaging. The Waste Fund helps to pay for the separate collection of household packaging waste at municipality level, while the tax encourages businesses to move towards the national recycling target: 42% of plastic packaging recycled by 2012 (http://ec.europa.eu).

In her conference presentation Sandra Springer ‘leader of sub-department process development / Product Unit Polymers’ of Volkswagen pointed out that in terms of the use of plastics and sustainability Volkswagen will continue to reduce the weight and also evaluate the use of CO2-neutral and renewable raw materials. Besides the cost factor for Volkswagen the secure supply of raw materials also plays an important role. Materials that Volkswagen are currently taking a close look at are biobased Polyethylene, PLA and PHA, but also the biobased Polyamides. All in all, the automotive-specific requirements have to be met. Besides thermal and mechanical properties these include long term behaviour, surface quality and smell. For the example of PLA she explained that current hurdles are the thermal properties leading to embrittlement, slow crystallisation speed leading to longer cycle times and the still relatively high price. MT

Now, the tariffs have been adjusted for 2010, as Ady Jager, Business Development Manager for the Benelux and Germany of NatureWorks BV informed bioplastics MAGAZINE: “... and bioplastics have a separate status in this classification“ she says.

The following graph shows the tax by material types per kilogramm: 1,00000 €

0,95060 €

0,90000 € 0,80000 € 0,70000 € 0,60000 €

Euro/kg

Dr. Greiner, ‘project leader for renewable resources and lightweighting interior’ for Daimler, said that socalled drop-in-solutions i.e. traditional polymers made from renewable resources (PE or PP made from sugar cane for example) represent a promising route. Another way is to make new polymers such as polyamides from renewable resources, which offer even better properties - for example their density. bioplastics MAGAZINE reported earlier about Daimler being involved in such a project (see bM 01/2010). Biopolymers such as PLA or PHA have certain disadvantages, for example a 20% higher density than PP, and are better suited for packaging applications. In addition to their bioplastics activities, Daimler is a benchmark in the use of natural fibre reinforced applications and also strongly applies recycled plastics.

Above a threshold of 50 tonnes, producers and importers of packaged products have to pay a tax per kilogram of packaging material.

0,47050 €

0,50000 €

Daten

0,40000 € 0,30000 € 0,17550 €

0,20000 € 0,10000 €

0,07950 €

0,07950 €

0,07180 €

paper/carton

glass

0,02100 €

0,00000 € bioplastics

plastics

aluminum (incl alloys)

wood

others

packaging material

In addition to funding the separate collection of plastic waste, the packaging tax has also helped to fund other waste reduction and reuse initiatives, including a popular anti-litter program.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

News

Eataly Choses Mater-Bi for Bags and Catering Eataly, the world’s largest wine and food market, headquartered in Turin, Italy, is phasing out traditional plastic carrier bags and adopting biodegradable and compostable bags and disposable tableware in naturally biodegradable and compostable Mater-Bi® The bags will be manufactured in Second Generation Mater-Bi, the result of advances made at the Novamont biorefinery in Terni, Italy, with improvement of the polymer in terms of renewable raw materials content from non-food sources, leading to a reduction in environmental impact.

The new bags can be reused for separate refuse collection, thus becoming ideal tools for promoting quality organic refuse collection and supporting quality recycling of other refuse components.

Eataly will also use biodegradable disposable tableware in Mater-Bi, which can be separately collected for initiation of composting in a dedicated plant. The Mater-Bi disposable tableware also boasts “OK Compost” certification according to European regulation EN13432.

“This agreement with Eataly is an important sign that a culture is developing based on economic and environmental sustainability and the minimisation of refuse. Carriers bags and other reusable shopping bags may be convenient for consumers but they are among the products most likely end up littering the environment,” stresses Novamont CEO Catia Bastioli. “The adoption of biodegradable bags in Mater-Bi can reduce environmental impact and encourage their reuse for separate collection of organic refuse, improving compost quality. Members of the public thus learn to value their carrier bags and become more aware of environmental protection.”

“We firmly believe in the importance of defending the environment,” states Oscar Farinetti, Chairperson of Eataly, “and we have chosen Novamont as our partner in this battle.

We are convinced that in order to tackle the urgent problems of environmental pollution, solutions and products such as these second generation carrier bags and disposable tableware in Mater-Bi must be developed.” www.eataly.it

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

European Commission Approves GM-Potato In early March, the European Commission approved Amflora, BASF‘s genetically optimized starch potato, for commercial application in Europe. The potato can now be used for the production of industrial starch.

“After waiting for more than 13 years, we are delighted that the European Commission has approved Amflora,“ said Stefan Marcinowski, member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE. “We hope, that this decision is a milestone for further innovative products that will promote a competitive and sustainable agriculture in Europe.”

“The way is now clear for commercial cultivation of Amflora this year,“ said Peter Eckes, President of BASF Plant Science. “Amflora will strengthen the international position of the European potato starch industry.“ The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirmed on several occasions during the approval process that Amflora is safe for humans, animals and the environment.

Now that the European Commission has given its approval to Amflora‘s commercial cultivation, Sweden as the so-called ‘rapporteur’ country will formally issue its legal approval. The application for approval of Amflora was filed in Sweden in 1996.

Amflora produces pure amylopectin starch used in certain technical applications. Food use is not foreseen. It was developed in collaboration with experts from the European starch industry to respond to the demand for pure amylopectin starch. Conventional potatoes produce a mixture of amylopectin and amylose starch.

For many technical applications, such as in the paper, textile and adhesives industries, pure amylopectin is advantageous, but separating the two starch components is uneconomical.

The industry will benefit from high-quality Amflora starch that optimizes industrial processes: it gives paper a higher gloss, and concrete and adhesives can be processed for a longer period of time. This reduces the consumption of energy, additives and raw materials such as water.

http://europa.eu www.basf.com

News

PHA for Europe A&O FilmPAC Ltd. Olney, UK has signed an agreement with Shenzhen Ecomann Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Shenzhen, China to become the sole EU distributor for its PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoate) range of resins in Europe. Expansion into a new factory is set to make Ecomann one of the world’s biggest supplier of PHA, lowering the cost and improving supply of this versatile bioplastic.

A&O FilmPAC’s bioresins.eu division was set up to engage in the fast growing market for bioresins. It is on target to become the strongest European supplier for a variety of bioresins aimed at different markets and applications. It has been working with Ecomann for several years and the agreement will solidify the business relationship and create a contractual area that includes the EU, Turkey and some African countries.

The market for bioresins is still relatively new and most processing and end-user customers have little knowledge of how they can be used.

A&O FilmPAC has an experienced application support team that has gained valuable technical know-how through its relationship with Ecomann and is able to provide the customer support that is essential for the successful introduction of these novel products.

Ecomann has worked closely with local universities in Shenzhen to develop their products and is currently producing 5,000 tons of PHA resins a year. It has now built a brand new factory on a 100hectare site in the Shandong province of China, which will increase its capacity to 50,000 tons per year from 2012 to make it one of the world’s biggest PHA producer.

Although PHA – in line with other bioplastics – is still relatively expensive when compared to traditional plastics, this big increase in production volume will help to reduce this gap; in addition, with the rising costs of oil, these renewably sourced materials will only become more competitive.

www.bioresins.eu www.ecomann.cn

Cereplast Production in Indiana Cereplast, Inc. has begun production at its new facility in Seymour, Indiana, USA. The Company has also moved its corporate headquarters to offices in El Segundo, California, from Hawthorne, California.

The new facility, which occupies approximately 9,300 m² ( 100,000 sq.ft.) on 57,000 m² (14 acres) of land, is located one hour south of Indianapolis and houses Cereplast’s research and development operations and stateof-the-art manufacturing equipment for the Company’s bio-plastic resins.

The new plant will have an increased production capacity of approximately 36,000 tonnes (80 Million pounds) of bioplastic resin when operating at full capacity.

“The Indiana plant will allow us to significantly reduce our costs across the board as compared to our operations in California and focus on our core strengths: the development and marketing of our bio-plastic resins,” said Mr. Frederic Scheer, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Inc., “Our move to a geographically central region will enhance our operations, allowing us to best serve our growing client base in the United States,” he added www.cereplast.com

NatureWorks Selling Lactide Intermediates NatureWorks LLC will now offer for sale a range of polymer-grade lactides. Produced from lactic acid, these value added intermediates are used to produce Ingeo™ biopolymer (PLA). NatureWorks says that it is selling Ingeo lactide intermediates for use in polymer applications in order to support rapidly growing global demand the company continues to see for PLA plastics and fibers.

“Our offer to supply polymer-grade lactides is a significant step forward in supporting the end market’s growing desire for products with authentic eco-credentials that meet or exceed performance expectations,” said Marc Verbruggen, President and Chief Executive Officer of NatureWorks. “And, while we expect interest in our lactides primarily from specialty polymer producers, we welcome the opportunity to collaborate in partnerships where we can consider new and tailored grades that will meet the market needs of tomorrow.”

Lactide partners may also take advantage of a new Ingeo licensee package. Under select terms, NatureWorks will supply access to trademarks and application patents needed to support and enable the wider adoption of their polymers. In Blair, Nebraska, USA, NatureWorks plans to make 10,000–20,000 tons of its lactide product portfolio available annually through this new initiative. MT www.natureworksllc.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

Report

Fig 1– The bags are used to keep the tested material separate in a control pile

Fig 2 – Several composts produced from food residues

Composting Experience of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute

T

he Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (MAIB) is a centre for post-graduate training, applied scientific research and international cooperation projects among the Mediterranean countries. It includes a campus area, frequented daily by about 300 students and workers, and an experimental farm. The site, of about six hectares, includes an experimental composting plant for training, dissemination and research purposes.

In 2009 MAIB started to evaluate whether the organic waste from the institute could be internally recycled by composting.

All organic waste was collected separately, the food and coffee residues using polyethylene bags, the other green material in a container that was brought to a compost unit on a weekly basis.

In a first series of six composting trials food scraps, crushed green materials, and a bulking ligno-cellulosic agent were mixed in proportion 5:4:1 on a fresh weight basis to achieve a balanced carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N ~ 30). After an active phase in a biocontainer with forced aeration for about 3 weeks, and a subsequent composting phase in a trapezoidal pile with weekly turning, the final compost was sieved and evaluated.

Even if, from a chemical point of view, the compost quality was good, because of clearly visible plastics and other pollutants the result was not satisfying. Thus, in addition to improved education of the restaurant staff, MAIB decided to replace the plastic materials by biodegradable plastics, starting first with the PE bags.

In order to find the best solution, MAIB tested many biodegradable materials for their compostability in full scale processes. The tested materials were based on thermoplastic

Article contributed by F.G: Ceglie, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (MAIB – CIHEAM), Italy

polymers or on cellulosic biocomposites. Some compost piles were prepared as incubators for bags containing the materials to be tested (fig.1).

Several 40-litre bags made of a non-degradable plastic net (1 mm mesh) to allow water and air exchange, with the external pile were filled with 10 kg of composting mixture (see above) and 100 grams of biodegradable material.

The compost processes were monitored for temperature daily and for moisture content weekly. The processes were controlled by turning and wetting according to the monitored data. During pile turning the bags were removed and opened for visual inspection and manual rotation.

After 12 weeks of process the compost in the bags was sieved using a 2 mm net. The residual materials were cleaned, dried at 40°C and weighed to evaluate the degree of potential disintegration (target: >98%).

One of the best tested materials was chosen to produce a biodegradable and compostable bag to be used for food residues and coffee grounds separated collection.

A new compost production was prepared similar to the previous one, but the difference was the use of these compostable bags.

The compost was produced by keeping the bags within the starting mixture. The final compost did not change its chemical and physical characteristics in a significant way. Moreover, the amount of non-degradable plastics inside the final products was clearly reduced (fig.2). In future, when compostable tableware is used instead of traditional plastic versions, the results are expected to be even better.

Acknowledgment Thanks to Aspic and Novamont for providing some of the tested materials. Special thanks to Vincenzo Verrastro and Flora Erriquens for their helpful cooperation. ceglie@iamb.it

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

Polylactic Acid

Uhde Inventa-Fischer extended its portfolio to technology and production plants for PLA, based on its long-term experience with PA and PET. The feedstock for our PLA process is lactic acid which can be produced from local agricultural products containing starch or sugar.

The application range is similar to that of polymers based on fossil resources. Physical properties of PLA can be tailored to meet the requirements of packaging, textile and other applications.

Think. Invest. Earn.

Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH Holzhauser Strasse 157–159 13509 Berlin Germany Tel. +49 30 43 567 5 Fax +49 30 43 567 699 Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG Via Innovativa 31 7013 Domat/Ems Switzerland Tel. +41 81 632 63 11 Fax +41 81 632 74 03 www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com

Uhde Inventa-Fischer

Report

Michigan Biotechnology Institute Molecular biology and microbiology laboratory

B

ringing new generations of feedstock and specialty chemicals to market is fraught with commercial risk, but one organization connected to a world-leading research university focuses on taking risk out of the equation.

Not-for-profit MBI was founded in 1981 as the Michigan Biotechnology Institute to provide services to the biobased fuels, chemicals and specialty materials market. Now a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Michigan State University (MSU) Foundation, it is located in the University Corporate Research Park in Lansing, Michigan, where it operates a biobased technology development facility.

fermentation vessels in the pilot plant

MBI’s de-risking process involves taking early stage technologies and conducting a process development and scale-up plan that results in a commercially viable process. MBI is addressing a key service need in the emerging biobased industry – helping corporations and universities bridge the gap between early stage research and commercialization.

MBI is closely connected and integrated with MSU’s broad network of bioeconomy resources, and maintains active collaborations with many top campus scientists. A key contributor to the advancement of biobased polymer development is MSU Distinguished Professor Ramani Nayaran. Dr. Nayaran’s team of researchers focuses on the design and engineering of sustainable biobased products, biodegradable plastics, reactive extrusion polymerization and life cycle analysis studies.

Distinguished Professor Lawrence Drzal’s work in composites encompasses cellulose nanowhiskers, nanocomposites, natural fiber composites and biobased composite processing. Housed next to MBI is the laboratory of Dr. Bruce Dale, a leading authority in lignocellulosic biomass treatment/conversion processes and biofuel life cycle analysis.

The MBI de-risking facility resides in a state-of-the-art, 11,000 m² development and commercialization center. It offers laboratories suited for microbiology work, including microorganism screening and development, plus isolation, purification and characterization of microbial products. Equipment for the cultivation of bacteria, fungi and algae are located in these laboratories, alongside equipment for culture harvest and product separation.

Fermentation labs allow bench top experimentation and analytical

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

Report

Future work at MBI will focus on three areas of bio-based commercialization:  biomass conversion systems to produce non-food based raw materials such as sugars, oils and proteins;  commodity chemicals; and  specialty materials.

Preparing biomass for processing in the Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) Process

laboratories are available for analysis, characterization and quality control.

An 1,800 m² pilot plant at MBI houses complete operations for biomass processing, fermentation, separation and purification. The three-level facility features modern equipment, instrumentation and computer-controlled systems for all stages of bioprocess scale-up. MBI can conduct biomass conversion via pretreatment, fermentation of a variety of sugar sources and purification process development. Fermentation can start in a shake flask, move to 10-liter and 20-liter vessels and then progress to 100liter, 200-liter and 3,800-liter batches, all in the same facility.

Raw materials can then be formulated and compounded into a variety of plastics or composites using university owned mixers and extruders.

In addition to completing confidential de-risking projects for corporate clients, MBI uses its skills to help universities, foundations and government organizations fulfill their missions to accelerate bio-based technology development.

“De-risking is what we do,” said Dr. Bobby Bringi, president and CEO of MBI. “We apply our multi-disciplined and experienced technical work force on a fee-for-service basis for corporate clients and also on projects that are government- or foundation-funded. The basic research can occur anywhere, but eventually those great ideas need to be validated through scale-up and a techno-economic analysis, and an ideal place to do that is MBI.” Readers of bioplastics MAGAZINE are familiar with the success PLA has had by emerging as one of the leading bioplastics materials. Early development work on PLA technology was completed at MBI. The body of work developed by MBI was acquired and developed by Cargill, eventually becoming the company known as NatureWorks.

MBI also is known for developing a variety of organisms that can ferment succinic acid. Much like citric acid and lactic acid, succinic acid will grow in volume into a biobased building block chemical that will be used to create a variety of bioplastics. Several corporations are moving ahead with commercial facilities to produce a biobased succinic acid.

“The industry needs to break free from the food versus fuel debate,” said David Jones, senior vice president of MBI. “In order to provide low cost and sustainable raw materials, future raw materials from non-food sources will be needed to complement the existing sugars.”

MBI today is working to commercialize the Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX) biomass pretreatment system developed

by Dr. Dale’s group. The AFEX pretreatment system mixes ammonia with biomass in a reactor to modify cellulosic materials such as wheat straw, corn stover or switchgrass to reduce resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis. The ammonia reacts with the water in the biomass, generating increased temperatures and pressures. When the pressure is released, the ammonia releases into the gas phase. As the ammonia leaves the biomass, it expands the fibers and brings lignin to the surface. This allows the enzymes to more completely hydrolyze the material, creating sugars that can be used for fermentation.

MBI’s focus on commodity chemicals will continue with organic acids. MBI is working to commercialize a new process for producing a bio-based fumaric acid used in unsaturated polyester resins for composite applications. It also is used in alkyd resins and as a food and animal feed acidulant. MBI has successfully produced fumaric acid via fermentation at the 3,000-liter scale. MBI also developed a unique fumaric acid separation process and currently is preparing patent applications for this new process technology, available for license in 2010.

Specialty material development at MBI is done in conjunction with specific corporate client requests.

“It is an exciting time to be involved in the bio-based industry,” Jones said. “The number of specialty material requests that we get continues to amaze me. We see new ideas for biobased surfactants, plasticizers, adhesives, polymers, cosmetics and nutraceuticals. MBI can provide the scale-up services for start-up companies and large chemical companies.”

MBI believes that successful commercialization of new biobased technologies is not so much about managing the risk as it is about taking the risk out. Through a disciplined approach to development and scale-up, MBI is able to help the biobased industry de-risk discoveries to create viable commercial products. www.mbi.org

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

13

Rigid Packaging

200 Tonnes of Petro-Based Rigid Packaging eliminated

K

nown for high-quality, stylishly designed items plus all the essentials, displayed in a clean, organized, and welcoming environment, Target Corporation operates more than 1,700 stores and is the second largest discount retailer in the United States. Target strives to be a responsible steward of the environment, seeking to understand its impact on the planet and continuously improve business practices.

If Target substituted Ingeo containers for PET, the company estimated it would reduce non-renewable petroleum-based packaging by 222,714 kg (491,000 pounds) annually. Using Ingeo would not only lessen reliance on a non-renewable resource, but also reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumed in manufacturing baked-goods rigid containers. So Target subsequently made the substitution. The retailer believes that the packaging of its branded products is ultimately as important as what is inside. Target continues to look for other own branded products where the benefits of an innovative new biopolymer can also be utilized.

Judith, this issue‘s covergirl feels good to know that she‘s drinking from a cup from renewable resources. “Especially since I know that the lid too is available made from biobased and biodegradable plastics“ she adds.

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

www.target.com

As part of its environmental emphasis, the company evaluated the performance, cost, and impact of its rigid PET containers used for baked goods in the deli section of its SuperTarget-brand stores. The retailer then explored whether there were any viable alternatives to PET for its baked-goods packaging. One of the alternative materials Target evaluated was NatureWorks Ingeo™ biopolymer (PLA). Target found that Ingeo rivaled PET rigid containers in both clarity and performance, thus ensuring that Target customers would not make any compromises with the switch to an annually renewable and more sustainable package.

Rigid Packaging

Biodegradable Hot Cup Lid

E

co-Products, Boulder, Colorado, the leading brand of biodegradable and compostable food service ware solutions throughout the USA, last year introduced the first commercially available compostable hot cup lid in North America. This product addresses the growing demand from conscious coffee and tea enthusiasts. Made from NatureWork‘s Ingeo™ biopolymer (PLA), the product enables restaurants, hotels, and university and corporate campuses to break away from the status quo and provide a fully renewable hot cup and lid system.

In keeping with the company’s commitment to zero waste, Eco-Products submitted the lid to Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) for certification. Eco-Products hot cup lids fit the stock sizes of hot paper cups: 10, 12, 16, 20 and 24 ounces. The lids are heat stable up to 104°C (220°F) and are designed to break down and return to CO2, water and biomass within 90-120 days in a commercial compost facility.

“NatureWorks is excited about this innovation in food service. The Eco-Products hot cup lid offers the performance that consumers have come to expect from traditional petroleum based lids yet provide the environmental benefits of GHG (greenhouse gas) reductions and a decline in our dependency on foreign oil,” said Jim Hobbs, Director of Sales – Americas for NatureWorks LLC. Everyday across North America millions of single-use disposable hot cups and lids are discarded and destined for the landfill. Traditional hot cup lids and the plastic liner used to coat the paperboard are made from a nonrenewable resource — oil. Eco-Products’ magnetic_148,5x105.ai 175.00 lpi 45.00° 15.00° 14.03.2009 75.00° 0.00° 14.03.2009 10:13:31 10:13:31 Prozess CyanProzess MagentaProzess GelbProzess Schwarz hot beverage system is instead made from plant starch materials, thereby significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with oil consumption.

c i t e n tics g s a a l P M for

Eco-Products offers a one-stop shop for single-use — yet eco-friendly — disposables.

Their distribution facilities and partners from coast to coast service restaurants, cafes, hotels, corporate cafeterias and sports stadiums, enabling customers and businesses to consciously choose environmentally friendly products.

Eco-Products sources environmentally safe products from around the world in order to respond to market needs. The company offers a full line of biodegradable and compostable

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

15

Rigid Packaging

www.plasticingenuity.com

Thermoforming High Heat Products

C

ustom thermoformer, Plastic Ingenuity, Cross Plains, Wisconsin, USA, a national leader in the light gauge custom thermoforming industry since 1972, has been and continues to lead the industry with its unparalleled innovation and R&D. Now they have developed a proprietary process improvement that significantly increases the heat deflection temperature in PLA (Polylactic Acid) material, clearing a significant hurdle regarding this sustainable material. This advancement includes a material enhancement and unique processing techniques to attain higher temperature PLA. Stock versions of PLA material could only withstand temperatures of 45°C (110 F) before the integrity of the part became compromised. This was a major issue regarding transportation, especially during summer months and in warmer climates where the temperature can easily surpass 45°C in unconditioned environments.

Plastic Ingenuity has formed PLA parts that have heat deflection temperatures of 93°C (200 F) with no apparent ill effects after rigorous trials and studies, giving the material better heat stability than PET and comparable to HIPS. “To our knowledge we are the first thermoformer in the industry to have attained heat deflection temperatures at these levels, and we have a vast array of studies to support these claims,” said Bob Whitish, Project Engineer at Plastic Ingenuity.“To date, we have sampled over 200 new and different bio-materials/bio-material combinations. It is our goal to find multiple bio-based materials that will meet the requirements of a multitude of packages whether their vital characteristic is clarity, impact strength, heat deflection resistance or any of a variety of other characteristics,” he said.

With the global emphasis on sustainable, environmentally friendly solutions, Plastic Ingenuity’s ability to thermoform a high heat deflection PLA gives customers a viable alternative to petroleum based packaging. PLA is derived from corn, and is biodegradable and compostable per EN13432 (ASTM D6400) industry standards.

Aside from PLA, significant advancements have come when dealing with PSM. Plastarch Material (PSM), used for a multitude of products, is a biodegradable, thermoplastic resin derived from more than 80% cornstarch that is modified to produce high heat-resistant properties. The high heat tolerance of PSM makes it a good fit for such applications as thermoforming, injection molding, blown film, and foaming. Also, it can be disposed of through incineration, resulting in a nontoxic residue that can be used as fertilizer. Companies that produce this material, like Plastic Ingenuity, also use 100% bioadditives in the product to ensure its quality and sustainability.

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

Rigid Packaging Short wave infrared emitters from Heraeus Noblelight optimise deep drawing processes and reduce reject rates.

www.heraeus.com www.plantic.eu

Infrared Heat for Corn Starch Packaging

S

weets, chocolates and other types of confectionery are packed in boxes with plastic insert trays. These trays are manufactured by thermoforming plastic sheet. A relatively new development is to produce the inserts in bioplastic. Infrared emitters from Heraeus Noblelight, Kleinostheim, Germany, are now being used by Plantic Technologies Germany in Schorba, Germany to thermoform bioplastics. These emitters transfer energy without contact and generate the heat predominantly in the material itself. As a result, heating is targeted and fast. The thermoforming process is optimised and reject levels are reduced.

Australian Plantic Technologies Ltd has developed and patented a bioplastic made of vegetable starch from non-genetically modified maize. This cornstarch is used to manufacture trays, blisters and sorting inserts in chocolate packaging. To do this, the foil must be heated and then thermoformed. Normally, using conventional plastic foils, this takes place in several stages, each involving a few seconds of heating, until the deformation temperature is achieved. However, properties such as strength, flexibility and stability of the cornstarch foil can be detrimentally affected by long heat-up times. This is because moisture can evaporate from the foil in the heating process and can lead to it becoming brittle. In collaboration with Heraeus, Plantic investigated several possibilities in an effort to optimise the heating process. Short wave emitters demonstrated that they were particularly suitable for the task, as, using high power, they could bring the foil to the deformation temperature of around 140ÂşC in approximately two seconds. This is so fast that there is virtually no moisture loss. A heating module with overlapping emitter ends and several heating zones ensures a homogenous temperature distribution across the foil. Consequently the thermoforming process for cornstarch foils is optimised, and it has also been shown that reject rates at process start-up can be minimised.

Infrared emitters transfer energy without contact and generate heat only in the material to be heated. Short wave infrared emitters offer response times of the order of seconds, so that control is excellent. They transfer heat rapidly and at high power.

Infrared emitters need to be switched on only when heat is required, thus saving energy.

Heraeus Noblelight offers the complete range of infrared heat from short wave NIR to medium wave carbon infrared CIR. Heraeus calls on more than 40 years experience of infrared emitters. In its in-house application centres the company carries out practical tests and trials with customers’ own materials to identify the optimum process solution.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

17

Material Combinations

Bioplastic Material Combinations for Flexible Packaging

F

lexible plastic films have a long history of high performance in packaging applications and are well established at the forefront of waste reduction. Conventional plastics naturally tend to offer a high barrier to moisture, therefore allowing dry foods to remain dry and wet products to maintain moisture, for a long period of time.

Compostable bioplastics however, tend to have a natural permeability to moisture. This makes them a perfect fit for applications such as fresh, short shelf-life products, but less suited to long shelf-life dry foods or liquid packaging.

If bioplastic films are to break out from operating only in short shelf-life applications, then solutions need to be found to provide a higher barrier to moisture, without compromising compostability. But this situation is changing as (a) manufacturers develop new higher-barrier products, and (b) as innovative flexible packaging converters start to ‘mix and match’ properties by laminating different biomaterials. Whilst liquid packaging may still be a future dream for bioplastics, dry foods are starting to be successfully packaged now.

Given that conventional flexible plastics use small amounts of material to provide excellent shelf-life and therefore lead to a significant reduction in overall waste, one might be tempted to think that biomaterials are not able to offer much potential in this arena. Far from it, for it is at the end-oflife stage when biomaterials potentially come into their own, in a flexible packaging context. Flexible packaging is indeed great for minimising resource use and weight, and brings further benefits in terms of transportation and point-of-sale presentation. However flexible packaging materials are intrinsically very difficult to recycle (mixed and incompatible materials, lightweight and impractical to collect). As a result, incineration, where available and where desired, is the only

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

practical solution for dealing with conventional flexible packaging waste.

Whilst bioplastics too are perfectly suited to incineration, they also open up new opportunities such as composting (industrially or at home) and Anaerobic Digestion (AD).

AD in particular is starting to excite Government and waste management industries in a number of countries. There are three key benefits to disposing of packaging (including biowaste bags) via AD: I. It can help direct food and horticultural waste away from landfill (where this can create fugitive greenhouse gas emissions) II. It can contribute towards renewable gas generation techniques for energy supply and III. The residual digestate can also replace fossil and mineralbased fertilisers for soil improvement.

The key to developing bioplastic solutions for mainstream flexible packaging applications is coming from a combination of innovative bioplastic research and from ‘copying’ (or rather mimicking) the approaches already used by the conventional packaging industry. What consumers do not realise is that a huge proportion of the ‘bit of plastic’ they find around their packaged foods is actually much more technical than they would ever imagine; laminates of different materials, surface coatings, adhesive systems, etc.

Let us take one such example: When a consumer buys a bag of ‘fresh ground coffee’ it will actually have been roasted, ground and packed days or even weeks before into a highly developed laminate structure that typically comprises:  A transparent Polyester (PET) film, which is reverse-printed (i.e. printed on the inside, for protection and actually viewed

Material Combinations

Article contributed by Andy Sweetman Business Development & Sustainability Manager Innovia Films Wigton, Cumbria, UK

through the film.) PET is used because high temperatures are needed to seal through the pack and PET offers excellent heat-resistance

 The aluminium foil can be replaced by a metallised NatureFlex™, providing excellent barrier to moisture and gases

 A thin layer of adhesive

 Another bioadhesive

 A thin aluminium foil layer (or Metallised PET), to provide exceptional barrier

 Then finally the PE film on the inside can be replaced by a film manufactured by one of the high seal strength and high renacity materials such as starch based or co-polyester based materials (e.g. Mater-Bi, Ecoflex etc).

 Another thin layer of adhesive  A thick Polyethylene (PE) film which is used to provide strong and leak-resistant heatseal properties and also adds further body and resistance to the pack In addition, whilst this type of technical construction is also used in a range of other packaged food applications, in the case of coffee bags, there is also generally a very small valve device incorporated (often almost invisibly) into the structure, to vent-off gases generated by the coffee after roasting.

So there we have it; minimum resources, Yes, but maximum difficulty when it comes to dealing with the wrappers after use… However if we could mimic these constructions, but replace the conventional polymers with biopolymers, we could develop solutions that would run on the same conversion and packaging machinery, but which also open up the wider range of end-of-life scenarios we mentioned earlier.

So let us imagine our coffee pack ‘turning Bio’….  The outside PET film can be replaced by a transparent NatureFlex™, printed in exactly the same way but with biocompatible inks, providing barrier and heat-resistance properties  Adhesive manufacturers have been working on bioadhesives and the first examples are hitting the market now

Additional technologies such as extrusion coating (directly applying molten polymer to heat resistant films or papers) and alternative polymers (PBS, PHAs, PHB, PLA) can also provide building blocks to help the industry further develop such technical solutions.

To be truly innovative, the level of communication between co-suppliers of biopolymers has had to increase, not only for each other to appreciate the technical benefits of each polymer, but also to fully understand the end-of-life options that are possible for hybrid materials and how they should be positioned in the market. This role has been partly facilitated by organisations such as European Bioplastics and other similar associations worldwide.

Co-operation continues between producers in the bioplastics supply chain and partnerships are constantly emerging to take industry developments to the next level by offering new innovations in packaging. Innovia Films will be announcing several such innovative packaging solutions during this year, which will ensure that sustainable packaging options, using bioplastics, can finally start to offer similar functionality as conventional plastics. www.innoviafilms.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

19

Material Combinations

Bio Goes Functional Article contributed by Daniel Ganz, Market Manager Biopolymers, Sukano, Schindellegi, Switzerland

B

ioplastics are the plastic industry’s answer to the demand for ecologically responsible alternatives to petrochemical-based polymers. Yet, while enthusiasm for bio-based plastics is high, the decisive prerequisite for their broad acceptance still remains to be met: for long term market success bio plastics have to provide the same high performance in processing and in use as oil-based plastics. The innovative Sukano® Bioconcentrates for film extrusion and Sukano® Bioloy bioblends for injection moulding are new, highly attractive solutions for such a demanding task. And radically new: Sukano Bioloy is the first product to enable functional utilization of PLA not only in single-trip and packaging applications, but also in semi durable products, e.g. housings.

Sukano Bioloy Compounds and Sukano Bioconcentrates Sukano’s Bioloy product line consists of PLA-based bioplastics grafted with Sukano technology. In this process the PLA polymer is enhanced by specific additives to ensure that it can be processed and used just like oil-based plastics in a broad range of applications. The advantages that this offers producers and users are most interesting:

PLA Masterbatches for Flat Films and Cut Sheets In the long run, PLA generated from renewable resources is to replace oil-based plastics in film and sheet applications. To enable this, however, PLA’s thermal stability, impact resistance and destacking behaviour have to be further developed. With Sukano bioconcentrates, PLA properties can be ideally matched to the respective requirements of a broad variety of film and sheet applications. Sukano bioconcentrates are highly concentrated masterbatches based on biopolymer carriers.

They are added in low percentages to biopolymers to achieve the desired properties. Masterbatch addition efficiently reduces the coefficient of friction and increases the material’s processability and denesting behaviour. At the same time, it enables controlled crystallisation to improve thermal resistance and UV content protection of the finished films. In addition to functional masterbatches Sukano also offers optical bioconcentrate-based masterbatches for optimizing the finished product’s visual appearance. These include pigments and soluble colorants, as well as white and black, incorporated into easy-to-process

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

POLYMERS

SUKANO BIOLOY

HDT 0.45 MPa [°C]

Charpy Impact unnotched 23 °C [kJ/m2]

Elongation @ break [%]

Tensile Strength [MPa]

Tensile Modulus [MPa]

MFI g/10 min (190 °C/1.21 kg)

Density [g/cm3]

Characteristic

EN13432 Compostable

Product Name

ASTM 6866 Biobased Carbon Content

Material Combinations

Appearance Applications

Value

BIOLOY 002 NC001

General purose grade

35 %



1.4

15

3’000

36

5

55

65

Natural opaque

Caps & closures, E+E housings, sporting goods, engineering applications

BIOLOY 003 NC001

High HDT grade

0%



1.4

7

2’000

35

10

60

90

Natural opaque

E+E housings, sporting goods, engineering applications, household ware

BIOLOY 004 NC001

High impact grade

97 % * Exp. 1.25

30

3’200

50

5

30

55

Colorless Refrigerator and deep transparent freezer, consumer goods

BIOLOY 005 NC001

Very high impact grade

70 %



1.4

20

3’000

35

14

70

50

Natural opaque

PLA

Standard polymer

100 %



1.25

26

3’500

59

2

18

55

Yellowish transparent

ABS

Standard polymer

0%



1.05

n/a

2’350

41

5

119

89

Yellowish opaque

PP

Standard polymer

0%



0.9

n/a

2’400

33

118

97

82

Colorless transparent

Cosmetic & personal care, household, toys, decorative goods

Better impact, higher stiffness, higher HDT compared to neat PLA Very high HDT, same as ABS Transparent, better impact compared to PS Excellent impact is similar to ABS or 5 x higher than neat PLA

data based on single laboratory tests, natural color * confirmed by preliminary trials

concentrates for transparent or opaque PLA applications.

All Sukano bioconcentrates are fully compostable on an industrial scale and feature a biobased carbon content of up to 100%.

Compounds for Injection Moulding For semi-durable injection moulding applications, e.g. housings, PLA has to feature good impact strength and durability. Sukano Bioloy polymer alloys (see table above) endow PLA with these features. Bioloy products are compounded to meet the requirements of producers and users. The patented Sukano Impact Modifier significantly increases impact strength and resistance of the finished material. Ensuring excellent processability of PLA was the main driving force behind Sukano’s development of Bioloy. All Sukano Bioloy products are supplied pre-dried in aluminium coated bags, thus eliminating the intermediate PLA drying step previously required in most PLA applications.

Switching from oil-based to bio-based plastics entails numerous advantages. Not only will the environment benefit from the responsible utilization of its resources and from sustainable disposal concepts. End users, too, in their purchasing decisions, will increasingly opt for environmentally friendly products that contribute to reducing the CO2 footprint.

Nevertheless, many plastics manufacturers are still hesitant to use the new bioplastics as they are unsure how the new materials will behave on their existing equipment, and because the price of biopolymers is still higher than that of conventional oil-based plastics.

Here are some interesting answers to these concerns: 1) Except for ‘bio’ everything remains the same - Thanks to Sukano Bioconcentrates PLA can be processed on the production lines just as conventional plastics. To ensure this the Sukano expert teams takes care that all products exactly meet requirements.

2) DIN 13432 / EN 14995 standards are met - This enables the material’s industrial disposal by composting and ensures its biodegradability. Appropriate labelling heightens awareness in the general public and generates an important added value for the product brand.

3) Customers can benefit from current funding programmes - Bioproducts are currently supported in most countries to reduce dependency upon oil resources and CO2 emissions.

In Germany, for example, biogenerated and biodegradable plastic products benefit from an exemption from the ‘Green Dot‘ licence fees to an amount of up to 1.30 Euros per kilogram of packaging material. This, to a considerable extent, compensates for the higher raw material cost.

4) Pioneers are opinion leaders - As a member of the European Bioplastics industry association Sukano is committed to supporting the broad distribution of bioplastics on a public and political level, too. Producers of plastic materials with bioproducts in their portfolio can contribute to generating the necessary ‘critical mass’ and build a decisive competitive edge. www.sukano.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

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Material Combinations

Starch Blends with Enhanced Performance

A

process for blending starch with other polymers while retaining the key properties of the host resin is now operating commercially in North America. The first products on the market are ‘hybrids’ of thermoplastic starch (TPS) with petrochemical plastics, but soon to follow will be blends of thermoplastic starch with other biopolymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA) or polyhydroxy alkanoate (PHA).

Manufactured by the Bioplastics Division of Teknor Apex Company, the new blends are among the first products in a broad family of compounds tradenamed Terraloy™.

In 2008, Teknor Apex obtained an exclusive global license for the patented starch blending process, which was developed at Cerestech (Montreal, Canada), a spin-off company of Ecole Polytechnique.

The process represents an advance from conventional methods of preparing starch-based bioplastics, which typically involve mixing starch with a plasticizer like glycerol, sorbitol, or a citrate ester.

These conventional processes, in the presence of heat and shear, soften the starch, so that it behaves like a thermoplastic, but they also cause breakage in its polymer structure. The destructured starch behaves as a filler, reducing the physical properties of the base polymer. Micrographs of such blends show large starch granules poorly adhered to the host polymer phase.

In contrast, the Cerestech process melt-mixes starch with the host polymer during the compounding operation, producing a co-continuous phase of thermoplastic starch (TPS) and the host polymer. Small domains of TPS, approximately 1 to 10 microns, are dispersed in the continuous host polymer phase. Such morphology produces bioplastic compounds with outstanding mechanical properties.

Teknor Apex will use this process to produce three bioplastic product ranges: 1) 100% biodegradable or compostable bioplastic compounds; 2) hybrid compounds that contain up to 50% renewable content with petroleum-based resin; and 3) blends with recycled content. Number 2) and 3) are of course not biodegradable.

The Terraloy bioplastic compounds introduced so far include:  A Biodegradable grade for blown film or injection molding. This is a blend of TPS and biodegradable copolyester, available with varying levels of TPS.  Polypropylene / TPS blend for injection molding, incorporating 25 to 35 % renewable content in the finished product.  LLDPE or LDPE / TPS blend for blown film with 25 to 35% renewable content in the finished product.  High-impact polystyrene / TPS blend for injection molding. With a TPS content of up to 35% .

In addition to these standard products, Teknor Apex develops formulations on a custom basis. The Bioplastics Division also offers non-starch bioplastic compounds under the Terraloy brand.

One such compound to be introduced will be a biodegradable compound as a replacement for HDPE in blown film applications such as carrier bags. www.teknorapex.com/division/bioplastics.

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

Materials

Biobased Flame Retardant Polymers

F

or many years specialty polymer compounds have existed that meet various industry standards for flame retardant (FR) performance. These materials include polymers that are inherently flame retardant as well as a variety of common polymers that are combined with FR additives to produce specialty compounds that meet the required flame resistance tests put forth by various industries. However, changes stemming from agency mandates as well as increased focus on environmental stewardship in some industries have driven the need for revised formulations in FR materials to provide more green alternatives. In response to this, Interfacial Solutions, LLC of River Falls, Wisconsin, USA, has developed and introduced the deTerra™ line of biobased non-halogenated flame retardant products.

In development of the new product line of FR compounds, several objectives were reached including 1) a very high biobased content, 2) the use of only non-halogenated flame retardants, 3) improved toughness as compared to common lower cost biopolymers, 4) high FR performance level, and 5) custom formulations to meet the needs of sheet and profile extrusion as well as injection molding. “Our first set of deTerra products are PLA based, but we anticipate future grades to be based on other biopolymers as well” as stated

by Jim Howard, New Business Development Manager at Interfacial Solutions.

Injection molded end manufactured using deTerra biobased FR polymers.

(Courtesy of Alpar Architectural Products, LLC)

The initial grade of deTerra, targeted for commercial building and construction components, receives a class 1/A rating under UL 723 (ASTM E84-08) Test for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials. This is the highest rating a plastic material can receive under that test.

The material’s test results showed a Flame Spread Index (FSI) value of 0.0 and a Smoke Developed Index value of 75.

Additional grades of deTerra have been developed that are targeted for injection molded and profile extruded parts requiring a V-0 rating under the UL-94 flame test. These grades have variation in melt flow and impact strength custom designed to meet a variety of end use applications.

The material is also easily colorable to match a variety of custom colors.

Mechanical properties for the initial deTerra FR grades include approximate values of tensile strength of 41 MPa (6,000 psi), modulus of 3,440 MPa (500,000 psi), elongation of 4.0%, notched izod impact strength of 5.5 kJ/m2 (1.05 ftlbs/in) and a specific gravity of 1.30. MT www.interfacialsolutions.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

23

Materials

LCA for PLLA based on sugar cane

P

Method

urac, manufacturer of lactides and lactic acid from Gorinchem, The Netherlands recently announced the construction of a 75,000 t/a lactide plant in Thailand. Since the end of 2007 Purac is already running a plant for the production of lactic acid in Thailand with an annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes. The market development for lactide monomers is supported by sustainability studies.

This article summarizes the results of a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) recently carried out for L(+)-lactide and PolyL(+)-Lactic Acid (PLLA) made from sugar cane in Thailand.

This article provides the most important conclusions of the study. The full LCA will be available for download from www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/201002 as soon as it has been accepted for publication.

LCA is a commonly used tool to assess environmental performance and is currently recognized as best practice to holistically identify the ecological burden and impact of a production system and the ecological consequences of changes. LCA was chosen as the instrument for investigating the interactions between Purac’s production activities and the environment, and the possible consequences of these value chains replacing traditional alternatives. The aims of the LCA are:  Characterize the environmental profile of the existing production of lactic acid in Thailand;

Fig. 1: Schematic of the production chain from agriculture to PLA. PLA to customers T

PLA

Sugar cane processing

Transport

Fuel Electricity Aux. chemicals

Fertilizing and weeding Harvesting

Filter cake

Lactide purification

Lactide synthesis

Fuel Electricity Aux. chemicals

T

Fuel Electricity Nutirents Aux. chemicals

Rice husk Wood waste T

Sugar milling

Biogase

Steam and electricity congeneration

Surplus electricity to grid

Sugar refining

Emissions

Molasses

Sugar

Emissions

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

Lactic acid

Purification

Lactic acid recovery

Fermentation

Granulation PLA finishing PLA synthesis

Byproducts

Sugar cane

T

24

Granulation

PLA production

Emission

Lactic acid production (Purac)

Diesel fuel Fertilizer Herbicides

Sugar cane cultivation

Land preparation and planting

Lactide production (Purac)

Lactide

Byproducts Solid waste Emissions

Emissions

Materials

PLLA Kg CO2 eq./ton 500 Kg CO2 eq./ton 0

500

1,000

1,500

PP granulate

2,500

1,900

PE-LD granulate

2,200

PE-HD granulate PLLA

2,000

1,800 500

-1833 Sugar Sugar feedstock production (sugarcane)

Auxiliary chemicals

Transportation

Power

Steam

Fig. 2: CO2 emission build-up in the PLLA production chain

Total PLLA at gate

Fig. 3: CO2 emission involved with the production of PLLA and other polymers

 Identify the environmental consequences related to the planned production of L-lactide, D-lactide and PLLA from sugar cane in Thailand;  Generate eco-profile modules for use in LCA’s of customer applications;  Highlight the critical aspects and hot spots and find optimization potentials;  Set up a mathematical LCA tool that can be used in process development.

The LCA reported here is a cradle-to-customer gate analysis, including the sugar cane agricultural system, industrial activities related to auxiliary chemicals, distribution, processing of sugar cane into sugar and final production of lactide and PLA (fig. 1). The analysis was based on data for Purac’s lactic acid plant in Thailand, current designs of large scale lactide and PLA plants and public data on the sugar cane agriculture in Thailand. These data were combined with emission data from public databases and recalculated to environmental impacts in a life cycle impact assessment (LCIA), covering the following environmental impact categories: primary renewable and non-renewable energy, nonrenewable abiotic resource usage, farm land use, global warming, acidification, photochemical ozone creation and nutrient enrichment. The environmental profile of biopolymer PLA was compared on an equal weight basis with the profiles of fossil based polymers which can be used as alternative raw materials in several PLA applications.

Similar studies have been carried out by NatureWorks for PLA derived from corn starch. These studies of 2003 and 2007 indicate the beneficial CO2 profile for PLA compared to fossil based plastics, and also reflect the continuous process improvements in present day industry to arrive at attractive bioplastics made from renewable resources.

Global Warming Potential Fig. 2 shows a so called ‘waterfall-plot‘ of the global warming potential by means of balancing the CO2 emissions of PLLA production.

The plot shows the additive parts in greenhouse gas emissions in making L-lactide. The starting point, by convention, is the amount of CO2 fixated in the lactide itself, -1833 kg CO2/ton lactide. The calculation does not start at the fixation of CO2 into the sugarcane, but calculates the amount of CO2, that would be released when the PLLA would be converted to CO2 and uses this number as the CO2 captured in PLLA. From fig. 2 it becomes clear that with Purac‘s current production technology, L-lactide and PLLA from cane sugar still have a net positive emission of greenhouse gases. For L-lactide this is 348 kg/ton and for PLLA this is 500 kg/ton.

The net CO2 emission of 500 kg CO2/ton PLLA is also considering the electricity production of the sugar mills, notably the electricity generated from the boiler operated on bagasse. The figure of 40 kWh/ton used for this calculation has been derived from published data on Thai sugar mills. Data on the electricity production as high as 95 kWh/ton cane for Thai mills have been reported, while the average is in the order of 30-50 kWh/ton. This implicates that there is great potential through optimization and investment of sugar mills to decrease the CO2 emissions to net values even lower that 500 kg CO2/ton

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Materials Energy use (MJ/ton resin) 100,000 90,000 80,000

MJ/ton resin 0

76,000

83,000 1,000

88,500 500

70,000 20,000

40,000

60,000

80,000

100,000

50,000

PE-HD

40,000

PE-LD

42,000

42,000

28,000

60,000

20,000

PS

10,000

PET

0

PLLA

0

35,000

25,000

39,500

0

PLLA

PET

Process renewable Feedstock renewable

Fig. 4: Comparison of the non-renewable primary energy demand

38,500

42,000

52,000

46,000

40,000

78,500 500

23,000

0

30,000

PP

79,000 2,000

0

0

0

23,000

76,000 1,000

PS

PP

PE (LDPE) PE (HDOE)

Process non-renewable Feedstock non-renewable

Fig. 5: Comparison of total energy demand

PLLA and thus further increase environmental sustainability.

It is found that the CO2 emission for PLLA is much lower than for fossil based polymers (as indicated in fig 3), and this is the key reason for producing bio-based polymers and plastics.

Energy use Another way of looking at the ecoprofile of bioplastics is to compare the gross nonrenewable primary energy demand of the process. Fig. 4 shows the non-renewable primary energy demand for a number of polymers. The primary energy demand for the PLLA is lower than that for fossil based polymers, again showing the attractiveness of the biopolymer.

In fig. 5 both the amount of renewable and non-renewable primary energy demand is considered. For the sake of clarity the energy demand is split into feedstock related renewable and non-renewable energy and process related renewable and non-renewable energy. Although obviously the sum of renewable and non-renewable energy may be in the same order of magnitude for biobased and fossil based polymers the renewable energy demand for the biobased polymer should be considered for free, as it was supplied by the sun and fixated in the sugar cane plant as sugar.

Summary and outlook The results of the study indicate that PLLA results in significantly lower emissions of greenhouse gases, less use of material resources and non-renewable energy, compared to the petrochemically derived plastics. With the present calculations the CO2 emission in L-lactide production is 348 kg/ton and for PLLA 500 kg/ton. Purac aims for CO2 neutrality through process development, with potential to use the biopolymer as a carbon sink. The favorable CO2 footprint is the result of the PLA being based on renewable resources combined with the co-generation of electricity in the sugar refining.

In addition to these findings, for PLA being based on an agricultural system the LCA also considers other ecological factors such as non-renewable abiotic resource use, farm land use, acidification, photochemical ozone creation, human toxicity and nutrient enrichment (full details to be published later).

Since the disposal routes after use for different materials also play an important role when evaluating a material‘s environmental impact, a section in the LCA is devoted to the discussion of different end-oflife scenarios for PLA. A cradle to grave analysis has been performed based on incineration of different types of polymers taking into account the intrinsic carbon content as proposed by Prof. Narayan. This approach allows for a better comparison of different polymers and confirms the favorable carbon footprint of PLLA. The current calculation is based on plant designs, and for the future certification of Purac’s plants is foreseen, as well as efforts to further minimize environmental impacts. The production of biobased polymers is intricately linked to agriculture, through benefits such as electricity from bagasse, and through emissions by growing crops. A Life Cycle Analysis is an indispensable tool to quantify all these effects and guide industry towards the development of green chemicals. www.purac.com

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Materials

PHA Operation in China

T

ianjin Green BioScience Co., Ltd. (Green Bio) of China, is a high-tech Sino-foreign joint venture headquartered in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, also known as TEDA, and was established more than six years ago.

As a developer and producer of biodegradable materials and products, Green Bio has successfully developed a new process to produce PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates). This polymer, synthesised by micro-organisms using renewable substrates can also be decomposed by micro-organisms into carbon dioxide and water in three to six months when left in the soil, sewage, river or sea, without causing pollution to the environment. PHA can be used in a vast range of applications in numerous industries, including automotive, biomedical, packaging and electronics.

PHA production facility April 2009 marked the opening of the China’s largest PHA production base in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area. Equipment tuning and trial production started in October, and full production commenced in December 2009. Green Bio will be the first company in China to produce 10,000 tonnes of PHA per year, with its products expected to be available mainly in all markets on mainland China. The present use of these products, meanwhile, is mainly for developing specific grades such as foam and films. On the other hand, strategic partnerships will also be formed with upstream factories in the plastics industry. As for exports, Green Bio will initially focus on Europe, which is the largest consumer of biodegradable materials, followed by the US and Japanese markets.

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Materials

Looking ahead, Green Bio’s President Lu Wei-chuan outlined a three-step business plan for the establishment of Green Bio, to which the company is still adhering: Step 1: Invest RMB 20 million (about € 2 million) to establish a technical platform for biotechnology, and conclude PHA interim production and development (already achieved) Step 2: Invest RMB 150 million (about € 15 million) to establish a PHA production facility with an annual production capacity of 10,000 tonnes and develop PHA product ranges (in progress). In 2009 Green Bio already received an investment of US$20 million from several venture capital funds including DSM of the Netherlands and the China Environment Fund of Tsing Capital. Over the past year the fund has been used for the construction of the 10,000-tonne production facility, as well as for the development of PHA blow film grades, foam grades, foil grades and other product ranges.

Step 3: To raise RMB 800 million to RMB 1 billion (€ 80 to 100 million) through an IPO (Initial Public Offering) on the stock exchange; establish a PHA production facility with an annual production capacity of 100,000 tonnes; establish an industry chain that includes the development, production and sale of PHA raw materials and downstream products (to be achieved two to three years after the operation of the existing factory)

Green Bio‘s PHA Green Bio’s PHA is totally bio-based with all raw materials originating from renewable resources. Apart from glucose, other inexpensive raw materials such as methanol, ethanol, molasses and semi-cellulose can also be used as a carbon source to reduce production costs. Recently, PHA production has been tested with raw materials such as whey, organic acids, hydrolyzed starch sewage, methane and even sewage. As a result, the production of PHA can also serve as an additional beneficial step in sewage treatment.

Since the properties of PHA can be changed by adjusting the fermentation process, different PHA grades can be created. The result is a range of products that are widely applicable in various areas, including household, industrial, agricultural and medical use. PHA products for everyday use range from shopping bags, garbage bags, disposable lunch boxes, plastic wraps, toys and diapers to hot melts and adhesives.

Chinese legislation To phase out and limit the production and use of traditional plastic products, legislation on environmental protection has been enacted in China. For instance, in 1999 China passed legislation relating to ‘The Discontinuation of the Production and Usage of Disposable Plastic Foam Cutlery‘ which bans the production and use of polystyrene foam lunch boxes. Similarly, a Plastic Bag Restriction Order was issued in 2008 to prohibit the use of ultra thin plastic bags and banning the distribution of free plastic bags.

However, with no suitable substitutes for these disposable plastic products, it was difficult to enforce.

Green Bio, on the other hand, is able to seize this opportunity by joining hands with other manufacturers to fulfil this market demand, while fully abiding by the new legislation.

Because of different market sizes and production capacities, a direct cost comparison of PHA to conventional plastics is difficult. However, when compared to other biodegradable plastics, Green Bio’s technological innovations and improvements have made huge leaps in production efficiency and product quality. Consequently, in terms of price, PHA materials are getting closer to conventional plastic. In addition, its speciality products, such as plastic foam products, will possibly be very competitive in the market.

Green Bio’s research and development team was originally a team of experts in fermentation for medical development. Working with local and overseas R&D centres, universities and corporations, the team has obtained breakthroughs in applications development. Many of Green Bio’s projects have received subsidies from the national SME Innovation Fund of China and the Science and Technologies Foundation of the Tianjin Municipal Science and Technology Commission. In addition, its products have successfully obtained Chinese and overseas registered patents, which will pave the way to the global market. MT www.bio-natural.com.hk

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Materials

I

n early March BioCor LLC from Concord, California, USA announced its launch as a new venture in the business of buying, aggregating, and processing post-consumer Polylactic acid (PLA). BioCor will capitalize on the ease with which PLA can be converted back to its original lactic acid feedstock for subsequent use in a variety of existing end markets

New Business Formed To Buy PostConsumer PLA

BioCor Executive Director Mike Centers explains that BioCor will pay recyclers an economically attractive price for PLA in any packaging format and work with recyclers to achieve efficient separation of post-consumer PLA from other plastics. BioCor provides recyclers with a market for any postconsumer PLA they process. BioCor will also collaborate on PLA recycling pilot projects and work with federal, state, and municipal entities, non-governmental organizations, consumer groups, and recycling organizations.

“Greater sustainability in plastic packaging depends on decreasing the carbon footprint of the plastics used and on recapturing and re-using a greater percentage of postconsumer packaging,” said Centers. “Plastics made from renewable plant sources such as PLA, which is 100 % biobased, offer a means to achieve these goals. I’ve joined BioCor LLC with the intent of making a business out of buying the post-consumer PLA already out there in the market. I believe the economics of selling recycled PLA to a variety of lactic acid end markets are compelling. The BioCor business will conserve nonrenewable resources, lower carbon emissions, and reduce packaging waste.”

Unlike most petroleum-based plastics today, bioplastics such as PLA offer multiple end-of-life scenarios. For example, PLA offers a true ‘cradle-to-cradle’ end-of-life option whereby PLA can be completely converted back into its fundamental building block, lactic acid, and then reformulated into a biopolymer. PLA can also be commercially composted and incinerated carbon-neutral in a waste-to-energy plant.

BioCor’s primary focus is on supplying recycled PLA to those interested in lactic acid uses.

Centers is a 20 year recycling industry veteran and founder of Titus Maintenance and Installations Services, Inc., an industry leader in the installation of Material Recovery Facilities (MRF’s) and in supplying MRF maintenance services in the western U.S. While president of California based consulting services provider CMMA, Centers advised on the California Bottle Bill and Assembly Bill 32, wrote grants for several single stream MRF’s in California, and provided input to California’s Department of Conservation and the California chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries. Centers has also been in different general management positions.

Located in Concord, California, BioCor is currently hiring staff and scaling up its infrastructure to address the North American market. In the meantime, Centers indicates that BioCor has already been approached by several parties eager to sell post-industrial and post-consumer PLA and is in the process of assessing those initial supplies. MT www.biocor.org

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Application News

iPhone Cover Made from PLA Article contributed by Kaya Kaplancali, CEO, Dandelion Research, Hong Kong

I

n March, Bioserie began online sales of the World’s First Apple 3G/3GS iPhone covers made from plants, not oil.

Consumers can pick from six different colors.

The new covers were for the first time presented among other innovative bioplastic consumer products on December 17th, 2009 in the Technology Conference & Showcase hosted by ‘The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and EuropaBio,‘ as part of the Copenhagen Climate Summit.

While the market for mobile phone accessories is competitive and crowded, Bioserie has a unique distinction, its iPhone covers are better than 95 % biobased. Management is building a business around products that not only look great and perform well, but also are good for the environment in terms of lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced energy consumption.

Bioserie iPhone covers consist of 95 % NatureWorks Ingeo™ biopolymer, with the remainder consisting of a new biobased impact modifier and organic pigments used as colorants.

As the company works through its initial manufacturing, sales, and customer feedback phase, it is fine tuning the raw material formulation in the covers. Once the final formulation is set, the company plans to seek certification to biopolymer compostability standards EN13432 and ASTM 6400-99.

Packaging follows Bioserie’s commitment to improved sustainability by using soy ink and environmentally safe glue.

The outer box is made of FSC certified 100 % post-consumer recycled paper. The window piece is transparent film made entirely of Ingeo biopolymer.

The origins of Bioserie Bioserie began with a search for a breakthrough mobile phone accessory. During that research the potential of bioplastics — a material that appeals to a more environmentally savvy and upscale segment of the market — became evident.

Plus products made from bioplastic would also be unique in the iPhone segment of the crowded accessories market. With this product concept established, investors were found to fund

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the bioplastic project. A new company, Dandelion Research Limited, was quickly established to focus on compelling, environmentally friendly bioplastic consumer products. The company then proceeded to create a suitable brand from scratch, which led to the formation of Bioserie.

Since bioplastics are a relatively new and growing field, it was intellectually stimulating, but also challenging, for Bioserie executives to develop the company’s first product line. Bioserie received significant help, both on technical issues and marketing communications, from NatureWorks.

The team at NatureWorks supported the project from day one, and has maintained that support through to today. Although it was the injection molder’s first experience with bioplastics, the team there was also keenly interested in the project and showed great patience and cooperation throughout numerous test runs and adjustments. Everyone associated with the project knew they were trail blazing. A great effort was made to find the right mix of materials and production methodology required to achieve product performance and cost objectives.

It is obvious that the bioplastics field is ripe for innovation and commercial exploitation. Currently, Bioserie is developing several carrying accessories for Apple mobile devices in an effort to leverage the publicity surrounding the Apple brand and exploit the sales channels and production infrastructure Bioserie executives have developed in the IT/ Telecommunications accessories industry. These products will be released throughout 2010. The company plans to develop and commercialize products for other consumer product categories as well.

Bioserie will strive to incorporate as many renewable materials as possible into its products as well as to make the products compostable. Although end-of-life options such as recycling and industrial composting seem to be as much a commercial and regulatory issue as a technical one, Bioserie will do its part to make these options practical. The company wants to remain in the forefront among its competitors. www.bioserie.com

Application News

(Scene from the 3D-Movie ‚Avatar‘, Photo © Twentieth Century Fox, All rights reserved)

Bioplastic Glasses for 3D-Movies

C

ereplast, Inc., El Segundo, California, USA and Oculus3D from Las Vegas, a company focused on film-based 3D projection technology, recently announced that Oculus3D will introduce the world‘s first bioplastics 3D glasses as part of the OculR 3D viewing system to movie theaters.

The eco-friendly 3D glasses are manufactured using Cereplast‘s Compostables® resin made with IngeoTM PLA. These resins allow for the manufacturing of glasses made of renewable material and create a truly compostable product. The glasses are expected to be available this Summer 2010.

With major 3D movie releases such as ‘Avatar‘ and ‘Alice In Wonderland‘ requiring more than 10 million pairs of glasses to be shipped to movie theaters across the globe for each movie, the demand for 3D presentations is growing rapidly. While many theaters collect 3D glasses at the conclusion of each show, damaged glasses, or pairs not returned end up in trashcans and ultimately in waste-toenergy plants or landfill sites. The joint goal of Cereplast and Oculus3D is to supply 3D glasses made from plastics from renewable resources which in addition are biodegradable/compostable. Thus the amount of petroleum-based plastic waste being incinerated or ending up in landfills will be reduced. If discarded at a compost site, the 3D glasses will return to nature in less than 180 days with no chemical residues or toxicity left in the soil.

The current 3D glasses offered by movie theaters are made of traditional fossil fuel plastic and are not biodegradable. The CO2 emissions for the more than 10 million plastic glasses is equivalent to the harmful emissions generated by burning 190,000 Liters (50,000 gal) of gasoline or 917 barrels of oil.

“We are very glad to be associated with Oculus3D, a company that understands and is concerned about the environmental impact associated with traditional petroleum-based plastic. Through the collaboration of our joint effort, we can offer the Hollywood community meaningful ‘green‘ benefits requiring little effort and providing large impact,“ said Frederic Scheer, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Inc. “By using Cereplast‘s resins in our 3D biodegradable and compostable glasses we can now help the entertainment industry reduce its carbon footprint and provide movie theaters with smarter choices for both affordable 3D systems and compatible 3D eyewear,“ said Marty Shindler, Co-founder and CEO of Oculus3D. MT

www.cereplast.com www.oculus3d.com

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Application News

Bio-Sourced SIM Cards

Eco-Friendly Nappies With their range under the Naturaé label, made from sustainable raw materials such as Mater-Bi from Novamont, WIP (Wellness Innovation Project SpA. from Prato, Italy) is offering - even if only for a tiny slice of the market - a sustainable alternative to the traditional disposable nappy from fossil sources.

Every year, about 25 billion nappies are produced in the European Union. Laid end-to-end, they would cover the distance between the earth and the moon (roughly 384,400 km) 32 times. The disposable market supplies more than 98% of the world-wide demand for babies’ nappies. This represents about a billion EUR worth of business.

There are no complete regulations in the EU governing this sector, however. On average, 50% of a commercial disposable nappy is made up of non-biodegradable and non-sustainable oil derivatives; the remainder is made of cellulose from trees whose origin is unclear.

WIP has therefore set itself the objective of offering products directed at the health and well-being of consumers and protecting the environment at the same time, demonstrating that it is economically sustainable and technologically feasible to make a nappy with low environmental impact.

Today the nappy carrying the Naturaé brand-name is the disposable nappy with the highest biodegradability index in the world – on average at least 80%. The declared objective is to increase this to over 90% and start the procedure for obtaining compostability certification.

Already, out of the 14 elements which compose the Naturaé nappy, 8 have been completely rethought and made sustainable, representing 60% of the materials used. WIP’s objective is also, where technically possible without compromising the product’s primary function, to eliminate all chemical additives including cosmetic chemicals.

Currently, as a result of tests carried out by Parma University, the Naturaé product has been found to be naturally hypoallergenic, nonirritant and non-abrasive.

In particular, the collaboration with Novamont is of strategic importance both for developing and perfecting raw materials suitable for transformation technologies, and for research on the biodegradation of nappies and other disposable products.

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www.ecowip.com www.novamont.com

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Gemalto, headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, recently announced the launch of a pilot of bio-sourced SIM cards by SFR, leading French operator with over 20 million mobile subscribers. This program is the first trial of bio-sourced The bio-sourced SIM card is made from PLA and a small amount of petroleum based biodegradable polymer to reach the temperature and humidity standards needed in Telecom application. This material is easily recyclable and compostable through small scale industrial units and reduces the global ecological footprint of the production process. It can also be incinerated without emission of toxic fumes.

“Gemalto and SFR share the same vision in bringing to the market new innovative products that respect the environment,” said Philippe Vallée, Executive Vice President, Telecommunication Business Unit, Gemalto.

“The efforts toward sustainable practices and products are part of Gemalto’s overall belief in being a responsible global corporate citizen.” www.gemalto.com

Application News

Compostable Packaging for the Cement Indstry The very first biodegradable and compostable cement bag - BioSac by Ciments Calcia S.A.S., Guerville, France – has been launched into the French market so that the building industry can benefit from a 100% environmentally-friendly solution to the management of wastes on building sites.

Bio soap wrapped in compostable package Umbria Olii International, Rome, Italy, introduces a worldwide first - compostable soap wrapping. This biofilm is based on FKuR’s Bio-Flex® and is used for the packaging of ‘Ecolive‘ laundry soap.

‘Ecolive‘ laundry soap is made from 100% natural olive oil. In order to emphasize their ecological commitment, Umbria Olii International searched for a wrapping film which was made from natural resources and certified as biodegradable (according to EN 13432) while, at the same time, was chemically resistant.

“The high content of renewable resources and the appealing glossy surface along with the certified biodegradability of the multilayer bio-film (supplied via Cartotecnica & Poligrafica Veneta) has convinced us“, says Sergio Montano, President of Umbria Olii International.

For the bio-wrapping, Bio-Flex F 2110 and BioFlex A 4100 CL from FkuR have been chosen. “The unique properties of this multilayer film as well as its straightforward conversion process along with the good printability were the decisive factors in choosing the materials from FKuR“, say Poligrafica & Cartotecnica Veneta who extrude and print the film, respectively.

Umbria Olii International is one of the most important Italian industrial users of Olive Oil. After several years of research they have developed and registered an industrial process for soap, unique in its kind. They have a complete cosmetic range under the ‘Olivella‘ brand, and recently added a new product: the laundry soap ‘Ecolive‘.

In France alone, the bagged cement market generated nearly 35,000 tonnes of packaging waste in 2008 – and this is currently treated as ordinary waste and disposed of in class II sites or incinerated. Biosac, is the first biodegradable and compostable bag - developed collaboratively by Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI) with the Barbier, Mondi and Ciments Calcia groups.

Nathalie Gorce, Marketing Manager for biolice at LCI, explains: “Conventional cement bags consist of a double layer of kraft-type paper for strength and a polyethylene (PE) ‘free film’ for product conservation. However, this combination of different types of materials prevents the immediate recovery of the packaging. The innovative nature of BioSac comes from the composition of its ‘free film’, which now uses LCI’s biolice to give a technically innovative solution to the problems of managing this type of packaging.

“Biolice is made using a process unique on the bioplastics market, using whole cereal grains from a number of specific Limagrain maize varieties. The product‘s innovation lies in the combination of cereal fractions with a biodegradable polymer.”

Thanks to its exclusive composition, BioSac conforms to the EN 13 432 standard, concerning packaging that is recoverable by biodegradation and composting. Thus Biosac has also been awarded the OK Compost Label (Accreditation number S145).

www.lci.limagrain.com www.ciments-calcia.fr

Poligrafica Veneta is a producer of multilayer technical blown film and Cartotecnica Veneta, is a second generation traditional company dedicated to flexo and rotogravure printing.

www.umbriaolii.com/ecolive www.fkur.com

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Application News

t = 0

t = 56 days

t = 98 days

t = 112 days

… in home composting environment

Compostable Films, Bags and Resin Cortec Corporation, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, in conjunction with EcoCortec from Beli Manastir, Croatia, has recently launched EcoWorks®, a line of biodegradable, compostable films, bags, and resin for blown film and cast film extrusion and injection molding. Cortec is strongly committed to producing compostable products and using sustainable resources to protect the environment and reduce the carbon footprint. EcoWorks products provide an environmentally conscious alternative to polyolefin materials. All products are certified 100% compostable according to ASTM D6400 and EN 13432 by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and DIN CERTCO. The EcoWorks line of products is available in various formulations, ranging from 5-70% renewable content, customized to meet the needs of the customer‘s application. EcoWorks products are designed for use in a wide variety of applications including retail packaging, industrial films, agricultural films, organic collection bags, and much more. Custom sizes and constructions are also available.

www.cortececoworks.com www.ecocortec.hr

New Compostable Compound for Films Kafrit Industries, the Israeli branch of the Kafrit Group, has recently launched DEG 0K12Q BDP – a biodegradable compound for film extrusion that complies with the requirements of EN 13432 and ISO 17088. The compound – a result of two years of research - is a combination of PLA (Ingeo™) and modified polyester with the addition of antioxidants and process additives.

The unique combination results in a compound that processes easily on conventional film extrusion equipment with only minor changes to process parameters, namely reduced temperature and controlled screw speed. Films of 15μ up to 120μ were produced and showed good sealability, excellent mechanical properties and acceptable printability. DEG 0K12Q BDP is being used by film producers to produce bags of various sizes. At the same time trials are made to use DEG 0K12Q BDP for lamination and hygiene films. Production of thicker films is also possible, however the compliance of films over 120μ with EN 13432 should be verified. Films made of DEG 0K12Q BDP show a good rate of biodegradation as can be seen in the picture.

Kafrit and its partner Jolybar are currently developing other Ingeo™ based compounds for other film applications as well as injection and blow molding.

www.kafrit.com www.jolybar.com

The evolution of the disintegration of DEG 0K12Q BDP (106 µm) in the slide frames during the composting process.

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At Start

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After 2 Weeks

After 3 Weeks

After 4 Weeks

After 6 Weeks

After 8 Weeks

5

th

Make it green !

SaVe tHe Date !

1/2 December, 2010 Hilton D端sseldorf

www.conference.european-bioplastics.org

Conference contact: conference@european-bioplastics.org Phone: +49 30 28 48 23 50

Fig. 5: BIONATM products by Efbe GmbH

From Science & Research

Bio-Plastics and Bio-Composites

for Household

Appliances Müller, K.; Reußmann, T.; Lützkendorf, R. Thüringisches Institut für Textil- und KunststoffForschung e.V. (Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research), Rudolstadt, Germany Heinze, O.; Heyder, J.; Kämpf, B. Efbe GmbH, Bad Blankenburg, Germany

W

hile the biodegradable properties of some bio-plastics are the main argument for their use in packaging, more recently bio-plastics have become interesting for use in durable products such as in cars or as housings for electrical appliances. There are already some products in the electronic entertainment area (e.g. MP3 players, Walkman®, cell phones) in the market [1, 2]. There is however so far not much expert knowledge for electrical household appliances. For that reason the Efbe GmbH in conjunction with the Thüringisches Institut für Textil- und Kunststoff-Forschung e.V. (TITK) has researched the suitability of different bio-plastics for the production of housings for household appliances.

Requirements for the Use in Household Appliances The demands placed on materials that are to be used in household appliances are very different from those placed on packaging materials.

Barrier properties or biodegradability in this case are of secondary interest.

Thermal and chemical durability, long-term behaviour and flammability are the important criteria (table 1). The materials and appliances have to meet the requirements of DIN EN 60335.

Food contact

Performance Temperature

Glow-wire Specifics characteristics

Hair dryer

No

50-60 °C

550 °C

-

Water kettle

Yes

> 100 °C

850 °C

Contact with boiling water

Coffee maker

Yes

> 100 °C

850 °C

Table 1: Material Requirements for the use in household appliances

Especially critical are the demands on the materials for appliances such as water kettles or coffee makers. Hot runner moulds are frequently used in the production of the components for these appliances, limiting the number of usable bio-plastics.

Material Choice and Technical Implementation

Fig. 4: Sample housing made of a bio-composite

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In the meantime a multitude of materials are available in the marketplace, and from these diverse material categories various bio-polymers were chosen. Important criteria were the smallest possible percentage of nonrenewable additives, the standard specification and the state of development

BC2

PHA1

BC1

Impact Strength in kJ/m²

no break Tensile Modulus

In addition to the plastics available on the market, biocomposites (BC1 and BC2) made of PLA and different natural fibres were experimentally produced and tested, based on a granulate technology developed at TITK.

Cell2

 Plastics made of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA1)

Cell1

 Plastics based on Cellulose (Cell1 and Cell2)

PLA2

 PLA-based plastics (PLA1 and PLA2)

PLA1

Based on these criteria the following materials were included in the research:

PP

of the materials (sufficient material bases/capacity available) as well as the price.

Tensile Modulus in N/mm²

From Science & Research

Impact Strenght

Figure 1: Tensile E-Modulus and impact strength of bio-polymers and bio-composites

To better judge the results a standard polypropylene (PP) was used in the research for comparison purposes.

The different materials were tested for the usual material parameters (MFI, glass temperature, melt temperature, melt rheological behaviour) and afterwards processed on a standard injection-moulding machine type Allrounder 520C (Arburg Co.). Subsequently tests were made to determine the mechanical and thermal properties, the fire hazard and processing shrinkage.

BC1

BC2 BC2

PHA1

Cell2

BC1

Tensile Modulus

Cell1

PLA2

PLA1

PP

0

Impact Strenght

PHA1

Cell1

PLA2

PLA1

Cell2

no test

Figure 2: Heat resistance of bio-polymers and bio-composites

PP

Beside the mechanical properties of a material, for the use in household appliances heat resistance and fire hazard or flammability are of particular interest. For that reason the heat deflection temperatures (HDT A) according to DIN EN ISO 75/A, the Vicat Temperature according to DIN EN ISO 306/B as well as the glow wire flammability index (GWFI) according to IEC 60695-2-12 were determined. The HDT and Vicat values may also be seen as borderline values for long duration usage temperatures. This demonstrated that some of the bio-plastics are only marginally usable for household appliances (compare figure 2 and table 1). For instance, only the PHA based material fulfilled the thermal demands of coffee makers and water kettles. However the fire behaviour would need to be improved, for instance through appropriate flame retardant additives (figure 3). In contrast, PLA2 shows a very high GWFI value but is not usable for coffee makers because of its low heat resistance.

Temperature in °C

In the changeover from petrochemical to bio-based plastics adjustments to the processing parameters have to be made. Usually the lower processing temperatures of bio-polymers prove to be advantageous, but a disadvantage is in longer cycle times due to longer cooling times.

Another factor to be taken into account is the close proximity of the melt and decomposition temperatures, which means that destruction of the polymer may occur during processing. Hence shear and temperature stress have to be adjusted accordingly. Depending on the type of polymer used the various degrees of stiffness (tensile strength test according to DIN EN ISO 527) are approximately those of PP or higher (figure 1). The materials with a particularly high E-modulus however show low notched impact strength (Charpy notched impact strength test according to DIN EN ISO 179).

GWFI in °C

Processing and Characteristics

100

Figure 3: GWFI of bio-polymers and bio-composites

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

39

Order now!

Hans-Josef Endres, Andrea Siebert-Raths

Rainer Höfer (Editor)

Technische Biopolymere

Sustainable Solutions for Modern Economies

Rahmenbedingungen, Marktsituation, Herstellung, Aufbau und Eigenschaften 628 Seiten, Hardcover

Engineering Biopolymers

General conditions, market situation, production, structure and properties number of pages t.b.d., hardcover, coming soon.

This new book is available now. It is written in German, an English version is in preparation and coming soon. An e-book is included in the package. (Mehr deutschsprachige Info unter www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/buecher).

The new book offers a broad basis of information from a plastics processing point of view. This includes comprehensive descriptions of the biopolymer market, the different materials and suppliers as well as production-, processing-, usage- and disposal properties for all commercially available biopolymers.

The unique book represents an important and comprehensive source of information and a knowledge base for researchers, developers, technicians, engineers, marketing, management and other decision-makers. It is a must-have in all areas of applications for raw material suppliers, manufacturers of plastics and additives, converters and film producers, for machine manufacturers, packaging suppliers, the automotive industry, the fiber/nonwoven/textile industry as well as universities.

Content:  Definition of biopolymers  Materials classes  Production routes and polymerization processes of biopolymers  Structure  Comprehensive technical properties  Comparison of property profiles of biopolymers with those of conventional plastics  Disposal options  Data about sustainability and eco-balance

Important legal framwork Testing standards Market players Trade names Suppliers Prices Current availabilities and future prospects  Current application examples  Future market development       

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Sustainable Solutions for Modern Economies is an essay to reflect the aspects of sustainability in the different sectors of national and global economies, to draft a roadmap for public and corporate sustainability strategies, and to outline the current status of markets, applications, use and research and development for renewable resources.

The book brings up philosophical aspects of the relationship between man and nature and highlights the key sustainability initiatives of the chemical industry.

The position and the systemic role of the financial market in the economic circuit is depicted in one chapter as well as recently developed key performance indicators for the sustainability rating of companies.

The eco-efficiency analysis is described as a management tool incorporating economic and environmental aspects for the comprehensive evaluation of products over their entire life-cycle.

Another chapter describes a holistic approach to define sustainability as a guiding principle for modern logistics.

Consumer behaviour and expectations, indeed, are crucial aspects to be considered in this book when dealing with further development of the sustainability concept.

The achievements of food security are specified at a global level as a key element of sustainable development.

Energy economy and alternative energies are key challenges for society today, dealt with in a separate chapter. Tens of millions of years ago, biomass provided the basis for what we actually call fossil resources and biomass again is by far the most important resource for renewable energies today.

The efficient complementation and eventual substitution of fossil raw materials by biomass is the subject matter of green chemistry and is comprehensively described. The chapter „Biomass for Green Chemistry“ in particular highlights the potential of sucrose, starch, fats and oils, wood or natural fibres as building blocks and in composites of bio-based plastics and resins.

Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water usage are examples of the benefits brought about by greener, cleaner and simpler biotechnology processes, comprehensively dealt with in the last chapter „ White Biotechnology“. This includes PLA as one bioplastics example for White Biotechnology.

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The demands placed on the ‘coffee maker’ and ‘water kettle’ categories require a spectrum of properties that the bio-plastics commercially available at this time cannot meet, or will only meet after further modification. Thus it seemed sensible to first concentrate on the ‘hair dryer housings’ product category for the use of these materials. With two of the selected materials (Cell1 and BC2) it was possible to manufacture components under conditions of large-scale industrial production (figure 4). These sample housings were equipped with the proper electrical parts and tested in a range of practical tests, especially tests relating to DIN EN 60335-2-23 (for instance warming, ball pressure and fall test). The tests showed that the cellulose based bio-polymer Cell1 is able to meet the demands.

In the meantime, based on the research carried out, the cellulose-based biopolymer (Cell1) has been used in the first BIONATM brand range of hairdryers (figure 5). Should customers show interest in such a product an effort will be made to equip other household products with components made of bio-plastics.

www.titk.de www.efbe-schott.de

Acknowledgement The project partners thank the BMELV as well as the FNR for the financial sponsorship of the research project (supp. code: 22011106) Literature [1] Serizawa,S.; Inoue, K.; Iji, M.: Kenaf-Fiber-Reinforced Poly(lactic acid) Used for Electronic Products, J App Pol Sc 2006, Vol. 100, p.618-624 [2] Iji, M.: Highly Functional Bioplastics Used for Durable Products, Innovative Technologies for a Bio-Based Economy, Wageningen, 2008 [3] ReuĂ&#x;mann, T.; Mieck, K.-P.: Verfahrensentwicklung zur Herstellung von Langfasergranulat aus Stapelfasermischungen, Techn.Textilien, Nr. 46, 1999

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

41

Basics

by Michael Thielen

E

ver since the introduction of ‘biodegradable plastics’ in the late 1980s, verification of the claims ‘biodegradable’ or ‘compostable’ has been a key question.

Although touted as ‘environmentally friendly’, several socalled biodegradable plastic products did not biodegrade as expected. And yet manufacturers of these products were able to make unverified claims of biodegradability because scientifically based test methods and standards were only beginning to be introduced [1]. Before this, manufacturers used whatever test method they felt most appropriate. Without clear standards or definitions, critics and consumers were skeptical of any product making a claim of biodegradability or compostability. The market for biodegradable/compostable products languished, as did rates of municipal composting, as composters banned any materials that could potentially contaminate their composting operations.

Basically, the benefits of a certification scheme can be seen from different points of view [3]:

However, for more than 10 years now companies and consumers have been able to look out for ‘certified’ products.

Also beginning in the late 1980s, specifications and tests were created that scientifically prove whether a material will biodegrade and compost within a certain time and will not leave persistent synthetic residues. These standards are for example EN 13432, EN 14855, ASTM D6400 and ASTM D6868.

In addition the certification mark can be seen as a quality mark to set certified products apart from competing, noncertified, products and to provide proof of consistently high quality, as the certification bodies have installed annual verification processes [2] or market monitoring procedures, picking products from the market at random for verification [3].

Conformity to such standards is easily detectable by so called logos, certification marks (in case of certification bodies) that are awarded by independent (third-party) certification bodies indicating that the products are tested and ‘certified’ biodegradable and - depending on the standard compostable.

This article will try to shed light on the basics of the certification procedures and on the granting and use of such labels / logos / certification marks.

In addition to the biodegradability of certain bioplastics, the origin of certain bioplastics from renewable sources is gaining increasing attention. Thus the certification and labelling of ‘biobased’ materials is the subject of the most recent developments …

Benefits of Certification Based on adequate technical tests and assessment by an independent certification body the certification mark shows the conformity of a product with international standards and therefore the difference in quality between certified and noncertified products.

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For the manufacturer of a product, a certification is a convenient and independent way to demonstrate the compliance of a product with a certain standard.

Manufacturers usually hesitate to make evidence, technical data, patented data etc accessible to everybody (including their competition).

Instead, a certification body is committed to confidentiality but can evaluate a product if provided with suitable evidence, and issue a certificate if - and only if - the product meets the requirements of the standard. Thus a certificate gives the innovators the possibility to demonstrate the compliance of their products with existing standards while keeping the know-how confidential.

For the end-user or consumer of a product a certificate or a conformity mark is considered as an easy-to-understand medium translating a complex technical matter. Thus a logo can serve as guidance for the decision-making process of retailers and consumers.

The conformity logos build credibility and recognition for products that meet the ASTM D6400, ASTM D6868 and/or EN 13432 standards so that consumers, composters, regulators and others can be assured that the product will biodegrade and compost as expected [1].

The Iceberg Analogy “When I have to explain the difference between logo, certificate, reports, etc I usually use the analogy of the iceberg”, says Philippe Dewolfs, Head of the Product Certification Department at Vinçotte. “When you see an iceberg, you only see a small part of it. It is the same for the certification: when you see a logo or a certificate, you only see a small part of the assessment process. The deeper you go, the more complex and detailed is the (technical) information and the knowledge required to understand it,” he explains.

Basics

The Tools Technical Content Mark - Logo (B2C) Certificate (B2B) Assessement report Test report

Easy to Understand

-















A Conformity mark translates complex technical matters into an easy-tounderstand message (source: Vinçotte)

Logos - Labels - Marks and Certification Bodies As there are a number of different logo’s existing in different parts of the world (see bM issues 01/06, 02/06, 01/07, 02/07, 03/07, 04/07) we would like to mention only three by way of example in this article.

The Seedling Logo is internationally protected and owned by European Bioplastics and is granted by DIN CERTCO (Germany) for Europe and by the Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA) for Australia. Cooperating partners of DIN CERTCO are e.g. the Association for Organics Recycling in the UK or COBRO in Poland.

The OK Compost Logo by Vinçotte (Belgium) is available in different versions reflecting the disposal environment. OK Compost HOME for example certifies that a complete composting according to the given standards will happen even at ambient temperatures in a home compost pile. Other versions are OK compost (the industrial or commercial composting version, EN 13432) and OK biodegradable SOIL and WATER. In North America the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and the U.S. Composting Council (USCC) joined forces to create a symbol to identify compostable plastic products. This symbol, the Compostable Label, is recognized by major composting programs from San Francisco, California to Prince Edward Island, Canada. Like the other symbols, logos or marks mentioned above, it is designed as an easy reference for manufacturers, consumers, legislators and composters to check if products are safe for composting.

The ‘Seedling’ (DIN CERTCO / ABA / European Bioplastics)

‘OK compost’ (Vinçotte)

The Certification Procedure The procedure to apply for certification, the documents to be checked, and the grant and use of the logo or mark is basically similar for all systems. It is also possible that existing test reports and documents concerning the biodegradability and compostability of a product might be accepted by different certification bodies. There are for instance memoranda of understanding between DIN CERTCO

The ‘Compostable Logo’ (BPI, USCC)

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Basics

and, for instance, the BPI, and between Vinçotte and BPI to accept laboratory test reports from each other (mutual acceptance of laboratory test reports).

The certification is granted for a certain product and the licence to use the certification mark is granted to the certificate owner. If necessary, sublicences can be issued to other companies wishing to sell the unchanged, already certified products in their own name [2].

Usually a certification process begins with an application using an application form. Based on the data given on the application form, Vinçotte, for example, sets up a contract proposal (price offer). If at this stage it is clear that the product will not pass the test programme Vinçotte will not propose a contract and the customer will be informed about their concerns.

In the next step all necessary documents, such as test reports, Material Safety Data Sheets of the additives used, information on the composition of the product/material/ intermediate/additive, etc, are collected. None of the certifying bodies mentioned here has its own laboratories. Instead all products are tested in approved, independent laboratories and the test documentation is then evaluated. Exception: In addition to evaluating documents Vinçotte also takes its own infrared fingerprint (like the DNA of a certain formulation) and stores that in a database.

Based on all these documents the conformity to the abovementioned international standards is assessed or evaluated by experts from the certification bodies (in case of ABA and Vinçotte) or, in the case of DIN CERTCO and the BPI, by external experts.

The DIN CERTCO certification scheme is a modular certification scheme. It consists of the registration of materials (being given a 7W-number - W for ‘Werkstoff’ i.e. a material), intermediates (7H-number - H for ‘Halbzeug’ = intermediate) and biodegradable additives (7Z-number - Z for ‘Zusatzstoffe’ = additives). In general it simplifies the assessment and minimises the necessity of laboratory testing of final products that consist of materials or intermediates which are already registered by DIN CERTCO. The final product will then get a 7P-number. The seedling logo consists of 3 elements: the logo itself, the word ‘compostable’ in the language of the country and the 7P-number.

After successful evaluation the ‘Certificate’ consisting of the certificate document, the certification assessment report and the license to use the logo will be given to the customer.

In the case of Vinçotte , new clients receive a licensee-code (S code), which has to be shown on the logo.

Monitoring and Verification

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

After a product has once been certified it is important to ensure a continuing observation of the or chemical composition of the certified products. In the case of DIN CERTCO an annual verification process is proof of consistently high quality of a certified product.

Vinçotte on the other hand randomly picks products from the market and verifies whether they are the same as the previously certified ones.

Infrared spectra (fingerprints) of each certified resin or product and their comparison with the IR spectra registered in their databases serve the certification bodies for reidentification of the products taken for surveillance.

Biobased Certification In brief, bioplastics can be biodegradable, biobased or both (see the definition of bioplastics in the glossary on page 48).

While we have addressed biodegradability and compostability in the paragraphs above, we now have look at biobased plastics.

The keen interest in biobased plastics can be summed up in one concept: carbon footprint. Biobased products help limit our carbon footprint, while making us less dependent on fossil fuels. For several years now a whole host of companies have been marketing bio-resources partly or entirely on the basis of biologically renewable carbon [4].

There are several approaches to certifying biobased products. The OK biobased certification of Vinçotte is based on radiocarbon analysis (12C/14C) which has previously been described in bioplastics MAGAZINE in detail (e.g. bM 01/2007).

The number of stars in the OK biobased label tells the consumer about the content of modern carbon (based on the measurement of the 12C/14C ratio): 20 - 40% biobased material leads to one star, two stars for 40 - 60%, three for 60 80% and four stars over 80%.

In the USA, the BioPreferredSM program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is kind of a certification system which is comprised of two parts: a preferred procurement program for Federal agencies and a voluntary labelling program for the broad scale marketing of biobased products [5].

“Currently, USDA has identified more than 19,000 commercially available biobased products, from cleaning to construction products,” said Ron Buckhalt, BioPreferred program manager. “Today, BioPreferred has designated more than 4,500 products from more than 1,000 manufacturers.”

Under the procurement program, BioPreferred designates items (product categories) required for purchase by Federal agencies and the Department of Defense. As a part of the process, the minimum biobased content is specified and

Basics

information on the technical, health and environmental characteristics of these products are made available on the BioPreferred web site USDA defines biobased products as those products that are composed wholly or significantly of biological ingredients – renewable plant, animal, marine or forestry materials. A BioPreferred designated product, is one that meets or exceeds USDA-established minimum biobased content requirements.

Manufacturers and vendors of biobased products that meet minimum content standards can visit the web site to submit their products for designation and inclusion in the electronic BioPreferred catalog.

“Primarily focused on the Federal government to date, BioPreferred is looking forward to adding the voluntary label to the program,” Buckhalt said. “We look at the new label as a tool that will help make these sustainable products more accessible and serve as valuable marketing for manufacturers and vendors of biobased products.”

DIN CERTCO too will launch the certification scheme for biobased products in the near future. The certificate will be based on the content of biobased carbon (14C-method) and the content of organic carbon (TOC-Content). There will be a division into three quality classifications that are shown by the “DIN-geprüft” (DIN tested) mark and that will illustrate the biobased-mass percentage classification.

Last not least, the European Bioplastics association initiated a dialogue among a range of industry stakeholders for a common approach of the ‘biobased’ industry, aiming at providing a program suited for approval e.g. by the European Commission in the frame of the Lead Markets Initiative or by national governments. Thus, this joint program is meant as a basis for obtaining legal support for the certified products. It is close to finalization and will provide certification of the biobased material content also, in addition to the biobased carbon content all existing programs are focused on.

Conclusion Certification according to international standards by independent and recognised certification bodies helps consumers and retailers to evaluate claims and to distinguish honest products from black sheep.

All certifying bodies mentioned in this article offer online information about certified companies and/or products. If a company is listed in the bioplastics MAGAZINE Suppliers Guide, a link in the online-version of the Suppliers Guide to available online-information of the certificates helps to find these (see screenshot).

Since Certification is quite an extensive topic, we concentrated in this article on European and North American systems. We will pick up the subject again in future issues, including a view to the Asian systems.

Links in bioplastics MAGAZINE Online Suppliers Guide (screenshot)

Acknowledgements: The author is grateful to Philippe Dewolfs, Vinçotte ; Lukas Willhauck, DIN CERTCO; Steve Mojo, BPI and Ron Buckhalt, USDA for their support in comprising this article.

Note: All logos, labels, marks shown here are protected and may not be used without the permission of the owners.

References: [1] www.bpiworld.org [2] Personal Information, Lukas Wilhauck, DIN CERTCO, 2010 [3] Personal Information, Philippe Dewolfs, Vinçotte, 2010 [4] New Eco-Label: OK biobased, bioplastics MAGAZINE 06/2009, p.9 [5] Personal Information, BioPreferred, USDA, 2010 [6] website of the Association for Organics Recycling (via www.bioplasticsmagazine. de/201002)

www.dincertco.de www.okcompost.be www.okbiobased.be www.bpiworld.org www.biopreferred.gov

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Politics

Biodegradable Packaging in Poland Article contributed by Dr. Hanna Zakowska, Head of Packaging and Environment Department, MA Grzegorz Ganczewski, Specialist from Packaging and Environment Department, Polish Packaging Research and Development Centre, Warsaw, Poland

P

ackaging is a very broad topic that impacts on multiple business disciplines such as marketing, logistics, legislation and strategic management. In addition technological innovation and environmental protection are quite important, especially when it comes to biodegradable plastic packaging.

The Polish Packaging Research and Development Centre conducted market research to assess the willingness and readiness of Polish packaging producers and users to support biodegradable plastics.

The Packaging industry in Poland, as in the rest of Europe, is driven by the demands of its citizens and there is no denying that the disparities in Polish and EU figures are understandable from an economic point of view. According to the latest data they are expected to come into line within the next 7-9 years. It is therefore understandable that Polish packaging producers and users are more cautious than their Western-European counterparts about introducing biodegradable materials.

The questionnaire A short e-mail questionnaire was sent to more than 2000 Polish packaging producers and users, over 120 of which came back to be evaluated. The companies were categorised by size in terms of their number of employees (small, medium and large enterprises) and their attitude towards biodegradable packaging (fig 1).

Questions were based on the various factors that affect packaging decisions (marketing, logistics (operations), legislation, environmental protection and strategic management) and their relevance to the various aspects of biodegradable packaging (such as cost, availability, value adding opportunities etc.).

The following questions appeared to be the most interesting: ď‚Ą Are biodegradable packaging materials attractive for the Polish packaging producers / users? (results: see fig 2.)

Fig 4. Certified compostable carrier bag from BioErg

ď‚Ą Is the possible higher cost associated with the production/ usage of biodegradable packaging discouraging Polish companies from the sector (fig 2.)

Fig 1. Attitude towards next generation packaging 60% 56% 50% 40% 30% 27% 20% 10%

11% 6%

0%

Fig 5. Compostable PLA Cup from Coffee Heaven

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Plant using

Uses already

Is not interested in using

Does not have a clear opinion

Politics

Attractiveness and costs It is encouraging that more than 60% of all companies that responded are planning to use biodegradable materials in the near future - or already use them. Larger companies find those materials to be more attractive than do medium and small companies. The reason behind this may be explained by the industry structure of plastic packaging producer/users in Poland, where small and medium companies tend to be locally based and concentrated and therefore less concerned with the new technologies. There is also a lack funds to invest in new packaging materials, especially given the fact than many of the big packaging producers/users have a large amount of foreign capital employed or are direct Polish subsidiaries of foreign packaging conglomerates.

It can also be reported that companies which already use biodegradable packaging are satisfied with their investment in the new technology.

The responses concerning biodegradable material costs with respect to company size show an interesting relationship. It appears that medium and large companies rank the importance of costs as very high, but small companies find it less important. This can be linked to the competitive advantage theory of Michael Porter, where firms can compete on either price or differentiation. It is impossible for small companies to compete on price, especially given the costs of biodegradable polymers; however the companies understand that a potential investment in such materials could contributes to their competitive niche market or differentiation strategies.

Marketing, legislation and strategic advantages

important for large ones, which supports the previous point concerning the significance of cost related to company size. Due to the fact that small companies can choose the competitive strategy of differentiation it is important for them to express differentiated features through marketing activities.

Legislation is also considered less important for medium and large companies. The reasons for that remain to be explored by future research, however, according to informal interviews with industry specialists, small companies are more concerned with legislation due to the potential penalties for not conforming to packaging law. Those penalties are easier to avoid and are less financially burdensome for larger companies - hence the observed trend.

In terms of strategic management the trend is reversed.

Large companies rank this of the highest importance.

Considering the structure of the Polish packaging industry, with many small and medium regional companies, this result supports the observation that large companies have a more formalised long-term view of their business endeavours.

Conclusion From the above discussion of the results of the questionnaire it can be concluded that the Polish packaging industry is ready and willing to use biodegradable packaging.

Furthermore, Polish end consumers are already beginning to see such packaging – for instance in the form of carrier bags or beverage cups (figs 4, 5). Nevertheless it is very important to add at this point that other stakeholders and external forces need to be evaluated for their readiness to support such materials before concluding whether Poland as a nation is ready for such a solution. This is especially important with regard to the waste collection systems – namely the organic recycling infrastructure and the awareness of end consumers about how to treat with packaging waste. ekopack@cobro.org.pl

With regards to company size and business sector, the results show that the marketing value of biodegradable packaging is most important for small companies and least

Fig 2. Mean responses - perceived market attractiveness and importance of cost in business decisions regarding biodegradable packaging - categorised by company size

0,50 0,00

Attractivness

Costs

llarge

1,00 medium

1,00 small

1,50

llarge

1,50

medium

2,00

small

2,00

4,21

3,84

3,61

3,59

3,52

3,32

4,03 3,40

3,46

3,63

3,50

3,25

3,55

4,00

3,91

3,69

3,39

4,00

3,67

4,43 4,43

4,18

4,19

4,50

4,50

3,50

Fig 3. Mean responses - importance of biodegradable packaging in different sectors of business - categorised by company size

4,54

ď‚Ą With regard to the biodegradable packaging, which packaging business sectors are most important for the Polish plastic packaging producers / users? (fig 3.)

0,50 0,00

Marketing small

Logistics medium

Legislation

Environment protection

Strategy

large

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Basics

Glossary In bioplastics MAGAZINE again and again the same expressions appear that some of our readers might (not yet) be familiar with. This glossary shall help with these terms and shall help avoid repeated explanations such as ‘PLA (Polylactide)‘ in various articles.

Bioplastics (as defined by European Bioplastics e.V.) is a term used to define two different kinds of plastics:

Blend | Mixture of plastics, polymer alloy of at least two microscopically dispersed and molecularly distributed base polymers.

a. Plastics based on renewable resources (the focus is the origin of the raw material used)

Carbon neutral | Carbon neutral describes a process that has a negligible impact on total atmospheric CO2 levels. For example, carbon neutrality means that any CO2 released when a plant decomposes or is burnt is offset by an equal amount of CO2 absorbed by the plant through photosynthesis when it is growing.

b. à Biodegradable and compostable plastics according to EN13432 or similar standards (the focus is the compostability of the final product; biodegradable and compostable plastics can be based on renewable (biobased) and/or non-renewable (fossil) resources).

Bioplastics may be - based on renewable resources and biodegradable; - based on renewable resources but not be biodegradable; and - based on fossil resources and biodegradable.

Amylopectin | Polymeric branched starch molecule with very high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is à Glucose) [bM 05/2009].

Amyloseacetat | Linear polymeric glucosechains are called à amylose. If this compound is treated with ethan acid one product is amylacetat. The hydroxyl group is connected with the organic acid fragment.

Amylose | Polymeric non-branched starch molecule with high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is à Glucose) [bM 05/2009].

Biodegradable Plastics | Biodegradable Plastics are plastics that are completely assimilated by the à microorganisms present a defined environment as food for their energy.

The carbon of the plastic must completely be converted into CO2 during the microbial process. For an official definition, please refer to the standards e.g. ISO or in Europe: EN 14995 Plastics- Evaluation of compostability - Test scheme and specifications. [bM 02/2006, bM 01/2007].

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Cellophane | Clear film on the basis of à cellulose.

Cellulose | Polymeric molecule with very high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is à Glucose), industrial production from wood or cotton, to manufacture paper, plastics and fibres.

Cradle-to-Cradle | (sometimes abbreviated as C2C): Is an expression which communicates the concept of a closed-cycle economy, in which waste is used as raw material (‘waste equals food’). Cradle-to-Cradle is not a term that is typically used in àLCA studies.

Cradle-to-Grave | Describes the system boundaries of a full àLife Cycle Assessment from manufacture (‘cradle’) to use phase and disposal phase (‘grave’).

Fermentation | Biochemical reactions controlled by à microorganisms or enyzmes (e.g. the transformation of sugar into lactic acid).

Gelatine | Translucent brittle solid substance, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, extracted from the collagen inside animals‘ connective tissue.

Compost | A soil conditioning material of decomposing organic matter which provides nutrients and enhances soil structure. (bM 06/2008, 02/2009)

Glucose | Monosaccharide (or simple sugar).

G. is the most important carbohydrate (sugar) in biology. G. is formed by photosynthesis or hydrolyse of many carbohydrates e. g. starch.

Compostable Plastics | Plastics that are biodegradable under ‘composting’ conditions: specified humidity, temperature, à microorganisms and timefame. Several national and international standards exist for clearer definitions, for example EN 14995 Plastics - Evaluation of compostability - Test scheme and specifications [bM 02/2006, bM 01/2007].

Humus | In agriculture, ‘humus’ is often used simply to mean mature à compost, or natural compost extracted from a forest or other spontaneous source for use to amend soil.

Composting | A solid waste management technique that uses natural process to convert organic materials to CO2, water and humus through the action of à microorganisms [bM 03/2007].

Copolymer | Plastic composed of different monomers.

Cradle-to-Gate | Describes the system boundaries of an environmental àLife Cycle Assessment (LCA) which covers all activities from the ‘cradle’ (i.e., the extraction of raw materials, agricultural activities and forestry) up to the factory gate

Hydrophilic | Property: ‘water-friendly’, soluble in water or other polar solvents (e.g. used in conjunction with a plastic which is not waterresistant and weatherproof or that absorbs water such as Polyamide (PA).

Hydrophobic | Property: ‘water-resistant’, not soluble in water (e.g. a plastic which is waterresistant and weatherproof, or that does not absorb any water such as Polethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP).

LCA | Life Cycle Assessment (sometimes also referred to as life cycle analysis, ecobalance, and àcradle-to-grave analysis) is the investigation and valuation of the environmental impacts of a given product or service caused (bM 01/2009).

Basics

Readers who would like to suggest better or other explanations to be added to the list, please contact the editor. [*: bM ... refers to more comprehensive article previously published in bioplastics MAGAZINE)

Microorganism | Living organisms of microscopic size, such as bacteria, funghi or yeast.

PCL | Polycaprolactone, a synthetic (fossil based), biodegradable bioplastic, e.g. used as a blend component.

PHA | Polyhydroxyalkanoates are linear polyesters produced in nature by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids. The most common type of PHA is à PHB. PHB | Polyhydroxyl buteric acid (better poly3-hydroxybutyrate), is a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a polymer belonging to the polyesters class. PHB is produced by micro-organisms apparently in response to conditions of physiological stress. The polymer is primarily a product of carbon assimilation (from glucose or starch) and is employed by micro-organisms as a form of energy storage molecule to be metabolized when other common energy sources are not available. PHB has properties similar to those of PP, however it is stiffer and more brittle.

PLA | Polylactide or Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a biodegradable, thermoplastic, aliphatic polyester from lactic acid. Lactic acid is made from dextrose by fermentation. Bacterial fermentation is used to produce lactic acid from corn starch, cane sugar or other sources.

However, lactic acid cannot be directly polymerized to a useful product, because each polymerization reaction generates one molecule of water, the presence of which degrades the forming polymer chain to the point that only very low molecular weights are observed.

Instead, lactic acid is oligomerized and then catalytically dimerized to make the cyclic lactide monomer. Although dimerization also generates water, it can be separated prior to polymerization. PLA of high molecular weight is produced from the lactide monomer by ring-opening polymerization using a catalyst.

This mechanism does not generate additional water, and hence, a wide range of molecular weights are accessible (bM 01/2009).

Saccharins or carbohydrates | Saccharins or carbohydrates are name for the sugar-family.

Saccharins are monomer or polymer sugar units. For example, there are known mono-, di- and polysaccharose. à glucose is a monosaccarin. They are important for the diet and produced biology in plants.

Sorbitol | Sugar alcohol, obtained by reduction of glucose changing the aldehyde group to an additional hydroxyl group. S. is used as a plasticiser for bioplastics based on starch.

Starch | Natural polymer (carbohydrate) consisting of à amylose and à amylopectin, gained from maize, potatoes, wheat, tapioca etc. When glucose is connected to polymerchains in definite way the result (product) is called starch. Each molecule is based on 300 -12000-glucose units. Depending on the connection, there are two types à amylose and à amylopectin known [bM 05/2009].

Starch (-derivate) | Starch (-derivates) are based on the chemical structure of à starch.

The chemical structure can be changed by introducing new functional groups without changing the à starch polymer. The product has different chemical qualities. Mostly the hydrophilic character is not the same.

Starch-ester | One characteristic of every starch-chain is a free hydroxyl group. When every hydroxyl group is connect with ethan acid one product is starch-ester with different chemical properties.

Starch propionate and starch butyrate | Starch propionate and starch butyrate can be synthesised by treating the à starch with propane or butanic acid. The product structure is still based on à starch. Every based à glucose fragment is connected with a propionate or butyrate ester group. The product is more hydrophobic than à starch.

Sustainable | An attempt to provide the best outcomes for the human and natural environments both now and into the indefinite future.

One of the most often cited definitions of sustainability is the one created by the Brundtland Commission, led by the former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland. The Brundtland Commission defined sustainable development as development that ‘meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’ Sustainability relates to the continuity of economic, social, institutional and environmental aspects of human society, as well as the non-human environment).

Sustainability | (as defined by European Bioplastics e.V.) has three dimensions: economic, social and environmental. This has been known as “the triple bottom line of sustainability”. This means that sustainable development involves the simultaneous pursuit of economic prosperity, environmental protection and social equity. In other words, businesses have to expand their responsibility to include these environmental and social dimensions. Sustainability is about making products useful to markets and, at the same time, having societal benefits and lower environmental impact than the alternatives currently available. It also implies a commitment to continuous improvement that should result in a further reduction of the environmental footprint of today’s products, processes and raw materials used.

Thermoplastics | Plastics which soften or melt when heated and solidify when cooled (solid at room temperature).

Yard Waste | Grass clippings, leaves, trimmings, garden residue.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

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Suppliers Guide 1. Raw Materials 10

20

30

40

50

60

BASF SE Global Business Management Biodegradable Polymers Carl-Bosch-Str. 38 67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany Tel. +49-621 60 43 878 Fax +49-621 60 21 694 plas.com@basf.com www.ecovio.com www.basf.com/ecoflex 1.1 bio based monomers

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

150

180

190

Transmare Compounding B.V. Ringweg 7, 6045 JL Roermond, The Netherlands Tel. +31 475 345 900 Fax +31 475 345 910 info@transmare.nl www.compounding.nl

Du Pont de Nemours International S.A. 1.3 PLA 2, Chemin du Pavillon, PO Box 50 CH 1218 Le Grand Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland Tel. + 41 22 717 5428 Fax + 41 22 717 5500 Division of A&O FilmPAC Ltd jonathan.v.cohen@che.dupont.com 7 Osier Way, Warrington Road www.packaging.dupont.com GB-Olney/Bucks.

MK46 5FP Tel.: +44 844 335 0886 Fax: +44 1234 713 221 sales@aandofilmpac.com www.bioresins.eu PURAC division 1.4 starch-based bioplastics Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21 4200 AA Gorinchem The Netherlands Tel.: +31 (0)183 695 695 Fax: +31 (0)183 695 604 www.purac.com PLA@purac.com 1.2 compounds

160

170

Natur-Tec® - Northern Technologies 4201 Woodland Road Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA Tel. +1 763.225.6600 Fax +1 763.225.6645 info@natur-tec.com www.natur-tec.com

Cereplast Inc. Tel: +1 310-676-5000 / Fax: -5003 pravera@cereplast.com www.cereplast.com European distributor A.Schulman : Tel +49 (2273) 561 236 christophe_cario@de.aschulman.com

200

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients ZAC „Les Portes de Riom“ - BP 173 63204 Riom Cedex - France Tel. +33 (0)4 73 67 17 00 Fax +33 (0)4 73 67 17 10 www.biolice.com

Grace Biotech Corporation Tel: +886-3-598-6496 No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu Industrial Park,Hukou Township, Hsinchu County 30351, Taiwan sales@grace-bio.com.tw www.grace-bio.com.tw

210

PSM Bioplastic NA Chicago, USA www.psmna.com +1-630-393-0012 1.5 PHA

www.earthfirstpla.com www.sidaplax.com www.plasticsuppliers.com Sidaplax UK : +44 (1) 604 76 66 99 Sidaplax Belgium: +32 9 210 80 10 Plastic Suppliers: +1 866 378 4178 3.1.1 cellulose based films

Telles, Metabolix – ADM joint venture 650 Suffolk Street, Suite 100 Lowell, MA 01854 USA INNOVIA FILMS LTD Tel. +1-97 85 13 18 00 Wigton Fax +1-97 85 13 18 86 Cumbria CA7 9BG www.mirelplastics.com England Contact: Andy Sweetman Tel. +44 16973 41549 Fax +44 16973 41452 andy.sweetman@innoviafilms.com www.innoviafilms.com Tianan Biologic 4. Bioplastics products No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd, Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800 Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2 Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0 enquiry@tianan-enmat.com www.tianan-enmat.com 1.6 masterbatches

Sukano Products Ltd. Chaltenbodenstrasse 23 CH-8834 Schindellegi Tel. +41 44 787 57 77 Fax +41 44 787 57 78 www.sukano.com 2. Additives / Secondary raw materials

Du Pont de Nemours International S.A. 2, Chemin du Pavillon, PO Box 50 CH 1218 Le Grand Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland Tel. + 41(0) 22 717 5428 Fax + 41(0) 22 717 5500 jonathan.v.cohen@che.dupont.com www.packaging.dupont.com

alesco GmbH & Co. KG Schönthaler Str. 55-59 D-52379 Langerwehe Sales Germany: +49 2423 402 110 Sales Belgium: +32 9 2260 165 Sales Netherlands: +31 20 5037 710 info@alesco.net | www.alesco.net

Arkhe Will Co., Ltd. 19-1-5 Imaichi-cho, Fukui 918-8152 Fukui, Japan Tel. +81-776 38 46 11 Fax +81-776 38 46 17 contactus@ecogooz.com www.ecogooz.com

Postbus 26 7480 AA Haaksbergen The Netherlands Tel.: +31 616 121 843 info@bio4pack.com www.bio4pack.com

3. Semi finished products 3.1 films

EcoWorks

®

220

230

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH Siemensring 79 D - 47 877 Willich Tel. +49 2154 9251-0 Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51 sales@fkur.com www.fkur.com

240

250

260

270

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

Plantic Technologies Limited 51 Burns Road Altona VIC 3018 Australia Tel. +61 3 9353 7900 Fax +61 3 9353 7901 info@plantic.com.au www.plantic.com.au

Huhtamaki Forchheim Herr Manfred Huberth Zweibrückenstraße 15-25 91301 Forchheim Tel. +49-9191 81305 Fax +49-9191 81244 Mobil +49-171 2439574

Cortec® Corporation 4119 White Bear Parkway St. Paul, MN 55110 Tel: +1 800.426.7832 Fax: 651-429-1122 info@cortecvci.com www.cortecvci.com Eco Cortec® 31 300 Beli Manastir Bele Bartoka 29 Croatia, MB: 1891782 Tel: +011 385 31 705 011 Fax: +011 385 31 705 012 info@ecocortec.hr www.ecocortec.hr

Suppliers Guide 6.1 Machinery & Molds

9. Services

Simply contact:

NOVAMONT S.p.A. Via Fauser , 8 28100 Novara - ITALIA Fax +39.0321.699.601 Tel. +39.0321.699.611 Info@novamont.com

Pland Paper® WEI MON INDUSTRY CO., LTD. 2F, No.57, Singjhong Rd., Neihu District, Taipei City 114, Taiwan, R.O.C. Tel. + 886 - 2 - 27953131 Fax + 886 - 2 - 27919966 sales@weimon.com.tw www.plandpaper.com

President Packaging Ind., Corp.

PLA Paper Hot Cup manufacture In Taiwan, www.ppi.com.tw Tel.: +886-6-570-4066 ext.5531 Fax: +886-6-570-4077 sales@ppi.com.tw

FAS Converting Machinery AB O Zinkgatan 1/ Box 1503 27100 Ystad, Sweden Tel.: +46 411 69260 www.fasconverting.com

Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic Container Industry 284 Pinebush Road Cambridge Ontario Canada N1T 1Z6 Tel. +1 519 624 9720 Fax +1 519 624 9721 info@hallink.com www.hallink.com

Roll-o-Matic A/S Petersmindevej 23 5000 Odense C, Denmark Tel. + 45 66 11 16 18 Fax + 45 66 14 32 78 rom@roll-o-matic.com www.roll-o-matic.com

MANN+HUMMEL ProTec GmbH Stubenwald-Allee 9 64625 Bensheim, Deutschland Tel. +49 6251 77061 0 Fax +49 6251 77061 510 info@mh-protec.com www.mh-protec.com 6.2 Laboratory Equipment

MODA : Biodegradability Analyzer Saida FDS Incorporated 3-6-6 Sakae-cho, Yaizu, Shizuoka, Japan Tel : +81-90-6803-4041 info@saidagroup.jp Wiedmer AG - PLASTIC SOLUTIONS www.saidagroup.jp 8752 Näfels - Am Linthli 2 SWITZERLAND 7. Plant engineering Tel. +41 55 618 44 99 Fax +41 55 618 44 98 www.wiedmer-plastic.com 4.1 trays 5. Traders 5.1 wholesale 6. Equipment

Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH Holzhauser Str. 157 - 159 13509 Berlin Germany Tel. +49 (0)30 43567 5 Fax +49 (0)30 43567 699 sales.de@thyssenkrupp.com www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com 8. Ancillary equipment

Tel.: +49 02351 67100-0 suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com Stay permanently listed in the Suppliers Guide with your company logo and contact information.

For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you can be present among top suppliers in the field of bioplastics.

Bioplastics Consulting Tel. +49 2161 664864 info@polymediaconsult.com www.polymediaconsult.com

For Example:

Wirkstoffgruppe Imageproduktion Tel. +49 2351 67100-0 luedenscheid@wirkstoffgruppe.de www.wirkstoffgruppe.de

Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mönchengladbach Germany Tel. +49 2161 664864 Fax +49 2161 631045 info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

10. Institutions

Sample Charge:

10.1 Associations

35mm x 6,00 € = 210,00 € per entry/per issue

10 35 mm

Minima Technology Co., Ltd. Esmy Huang, Marketing Manager No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City, Taichung County 411, Taiwan (R.O.C.) Tel. +886(4)2277 6888 Fax +883(4)2277 6989 Mobil +886(0)982-829988 esmy325@ms51.hinet.net Skype esmy325 www.minima-tech.com

Siemensring 79 47877 Willich, Germany Tel.: +49 2154 9251-0 , Fax: -51 carmen.michels@umsicht.fhg.de www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de

20

30 35

Sample Charge for one year: 6 issues x 210,00 EUR = 1,260.00 € BPI - The Biodegradable Products Institute 331 West 57th Street, Suite 415 New York, NY 10019, USA Tel. +1-888-274-5646 info@bpiworld.org

The entry in our Suppliers Guide is bookable for one year (6 issues) and extends automatically if it’s not canceled three month before expiry.

European Bioplastics e.V. Marienstr. 19/20 10117 Berlin, Germany Tel. +49 30 284 82 350 Fax +49 30 284 84 359 info@european-bioplastics.org www.european-bioplastics.org 10.2 Universities

Michigan State University Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science Professor Ramani Narayan East Lansing MI 48824, USA Tel. +1 517 719 7163 narayan@msu.edu

University of Applied Sciences Faculty II, Department of Bioprocess Engineering Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Josef Endres Heisterbergallee 12 30453 Hannover, Germany Tel. +49 (0)511-9296-2212 Fax +49 (0)511-9296-2210 hans-josef.endres@fh-hannover.de www.fakultaet2.fh-hannover.de

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Companies in this issue Company A&O Filmpac alesco Alpar Architectural Products Arkhe Will Aspic Assiciation for Organic Recycling Australasian Bioplastics Association BASF BIO4PACK BioCor bioplastics24 Bioserie BMELV BMW BPI Cartotecnica Veneta Cereplast Cerestech Ciments Calcia COBRO Cortec Daimler Dandelion Defra DIN CERTCO DuPont Eatlay EcoCortec Eco-Products Efba EuropaBio European Bioplastics FAS Converting Machinery FH Hannover FKuR FNR Fraunhofer UMSICHT Gemalto Grace Biotech Hallink Heraeus Noblelight Huhtamaki Innovia Films Interfacial Solutions Jolybar JSC Interpack JSC Sinergia JV Packland Kafrit Industries Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients

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Editorial Focus (2)

Basics

June 07, 2010 Injection Moulding

Natural Fibre Composites

Polyamides

Jul / Aug

Aug. 02, 2010

Additives / Masterbatch / Adh.

Bottles / Labels / Caps

Compounding

Sep / Oct

Oct. 04, 2010

Fibre Applications

Polyurethanes / Elastomers

Polyolefins

K‘2010 Preview

Nov / Dec

Dec. 06, 2010

Films / Flexibles / Bags

Consumer Electronics

Recycling

K‘2010 Review

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

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Event Calendar

Event Calendar

April 13-15, 2010 Innovation Takes Root 2010 The Four Seasions - Dallas, Texas, USA www.InnovationTakesRoot.com

April 15-16, 2010 BIOPOLPACK - 1° Congresso nazionale sugli imballaggi in polimeri biodegradabili Parma, Italy (Italian language) www.biopolpack.unipr.it

April 16-18, 2010 CannaTrade - International Hemp Fair Basel, Switzerland www.cannatrade.com

April 19-21, 2010 CHINAPLAS 2010 - Green Plastics . Our Goal . Our Future Industrial Forum Shanghai New International Expo Center, Pudong, Shanghai, China www.chinaplasonline.com

April 20-22, 2010 7th Wood-Plastic Composites 2010 Vienna, Austria www.amiplastics.com

April 20-21, 2010 3. Biowerkstoffkongress - International Congress on Bio-based Plastics and Composites Hannover-Messe 2010, Hannover, Germany www.biowerkstoff-kongress.de

May 02-04, 2010 11th International Conference on Biocomposites Toronto, Canada www.biocomposites-toronto.com

May 03-07, 2010 18th European Biomass Conference and Exhibition Lyon, France www.conference-biomass.com

May 11, 2010 Midwest Biopolymers and Biocomposites Workshop Sun Room, Memorial Union Iowa State University - Ames, IA; USA

54

Please contact us in advance by e-mail.

You can meet us!

www.biocom.iastate.edu

May 06, 2010 Nachwachsende Rohstoffe und pflanzliche Chemie Frankfurt/Main, Germany www.agrion.org

June 01-02, 2010 4th Bioplastics Markets Shanghai, China www.cmtevents.com

June 07-09, 2010 6th International Conference on Renewable Resources & Biorefineries Düsseldorf / Germany www.rrbconference.com

June 16-16, 2010 Multilayer Packaging Films 2010 The Sheraton Newark Airport, New Jersey, USA www2.amiplastics.com

June 22-23, 2010 8th Global WPC and Natural Fibre Composites Congress an Exhibition Fellbach (near Stuttgart), Germany www.wpc-nfk.de

August 11-13, 2010 International Symposium on Renewable Feedstock for Biofuel and Bio-based Products Austin, Texas, USA http://ccgconsultinginc.com

Sept. 09-10, 2010 8th International Symposium „Raw Materials from Renewable Resources“ Erfurt, Germany www.narotech.de

Sept. 10-12, 2010 naro.tech 2010 Erfurt, Germany www.narotech.de

Oct. 11-13, 2010 5th Annual Biopolymer Symposium The Westin Tabor Center Denver, Colorado, USA www.biopolymersummit.com

May 19-20, 2010 VIENNA BIO-POLYMER DAYS 2010 Palais Niederösterreich, Vienna, Austria

Oct. 27 - Nov. 03, 2010 K‘ 2010 - International trade Fair No.1 for Plastics & Rubber Worldwide Düsseldorf, Germany

www.bio-packing.at

www.k-online.de/

May 26-27, 2010 Envase Sostenible (i.e. Sustainable Packaging) Sheraton Hotel, Bogotá, Colombia

Dec. 1-2, 2010 5th European Bioplastics Conference Hilton Hotel, Düsseldorf, Germany

www.plastico.com

www.conference.european-bioplastics.org

bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5

Distinctively different: Mirel™ bioplastics provide an innovative biobased alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics. Mirel offers many end-of-life options including composting and anaerobic digestion.

Mirel facility in Clinton Iowa is now running

For more information about Mirel’s biodegradability visit

www.mirelplastics.com

A real sign of sustainable development.

There is such a thing as genuinely sustainable development.

Since 1989, Novamont researchers have been working on an ambitious project that combines the chemical industry, agriculture and the environment: "Living Chemistry for Quality of Life". Its objective has been to create products with a low environmental impact. The result of Novamont's innovative research is the new bioplastic Mater-Bi 速.

Mater-Bi 速 is a family of materials, completely biodegradable and compostable which contain renewable raw materials such as starch and vegetable oil derivates. Mater-Bi 速 performs like traditional plastics but it saves energy, contributes to reducing the greenhouse effect and at the end of its life cycle, it closes the loop by changing into fertile humus. Everyone's dream has become a reality.

Mater-Bi速: certified biodegradable and compostable.

Living Chemistry for Quality of Life. www.novamont.com

Inventor of the year 2007