bioplastics MAGAZINE 06-2016

ISSN 1862-5258

Nov / Dec

06 | 2016

Basics Certification: Blessing and Curse | 42 Highlights Consumer / Office Electronics | 24 Films / Flexibles / Bags | 14

bioplastics

MAGAZINE

Vol. 11

Futamura’s acquisition of Innovia Films’ Cellulose films business | 12

2 countries

... is read in 9

Editorial

dear readers First of all, I would like to express my thanks for all the warm and heartfelt congratulations that we were privileged to receive for our 10th anniversary. I would also like to thank those who joined our celebration party at the K show.

Yet, like all good things, our anniversary year, too, must come to an end although the good news is that our new series “Published in bioplastics MAGAZINE-10 years ago” will be continued.

K 2016 was an excellent show for us and we are really satisfied. About 5000 copies of bioplastics MAGAZINE were picked up by interested visitors.

So hopefully we can look forward to welcoming a bunch of new subscribers in the near future.

Our Bioplastics Business Breakfasts were, once again, a big success.

They attracted over 60 attendees on each of the three days, who listened to the presentations and took part in the discussions on current topics in bioplastics.

This issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE features a number of highlight topics, including Films / Flexibles / Bags, consumer and office electronics and a short review about the K 2016 trade fair.

In the Basics section, we cover the hot topic of Certification – blessing and curse. I think most of us agree that certification (compostability as well as biobased) is a good thing - and a necessary one. However, as this article shows, it is a complex topic studded with challenges, that are addressed in detail by a number of different experts and stakeholders.

I’d also like to take this opportunity to invite you to propose presentations for our upcoming bio!PAC conference next spring. In early May, many of us will meet again in Düsseldorf for the interpack trade fair. We therefore plan to stage the second edition of this conference on biobased packaging during this exhibition. The call for papers is open.

Until then, best wishes for a happy and relaxing holiday season and a good start to the year 2017. And, as always, please enjoy reading this latest issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE.

Follow us on twitter!

www.twitter.com/bioplasticsmag

Sincerely yours

Michael Thielen

Like us on Facebook!

www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

3

Content

Imprint

Events

8 Rethinking Plastics

European Bioplastics Conference

32 K’2016 - Show review

Films, Flexibles, Bags

06|2016 Nov / Dec

pasta products

Polymedia Publisher GmbH Dammer Str. 112 41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany

info@bioplasticsmagazine.com www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

16 Innovative biodegradable packaging for corrosion

Media Adviser

20 New insights in PHBHHx 22 Laminated films

Samsales (German language) phone: +49(0)2161-6884467 fax: +49(0)2161 6884468 s.brangenberg@samsales.de

Consumer Electronics

Chris Shaw (English language) Chris Shaw Media Ltd Media Sales Representative phone: +44 (0) 1270 522130 mobile: +44 (0) 7983 967471

24 The fair computer mouse

Materials

30 Green PU from olive oil residues 31 Improve Transparency and performance

Layout/Production Kerstin Neumeister

of PLA

Print

Report

38 SuperBio - New funding programme for biobased value chains

From Science and Research 40 Bioplastic from flue gas and green electricity 41 Polycarbonate from Orange Peel and CO2 Politics 44 The EU-Ecoabel and biobased products

Cover Story

12 The future of NatureFlex™

Award

10 And the winner is...

11 Global Bioplastics Award th

3 Editorial 5 News

50 Glossary

34 Application News

42 Certification – blessing and curse

28 Material News 54 Suppliers Guide

47 Shopping bags - a big opportunity for

Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd. 1004 Riga, Latvia bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on chlorine-free FSC certified paper.

Print run: 3,500 copies

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

This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues). bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in 92 countries.

Basics

bioplastics

Head Office

phone: +49 (0)2161 6884469 fax: +49 (0)2161 6884468

14 New barrier packaging for cheese and

Ten Years Ago

Publisher / Editorial Dr. Michael Thielen (MT) Karen Laird (KL) Samuel Brangenberg (SB)

57 Event Calendar 58 Companies in this issue

Every effort is made to verify all Information published, but Polymedia Publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions or for any losses that may arise as a result. No items may be reproduced, copied or stored in any form, including electronic format, without the prior consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed in articies do not necessarily reflect those of Polymedia Publisher.

All articles appearing in bioplastics or on the website www.bioplasticsmagazine.com are strictly covered by copyright.

MAGAZINE,

bioplastics MAGAZINE welcomes contributions for publication. Submissions are accepted on the basis of full assignment of copyright to Polymedia Publisher GmbH unless otherwise agreed in advance and in writing. We reserve the right to edit items for reasons of space, clarity or legality. Please contact the editorial office via mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com.

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

Envelopes A part of this print run is mailed to the readers wrapped in Green PE bioplastic envelopes sponsored by FKuR Kunststoff GmbH

Cover Cover-Ad: Futamura

Follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/bioplasticsmag

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine

daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

News

Braskem takes

New market study

technology to space

shows vigorous

Braskem recently announced that, as a result of its partnership with U.S.-based Made In Space, the leading developer of zero gravity 3D printers and an official supplier to NASA, its biopolyethylene is now also being used in space for 3D printing spare parts and tools.

growth for bioplastics

The first part made from the raw material outside of Earth was a pipe connector for a vegetable irrigation system, which was fabricated by the Additive Manufacturing Facility (AMF), the first commercial 3D printer permanently allocated in space.

The equipment, which will fabricate various types of parts using sugar cane-based bio-PE, is located on the International Space Station (ISS) and was developed by Made In Space with the support of the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS).

Over the past year, Braskem’s Innovation & Technology team has been working with Made In Space to develop a Green Plastic solution especially for 3D printing in zero gravity.

The partnership will enable astronauts to receive by e-mail digital designs of the parts and then print them, which means dramatic savings in terms of time and costs.

“Through this partnership, we combined one of the greatest innovations in polymers, Green Plastic, with advanced space technology to print 3D objects in zero gravity. Putting a renewable polymer in space for printing applications represents an important milestone in our history,” said Patrick Teyssonneyre, director of Innovation & Technology at Braskem.

Polyethylene made from sugarcane was the material chosen for the project because of its combination of properties, such as flexibility, chemical resistance and recyclability, and also because it is made from a renewable resource. There are great expectations surrounding the project’s benefits, since 3D printing in space was defined by NASA as one of the advances essential for a future mission to Mars.

“The ability to print parts and tools in 3D on demand increases the reliability and safety of space missions. This partnership with Braskem is fundamental for diversifying the raw materials used by the AMF and for making this technology more robust and versatile,” said Andrew Rush, CEO of Made In Space.

Note that Braskem’s technology is also present in the structure of the actual printer. The equipment’s printing bed is made of Braskem’s ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which is marketed under the brand UTEC. The resin provides increased tack for printing with Green Polyethylene and offers mechanical properties, such as superior abrasion and impact resistance.KL www.braskem.com

(Photo: NASA)

According to the authors of the fourth report on the global market for bioplastics from German market research company Ceresana, revenues of over EUR 2.45 billion are currently generated with these green plastics.

With growth rates that are considerably higher than those of conventional plastics due to rising demand and an increasingly broader range of applications, the bioplastics trend looks to be here to stay.

The Ceresana report distinguishes two main material groups of bioplastics, and discusses both. In this report, the first group consists of biodegradable plastics that are compostable, and refers to plastics that can – but do not have to be - derived from renewable resources. Although biodegradable plastics account for only 42 % of the global demand for bioplastics, the growth figures for this group an 11 % rise in volume per year - are impressive.

The second group of materials, according to this report, consists of materials that are biobased, but not biodegradable. Example are the so-called dropins, such as bio-PET and bio-polyethylene based on sugar cane, but also high-heat PLA comes under this heading.

Using biobased materials creates a positive image for consumers, while at the same time reducing CO2 emissions and environmental impact. Protection of the environment and of resources is increasingly often a decisive sales argument for producers. The present study analyses how bioplastics consumption will develop in the individual sales markets. Demand is broken down according to the following applications: packaging and films, bottles, loose fill materials, bags and sacks, automotive and electronics, and other applications. The most important sales sector for bioplastics is the packaging industry - from demand for bottles to the production of films up to bags and sacks.

Yet next to to projecting a positive image, the use of bioplastics offers additional advantages, which explains the positive development of bioplastics compared to standard plastics. Packaging made of bioplastics provides special benefits for fresh products and perishable foodstuffs. Fruit and vegetables remain fresh for a longer time due to the higher degree of breathability of biodegradable plastics. This ability is also an advantage in the production of hygiene films, e.g. in diapers.

In addition, more and more legal frameworks, especially in packaging, support an increase in the global consumption of bioplastics. Bag bans, prohibiting the use of non-biodegradable thin-walled shopping bags, for example, have been enacted in China, France and a host of other countries. KL/MT tinyurl.com/ceresana

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

5

News

daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com

Total and Corbion form joint venture In mid November, just days after lactic acid producer Corbion announced that the groundbreaking ceremony marking the beginning of construction of its new PLA polymerization plant in Thailand, the company sprang another surprise: the new plant will be a joint venture.

French oil company Total and Corbion are partnering in a new joint venture for the production of PLA bioplastic in Thailand.

The partners will each hold a 50 % stake in the new company. Together, Total and Corbion will build and operate a PLA polymerization plant with a capacity of 75,000 tonnes per year at existing Corbion’s lactide production site in in Rayong, Thailand.

The lactide production unit in included in the deal and will also become part of the joint venture. Plans for its expansion have also been made. Corbion will supply the lactic acid necessary for the production of the PLA and the lactide.

The new company will be headquartered in the Netherlands and will launch operations in the 1st quarter of 2017, subject to regulatory approvals.

“The joint venture, which will combine Total’s technical and marketing knowledge and leading position in polymers with Corbion’s expertise in lactic acid and biopolymers, will enable us to supply innovative products and will accelerate market acceptance,” Tjerk de Ruiter, CEO of Corbion said.

“I’m very pleased with this joint venture, which aims to become a major player in the growing bioplastics market,” commented Bernard Pinatel, President of Total Refining & Chemicals.

“Corbion’s unique position in the lactic acid and biopolymers value chain makes it a natural choice for Total. The joint venture will allow us to supply an innovative material that is 100 % renewable and biodegradable and that responds to sustainability concerns.”

The new PLA polymerization plant will be constructed using proprietary polymerization technology and technology supplied

by Sulzer Chemtech Ltd. of Switzerland at the plant. The latter company will also be responsible for providing key equipment for the new plant. KL www.corbion.com

25 years of PHB development in Brazil PHB Industrial S/A is celebrating 25th anniversary this year. Since 1991, the company from Serrana, São Paulo, Brazil, has been developing its technology to produce PHB (Polyhydroxybutyrate) and its copolymer PHB-HV. Based on a completely renewable concept, the technology was developed considering the use of renewable resources such as sugar from sugar cane and other glucose sources. With a structured process by using also natural solvents, the PHB (biocycle®) is a fully sustainable, renewable and compostable material (being certified according EN13432 for over ten years).

The PHB Industrial’s technology uses a non-recombinant bacterial strain, selected and improved of course for more than 20 years with a complete genetic sequencing, allowing high efficient fermentation process (short time x productivity).

During its development, the technology has produced a set of patents filed and granted worldwide, embodying from the process to the applications.

In parallel to the development of the production route and the product, the company made a large investment of resources in material engineering, with numerous applications being tested and validated by dozens of worldwide partnerships (covering but not limited to: injection moulding applications – packaging, health & beauty, toys, electronics, plasticulture such as tubes for seedling recipient or clamps for vegetables, denitrification, thermoforming, e.g. credit cards, polyurethanes (foam); was even validated for automotive applications. Examples are a central console (photo) or covering parts including parts under the hood – such as air filters. It is the PHB a biodegradable polymer with broad potential application in several areas, mainly injection moulding, but also can be applied as an additive to many biopolymers (as additive PHB increases the HDT for materials like copolyester (Ecoflex), PLA, PBS), thus expanding their field of use.

Consolidated through a complete and detailed PDP (Project Design Package) PHB Industrial’s technology allows its licensing world with a vast potential market. MT www.biocycle.com.br

6

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

News

Biobased product database for public procurement From November 2013 to October 2016, the EU project Open-Bio investigated how markets could be opened for biobased products through standardization, labelling and procurement. As one main result informed by customer needs and demands, the project developed a database that provides relevant information about biobased end products to assist public buyers in making purchasing decisions. Its main goal is to simplify the lives of procurement officials that want to pay more attention to biobased products but don’t know where to start. Here is a starting point now!

The database presents various biobased products which are relevant for public procurers and sorted by application area, product type and Common Procurement Vocabulary Code. Products include for example products made of biobased plastics such as office supplies, gardening equipment, or plates and cutlery.

In the database, users find information about the biobased content of products, sustainability, functionality and end-of-life aspects, such as biodegradability. Claims are supported by references to standards, technical sheets and labels.

The database shall become a starting point for public purchasers to get informed about the various biobased products available on the European market. It can be used as an entrance portal for market research in order to widen the public procurement product portfolio beyond conventional fossil based products.

The database was developed by a European team led by the German Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR) including novaInstitute; BTG Biomass Technology Group, TU Berlin and DLO. The project was coordinated by the Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN).Suppliers of biobased end products are invited to join the database. Access is free of charge. Data will be presented in English. For more information, please contact m.westkaemper@fnr.de For questions, please contact the researcher in charge Martin Behrens (m.behrens@fnr.de) or the project communication officer Lara Dammer (lara.dammer@nova-institut.de).

The database can be found on the Open-Bio website. MT www.open-bio.eu/database

Showa Denko to terminate Bionolle business Showa Denko (SDK) (Tokyo, Japan) recently announced their decision to terminate production and sale of biodegradable polyester resin Bionolle™, which is used as material for various products including shopping bags and agricultural mulch film. SDK will terminate production of Bionolle by the end of December 2016, and sale of it by the end of December 2017. All employees currently engaged in SDK’s biodegradable plastic business shall be reassigned to positions in other businesses.

SDK pioneered biodegradable plastic in Japan, and started to sell it in 1993. Recently, SDK has striven to cultivate market for compound products to form shopping bags, in response to the tightening of environmental regulations in Europe and China on shopping bags made from conventional plastics. This time, however, SDK concluded that it is difficult for the Company to continue production and sale of biodegradable plastic, since there has been no sign of improvement in the harsh market environment for biodegradable plastics business because of the delay in permeation of environmental regulations on plastic shopping bags and a fall in market prices of biodegradable plastics. MT www.sdk.co.jp

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

7

Events

Rethinking Plastics 11th European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin attracted 300 experts from around the world The 11th European Bioplastics Conference (Berlin 29/30 November 2016) attracted about 300 participants from industry, academia, research, policy, and media. In his keynote speech, Mr Hugo-Maria Schally, Head of Unit Sustainable Production, Products & Consumption, DG Environment at the European Commission, stressed the necessity for a coherent policy approach and framework to support bio-based products in the European Union in order to unlock Europe’s potential for a resource-efficient circular economy.

“Europe is a world leader in developing and commercializing renewable, biobased products. This year’s conference is yet again witness to the many technological innovations and the outstanding progress of the bioplastics industry in ‘rethinking plastics’ in a sustainable, circular, and resource efficient way,” said François de Bie, Chairman of the Board of European Bioplastics. “We welcome the commitment of EU legislators to move away from the linear economic model towards a circular economy that uses resources more efficiently and links to a stronger bioeconomy. Their support is a crucial signal to our industry and investors in the bioeconomy at a time of continued low oil prices and subsidies of the fossil fuel industry. Bioplastics will play a key role in the transition to a circular bioeconomy and in decoupling economic growth from fossil resources.”

A highly anticipated session was the presentation of the 2016 annual market data update delivered by Kristy-Barbara Lange, Deputy Managing Director of EUBP on the second day of the conference: “The positive trend of the past ten years continues. According to our latest market data, the global bioplastics production capacity is predicted to grow by 50 % in the next five years,” said Lange. This development was

confirmed in several presentations during the conference by big brands, such as BASF, DuPont, or TetraPak outlining their commitments and initiatives to become more sustainable and the role of bioplastics in achieving these ambitious goals.

“For us as a large enterprise, it’s more important than ever to focus on sustainability,” explained Martin Bussmann (BASF) “and keeping renewable resources in our focus is definitely an important part of Rodenburg, Mars and Taghleef Industries were awarded the 11th Annual Global Bioplastics Award, hosted by bioplastics MAGAZINE during the conference, for the development of a candy-wrapper made from waste potato starch and recycled PLA. Find more information about the Bioplastics Award, the winner and the winning project on page 10.

The 11th European Bioplastics Conference 2016 attracted around 300 participants from 150 companies and 29 countries to connect and catch up on the latest developments, issues, debates, and trends in the bioplastics indstry in Europe. 22 companies showcased a great diversity of the latest products, materials, and applications at the exhibition alongside the conference.

European Bioplastics extends a special thank you to the sponsors of this year’s anniversary conference: BASF, Braskem, Corbion, DuPont, NatureWorks, Perstorp, Tereos, and Biotec for their support to make the 11th edition of the European Bioplastics Conference another successful meeting of our industry.

Impressions of the 11th European Bioplastics Conference 2016 are available at: www.european-bioplastics.org/news/multimedia-pictures-videos.

Photo: 2015

8

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

News

bio PAC bio CAR biobased packaging conference 4 - 5 - 6 May 2017 Düsseldorf www.bio-pac.info

Biobased materials for automotive applications conference Sept. 2017 Stuttgart www.bio-car.info

» Packaging is necessary. » Packaging protects the precious goods during transport and storage. » Packaging conveys important messages to the consumer.

» The amount of plastics in modern cars is constantly increasing. » Plastics and composites help achieving light-weighting targets. » Plastics offer enormous design opportunities.

» Good packaging helps to increase the shelf life.

» Plastics are important for the touch-and-feel and the safety of cars.

BUT:

BUT:

Packaging does not necessarily need to be made from petroleum based plastics.

consumers, suppliers in the automotive industry and OEMs are more and more looking for biobased alternatives to petroleum based materials.

biobased packaging » is packaging made from mother nature‘s gifts. » is packaging made from renewable resources. » is packaging made from biobased plastics, from plant residues such as palm leaves or bagasse.

That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is organizing this new conference on biobased materials for the automotive industry. co-orgnized by

supported by

» offers incredible opportunities.

www.bio-pac.info

CALL FOR PAPERS NOW OPEN

www.bio-car.info

in cooperation with

www. biobasedpackaging.nl

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

9

Award

And the winner is ...

Rodenburg, Taghleef and Mars win the 11th Global Bioplastics Award 2016 for a jointly developed Candybar-wrapper made from waste potato starch and recycled PLA

T

wo family-owned businesses - the Dutch potatostarch processor Rodenburg and the US-based global food corporation Mars as well as the innovative film producer Taghleef Industries (Ti) were chosen to win the 2016 Bioplastics Award for their encouraging development of a new film packaging for food products, namely candybars.

The international jury found it an outstanding example of research to develop a complex packaging fulfilling demanding requirements.

The project covered the whole value-chain of packing material processing, ranging from the production of the bioplastic resin (waste starch based Solyanyl® C, Rodenburg) through extrusion and stretching of the plastic films (Ti) to the actual packaging of food products (Mars).

The development of a special Solanyl recipe consisting of waste starch from the potato processing industry and recycled PLA (sheet extrusion production waste) enabled the development of a packaging structure which has been found well performing in a Mars field test. The packaging was temporarily introduced in test markets in the Netherlands, France and Germany during 2015. Before, however, a comprehensive launch more work needs to be done.

Nevertheless, it already is an awsome example of team spirit and will to succeed.

Taghleef, Mars’ packaging converter, manufactured the film on a BOPP line, while Mondi printed the packaging; it took four production trials before an acceptable packaging film was manufactured. The development which started in 2012 is a highlight of what can be achieved if the right partners team up to develop a demanding packaging: Chocolate is not one of the easiest products in terms of smell and taste preservation and sensitivity, this new starch-based packaging material fulfils requirements for barrier and protection.

“We have a compound that works, and is recyclable at production (film extrusion) which helps reduce production waste and bring material cost down.” Thijs Rodenburg, CEO of Rodenburg Biopolymers stated. “The focus was on using a packaging material that is sustainable and uses 2nd generation feedstock,” he continued.

Not only does the material require about 30 % less energy to produce, it also has a carbon footprint that is over 35 % lower than that of traditional packaging materials (PP).

“Biodegradability was a packaging side-effect for Mars”, Thijs continued, “who didn’t consider it highly important because the company was concerned consumers might not understand what it means.”

Rodenburg started with trading of plant-derived products for various industries in 1945. The company has been a family owned company since then, with currently the third generation joining the company. Taghleef Industries is one of the largest manufacturers of bi-axially oriented polypropylene (BoPP)- and cast polypropylene (CPP) films in the world, headquartered in Dubai U.A.E.. Ti also supplies a new range of bio-based, compostable and biodegradable range of BoPLA (Bio-oriented PolyLactic Acid) packaging films branded NATIVIA™. Mars started back 1911 and is a global manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$33 billion in annual sales in 2015, it is amongst the largest companies in the US. Solanyl is mainly based on reclaimed side stream starch from potato processing industry grain, seed, root or flour based resources. It does not compete with food or animal feedstock.

The prize was awarded to the winning companies on November 29th, 2016 during the 11th European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin, Germany. MT www.2gflexwrap.com

10

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/15] Vol. 10

BIOPLASTICS BUSINESS BREAKFAST

SAYS

B

3 20. – 22.10.2016 Messe Düsseldorf, Germany

THANK YOU...

...to all of the attendees, sponsors, and speakers who participated in the B³ Media Partner

1st Media Partner

Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Supported by

Cover-Story

The future of NatureFlex™ What does Futamura’s acquisition of the Innovia Films’ Cellulose films business mean for the future of the NatureFlex™ films brand?

F

utamura, headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, is a leading global manufacturer of plastic and cellulosic materials including casings and non-wovens.

Since July 2016, this also includes the leading brand names of Cellophane™ and renewable and compostable NatureFlex™ films.

The acquisition positions Futamura as the global leader in cellulose films and the leading manufacturer of sustainable films for the flexible packaging market. Now with a global footprint across production sites in Japan, USA and the UK, as well as a network of sales offices, agents and distributors throughout the world, Futamura is better placed to meet its customers’ growing needs.

Investment is already underway at the US production site in Tecumseh (Kansas), to upgrade manufacturing equipment to state-of-the-art technology. Futamura President, Yasuo Nagae, has also committed to continued investment in the rest of the business. This commitment stems from the company’s objectives to secure the longterm growth and sustainability of the business, rather than seeking immediate profits. Futamura’s goal is to use its wide cellulosic expertise and experience to further extend the technical capabilities of cellulosic materials, including NatureFlex.

The NatureFlex films brand reputation continues to grow under Futamura’s guardianship. Marketing Manager at Futamura, Andy Sweetman, said; “The future has never looked brighter for our NatureFlex brand, the acquisition has been an extremely positive move for us. Futamura is committed to investing in the business and supports our team’s objectives to further develop our NatureFlex films innovative, value added and sustainable product range.”

Recent Awards success with NatureFlex films German fine chocolate producer iChoc, has been awarded the Sweetie 2016 award that recognises the best confectionery of 2016, by a leading German grocery magazine, Rundschau für den Lebensmittelhandel, for their latest range of Vegan Chocolate that is wrapped in Futamura’s NatureFlex films.

The iChoc bars are packaged in transparent NatureFlex NK film that offers excellent barrier properties ensuring the dairy free chocolate remains in premium condition.

12

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

iChoc Chief Director, Andreas Meyer, received the Sweetie 2016 in Baden Baden and said; “I am delighted that iChoc, as a small vegan brand, has competed against the bigger German brands to win this award.” He added; “Packaging is a key component of our product as a whole; NatureFlex NK film is the ideal choice for iChoc as it not only reflects our ethical values, but provides the necessary barrier and machinability for packing.”

Another success saw Futamura’s customer, Biobrush, announced as Winner 2016 in the Sustainability category of the German Packaging Institute’s Packaging Award 2016.

The prestigious award, sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, has a jury made up of leading research and industry experts.

Biobrush Toothbrushes are based on renewable resources; therefore, introducing a packaging film based on renewable cellulose was the logical move.

The sustainable concept convinced the jury that NatureFlex films not only provide the necessary product protection and on-shelf appeal, but also the option to biodegrade and home compost the packaging after use.

Nannett Wiedemann, managing director of Biobrush Berlin, delighted with the award, said; “We have always been convinced, of course, that this concept is not only necessary but thrilling. However, it is absolutely fabulous for us to have independent, high profile, recognition of our product!

Organic products require organic packaging, that´s for sure. We are happy to have found NatureFlex films.”

Most recently, NatureFlex films was a finalist in the Resource Efficient Pack of the Year category at the prestigious UK Packaging Awards with Percol’s bio-based and compostable coffee capsules.

The innovative Nespresso® compatible capsules, developed by ATI (Advanced Technology Innovations) in collaboration with Bio4pack and Futamura, hold significant benefits for the environment; reduced packaging and enhanced shelf life.

Thanks to the unique and outstanding barrier properties of the cups and NatureFlex film lidding, there is no need for an individual sachet overwrap. This reduces the environmental impact without compromise to the quality of the coffee and functionality of the coffee machine.

Cover-Story

By: Lynne Quincey Communications Futamura Chemical UK Wigton Cumbria, UK

The cups and NatureFlex film are bio-based and fully compostable according to the CEN standard EN 13432.

After use, where waste collection infrastructure allows, the capsules can be thrown in the green waste bin for conversion into compost to act as a potential feed for soil improvement and subsequently further food and raw material production.

Food Safety Developments Bioderived and compostable materials have historically been limited in the degree of protection they could offer.

However, Futamura’s unique base film and coating technologies have been harnessed to provide unparalleled gas and moisture barrier properties without compromising either the levels of renewable raw materials employed or the final compostability of the packaging material. This excellent barrier also effectively addresses recent health concerns highlighted in a number of scientific studies regarding foods being contaminated by the migration of mineral oil from paper-board packaging.

UK Packaging Award finalist Percol’s bio-based and compostable coffee capsules

Futamura conducted a proactive investigation into the mineral oil hydrocarbon (MOH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbon (MOAH) barrier of NatureFlex and Cellophane films, which led to them officially been proven to provide over 5 years protection from mineral oil migration, well beyond the required shelf-life of the vast majority of packaged foods. (Reference: Grob K, Test on barrier properties of 3 films. Available on request from Futamura.)

In conclusion Futamura is proving itself to be an excellent guardian of the NatureFlex brand. With a commitment for continued investment, a string of recent awards successes and developments in food safety to better meet customer and consumer needs, the future looks very promising indeed for NatureFlex films. www.futamuragroup.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

13

Films/Flexibles/Bags

New barrier packaging for cheese and pasta products

A

IMPLAS acted as the coordinator of a European project that developed multilayer biodegradable and recyclable cheese and fresh pasta packaging comprised of over 75 % biobased content that offers a shelf life at least equal to that of conventional packaging.

Technical development The new packaging is composed of a combination of thermoplastic, biodegradable materials, like polylactic acid (PLA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH).

PLA has excellent mechanical properties and is highly transparent. Tailor-made PVOH has a high oxygen barrier and is soluble in water, which allows the packaging to be recycled.

In order to increase the barrier effect against water vapour, the outside of the multilayer packaging is coated with a biodegradable coating made of natural waxes from agricultural wastes. Also, a new biodegradable adhesive was developed in the course of the project.

The different layers of the new packaging were shown to offer the same shelf life as traditional packaging, in the three food case studies selected.

However, the difference is that the new packages are produced from 75 % raw materials from renewable sources.

They are also biodegradable and easily recyclable.

Role of the partners Ten companies and technological centres were involved in this European project.

Next to acting as project coordinator, Aimplas (Spain) was also involved in the development of the PVOH grade required.

This is a biodegradable and oxygen barrier material needed to fulfil the requirements of each food selected. Aimplas was also involved in the processing of the new multilayer packaging using the materials developed (PVOH and tie layer).

The French compounding company Mapea developed a new biodegradable adhesive suitable for use in co-extrusion technologies, with the support of the Finnish research centre Abo Akademi.

The French company Bobino Plastique was responsible for processing the developed materials to obtain the multilayer structure to be used to get the final packages.

Artibal, a Spanish manufacturer of waxes, lacquers and inks, worked on the formulation of a water-barrier coating, with the support of the German technical centre Fraunhofer IVV. The Spanish company Vallés Plàstic was responsible for applying the new coating made from natural waxes, to achieve the humidity barrier needed to maintain the shelf life of the packaged food.

The companies responsible for the validation of the products packaged in the newly developed packaging were: Central Quesera Montesinos, a Spanish cheese producer, using the new packages for their goat cheese; The Belgian company Altoni-Kelderman, a manufacturer of fresh pasta; The German company Sachsenmilch, a supplier of packaged slices of cheese.

Fig. 1 Industrial sheet obtained in the project BIO4MAP

14

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Films/Flexibles/Bags Fig. 2 Wax coating development

By: Nuria López Aznar Extrusion department researcher AIMPLAS plastic technology centre Valencia (Spain)

Industrial scale-up The new materials and their process conditions were subsequently been optimized for industrial scale processing.

Aimplas produced the PVOH required and Mapea successfully developed the tie layer needed for the industrial multilayer process.

The global migration value* was 2.2 mg/dm2, below the maximum level allowed (10 mg/dm2). *: The overall migration test was performed with two alternative oil simulants: D2 alternative: Iso-octane and D2 alternative: Ethanol 95%

Both materials were used at the Bobino facilities to produce the multilayer sheet (fig. 1).

Comparative studies were performed between the traditional packaging and the BIO4MAP version, to study the microbiological growth and the organoleptic properties.

The wax coating with water barrier properties developed by Artibal was applied at the Vallés Plàstic facilities (fig. 2).

According to the compostability and biodegradability test, the new packaging complies with the standard EN 13432.

The sheets thus obtained were thermoformed to be used as food packaging. The industrial packages for the products made by Montesinos, Altoni Kelderman and Sachsenmilch are shown in fig. 3.

The new packaging is fully recyclable.

Results: Development of low-cost PVOH for co-extrusion purposes with good gas barrier properties.

The total carbon footprint of BIO4MAP packages is about 29 % lower than that of conventional packages (end of life scenario incineration with or without energy recovery for both versions).

Development of a biodegradable tie layer compatible with PLA and PVOH suitable for co-extrusion technologies.

The new packages are cost competitive. Optimizing the total thickness of the packaging and each layer to adjust the requirements to the materials cost, can yield a reduction of up to 25 % of the final cost.

Production of a wax coating for improved water vapour barrier.

All the materials and additives used are food contact approved and comply with regulatory and safety issues.

Suitable mechanical properties for final applications.

The packages have a high transparency.

The packaging fulfils the barrier requirements defined (2 cm3/(tray·day·bar): the oxygen gas transmission of the final packaging was 0.022 cm3/(tray·day·bar) and the water vapour transmission was 1.39 g/(m2·d).

www.bio4map.eu/ References: [1] The research leading to these results received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme [FP7/2007-2013] under grant agreement no 606144 (BIO4MAP).

Fig. 3 Food packages developed in the project BIO4MAP

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

15

Films/Flexibles/Bags

Innovative biodegradable packaging for corrosion protection

C

ortec Corporation has long sought to be at the vanguard of producing environmentally friendly corrosion protection solutions. With rust and corrosion remaining a never-ending menace to practically any industry involving metal, the need is great for protecting in-process and finished metal goods during storage or shipping. With increasing environmental regulations and concerns, there is also a growing need for providing corrosion solutions that are biobased or biodegradable.

Cortec has addressed these concerns by developing EcoCorr Film, a biodegradable corrosion protection packaging solution with formulations containing up to 40 % biobased content. This is the first and only biodegradable film providing contact, barrier, and vapor corrosion inhibition, expanding options for users who have already benefited from the significant advantages of VpCI (Vapor phase Corrosion Inhibitor) film packaging.

Eco-Corr contains Cortec’s VpCI technology embedded in biodegradable film. This technology works by releasing VpCI molecules from Eco-Corr Film into the enclosed space inside the film packaging. The molecules condense on metal surfaces of parts or equipment packaged inside the film, forming a protective monomolecular barrier against corrosive environments such as high humidity and chlorides, and also protecting against dissimilar metal corrosion.

Because of their vapor ability, VpCI molecules are able to migrate throughout the enclosed space to protect hard to reach interior surfaces. The film also provides excellent contact and barrier protection on exterior surfaces and is good for both ferrous and non-ferrous metals. It meets NACE TM0208-2008 and German TL-8135-002 standards for corrosion protection. The film can be custom formulated to range from highly elastic to semi-rigid.

EcoCorr ESD

VpCI film in its basic form has been a dynamic corrosion protection solution around the world, providing versatility and ease of use in protecting metal parts. It provides dry corrosion protection and eliminates the need to use additional rust preventatives that would require cleaning and degreasing by the end user. With the development of Eco-Corr, a biodegradable form of highly practical VpCI film can be fashioned into a range of bags, tubes, and sheeting to fit the custom needs of the application. Manufacturers can package their metal parts, such as gears or engines, in bags or shrouds to protect them from corrosion during shipping, a typically vulnerable time for metal parts. This is important as claims for parts corroded during domestic or overseas shipping are not only expensive but can damage the supplier’s reputation and relationship with the customer. An ESD (electrostatic dissipative) version of the film is also available for biodegradable packaging of sensitive electronics.

Another valuable use for VpCI film is to protect parts in storage. If manufacturers need to store parts between processing steps, one option is to line a container with Eco-Corr film, place the partially finished goods inside, and enclose them in the film until they must be taken out for the next step in the process. Even industries not involved in the production or shipment of metal parts can benefit by wrapping metal equipment with VpCI film while the pieces are in storage or layup. This guards against the unpleasant surprise of finding components rusty or corroded when it is time to put the equipment back into commission.

The film successfully passes the tests for disintegration and biodegradation in an aerobic composting environment per ASTM D6400-12. After the film has been used, it can be composted in a commercial composting environment.

Under typical conditions in this setting, it will fully compost within approximately two to three months. However, the film is shelf stable and does not disintegrate until particular composting conditions are experienced. In the meantime, users can enjoy the effective protection of VpCI in a biodegradable, biobased format.

Acknowledgement: Special thanks for the assistance of Robert Kean PhD, Eric Uutala, and John Wulterkens of Cortec Laboratories and Cortec Technical Services. MT www.cortecvci.com

16

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Films/Flexibles/Bags

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

17

Films/Flexibles/Bags

Edible food packaging made from milk proteins

A

t grocery stores, most foods — meat, bread, cheese, snacks — come wrapped in plastic packaging. Not only does this create a lot of non-recyclable, nonbiodegradable waste, but too thin plastic films are sometimes not sufficient to prevent spoilage. And some plastics are suspected of leaching potentially harmful compounds into food. To address these issues, scientists are now developing a packaging film made of milk proteins — and it is even edible.

Researchers of the Agricultural Research Center (ARS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) presented their work on August 21st at the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society. The meeting featured more than 9,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics. “The protein-based films are powerful oxygen blockers that help prevent food spoilage. When used in packaging, they could prevent food waste during distribution along the food chain,” says research leader Peggy Tomasula.

And spoiled food is just one issue. Current food packaging is mainly made of petroleum-based, non-sustainable plastic. It also does not biodegrade, creating tons of plastic waste that — in many countries — sits in landfills for years.

To create an all-around better packaging solution, Tomasula and colleagues at the USDA are developing an environmentally friendly film made of the milk protein casein. These casein-based films exhibit a significantly better oxygen barrier than many conventional plastics used for packaging purposes. And, because they are derived from milk and processed in a special way these films are biodegradable, sustainable and edible. Some commercially available edible packaging varieties are already on the market, but these are made of starch, which is more porous and show a higher oxygen permeation through its microholes. The milk-based packaging, however, has smaller pores and can thus create a better oxygen barrier.

Although the researchers’ first attempt using pure casein resulted in a strong and effective oxygen blocker, it was relatively hard to handle and would dissolve in water too quickly. They made some improvements by incorporating citrus pectin into the blend to make the packaging even stronger, as well as more resistant to humidity and high temperatures.

After a few additional improvements, this casein-based packaging looks similar to conventional commercially available plastic wrap, but it is less stretchy and is better at blocking oxygen. The material is edible and made almost entirely of proteins. Nutritious additives such as vitamins, probiotics and nutraceuticals could be included in the future. It does not have much taste, the researchers say, but flavorings could be added.

“The coatings applications for this product are endless,” says Laetitia Bonnaillie, co-leader of the study. “We are currently testing applications such as single-serve, edible

18

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Films/Flexibles/Bags food wrappers. For instance, individually wrapped cheese sticks use a large proportion of plastic — we would like to fix that.”

Info: Videoclip: bit.ly/ACSediblepackaging

Because single-serve pouches would need to stay sanitary, they would have to be encased in a larger plastic or cardboard container for sale on store shelves to prevent them from getting wet or dirty.

In addition to being used as plastic pouches and wraps, the new casein coating could be sprayed onto food, such as cereal flakes or bars. Right now, cereals keep their crunch in milk due to a sugar coating. Instead of all that sugar, manufacturers could spray on casein-protein coatings to prevent soggy cereal. The spray also could line pizza or other food boxes to keep the grease from staining the packaging, or to serve as a lamination step for paper or cardboard food boxes or plastic pouches. The FDA (US Food & Drug Administration) recently banned the perfluorinated substances that used to coat these containers, so casein coatings could be a safe, biodegradable alternative.

Bonnaillie says her group is currently creating prototype film samples for a small company in Texas, and the development has garnered interest among other companies, too. The group plans to keep making improvements, and she predicts this casein packaging will be on store shelves within 3 years.

The researchers acknowledge funding from the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. MT

All pictures: Screenshots from the video (see link) courtesy American Chemical Society ACS.

www.ars.usda.gov

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WORLDWIDE BIOECONOMY Focus: ++ Bio-based Building Blocks & Platform Chemicals ++ Oleochemistry ++ Innovation Award ++ Start-ups ++ The 10th International Conference on Bio-based Materials is aimed at providing international major players from the bio-based building blocks, polymers and industrial biotechnology industries with an opportunity to present and discuss their latest developments and strategies. The conference builds on successful previous conferences: 300 participants and 30 exhibitors mainly from industry are expected.

www.nova-institute.eu

Venue & Accomodation

Book now at www.bio-based-conference.com

Maternushaus, Cologne, Germany Kardinal-Frings-Str. 1–3, 50668 Cologne +49 (0)221 163 10, info@maternushaus.de

10% reduction – enter the allowance code bpm10 during your booking process

Contact

Organiser

Dominik Vogt

Conference Manager +49 (0)2233 4814-49 dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de

Call for papers is open! Start-ups are also invited to apply for the exciting Start-up Session. bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

19

Films/Flexibles/Bags

New insights in PHBHHx Modified PHBHHx with interesting properties for food packaging applications

P

olyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are a family of biobased polymers that have received a great deal of attention the last few decades for certain applications, such as packaging, medical devices, and controlled drug-delivery systems. PHAs are polyesters, that can be produced by a variety of bacteria from a wide range of renewable organic substrates. These polyesters are biodegradable as well as biocompatible [1].

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) can be considered as a candidate for replacement of specific fossil-based polymers, due to its ductile nature and wider processing window, compared to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), which are the two most investigated PHAs. The mechanical properties of PHBHHx have been compared to low-density polyethylene, with a possible application for packaging. Unfortunately, the crystallization rate of PHBHHx is very slow, even at low 3-hydroxyhexanoate content. Therefore, many efforts are actually devoted to solve this problem (e.g., by addition of a nucleating agent or selected microfillers or nanofillers) [3].

The doctoral research of Jens Vandewijngaarden at the University of Hasselt (Belgium) aimed at the characterization and modification of PHA for application as food packaging material. Focus was placed on the polymer PHBHHx with a 3-hydroxyhexanoate content of 10 mol%.

The research, which was performed from 2012 to 2016, involved the effective characterization and pinpointing the major positive and negative properties. Several types of modification techniques were investigated in order to enhance the applicability of these materials.

Gas permeability properties of PHBHHx PHBHHx presented a moderate barrier for oxygen (O2) (approx. 8 cm3·mm·m-2 ·day-1·atm-1) and carbon dioxide (CO2) (approx. 40 cm3·mm·m-2·day-1·atm-1) and a fairly low water vapor permeability (approx. 1.4 g·mm·m-2·day-1) [4].

Slow crystallization is an inherent property of PHBHHx which hinders the industrial processing of this material.

Though the general properties of PHBHHx are promising, the crystallization must be enhanced further for effective application as food packaging material. Therefore, a selection of additives (nucleating agents) was tested, that could possibly also have a beneficial effect on other packaging-related properties.

Effect of ultra-fine talc In the first phase, ultra-fine talc, with a particle size of less than 1 µm, was identified as a highly efficient nucleating agent for PHBHHx. An isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization study showed that ultra-fine talc drastically improved crystallization, in tested concentrations of 0.5, 1 and 2 wt%. A maximum reduction of the non-isothermal

20

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

crystallization half-time at 70 °C of 97 % was achieved by adding 2 wt% ultra-fine talc, as shown in Figure 2.

The gas permeability properties of the talc-filled composites remained within the same range of application as virgin PHBHHx. In terms of mechanical properties, the Young’s modulus increased with a maximum of 13 % at a loading of 2 wt% of ultra-fine talc, whereas the tensile strength and elongation at break remained fairly constant.

In conclusion, ultra-fine talc displays great potential to enhance industrial processing of PHBHHx as packaging material [5].

Effect of nanoclay on PHBHHx In an effort to further enhance the barrier properties of PHBHHx, nanocomposites with organomodified montmorillonite clay (OMMT) were prepared, with an OMMT content between 1 and 10 wt%. In terms of gas permeability properties, the sample containing 10 wt% OMMT was most performant, with O2, CO2 and water vapor permeability coefficient reduced by 47%, 42% and 37%, respectively.

This effect is attributed to the increased tortuous path, due to the platelet structure of OMMT. Unfortunately, using a concentration this high rendered the nanocomposite increasingly brittle, with the elongation at break reduced by 44 %. Taking into account all properties, it was concluded that an OMMT concentration of 3 wt% could be a promising compromise between enhanced barrier properties (about 20 % reduction) and a reduction of mechanical properties, though further research is necessary [6].

Effect of ZnO nanorods on PHBHHx A final approach involved the preparation of zinc oxide nanocomposites. Zinc oxide with a nanorod structure was chosen, based on promising literature data for other polymeric matrices. Two types of zinc oxide nanorods were used, unmodified (ZnO) and surface modified (sZnO), in concentrations of 1, 3 and 5 wt%. A TEM (Transmission electron microscopy) study revealed that it was not possible to obtain fine dispersions of ZnO using concentrations higher than 1 wt%, whereas there were no dispersion issues for sZnO at all tested concentrations. The addition of up to 5 wt% sZnO did not appear to present any significant changes in gas permeability. The Young’s modulus was increased by only 7 %, whereas the elongation at break was reduced by 19 %. An important downside of higher ZnO or sZnO concentrations is the higher opacity, which increased from 11.5 to 37.7 % upon addition of 5 wt% sZnO. It is however important to note that the addition of only 1 wt% provided a novel UV shielding property, of wavelengths below 370 nm, to PHBHHx, as shown in Figure 3. This could prove to be a valuable feature for food packaging materials as well.

Overall, this doctoral study revealed that PHBHHx certainly shows promise for use as food packaging material,

Films/Flexibles/Bags

Figure 1: PHBHHx film produced by sheet extrusion By: Jens Vandewijngaarden1,2, Robert Carleer2 Jan Yperman2, Roos Peeters1, Mieke Buntinx1 Hasselt University, Institute of Materials Research Research groups Packaging Technology Center imo-imomec1 & Applied and Analytical Chemistry imo-imomec/CMK2 Hasselt, Belgium

www.uhasselt.be/verpakkingscentrum

Figure 2: Isothermal crystallization halftime t1/2 at 70 °C for PHBHHx/ultra-fine talc composites Crystallization half/time t1/2 at 70° C (min)

despite the fact that the selected modifications did not make it possible to obtain a high barrier material. However, a successful implementation of PHBHHx could be realized by enhancing the negative properties, namely increasing the crystallization rate using ultra-fine talc as nucleating agent. The intrinsic positive properties of PHBHHx should be correctly taken advantage of. PHBHHx has a fairly good water vapor barrier and could thus, for example, be used as protection layer for moisture-sensitive oxygen barrier layers. A successful UV blocking can be realized through the addition of low amounts of zinc oxide (1 wt%), as an added functionality of the material. The addition of zinc oxide in this concentration range can result in a fast crystallizing material, which can also protect a moisture-sensitive barrier layer (e.g. EVOH) in a multilayer film.

References:

Ultra-fine talc concetration (wt%)

[1] Current progress on bio-based polymers and their future trends. Babu RP, O’Connor K & Seeram R. Prog Biomater 2 (8) (2013).

[2] Effect of orotic acid as a nucleating agent on the crystallization of bacterial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) copolymers.

Jacquel N, Tajima K, Nakamura N, Miyagawa T, Pan P & Inoue Y. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 114: 1287–1294 (2009).

[3] Nucleation Effect of Layered Metal Phosphonate on Crystallization of Bacterial Poly[(3-hydroxybutyrate)-co-(3-hydroxyhexanoate)]. Yu F, Pan P, Nakamura N & Inoue Y. Macromol. Mater. Eng., 296: 103–112 (2011).

Figure 3: UV transmittance of PHBHHx/Zinc oxide nanocomposites

[5] Effect of ultrafine talc on crystallization and end-use properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate). Vandewijngaarden J, Murariu M, Dubois P, Carleer R, Yperman J, D’Haen J, Peeters R and Buntinx M, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 133 (45) (2016a).

[6] Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate)/organomodified montmorillonite nanocomposites for potential food packaging applications. Vandewijngaarden J, Wauters R, Murariu M, Dubois P, Carleer R, Yperman J, D’Haen J, Ruttens B, Schreurs S, Lepot N, Peeters R and Buntinx M. Journal of polymers and the environment, 24 (2), 104-118 (2016b).

Transmittance (%)

[4] Gas permeability properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3hydroxyhexanoate). Vandewijngaarden J, Murariu M, Dubois P, Carleer R, Yperman J, Adriaensens P, Schreurs S, Lepot N, Peeters R and Buntinx M. Journal of polymers and the environment, 22 (4), 501-507 (2014).

Wavelength (nm)

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

21

Films/Flexibles/Bags

Laminated films Rapid development of compostable and sustainable laminated films enables application in more and more foodstuffs

L

22

Unique material properties make laminated films a better packaging option

aminated films have been a trusted packaging method for fresh foods for many years now. Single-layer films have proven to work particularly well for fresh produce with a relatively short shelf life. And now that double- and triple-layer laminated films have been developed, a whole new world of possibilities has opened up for compostable and sustainable packaging for foodstuffs with a long(er) shelf life. The development of multi-layer laminated films accelerated rapidly thanks to a packaging project that Bio4pack (Rheine, Germany) completed for a Dutch meat producer. As a result of the knowledge gained over the course this project, multi-layer laminated films are now also available in fully compostable (in accordance with EN13432) and sustainable varieties.

Thanks to the collaboration with Euroflex in 2012, the development of multi-layer compostable and sustainable laminated films was accelerated. All of the initial problems were solved, so that a compostable and sustainable duplex laminated film could be created for this meat project. And as it turns out, the unique barrier properties of the laminate actually make it a better packaging option than traditional meat packaging. Beef in particular keeps much better in the new compostable and sustainable packaging, consisting of PLA trays and PLA and cellulose laminate wrapping, than in traditional packaging.

Sustainable and compostable laminated films for dried goods

Shared knowledge leads to massive possibilities for sustainable packaging

“We encountered some manufacturing issues while developing compostable and sustainable meat packaging, so that we were initially only able to offer a biobased packaging option,� says Patrick Gerritsen of Bio4pack. “However, that was the first step on the path to creating compostable and sustainable multi-layer laminated films.

While we were still developing compostable and sustainable meat packaging, the first order for compostable, biobased laminate packaging was booked. In 2012, DO-it and Eko Plaza began using BTI43 duplex laminate packaging (compostable in accordance with EN13432 and with a 4-star biobased rating) for packaging dried goods such as rice and pasta.

The knowledge and experience that was gained in developing duplex laminate was then used to create a triplex laminate as well. This triplex laminate consists solely of components that are DIN Certco EN 13432 certified. TIPA, Futamura and Taghleef made an important contribution to the development of this triple-layer laminate. They were able to supply the necessary knowledge to realise the triple-layer laminate, thanks to their specialised background. In order to speed up the introduction to the market, a large number of duplex and triplex packaging options were immediately EN 13432 certified, making them instantly available for a lot of buyers. DIN Certco played an important part in this process by ensuring speedy certification for the laminated films.

Coffee capsules

Laminated films for bags

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Films/Flexibles/Bags

Depending on the make-up of the laminate layers, these laminated films are compostable in accordance with EN 13432 and/or have a 4-star biobased rating (i.e. consisting of more than 80 % renewable raw materials).

These triple-layer laminated films, which are used for flexible foil wrapping, are used for a wide variety of products these days. Coffee roaster Peeze uses triplex laminated film to package ground coffee and whole beans. Xlim and Winnaz use it to package their chips, and manufacturer Aardse Droom uses it to package their Sapana candy bar. The use of this laminated film for packaging chips is particularly interesting. In the Netherlands, the use of packaging that incorporates evaporated metal film will be prohibited from 2050 onwards, but thanks to compostable duplex laminated film, there is already a good solution for this future situation.

shelf life in a sustainable manner as well. We consider it a challenge to make sure that all such products are packaged using our laminated films in the future.”

Bio4pack was recently given recognition for the development and high quality of its laminated films when it was awarded third place in the UK Packaging Awards, and on top of that, Bio4pack’s ATI Nespresso coffee cups were nominated for the Dutch Gouden Noot or Golden Nut award, world’s most competitive competition for packaging innovations. MT www.bio4pack.com

Multi-layer laminated films are the future and are already doing well The excellent barrier properties of triplex laminated film mean that the range of applications is nigh on endless.

“Although the number of applications has increased massively, there are still plenty of changes that need to be made. For example, why don’t we use compostable packaging for cakes and cookies (yet)? After all, the material properties of these packaging options are better than those of traditional packaging materials and the benefits for our planet are self-evident,” says Patrick Gerritsen. “Thanks to the development of this new generation of laminated films, we now have the option of packaging products with a longer

BTI43 laminate (MST = minimum sealing temperature)

Moisture Barrier, Heat-seal Coating Transparent Cellulose Film Moisture Barrier, Heat-seal Coating Glue Heat sealable PLA-layer (MST= 85°C) PLA core Heat sealable PLA-layer (MST= 85°C)

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

23

Consumer Electronics

The fair PC mouse

T

he PC mouse, a device that has revolutionised the way we use modern computers, is almost invisible on a daily basis. As a vital part of a PC system, our hands unthinkingly reach for it and without it, we feel disoriented.

Its intuitive control contributes to its ubiquitous presence alongside modern PCs. It is now so common, that anyone who is not involved in the production chain may well be astonished at what is hidden beneath that neat casing, shaped to suit our hand. It looks like just another one of those electronic devices cluttering up our daily lives. Looks, however, can deceive: the complexity of the production chain and the problems, which have to be solved to fabricate a simple PC mouse are far greater than meet the eye. This is particularly the case when designing a mouse according to fair requirements, as is the aim of non-profit organisation Nager IT (Bichl, Germany), an association focussed on encouraging humane working conditions at electronics manufacturers by developing socially and environmentally sustainable electronics. Now, a junior research team (Forschernachwuchsgruppe, FNG) headed by V.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Andrea Siebert-Raths at the Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (IfBB) at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hannover, Germany, working in close collaboration with Nager IT, has developed a biobased material for the fair computer mouse.

Figure 1 The fair PC mouse based on IfBB’s compound. Source: IfBB, Kathrin Morawietz

By: Jacek Leciński, Andrea Siebert-Raths Daniela Jahn and Jessica Rutz Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Hannover, Germany

24

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Junior Research Team The FNG team is looking for new application areas for biopolymers to increase their market relevance and acceptance. Since 2012, the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) has provided funding for the project through the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR). To date, the main focus of the team’s work has been on the development of materials able to compete with the familiar commodity plastics present in everyday products that could better meet the demands of the customer with

Consumer Electronics

respect to mechanical, thermal and processing properties.

The FNG team is currently in its second funding period, during which the developed materials are to find their application. To that end, the IfBB’s partners in this project are implementing the newly developed materials in their products, with the support of the FNG researchers who are providing the technical know-how needed to effortlessly switch the production process to new biobased materials, while meeting the product’s requirements.

states that in case of failure, the electronic parts may be exchanged. Repeatable assembly and disassembly was therefore required, as was good dimensional stability (min. warping) to ensure the long-lasting functionality of the PCB, the scrolling wheel and the screw connections. Additional features, such as a pleasant touch, surface gloss or easy colouring also needed to be considered; last but not least, the compound was required to be made from at least 65 % non- genetically modified renewable resources.

Demanding mouse

The challenges

IfBB was tasked with implementing a new biobased compound and adapting an existing, aftermarket injection moulding tool (presumably designed for ABS) for sustainably sourced material in 2014. Material requirements were determined by the mechanical and thermal resistance to be delivered by the casing and the two mouse buttons, comprising the four-cavity mould. Hence, the material needed to offer adequate impact strength and a relatively low degree of stiffness, as the mouse had to be tough enough to withstand an incidental fall from a desk. A special “drop-off desk” simulation test was therefore devised. In addition, the material also had be able to withstand high temperatures, due to the possible local heating-up of printed circuit board (PCB) parts. Furthermore, Nager-IT has a policy that

In many cases, modifying an existing tool for use with a biobased compound is a challenge. Knowledge of material handling alone is not sufficient to overcome the hurdles that arise. The challenge has less to do with the use of the biobased material, and more with establishing adequate processing parameters and with the correct design and maintenance of the tools. The injection moulding tool which Nager-IT obtained on the aftermarket was therefore validated first. The mould’s runner system was somewhat distinctive. Directly behind the sprue in the runner system was a small plate that functioned as a built-in valve, apparently designed to block two of four cavities, so that the mould would run on only two cavities simultaneously.

The cavities differed in terms of geometry and volume,

Figure 2 Modifications of the components. Source: TPK Kunststofftechnik GmbH

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

25

Consumer Electronics

so it was decided to conduct flow simulations. This would enable defects in the moulded parts to be swiftly identified, thus minimising mould iterations, and enabling significant advantages and cost savings related to the avoidance of further defects in geometry to be achieved. The simulations showed that, due to the unequal diameter of the runners, the cavities could not be fill uniformly. The casing parts displayed distinct sink marks. To eliminate these, a higher holding pressure was needed. Graduation of the injection profile and adjustment of a switch-over point eliminated the sink marks. However, it then became impossible to eject the buttons properly. Moreover, both mouse buttons displayed flash, which indicated additional problems. The purpose of the puzzling valve blocking half of the cavities was now clear. To run the process automatically, the mould could only produce two of the four components at a time. This general outcome was confirmed in practice by validation tests using different PLA materials.

An X-rayed mouse New challenges related to the design manifested themselves after the first components were manufactured and analysed. Repeated tightening of the screws of the casing at a defined torque revealed screw boss failure due to the thin-wall design, which could not withstand the torsional

Figure 3 CT scan and geometry validation. Source: Fraunhofer WKI @Florian Bittner

26

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

loading. Also, the fixing struts of the scroll wheel were found to wear out unusually quickly. The wheel could not tolerate permanent rotation under a constant pressure for an extended time period, so X-ray 3D Computer Tomography (CT) scanning was performed to identify the design flaws in a close-up and to determine the specific structures of the components. Also, an assessment of material shrinkage and warpage after conditioning was made. The dimensional stability of the casing was crucial to ensure the correct placing of the PCB, at the heart of a mouse.

The above flaws were corrected through mould optimisation. First and foremost, the runner system was balanced. The gate diameters were optimised, i.e. their size was adapted to the cavity volume and the material flowability. The screw boss was reinforced to withstand the torsional loading. The scroll wheel axis was adjusted, after CT scanning revealed this was skewed.

The biobased mouse Having optimised the mould and the design of the mouse, the FNG team could finally implement the purposedeveloped semi-crystalline PLA compound. Compared to amorphous PLA, this material offers a substantially better performance in terms of thermal (HDT-B > 115 °C)

Figure 4 Mould-fill simulation. Source: IfBB

Consumer Electronics

and mechanical properties. Superior properties were achieved by means of compounding PLA homopolymers and additives. Even though the material required a mould temperature of 100 °C to achieve proper crystallinity, the cooling time was shorter compared to amorphous PLA. Further optimisation was accomplished through targeted modification of the material. Use of a different nucleating agent in this case enabled a further reduction of cycle time of 20 %, and improved both the impact strength and the material flow. Eventually, the efforts to achieve a balance between material properties, durability and economic production were successful. The product-specific development of a PLA blend with pre-defined properties and the specific modifications to the material were successfully implemented; the injection molding tool was adjusted based on injection simulation tests to identify the mould’s weak spots and CT scanning was performed, which excluded warping of the material and enabled specific components’ flaws to be swiftly pinpointed that would otherwise have been difficult to detect. Subsequent modification of the tool eliminated all critical flaws and precise adjustment of injection parameters has made automatic production feasible. Finally, targeted modification of the compound contributed to the improvement of moulding cycle time. A renewable content level of 80 % was achieved in the casing.

Figure 5 CT scan and geometry validation.

Source: Fraunhofer WKI @Florian Bittner

Biobased IT-world – a worthwhile goal Starting in late 2015, the computer mouse casing has been sustainably produced from a PLA blend developed at the IfBB at a CO2 emission-free injection molding shop.

The material will be further improved with respect to its biobased content and the fair production of the basic materials and additives. It is estimated that there are about 2 billion PCs used worldwide. Let’s assume that about three quarters of them are used with a mouse. An average mouse casing weighs around 50 grams. A simple calculation reveals that a total of some 75,000 tonnes of material are consumed in the worldwide production of the computer mouse devices. And as the production of PCs continues to rise and with no feasible replacement for a mouse as yet in sight, the transition to a biobased, ‘fair’ product makes all the effort worthwhile. www.ifbb-hannover.de www.nager-it.de

Figure 6 Components of the PC mouse.

Source: IfBB

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

27

Material-News

cstics i t e n g New barrier coating a a biobased M for Pl for bioplastic packaging er.com lastick www.p

• International Trade in Raw Materials, Machinery & Products Free of Charge.

• Daily News from the Industrial Sector and the Plastics Markets.

• Current Market Prices for Plastics.

ional rofess ast • P ate • F Up-to-d

Today, fresh food as well as convenience food is sold as all the precursors needed for lacquer synthesis will be • Buyer’s Guide in packages. Hygienic conditions, long shelf life for and easy& Additives, based on renewable Plastics Machinery & Equipment,materials.

Subcontractors and a Services. availability of these packed products account for high The project, coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute ISC • Job Market standard of living. However, this convenience contributes to (Alzenau, has received funding from the Bio for Specialists and Executive Staff in Germany), the Plastics Industry. environmental pollution in a significant way, as packaging is Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European mainly made of conventional plastic materials.

Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme A European consortium of 12 different R&D entities and under grant agreement No 720736. companies have partnered within the framework of the soAccording to Dr. Stefan Hanstein, coordinator of the called HyperBioCoat project. The project will investigate project, “the challenge of this project is to impart superior and develop a new biobased and biodegradable coating for barrier properties to biodegradable packaging materials. rigid and flexible plastic packaging.

This innovation will be carried out by combining the This coating, applied to biodegradable packaging, high-performance ORMOCER® concept with oligomeric will improve the barrier properties, which are actually hemicellulose feedstock. The result will have an impact on insufficient for the application. the demand of the packaging industry for biodegradable and biobased packaging materials”. MT The new biobased coating will increase the product’s www.isc.fraunhofer.de shelf life and contribute to a reduction of CO2 emissions,

Flexible packaging

Rigid packaging

icastics t e n g Ma for Pl er.com lastick www.p

• International Trade in Raw Materials, Machinery & Products Free of Charge.

• Daily News from the Industrial Sector and the Plastics Markets.

• Current Market Prices for Plastics.

• Buyer’s Guide for Plastics & Additives, Machinery & Equipment, Subcontractors and Services.

• Job Market for Specialists and Executive Staff in the Plastics Industry.

28

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

st ate • Fa Up-to-d

ssional • Profe

bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/16] Vol. 11

29

Materials Materials

Green PU from olive oil residues

W

hile the olive oil industry is a very important one, it is one that generates large amounts of waste, both solid and liquid. Using the olive oil fractions that are unfit for human consumption without refining to synthesize polymeric materials could offer a plausible solution when no refining plants are nearby.

These three non-edible oils are potentially useful as raw materials for green polyols. They can be chemically modified to make them suitable for the polymerization process with diisocyanates, by incorporating reactive groups able to react with isocyanate groups (NCO). In this way, polyurethanes can be produced that can compete thermally and mechanically with those obtained from non-renewable sources.

M. Bagni, D. Granados National University of San Juan, Argentina M. Reboredo National University of Mar del Plata, Argentina

in the oils were increased at the expense of their points of unsaturation. As a result of the second stage, a mixture of different polyalcohols containing one or two hydroxylated fatty acid chains were achieved.

This research aims to:

Olive Oil extraction process In the research project described here, the first step was to study the olive oil extraction process, during which the focus was on the output streams of the process. There are two output streams in the two phase-extraction process: the solid phase and the oily phase. The solid phase is known as olive wet husk, which may contain up to 5 % of residual oil.

This residual oil is extracted with solvents and recovered as olive pomace oil (OO). It must first be refined before it is fit for consumption. The oily phase obtained from damaged olives or overripe olives is called lamp oil (AL) and also must be refined if it is intended for human consumption. Finally, the oily stream extracted from the bottom of the decanters, which is accompanied by sludge and vegetation water and is known as clear oil lees, should also not be consumed directly (CB).

By:

•

produce a biopolymer from vegetable oils, particularly a green polyurethane

•

offer an alternative use for the oily fractions of olive oil unfit for human consumption without refinement

•

be able to compete in thermo-mechanical issues with petroleum-based polyurethanes

•

broaden the knowledge of this subject, as there is no known background of obtaining polymers from these olive oil fractions.

Future plans The synthesis stage has already started and although some promising results have been accomplished, there is still a long way to go, with huge challenges lying ahead.

The aim is to obtain a composite material in which the matrix is formed by this green polyurethane and whose filling is the main solid waste from the olive oil industry: olive wet husk. unsj.edu.ar

The liquid residues were modified by performing two sequential treatments. First, the oils were epoxidized and hydrolyzed; next they were transesterified. During the first stage, OH groups were incorporated at the points of unsaturation. The viscosity and the content of OH groups

Olives

Classification, Cleaning and Washing

Grinding

Phase Separation

Olive wet husk

Dirty Oil

Solvent Extraction Settling Sediment

Thermo-mixing Clear Oil Lees

30

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Olive Pomance Oil

Oil

Filtering and Packaging

Materials

Improve transparency and performance of PLA State-of-the-art impact modifier masterbatches for PLA address the ever increasing demands of performance and aesthetics of the market

S

ukano (Schindellegi, Switzerland), a world leader in the development and production of additive and colour masterbatches and compounds for polyester and specialty resins, introduces a new performance impact modifier portfolio range for PLA. Impact modifiers are an essential ingredient for nearly everyone processing PLA. The dilemma has always been successfully determining the threshold and balance of cost-in-use without sacrificing final product performance and aesthetics.

Developing a tougher PLA In order for a masterbatch to impart toughness to PLA, several criteria must be met. One is assurance of the particle size curve in the formulations and its homogenous distribution in the matrix polymer. This must be highly compatible and thermally stable at PLA processing temperatures, ultimately resulting in a material with highly improved toughness. Processing conditions as suggested by Sukano specialists, ensure these are met in all its products.

Generally, improved toughness is obtained by increasing amounts of masterbatch. With Sukano additive masterbatch impact modifier for opaque applications, excellent toughness can be obtained at 10-20 %. For transparent applications, quantity levels of 2-4 % are often enough.

Overcoming challenges Adding impact modifiers can also have negative effects: for example, reduction in the modulus in proportion to the amount added, or chemical interactions and degradation.

These are due to additive or polymer interactions, and can cause color issues or molecular weight losses.

Another issue is obtaining adequate dispersion. The masterbatch needs to be highly compatible with PLA, otherwise, blending will not adequately disperse it into the PLA matrix during film extrusion, which could then lead to clustering during process operations, causing high die swell, surface imperfections and property variability along

the film or thermoformed parts. Additionally, some impact modifiers do not meet the requirements of biotoxicity and blending them with PLA can affect compostability according to internationally accepted standards like EN 13432.

With Sukano high performance impact modifier masterbatches, these challenges can be overcome.

Sukano´s extensive 30 years of know-how in polyester resins enables the company to offer products that provide high levels of clarity without compromising short cycle times and part integrity needed by the film and thermoforming industry.

Sukano´s impact modifier masterbatch increases the toughness and reduces the brittleness of PLA, expanding PLA’s value beyond packaging to a wider range of end applications, including durable goods or any final article where clarity and performance are essential.

For example, the clear impact modifier masterbatch provides a substantial increase in toughness, resulting in better tear resistance while sustaining the excellent clarity of the base resin. These low haze values can be easily below 3 % – and often reach less than 2 %.

“The improved performance levels of Sukano masterbatches also helps ensure no breakage of the film during edge trimming or die cut issues in the thermoforming process, while the throughput and process windows remain equivalent to conventional oil-based polymers” – states Daniel Ganz, Product Development Leader of Sukano for bioplastics applications Sukano has also recently invested in a dart impact tester equipment at their Global R&D Center in Switzerland to validate performance claims for the products to help define and quantify toughness, according to the end use application. MT www.sukano.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

31

K‘2016 Review (photo: C. Tillmann / Messe Duesseldorf)

Show Review international plastics and In Düsseldorf, end of October, the shape. Many of the 3,285 top in f rubber industry presented itsel of new leads, many of which exhibitors of K 2016 reported a host eight days of the trade fair. already led to closed deals over the countries were welcomed 230,000 trade visitors from over 160 t days of K 2016. to the exhibition halls over the eigh statements from many Both these numbers as well as this year’s K-show was that exhibitors and visitors confirmed the best ever.

K was bigger than before.

Also for the bioplastics industry this in the official catalogue d More than 100 companies were liste In our K-show preview . cs lasti of Messe Düsseldorf under biop bioplastics related products we already presented some of the This review will round off our and services presented at K’2016. and highlights that we found report with a couple of news items in Düsseldorf.

Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Shinkong Synthetic Fibers Corporation (SSFC) was founded in 1967.

Toray Industries Inc. and Mitsubishi Corporation provided the initial capital investment.

Today SSFC owns three main manufacturing sites in Taiwan that occupy 426,666 square meters with generate a total production output of up to 2,535 tonnes per day. Production plants have also been established in Mainland China and Thailand. SSFC products can be largely divided into two main categories – polyester fibers and polymers.

At K’216 SSFC presented biobased BPT (35 % biobased Polybutylene terephthalate). On display was a suitcase made of bio-PBT-fibres. The bio-PBT production is currently still in a pilot/labscale phase. “The biggest problem currently is that bio-BDO is not available in sufficient quantities,” a spokesperson told bioplastics MAGAZINE.

32

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Toyobo Toyobo, headquartered in Osaka, Japan, presented Vyloamide MJ-390JNZ65 a 30 % biobased polyphtalamid.

The biomass-based, high modulus, strength, and melting temperature polyamide with excellent impact resistance can be a great replacement of metal applications to achieve weight reduction. Its exhibits extremely low water absorption and excellent heat stability and sustains its material strength even in very humid and hot environments In addition - just recently - Toyobo and Dutch bioventure company Avantium have agreed a deal under which Toyobo will manufacture polyethylene furanoate (PEF), a 100 % biobased resin that has qualities similar to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but which exhibits higher barrier performance than that of PET. www.toyobo-global.com

The main product categories of SSFC include partially oriented yarn (POY), polyester filament yarn, fully drawn yarn (FDY), polyester staple fiber (PSF), polyester draw textured yarn (P-DTY), industrial yarn, polyester pellets, PET bottle grade resin, PET bottles, PET bottle preforms, engineering polymers, optical films, polyester films, and A-PET sheets. http://tinyurl.com/shinkong

K‘2016 Review Wacker WACKER, the Munich-based chemical group, introduced novel polyvinyl-acetate-based Vinnex polymer grades for bioplastic compounds. The new additives can considerably enhance the processing and property profile of biopolyesters or blends with starch. For example, Vinnex 2526 greatly simplifies the manufacture of highly transparent, rigid polylactic acid (PLA) films. The Vinnex 2522, 2523 and 2525 products significantly improve processing and heat-sealing properties in paper coating with PLA or PBS (polybutylene succinate). Vinnex 8880 optimizes the flow properties in the melt for injection-molding applications and 3D printing, so that temperature-sensitive and complex items can also readily be produced and energy can even be saved during processing.

Vinnex additives now make the production of highly transparent, biodegradable PLA and/or PBS films better and easier. The addition of Vinnex 2526, for example, optimizes both melt and bubble stability during the respective extrusion processes. Blister packs can be produced at lower temperatures and with a more uniform thickness distribution.

Moreover, Vinnex further enhances the already good printability of biopolyester films. In paper cups with PLA or PBS, the additive optimizes the water-repellent coating, so that the cups are in no way inferior to their polyethylenefilm counterparts.

During processing, the low-molecular Vinnex 2523 and Vinnex 2522 grades increase the initial adhesion of the PLA film to paper. In addition, Wacker’s additives improve the heat-sealing properties, so that a particularly strong bond forms between the paper and PLA. With the aid of certain Vinnex grades, film-coated paper cups can thus also be composted and recycled more readily – making them a more sustainable end product despite their single use.

The Wacker additives can optimize items produced by injection molding or 3D printing, too. New Vinnex 8880 enhances the flow properties of the polymer melt, for example. Since this lowers the viscosity, heat-sensitive or highly complex items can also be manufactured. At the same time, more fillers – such as cellulose fibers, starch or inorganic fillers – can be incorporated into the melt. www.wacker.com

A.J. Plast A.J. Plast; from Bangkok, Thailand is a biaxially-oriented film manufacturer which achieves world-class quality and standard by utilizing experience, innovation, and advanced technology to maximize customer satisfaction. One of their product lines comprises different grades of biaxially oriented PLA (BOPLA) films with a productions capacity of 5;000 tonnes per year.

A.J. Plast’s BOPLA films are available as plain films, heat sealable films, paper lamination films and metallized versions of the above.

The 100 % biobased BOPLA films show good moisture barrier properties, excellent transparency and printability as well as excellent twist retention. www.ajplast.co.th

Shenzhen Hongcai New Materials Technology Shenzhen Hongcai New Materials Technology from Shenzhen, China presented a range of resins as well as finished products. The resins include partly biobased materials such as Di101 for injection moulding applications.

The 55 % biobased (ASTM 6866) material is ideal for razors, toothbrushes, trays, cutlery etc.. The 50 % biobased material Df101 (film blowing grade) can be used for shopping bags, trash bags, tablecloth etc. Even if Shenzhen Hongcai promote this material also for mulch films, it should be clear, that both grades are not biodegradable or compostable.

Biodegradable and compostable (in accordance to international standards EN 13432 or ASTM D6400) are the grades Bi100 and Bf100. Both grades are based on PLA. The injection grade Bi100 shows excellent heat stability up to 110 °C. The finished products include cups, bowls, trays, food containers (clamshell-style) plates and cutlery, all from modified starch. www.biohongcai.com

Kitamura Chemicals Kitamura chemicals is a trading company dedicated to chemical products for over 120 year.

At K’2016 they presented Eco Ninja, a PLA compound based on NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer. The compound contains more than 80 % of Ingeo biopolymer.

Eco Ninja has been developed using Kitamura’s latest compounding technology, which not only maintain the resin’s transparency but also maintains its compostability. In addition, the company also gives the material a special character, which can be compared to LDPE for elongation and flexibility. For the application of blown film, Eco Ninja doesn't require special or additional machinery to make film.

Usually normal PLA is not ideal for film applications because of its limited tensile and tear strength. The newly developed Eco Ninja however, has excellent elongation characteristics compared to plain PLA. The tensile and tear strength of Eco Ninja is equivalent to LDPE. Compostable film made of PBS, PBAT, or starch blends don't have a good transparency. Eco Ninja maintains the original transparency of PLA when blown to films. Eco Ninja is suitable for vegetable packaging, magazine wrappers and many more applications where transparency is required.

Due to a poor melt strength it is not so easy to blow films from pure PLA. Eco Nonja however, shows improved melt strength, so it can provide a much better productivity without any special machinery.

The compostability of Eco Ninja is as good as for pure PLA. Most of all additives are also compostable.

Kitamura is going to apply to the compost certification in Europe (Vinçotte). www.biohongcai.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

33

Application News

100 % bio-based PET

Biobased packaging for

container for cosmetics

organic coffee roaster

Decoupling plastic packaging from fossil feedstocks and adopting renewably sourced feedstocks is one of the main challenges the packaging industry is facing today.

(Source: The new plastics economy: Rethinking the future of plastics of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.)

Peeze, the only coffee refinery in the Netherlands that supplies 100% certified coffee, will be the first coffee company in the world using Braskem’s biobased Polyethylene for their coffee packaging. In October, Peeze started replacing its fossil based packaging with biobased packaging partially using Braskem’s Green Polyethylene. By doing this, Peeze will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of its packaging as well as the use of fossil resources. For every kg of I’m green™ Polyethylene used in the Peeze packaging more than 4.5 kg of CO2 is saved.

PET (Polyethlene terephthalate) is a plastic that is widely used for packaging purposes. A consortium of Dutch SME‘s and universities has developed a unique new way to produce a high-performance PET from biomass, resulting in a 100% biobased product. This BioPET100 can be used for high-performance applications including 3D printing and cosmetic packaging. During the 2nd Biobased Business Event at the Emmtec Industry & Businesspark in Emmen on September 22nd 2016, several so-called cosmetic containers were presented with the hoods made from BioPET100.

This groundbreaking development is the result of an intensive innovation effort. The aromatic building blocks of the BioPET100 are made from glycerin from SunOil in Emmen. The glycerin was converted to bio-aromatics with the use of the catalytic pyrolysis technology of BioBTX (Benzene, Toluene and Xylene from biomass), developed in close co-operation with the University of Groningen. The bio-aromatics were purified and converted to PET precursors by Syncom in Groningen.

The polymerisation was performed by Cumapol and API, both located in Emmen. The Stenden University of Applied Sciences contributed to this polymerisation.

Finally, DuFor (Zevenaar) conducted the injection molding at Aarts Plastic in Waalwijk. This joint effort resulted in the first 100% biobased PET packaging container from secondary biomass resources.

This BioPET100 showcase marks a ground breaking development in biobased plastics. Never before was a secondary biomass feedstock converted in a polyester endproduct. This joint effort shows that it is possible to completely decouple the production of all plastics from fossil resources. The technology is fully scalable and the partners are working together to make this a reality. MT www.www.dufor.nl

34

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

“It is a great pleasure to see Peeze, a company that is producing all its coffee on a CO2 neutral basis, also recognizing that the packaging can contribute to reducing its carbon footprint,” says Marco Jansen, Commercial Director Renewable Chemicals Europe & North America. “Peeze now not only makes a great sustainable coffee but has started packing the coffee in a more sustainable packaging.”

To arrive at the final result of this new biobased coffee packaging, Peeze has partnered up with Bio4Pack (Rheine, Germany) and Servo Artpack (Stabio, Switzerland) who both have been pleased to contribute to the mission of Peeze to make the world fair and sustainable. With the introduction of this new biobased laminated packaging, defined and certified through Bio4pack and produced by Servo Artpack, the company makes a next step in achieving these goals.

“It’s another example of the growing possibilities in making packaging sustainable without compromising on quality compared to traditional packaging,” says Patrick Gerritsen, CEO of Bio4pack. “This kind of packaging is a part to the solution for a biobased economy, leading to a more sustainable world.”

“Six years ago we started our search for a more sustainable way of packing our coffee beans. This was rather difficult because coffee is a sensitive product: for oxygen and moisture. Together with our partners we can finally make a step with this biobased foil. A step towards our ambition to have a circular business model,” says Timmo Terpstra, Managing Director at Peeze. MT www.braskem.com | www.bio4pack.com |

www.servoartpack.com

Application News

Application News Buss Laboratory Kneader MX 30-22

Biobased plastic drums CurTec (Rijen,The Netherlands) recently started manufacturing drums and pots made of Braskem’s Green PE. Biobased Packaging is a great alternative for companies whose core values include environmental sustainability and putting customer needs first. More and more companies incorporate social responsibility into their business model. They are aware of their carbon footprint and strive to make their business more sustainable by investing in wind and solar energy, process innovation and raising environmental awareness of staff.

CurTec uses bio plastic made of sugarcane. Sugarcane is a renewable raw material and absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during its growth which contributes to CO2 reduction.

CurTec’s Biobased Packaging is made of >90 % BioHDPE (verified by the ASTM D6866 standard) and is just as high performance as all other CurTec pack types. MT www.curtec.com

Buss Kneader Technology

Leading Compounding Technology for heat and shear sensitive plastics

Bioplastic Fantastic Not exactly an “Application News”, but still worth mentioning in this magazine is a talk that Kathryn Sheridan (Sutainability Consult) gave at TEDx Ghent this fall.

For more than 60 years Buss Kneader technology has been the benchmark for continuous preparation of heat and shear sensitive compounds – a respectable track record that predestines this technology for processing biopolymers such as PLA and PHA. > Uniform and controlled shear mixing > Extremely low temperature profile > Precise temperature control > High filler loadings

In about 7 minutes she speaks about why we don’t need oil for plastics. We think this video might be a useful communications tool for one or the other of our readers. tinyurl.com/TEDxGhent

www.sustainabilityconsult.com

Buss AG Switzerland www.busscorp.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

35

Application News

Innovative toilet paper Personal Care is an important part of everybody’s life, and it’s worth many different daily attentions: choosing a soft and delicate toilet paper is the first act of care for the skin.

The new Italian Tenderly Carezza di Latte with Qmilk is a new and most skin-friendly and sustainable toilet paper. Recently introduced by Lucart Group (Lucca, Italy), it is smooth as silk, extra soft but also resistant, and dermatologically tested for sensitive skin. All skin-caring qualities are enhanced by incorporating the Qmilk fibre. It has been tested to be best friend to family personal care. “A velvet caress for your family personal care. As Tenderly Carezza di Latte is dermatologically tested for sensitive skins this applies to the most delicate skin too,” as Stefano Staffieri, Marketing Manager at Lucart Group says.

As the biggest producer of thin, single-coated wrapping tissue for flexible packaging and one of the first manufacturers of tissue and airlaid products in Europe, Lucard continues to fulfil its mission – innovation, quality and added-value for the customer with extra sustainability.

With its 100 % natural fibres, the Qmilk group makes a valuable contribution to this innovation. As a protein-fibre, Qmilk fibres not only sport unique properties. “They are also the fibres with the smallest CO2 footprint in the world, “ says Anke Domaske founder and CEO of Qmilk Deutschland (Hannover, Germany).”It can be composted at home and is residue-free biodegradable within a few months.”

Qmilk is made of 100 % renewable raw material and is produced in a zero-wasteprocess. Non-food milk that had to be disposed of until now is processed into Qmilkproducts. In Germany alone about two million tonnes of milk are disposed every year because it cannot be sold anymore.

Qmilk is the perfect material to be combined with viscose and cellulose, since Qmilk is the only natural fibre with thermo-bonding properties. This means that natural fibres no longer have to be combined with synthetic fibres. Instead, combined with the Qmilk binding fibre they can keep their natural authenticity. The versatility applications for new material combination in the area of non-wovens remains fascinating. MT

shutterstock/lopolo

www.qmilk.eu

Biobased packaging for Swedish cripsbread Polarbröd (Älvsbyn), Sweden’s third largest bakery has taken the decision to convert all of its flexible film requirements from fossil based Polyethylene to Braskem’s bio based Polyethylene. In addition to the perfect fit between packaging and product, the use of Green PE by Polarbröd emphasizes the drive within the company to be more sustainable by moving to a renewable, bio-based polyethylene. Polarbröd will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of its packaging when compared to fossil alternatives and as a result reduce its dependence on fossil resources. Being a renewable feedstock, sugarcane captures and sequestrates CO2 from the atmosphere during every growth cycle, which occurs annually.

This means that the production of I’m green™ Polyethylene contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions certainly when compared to conventional polyethylene, made from fossil materials. As a result the carbon footprint of I’m green™ Polyethylene is negative, when considering a “cradle to gate analysis”..

“Braskem is really excited to have Polarbröd as a partner and to see their commitment to sustainability by introducing green PE into their full product range, a scale not yet seen

36

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

in bakeries anywhere in the world,” says Marco Jansen, Commercial Director Renewable Chemicals Europe & North America.

“We have made the decision to use this packaging for our entire range, and although the current consequence of this is a higher cost we have come to the conclusion that it is the best choice,” says Johan Granberg, Purchase and Logistics Manager Polarbröd. MT www.braskem.com | www.polarbrod.se

Aplications

3D printed shoes

O

ne of the spaces where 3D printing has the biggest potential for immediate impact is footwear. In the past year various announcements about 3D printing of shoes could be seen. Among the major players were companies such as Nike and Adidas. 3D Printing has obviously hit a tipping point in the field in terms of print quality and material stability.

In many ways, it is a bit of a surprise that the adoption of 3D printing footwear has had a relatively late adoption.

Human feet, more than many other parts of the body, are uniquely shaped. And many people can all probably point to sticking with certain brands simply because the shape of their shoe matched the shape of their foot, irrespective of the style or colour of the shoe. And there are at least the same number of women that have chosen a shoe based on the style or colour only to have their individualized foot suffer the consequence.

Lifespan of Shoes But shoes also have a second unique marker in terms of clothing and that is the rate they are worn through. Most runners recommend to replace shoes after about 800 km (or 500 miles). Depending on how far someone is running per week, this can become necessary every three to six months.

Shoes that are worn on a daily basis often don’t fare too much better, depending on the activity of wear a shoe sole can often be worn to replacement within one and two years.

And what happens to the waste?

A Vision of the Future of Footwear The Dutch company SLEM (Waalwijk, The Netherlands), one of the thought leaders in terms of footwear, is taking the lead in approaching both problems. In 2015, they presented their developments at the GTS Trade Show as the only company presenting industrial-grade shoe production using 3D printing. This year they wanted to set the bar a notch higher with the question: “How can we continue to customize shoes with 3D printing and become a sustainable alternative to current production?”

material to move into production”, said Nicole van Enter, Creative Director of SLEM. The current production is still only in a prototype state to verify the settings and best practices of working with the material. But there is no question that sustainable materials will become part of the palette in footwear production.

SLEM is known as a thought leader in the footwear industry, and their early adoption of Industrial 3D Printing and Robotics to produce shoes has really put them on the watch-list for the footwear industry. That is why their emphasis on moving towards sustainable materials has also garnered attention on the trade-show floor.

“BioInspiration is founded on the knowledge that sustainable materials can equal and out-perform the alternatives. Working with forward thinking groups like SLEM helps to move (…) public perception towards acceptance.

Experimentation with Vision is the key to Progress”, as Brian Crotty, CEO of BioInspiration pointed out.

Like with the organic food movement, the consumer pressure for products that reflect a social and environmental responsibility will only grow in the coming years - so the companies that can be first to meet those requirements will have a distinct advantage in the field. As production systems further develop for 3D printing shoes, it will provide a direct competition to traditional production and marketing methodologies.

The partnership of BioInspiration and SLEM represents the synergy that comes from matching design quality, customer needs, customization and environmental awareness. MT www.willowflex.eu

The answer came from BioInspiration (Eberwalde, Germany), producer of WillowFlex, the world’s first flexible 3D print filament made of biobased and biodegradable raw materials (cornstarch based resins from GreenDot, USA). Their Kickstarter Campaign in late 2015 was the first to show that a 3D printing could be both sustainable and flexible - meaning it was the first point that it was feasible to be used for producing shoes.

In preparation for the trade show, SLEM printed a series of shoe soles in their trends lab and experimented with printing directly onto the fabric of the shoe to show the potential for comining design and 3D printing into a single production step.

“WillowFlex was an easy material to work with and printed as well as the other petroleum based flexible filaments we have been working with. We look forward to working with BioInspiration to improve the long-term durability of the

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

37

Report

SuperBio – new funding program for biobased value chains

chain, but only small and medium enterprises have access to the SuperBIO support program.

The project provides networking and advice on innovation opportunities, will help building new value chains – in cooperation with cluster organisations in Spain, France, Belgium and Poland – and provides 10 different innovation support services that are essential elements for business planning and creating further leverage. These innovation services are 75 % funded by SuperBIO. Eventually, the goal of SuperBIO is to bring the value chain closer to the market. The services are provided by Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BE), NNFCC - The bioeconomy consultants (UK), BCNP Consultants (DE), Biotech Subsidy (BE), Gill Jennings & Every (UK) and nova-Institut (DE), and include: Scale up and proof-of-concept (1.)

T

he European SuperBIO project supports the development of value chains producing biobased materials, chemicals, fermentation products, innovative food/ feed ingredients and advanced liquid or gaseous fuels – this includes biobased polymers and plastics. Value chains within the scope of SuperBIO use organic material as a process feedstock or enzymes/cells (algae, fungi, bacteria, plants etc) as processing tools.

Innovation capture and patent filing (2.)

Feedstock analysis (5.)

Techno-economic evaluation (3.)

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) (7.)

Sustainability and regulatory appraisal (6.)

Market research (4.)

SuperBIO is a Horizon2020 innovation project that aims to develop and support new, innovative, cross-border and cross-sectorial industrial value chains in the biobased economy.

Business Planning (8.)

The partner enterprises of the European value chain come at least from two European countries and include at least one small or medium enterprise (SME).

Multinational companies are 1. allowed to be part in the value

Most of the services are interesting for start-ups and SMEs in the field of biobased polymers, plastics and composites, especially for the development of new applications and value chains.

By: Michael Carus and Asta Partanen nova-Institute Hürth, Germany

SuperBIO’s 10 Innovation Services

Subsidy and grant strategy (10.)

Access to investors (9.)

The project runs from 1st of June 2016 until 30th of November 2018. Applications can be submitted until 31st July 2018. Companies or stakeholders interested in innovation services to bring their value chain closer to the market, find more information at the 4. project website.

2.

3.

www.h2020-SuperBIO.eu

5.

6.

SuperBIO in a nut shell: For value chains with at least three stakeholders (at least one SME) from at least two countries

7.

8.

10 different innovation services 75% funded by the project Easy application & low bureaucracy Each SME in the value chain can receive services for a maximal total value of € 60 000. Up to 25% needs to be cofunded by the applicant.

38

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

9.

10.

Report

Industrial Solutions

Polylactide Technology Uhde Inventa Fischer Polycondensation Technologies has expanded its product portfolio to include the innovative state-of-the-art PLAneo ÂŽ process for a sustainable polymer. The feedstock for our PLA process is lactic acid, which can be produced from local agricultural products containing starch or sugar. The application range of PLA is similar to that of polymers based on fossil resources as its physical properties can be tailored to meet packaging, textile and other requirements. www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

39

From Science & Research

Bioplastic from flue gas and green electricity BioElectroPlast: New Biocatalyst Uses Carbon Dioxide and Regenerative Power for Low-cost Microbial Electrosynthesis

R

esearchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) (Karlsruhe, Germany) are working on an efficient and inexpensive method to produce a bioplastics. In the BioElectroPlast project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research they use microorganisms that produce polyhydroxybutyric acid from flue gas, air, and renewable enegry. The optimized process of microbial electrosynthesis opens up further perspectives for the future production of biofuel or for the storage of power from regenerative sources in the form of chemical products, for instance.

The consumer’s wish for sustainable products also increases the demand for bioplastics, for e.g. disposable cups, packages or garbage bags. The BioElectroPlast project coordinated by the Applied Biology Group headed

by Professor Johannes Gescher of KIT’s Institute for Applied Biosciences (IAB) focuses on a method to produce bioplastics with a minimum consumption of resources and at low costs. In addition, BioElectroPlast is aimed at using the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) as an inexpensive and generally available raw material in the chain of values added and at applying renewable energy.

For this purpose, the scientists use a relatively new technology, called microbial electrosynthesis. About six years ago, researchers in the USA for the first time described how certain microorganisms grow on a cathode, bind CO2, and use the cathode as the only energy and electron source. A chemical process, by contrast, requires high pressures and temperatures and, hence, a high energy input as well as expensive catalysts. So far, microbial electrosynthesis has been used mainly to produce acetates – salts of acetic acid. “We have optimized the process, such that the microorganisms are supplied with more energy for the production of molecules of higher complexity, e.g. polymers,” Johannes Eberhard Reiner of the IAB explains. “We mix the CO2 with air. Then, the microorganisms use the oxygen as electron acceptor. This is quite similar to human breathing, where oxygen also serves as electron acceptor.

In human beings, however, electrons do not come from a cathode, but are released by

40

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

metabolization of our food in the cells. Then, they are transferred to the oxygen for energy production.”

As biocatalyst, the researchers use a newly isolated microorganism that permanently regenerates itself. Flue gas is applied as CO2 source. As a result, the concentration of this greenhouse gas is reduced and other sources of organic carbon that are usually applied as biotechnological substrates, such as agricultural products, are not required.

Competition with food and feed production is avoided. The electric power needed for the BioElectroPlast process is based on regenerative sources.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funds the BioElectroPlast project under its initiative “CO2Plus – Material Use of CO2 to Broaden the Raw Materials Base”. BioElectroPlast started in September this year and is scheduled for a duration of three years. Apart from the IAB, the KIT project partners are the Chair for Water Chemistry and Water Technology of Professor Harald Horn at the Engler-Bunte Institute (EBI) and the Microbial Bioinformatics Group headed by Dr. Andreas Dötsch at the Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG). The other partners are the University of Freiburg (Germany) and energy provider EnBW AG (headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany). EnBW participates in the project to further reduce CO2 emission of coal combustion as a bridge technology. The researchers plan to test their reactors directly in the coalfired power plant of EnBW in Karlsruhe and to use the exhaust gases produced there.

In parallel to the BioElectroPlast project, KIT’s researchers also study the conversion of carbon dioxide into valuable compounds under the industry-funded ZeroCarb FP innovation alliance. Here, the scientists use alternative biocatalysts isolated by them, as the industry partners Südzucker AG and B.R.A.I.N. AG have specified different process requirements and concentrate on other end products. MT www.kit.edu

From Science & Research

Polycarbonate from orange peels and CO2

T

ake some orange peels, deprive them of the natural material limonene, oxidize them, and bind them with carbon dioxide: now you’ve got a bio-based plastic material that can be used to produce environmentally friendly functional materials for a vast array of industrial applications at low cost. This eco-friendly all-rounder known as PLimC is now enabling a broad spectrum of high-performance plastics to be manufactured solely on the basis of renewable resources. This was discovered by a research team at the University of Bayreuth (Germany), and the findings were published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.

PLimC is a polycarbonate that results from a synthesis of limonene oxide and carbon dioxide. This guarantees that it does not contain the harmful substance Bisphenol A, in contrast to traditional polycarbonates. The new bio-based polymer also has a range of properties that make it attractive for industrial applications: PLimC is hard, extremely heatresistant, transparent, and is thus particularly well-suited for coating materials. “Our new study has now enabled us to significantly extend the findings that we published last year,” explained Prof. Dr. Andreas Greiner, head of the Bayreuth research team. “Using a few concrete examples, we have shown that PLimC is extremely well-suited as a base material from which wide-ranging plastics with very specific properties can be developed. For PLimC possesses a double bond that can be strategically utilized for further synthesis.”

PLimC

One example of such new PLimC-based synthetic materials are antimicrobial polymers that are able to prevent adsorption of E. coli bacteria. As materials for containers used in medical care, they can help decrease risk of infection, for example in hospitals. Such polymers are also expected to contribute to the production of plastic implants with a very low risk of infection. Another example is the water-soluble polymers that dissolve into ecologically harmless elements and then decompose.

Such plastics could significantly decrease pollution of our waters by non-soluble plastic particles if they were used to produce bottles, bags, and other containers. PLimC is also a base material for hydrophilic polymers. These in turn have the advantage of having a high level of interaction with water and can therefore be broken down relatively quickly by microorganisms.

“If we set about developing new materials on the basis of PLim C, the sky is the limit,” explained Oliver Hauenstein (M.Sc.), who has carried out crucial research on the synthesis and application of this new plastics as part of his doctoral research. “Producing PLimC is easy and extremely eco-friendly. The orange peels disposed of by companies that produce orange juice can be recycled, and the greenhouse gas CO2 can also be used before it escapes into the atmosphere. In addition, the diverse plastics that can be synthesized on the basis of PLimC without any great technical or financial expenditure are ecologically harmless and recyclable.” MT Publications: [1] O. Hauenstein, S. Agarwal and A. Greiner, Bio-based polycarbonate as synthetic toolbox, Nature Communications 2016, DOI: 10.1038/ ncomms11862 http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2016/160615/ ncomms11862/full/ncomms11862.html [2] O. Hauenstein, M. Reiter, S. Agarwal, B. Rieger and A. Greiner, Biobased polycarbonate from limonene oxide and CO2 with high molecular weight, excellent thermal resistance, hardness and transparency, Green Chem. 2016, 18, 760. DOI: 10.1039/c5gc01694k

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

41

Basics

Certification – blessing and curse

C

ertification is necessary. And within the scope of this magazine we talk about the certification of the compostability of bioplastics (according to e.g. EN 13432, ASTM D6400 or similar) and the certification of biobased carbon content of bioplastics (according to e.g. ASTM D6866 or EN 16640). Is certification a blessing for this industry or rather a curse? Every now and then you hear arguments like “certification is necessary” … “Yes but the cost” … “each product needs new certification” … etc. bioplastics MAGAZINE spoke to a number of stakeholders.

for example might never put a certification-label on their product. They use their own green mark plant bottle and if they claim something everybody will believe them,” he said. “But if a product from a small company complies with the standards and gets a certification and a label, this can significantly help and give this small company credibility”.

Certification is necessary for example to differentiate “the good from the bad”, the honest companies from the “greenwashers” or for example the “gold-diggers from the serious suppliers”, as Patrick Gerritsen, founder and CEO of Bio4pack (Rheine, Germany) put it. Certification is a “proof of quality”, said Lukas Willhauck, of DIN Certco (Berlin, Germany).

Certification differentiates those companies that are seriously interested, that invest in products and in certification from those that are just flowing with the trends, Patrick said.

One of the problems, that was reported to bioplastics MAGAZINE is, that for each individual product a separate certification is needed. And this can become a costly endeavour. “If I make a final product from a certain raw material (already certified), I need a separate certification for each end product. That’s what I do not understand”, said Huib Burggraaf of Van Der Windt Verpakking (Honselersdijk, The Netherlands), a supplier of packaging and disposables. Well, this is obviously fixed in the standards. “But why do I need another certification, if I make a shopping bag from the exact same film as another already certified biowaste collection bag?” asked another stakeholder from the packaging industry.

“If you talk about the costs of certification,” Philippe Dewolfs of Vinçotte (Vilvoorde, Belgium) started, “you must differentiate between the cost of the R&D stage when developing the products to fulfil the requirements of the standards and the cost of the certification itself. Even when you use the selfclaim approach rather than the certification approach, you have to test the product to demonstrate its compliance to the standard”. The cost for the certification (assessing that a product is fulfilling the requirements of a standard) however is only a fraction of that, EUR 1500-2500, as Philippe and Lukas told bioplastics MAGAZINE. But the R&D and lab test is a necessary first step in the certification process.

Certification gives a certain level of trust What certification and labelling do, as Philippe continues, is to translate a set of rather complex information (e.g. 100 pages of a lab test protocol) into an easy to understand message.

And as certification can only be performed by specialised, recognised and accredited certification bodies, such as Vinçotte or DIN Certco in Europe, BPI in the USA and others around the World, customers (B2B) as well as end consumers can trust that certified products do really fulfil what they promise. That is why a certification always includes the right to use a respective label and print this on a product. In Europe there are for example the OK compost or OK biobased labels, the Seedling or the DIN-geprüft labels. Other countries have their own labels. “And this is really useful and helpful, as it helps us to distinguish our products from the competitors’ and helps us convince our customers”, said Patrick Gerritsen.

And Philippe Dewolfs added that no difference is made between big well-known companies and small unknown companies maybe coming from an exotic country. “Coca-Cola

42

By: Michael Thielen

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Hurdles and challenges – and approaches to overcome these Certification of each product

“That’s indeed sometimes difficult to understand”, said Lukas Willhauck, “because it is a complex topic. In any case, be it for simple amendments or for extensively modified products, a new application is needed with all the info we need.” But of course both certification bodies mentioned here (as well as others probably too) offer certificates for product families such as “shopping bags”. here even different materials, printing inks, product sizes can be considered. “And if later additional features or modifications shall be added, this can be done for a small fee,” Lukas Willhauck explained.

“If however, additional testing is necessary, for example if a raw material was not previously certified by DIN Certco, or it was tested by non-accredited lab, or problematic additives are added, the efforts are much higher - and more costly,“ he added. “The prejudice that for a different print design always a new certificate is necessary, is simply wrong,” Lukas pointed out. “Different designs with the same amount of printing ink for example are no problem. An additional colour, however, needs an amendmend of a certificate, unless in the initial certification several alternative colours had already been appplied for.” Complex indeed...

However with the OK compost certification of Vinçotte it is slightly different than for the Seedling certification. “We do not make a difference between a waste collection bag and a shopping bag, both will be covered by the same certificate because the products are very close,” explained Philippe Dewolfs. “The Seedling certification scheme requires to separate between certificates for shopping bags and waste bags due to the rule that the intended use requires another technical type and therefore certificate.”, said Lukas Willhauck.

Basics

number of firms that don’t. Arguments are for example, that consumers not only throw certified compostable bags in the biowaste bins, but also conventional bags. And in the composting plant it is almost impossible to distinguish, let alone sort the bags out. Another important fact is, that e.g. EN 13432 is about 15 or 20 years old. The 90 days for a complete disintegration given in that standard are by far not an up-todate timeframe. Many industrial composting plants run at cycles of eight weeks or even down to three weeks.

These problems are certainly not so easy to solve. A lot of research as well as education, communication and discussion will be needed. A first approach is that representatives of the certification bodies meet twice a year in an Advisory Committee (on the Seedling logo) to discuss such problems and harmonise the positions.

Examples for different compostability lables: The Seedling, the OK Compost label, the US/Canada composting label and the Japanese GreenPLA compostable label

The minimum for all cases, however, is to do an infrared spectrum of any product, “as this is kind of a fingerprint of the raw material including all additives, glues, printing inks etc.” both, Philippe and Lukas added unison.

Scarce support A while ago, there was some criticism about the support from the certification bodies. “They are not exactly customer oriented, but rather behave like governmental organisations – doing everything by the book,” was mentioned. If you filled in the forms incompletely or incorrect, you had to start over.

They didn’t help very much. But this has changed. “We hired a significant number of people to improve the service,” said Lukas Willhauck. “We do all we can to reduce the complexity of the requirenments to our customers and try to find the most efficient and lean solution.”

And Huib Burggraaf confirmed: “The communication with DIN Certco has improved. When I have questions, I get answers real quick, as it is with Vinçotte”. Patrick Gerritsen: “Yes the support is better than in the past, but there is still room for improvement”.

Huib Burggraaf also appreciates the support by the certification bodies to police that companies misusing the labels – he calls them cowboys – shall be identified and prosecuted.

Certified compostable – but not always accepted by composters This is indeed a problem confirmed by many of our interview partners. In Germany for example, the biowaste collection is in the hands of private companies or municipalities with no obligation to accept compostable plastics. So many waste disposal contractors accept it, but there are also a significant

New EN standard Another concern is, that products that are already certified biobased according to ASTM D6866 (OK biobased or DINgeprüft based on 12C/14C radio carbon method) might need to be certified again when the new European standard EN 16640 comes into force. This concern, however, is expected baseless, as Lara Dammer (nova Institute, Hürth. Germany and active member of working groups of CEN/TC 411 on biobased products) explained. CEN pays attention to consider the contents of the ASTM standard so the new EN standard will not be completely different and existing certifications will probably not become useless. This topic becomes a bit more complicated when EN 16785-1 comes into play.

Here in addition to the biobased carbon content (12C/14C) a differentiation is made for the so called “biobased content”, which considers also other atoms like oxygen and hydrogen.

(But this is a different topic and shall be discussed later in a separate article).

But when it comes to biobased certification, Lara Dammer warns: “Certification of bio-based content is not the same as an ecolabel, and it should not be used in B2C communication as a label for environmentally advantageous products.” A fully or partly biobased product does indeed automatically save fossil resources in itself, but the LCAs for such products are rather complex, so that biobased products are not per se environmentally friendly. In order to fulfil the requirements of a true ecolabel, products need to be thoroughly evaluated case by case, Lara said.

Outlook Certification is necessary. Certificates can help. But there are still some hurdles and challenges. The communication between bioplastic product suppliers and certification bodies has improved as well as the support and service by the certification bodies. Costs are there and sometimes high, but in most cases justifiable. Communication and cooperation between the bioplastics industry and the composting plants leaves room for improvement albeit the problems exist and don’t make it easier.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

43

Politics

The EU Ecolabel and bio-based products Learnings from the Open-Bio project

O

pen-Bio (Opening bio-based markets via standards, labelling and procurement) was an FP7 project that ran from 11/2013 until 10/2016. One aspect of the project was to investigate how labelling can help to promote market access for bio-based products. One of the most important outcome of the project was not to design a completely new label, but to suggest changes to the existing EU Ecolabel. This article summarises the general issues that frame the whole exercise of creating an ecolabel for bio-based products and which should be clear to the community of policy makers, label experts, bio-based producers and consumer organisations.

Bio-based content – why?

Based on the European Commission’s Lead Market Initiative 2008-2011, all objectives of Open-Bio were directed towards market uptake of bio-based products, since they were perceived as being something positive. Producing and consuming more bio-based products is expected to create added value, jobs, innovation and rural development in Europe. Also, replacing fossil resources with renewable ones is an important step towards the future and towards increased independence from oil and gas imports. Bearing all of that in mind, it makes a lot of sense to improve consumer confidence and thus market uptake by creating a better labelling of biobased products that clearly marks them as preferable to consumers.

However, the experts consulted in the early phase of the project agreed unanimously that a label exclusively highlighting the bio-based content of a product would be of no value to consumers. It is assumed that most consumers will either not understand the wording at all or will automatically perceive bio-based to equal green. It was therefore agreed that any end consumer label for bio-based products should be combined with environmental criteria in order to provide added value to consumers, which is why the research work in Open-Bio focused solely on the EU Ecolabel as a multi-issue environmental label and looked at how bio-based products could be integrated.

Now, from the perspective of an ecolabel such as the EU Ecolabel, the reasons listed above, which are mostly socioeconomic, are not sufficient to consider being bio-based as being preferable to other products. Like any other product, bio-based products need to show their superiority over their whole life cycle in terms of recognized environmental impact categories, such as global warming potential (GWP) of the whole process chain, toxicity or end of life options.

Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) are used to calculate the environmental impacts of all kinds of products. The EU Ecolabel requires LCA evidence that bio-based products perform better in certain impact categories before it is able

44

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

to give preference to them. This, however, is quite difficult to achieve, since there is not a lot of independent, third party reviewed LCA evidence publicly available on many bio-based products and since bio-based products are not a homogenous group. For one group of end products, there might be different options of bio-based materials that perform differently in terms of environmental impacts. From a scientific LCA point of view, it is therefore quite difficult to achieve a clear general position on bio-based products as the LCA assessment suits better to case by case evaluation.

From a more strategic point of view, however, it is indeed possible to phrase some general reasons why biobased products should be given preference also from an environmental perspective. First of all, even though the evidence is not comprehensive, there is already a lot of information showing that many single bio-based materials perform better than their conventional counterparts e.g. in terms of GHG emissions, toxicity or end of life options. And this is despite the fact that most bio-based solutions are much younger than their conventional (fossil) counterparts and consequently have a lot of development potential to improve their performance. Second of all, renewability of resources in itself is an advantage that is not included in the recognized catalogue of environmental impacts of the LCA methodology. Recent research has highlighted that the world needs to leave its fossil resources in the ground to a large extent in order to be able to reach the 2 °C climate goal [1]. Energy needs can be replaced to a large extent by solar and wind resources – but for materials, using biomass as feedstock is one of few solutions to adhere to this goal, since we need some kind of carbon source for organic chemistry.

Several other aspects relevant to bio-based products are not included in current LCA methodology, either, which is why the researchers suggest to allow for some flexibility in reasoning when developing labelling criteria, too. One example for a methodological gap is the assessment of temporary carbon storage, which is particularly relevant for bio-based products, as they temporarily remove CO2 out of the atmosphere.

The bottom line is: Promoting bio-based products has been a political decision and there are different positive effects associated with doing so. Labelling is one tool to support the market uptake of bio-based products. The EU Ecolabel requires LCA evidence that bio-based products perform better than comparable conventional products in order to promote them. It is possible to provide this evidence in some cases, but not in all. However, the researchers argue that while LCA evidence is important, it is also not the be-all and end-all to evaluate environmental impacts, and there are overarching environmental reasons to promote bio-based products.

Politics

By: Lara Dammer Asta Partanan nova Institute Hürth, Germany

Bio-based content – how?

Another controversial question to be decided on when developing labelling criteria for bio-based products is how to declare the bio-based content in products. bioplastics MAGAZINE has repeatedly reported about the on-going debate between defenders of measuring the bio-based content in products and those that prefer to provide the information based on a mass balance calculation (sometimes combined with quite free allocation methods) (cf. bM 03/14, bM 04/14, bM 05/14, bM 01/15).

The Open-Bio consortium is hesitant about either the inclusion or the exclusion of such criteria, since there is still a lot of controversy around the issue of products declared according to “mass balance plus free allocation”. It needs to be decided on by the label experts whether they wish to give preference to these materials from renewable resources without a measurable bio-based content. The researchers see their role in clarifying the background of the wording and the implications such an inclusion might have.

It is important to understand that this debate will also be quite decisive for labelling issues: If a catalogue of labelling criteria contains the wording “plastics made from renewable resources” it refers to those plastics with zero % measurable bio-based content. Currently, this is the case for the Nordic Ecolabel criteria on absorbent hygiene products under revision. There might be other cases which the researchers are not currently aware of.

Sustainability certification – an unfair burden for bio-based materials?

In the context of growing awareness of the environmental impact of biomass feedstocks, also bio-based chemicals and materials are more and more faced with the requirement to prove a sustainable origin of their feedstock base.

This is usually done through an independent, third-party sustainability certification. Especially in order to receive the EU Ecolabel, there is an increasing number of criteria catalogues that require a sustainability certification for palm oil and its derivatives.

While it is understandable that products made from unsustainably produced palm oil should not receive an ecolabel, this criterion poses a serious burden for bio-based materials. The sustainability certification of feedstock is an extra cost for the producers of a bio-based material, which manufacturers of petro-based products never have to pay. While different forms of producing petroleum can have serious negative impacts on the environment and surrounding communities, too, this is never considered in any label. For these feedstocks, the world is accustomed to accepting them any way they come. For biomass, which has recently received much more attention as a feedstock – mostly

through the debate around food vs. fuels – the requirements are much higher, but there is no incentive that can compensate for these extra costs. This is not consistent, neither in terms of creating a level playing field on the market nor from an environmental perspective.

Therefore authors propose to offset this unfair burden by either providing funding mechanisms for companies needing the sustainability certification, by lifting the requirements stepwise in the coming years or by requiring similar proof for petro-based products in the future.

End of life Bio-based products can offer special end of life options such as biodegradability or compostability, which is often quoted as an important environmental advantage and an important product functionality. However, in the framework of developing an ecolabel, this is a controversial issue.

First of all, not all bio-based products are biodegradable or compostable. Second of all, biodegradability depends on a lot of factors such as temperature, presence of micro-organisms and time (a good explanation of the different terms and the important differences can be found in InProBio’s Factsheet #3 on Biodegradability [3]).

This means that the terms need to be used carefully and the products in question need to be properly tested in order to ensure that they fulfil the technical requirements.

The most important issue, however, is that these special end of life properties only make sense in certain contexts.

In general, the waste hierarchy prefers re-use and material recycling over other options. It is not quite clear how organic recycling (=composting) or anaerobic digestion are seen in this context, since their definitions are missing from the Waste Framework Directive [2]. From an energetic perspective incineration is often more efficient than producing compost, even though incineration is less preferred in the waste hierarchy compared to recycling. It is therefore not clear how to evaluate the option of composting or anaerobic digestion in general.

However, in specific contexts, biodegradability or compostability can offer certain benefits. The EU Ecolabel category on lubricants, for example, has recognized the importance of lubricants being biodegradable in water, since large amounts of these materials are lost in nature, which is an inherent part of their normal usage. For most other products, however, it is illegal to dispose of them in the environment. So incentivising biodegradability in nature, which could seem like encouraging people to throw their waste into the environment, could be counterproductive to enforcing the waste hierarchy.

Therefore, it needs to be carefully considered whether a product group under criteria development or revision for a label is usually used and lost in sensitive environments.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

45

Politics The bottom line is that while biodegradability is not the onestop solution it is sometimes presented as, it can still offer benefits in certain contexts and should be carefully evaluated for ecolabelling purposes.

Communication Apart from the criteria ‘behind the scenes’ which were evaluated in terms of their appropriateness for bio-based products, it could also be important to clearly state the fact that a product contains a significant share of bio-based resources on the product itself. This would make bio-based products as such more visible, familiarize consumers with the concept and in turn strengthen general awareness and confidence, which could lead to more market uptake. This is already done for lubricants or detergents, for example, and should be practice for all other product groups that will contain a relevant share of bio-based materials in the future.

References [1] McGlade, C. & Ekins, P. 2015: The geographical distribution of fossil fuels unused when limiting global warming to 2°C. in: Nature (517), 8 January 2015, 187-202.

[2] See for example BBIA (Biobased and Biodegradables Industry Association) 2016: BBIA writes to the EU regarding the Circular Economy Package.

London, 29 April 2016. http://bbia.org.uk/bbia-writes-to-the-eu-regardingthe-circular-economy-package/ [3] http://innprobio.innovation-procurement.org/bio-based-products-services/ factsheets/ The authors are grateful to the contributing partners Luana Ladu (TU Berlin), Martin Behrens (FNR) and Tijs Lammens (BTG) www.biobasedeconomy.eu

46

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

EU-ECOLABEL Only lubricants that are made of at least 50% renewable natural resources, are biodegradable, and minimize CO2 emissions, are eligible for the European ECO label.

Figure 1: EU Ecolabel mentioning the renewable feedstock base and the corresponding environmental benefits

Politics 10 years ago

10 ago

Published in bioplastics MAGAZINE In Nov 2016, Stefano Facco (Novamont) says:

Shopp

ing bag

„Many things have changed during the last 10 years, although some basic principles have just further consolidated. Today the discussion about shopping bags (as well as fruit and vegetable bags) is mainly focused, finally driven by the implementation of standards, laws and decrees, on the use of thin bags below 100mµ being compostable and reusable as bags for the collection of organic kitchen waste. More and more countries are now following this strategy, led by Italy which was the first EU member adopting severe measures to reduce the use of traditional single use bags.”

s–

ge with a hu plication one field of ap billion to rtainly a ates 500 , stics is ce om estim USA alone de of pla s.c ma the ag In gs leb r. ba Reusab hopping every yea n bags plastics.

100 billio worldwide l for bio duce the nsumed ert co pro potentia nv to co are in are required stic bags plastic res are trillion pla ls of oil are se bags tonnes of llion barre t 80,000 ount of the ated 12 mi any abou . small am cs rm a t sti Ge an estim jus In pla le ally. to now, ed annu compostab year. Up ort consum rces and gs each pt to supp le resou opping ba the attem renewab ed into sh to difuntries, based on ers, lead some co plastics ity in oth ering in bil made of litt ina as sta ns, such pport su so su to rea t simply Differen ustry or ultural ind ation. the agric s in legisl . In proache roduced been int ferent ap to gs have s pt country em opping ba ive att the first es on sh Legislat , became es restries tax example an requir se coun iw for Ta the d, in of c lan 03 a law for plasti In some 20 blic of Ire rs pu ce me Re Sin sto 02, the PlasTax. charge cu March 20 g tax, or stores to plastic ba enience a nv e co uc d introd ets an e meaion to tak supermark a discuss taurants, esh, Canstarted utensils. or have a, Banglad bags and banned ia and e Australi that have mbay), Ind gs includ es ba Bo c y tri sti erl un of pla ai (form Other co the use a, Mumb couraging ica, Keny Afr uth sures dis p givSo rted to sto and, Italy, . clerc sta ada, Scotl an or Le stic bags er of pla like Auch 2004 Tanzania. the numb et chains e in ark n uc lio rm red pe g to 12 bil t step to large su nin e, firs cli nc a – de 03, In Fra for free nce in 20 stic bags used in Fra ing out pla amendgs were plastic ba passed an stics 15 billion rliament . n all pla French Pa n in 2005 lio the bil ded to ba of 9 t and endmen tially inten er house am ini low e ich Th the wh s. t year, material ions bill, arket vis rm ble Late las pe da pro su al gra 2010 all m biode agricultur by fro an w de to no t ment unless ma te, so tha terial. by 2010 nch sena dable ma rpackaging in the Fre biodegra tus for ma made of modified ble impe was later have to be a noticea stique in kout-bags created b Biopla ec dy ch ea c of alr ive Clu plasti reasingly ure “has inc resentat as ll rep wi me as o, industry islative ple and fano Facc This leg and local , says Ste this exam ricultural opment” t to follow at both French ag ket devel agemen plastics that the ve encour tion of bio He stated on. He ga t introduc France. ati rke isl ma leg m this pport the su to the profit fro es tiativ a behind level. further ini initial ide er state y develop forget the thout an and memb ould not opping wi n Union ping nd, one sh Europea out for sh op mi go sh in to s old le ab tivitie rwise, the shall be these ac he er Ot all . um th Wi home g. A cons rchases opping ba or her pu ion. plastic sh carry his ical solut s made to st econom provision be the mo e would tot or et bask nce

S

s on the

Photos: BA

10

adva

SF

] Vol. 1

s [02/06

bioplastic

tinyurl.com/bags2006

Specia

l

Shoppi ng bags made of BioBag bioplast ics are Internat clearly Norway ional as on the , for ex . (form advanc ample erly Po Mater-B e. produc largrupp i mater es and en), he ial per in Norw sells se adquar year wo ay and veral m tered rldwide Belgiu illion sh in 18 co in Aski .

In m ad (in clos opping m, untries dition to e coop bags m . Jorn tw (shopp o eration ade of manuf Johans Photo: ing bags with Je acturin en of Bi BioBag as well maco NV g faciliti technica oBag is Internat as wast es l applica ) ional Bi co oBag is nvince e bags tions) is d that an pr es d ot en be The Ge biodeg her film t coming radabl rman co pr an od im e ucts fo bags mpany portant bigges r agric t numbe Holm Fo part of ul tural an r of biop their bu lienver owner d arbeitu siness. lastic sh of the ng, is on compa opping ducing e of the ny says bags pr biodeg . This supplie oduced radabl pionee rs with The Ne in Germ e plastic r in th the therland an is ba y, as H.M busines gs for 15 s, Aust . Holm s has al ralia an years, Most of , includin ready be d the Un Holm’s g some en proited Ar are foun bags ar ab Em export e not th d in m irates. activiti any co e light es to more co un we tri ig mmon es. In ht singl . “Even German e fossil ba us e if thes checko y, the sed plas e bags ut bags heavie tic bags being made r reus as they used as of biop able ba , many lastics gs are a conv of our very su are mor eyor fo custom much ccessf r marke e expe ers lik ul bag nsive th tura pa e tin th is g e messa the so benefit ckagin an -called ges” as g, that of th empty es “Happy shows H.M. Ho e bags field on a photog Bag” in lm th co e other, mmen can pr raph of close co ts. A int thei where fresh st operat e.g. sm r own ion with rawber equipm lo al go l rie sh . na ent su s on on One bi pplier g custom ops such as e side home th “Globe farm gr and an er of bi eir purc trotter” eengro odegra hases . Custom cery st of Mar dable ba in biod ores keting ers of gs is th egrada at Glob its six they lo ble bags e outd etrotte st or ve natu oo es made by r r says: in Germ re and ”Our cu plastic Holm. any ca act resp Ditmar bags of rry stomer onsible Boseke fered us s very Globet to the much , Head a good rotter environ like to opportu asked ment. be outs the resu their cu nity to So id th lt was e, e do stomer availabi somet overwh s in an biobas hing in lity of bi elming, internet ed and this resp oGlobet biodeg poll ab ect as money rotter radabl out thei well.” for thes decided e plastic r opinio e bags to intro s right n and . duce sh An Indi away. Gl as opping an exam obetro bags of tter do ple es not When Pe charge rses Bi any bags m limoria , founde ade of Mater-B r and CE could be i in Indi O of Ea Photos a succ a rth in : natura ess in soul In 2001, ha packag a deve di rd a, Today Ea ly la loping ing unched anybod rthsoul country y want shoppi fied ac sells in ed to be like Indi ng cording excess lie a. ve that th to EN of 300, total nu is 13432.

000 sh mber of opping Even if plastic ba ating an th gs is nu shoppi annual mber is awaren ng bags ly in Indi small ess an sustaina being us a, certi in com d a sp bility an ed in th ecial ex parison d dignity e coun perienc with th try, “Ear for the e arou e elemen thsoul nd the is crets of na values ture fo of cons r the cu ervatio stomer n, s who use an

tunity

gs –

Bioplastic

a big o pportu nity for bio plastic s

or a big opp

g ba Shoppin

Special

Years

12

Special

Earthsou l bag,” say s Perses Bilimoria. biopla Most of the stics [06 customers /02] Vo l. 1 are organ tessen sho 11 ic food ma ps, liquor rkets, hig stores, del that altho h-end pas uxe hotel ugh this try and del s and spa cer tai icanly s. Perses who are is still jus decision Bilimoria t a nic ma believes he marke kers in the understo t, these are corporate od in terms customers world an of good gre practices. d the me en govern ssage is ance and clearly sustainable With a gro environm wing pop ental ulation of India will almost 1.4 have a ma billion (m ture marke raw mater ore than China t for biopla ials such ), stic by as s 202 corn starch based on the countr 5 renewabl , which can y. e natural be easily sourced In additio from within n, Perses Bilimoria reau of Ind has been ian Stand ins trumenta ards (BIS) 13432 an l in convin to impleme d ASTM cing the nt and fol D 6400-9 Bucompost 9 for bio low the gu labelling plastics in “We go for idelines of protocols India, tog environm EN ISO 17088 . India sha ent protec ether wit or EN 134 That’s wh ll shortly h adequate tion.

32. y the frog adopt the goes for us” equivalen Perses Bil Photos: nat t to the ne imoria is ura packag w somewha – like Eu ing t concerne rope – is d however facing the synthetic about the problems polymers fact that of oxo-de , saying tha India gradable “biodegra t they are an dable bag d additive “flooding s”. India based are not edu the marke is a very cated on t in disgu price sen the aspect ise as sitive ma becomes s of biodeg rket and very difficul most peo radability t to convin ple 13432 cer and compos ce buyers tified pro tab ility, thus about the duct and it difference those tha Shopping t are only between totes – the an EN degradabl fashionable e,” Perse s say Shopping sty s. le bags made from renew ferent. Ch ameleon able resou Packagin rces can New York, g, a Divisio also be com for examp n of Desig pletely dif le, offers n & Sourc Chamele tote bags e Productio on Packa made of the ging began ns, Inc., rics in 200 PLA fibre dev eloping sam 4, but rea material lise ple Ingeo™. s d with Natur that most industry, making the fabrics we eWorks Ing re develo m typically eo fabof Ingeo ped only for too soft for has been the garme applicatio so suppor to discus nt n in bags. tive, that s developm NatureW The backbo ent for ne orks has The few ne w fabrics offered opp projects that would spe ort un cifi ities ed with Ing customer be more suitable for has not wa eo typica lly obtain nted in the bags.

“But as the much, bu end to pay costs com t the ave the differ e down an rage the opport ence in ma d such bag unity to use terial cos s become better ma and that ts. more com terials, the will turn pet itiv int re e an o more pro will be mo d give tor of Ch Photo: Ch re and mo jec ts, am ” ele say ameleon on Packa re inquiries s Nicole Sm ging. The material , ith, enviro will still be customers nmental around, be need tim dir ecmeet the e to recogn consisten ir needs, ise that the t, have en and be rel environm ough pro iable in a ent. Cham du ctio few n years tim output to eleon Packa steadfast e, as well ging’s com , and it is as good for mitment convinced the future cus to sustaina that Ingeo tomers. “Ov ble mater has a large erall,” say ials is the greate potential s Nicole, for its cur st potentia “I bel ren l. iev Non-wove t and e the non-w sustainably n bags ha ove focused sho n ma ve becom terial has ps and sto e really pop Conclusion res”. ular in all of the These are just a few www.biob examples shopping ag.no of the suc bags. www.holm cessful int folienvera rbeitung.d roduction www.natu Shopping e rapackagi of biopla bags made ng. stic www.glob of bioplastic connecte etrotter.de com d with pla s can defi www.cham stic bags. nitely not eleonpack cation tha Littering, aging.com solve all www.eart n of the ma for hsoulindia the example, problems terial. Th .com life in the is more a e effect of oceans, if question bioplastic there is an of edubags on the advantag y, not yet es surely killing of been suffi offer a ma marine ciently res rket poten earched. bioplastics tial in the But their [02/06] Vol. months an 1 d years to come.

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

47

Report

Are there GreenPremium prices for bio-based plastics?

I

n the framework of the European project BIOFOREVER nova-Institute is conducting a number of surveys on GreenPremium prices for bio-based products and related questions on different generations of bio-based feedstock and different product segments.

economics. Figure 1 shows the answers to the survey which contained only a single question: “Green Premium for biobased plastics: Which premium extra price would you or your customers be willing to pay?”

Almost 85 % of the experts report GreenPremium prices for bio-based plastics. Most of the participants (60 %) considered the GreenPremium to range between 10-20 %, almost 20 % indicated a price premium of 20 up to 40 %.

About 6 % of the respondents see a willingness to pay even more than 50 % for bio-based plastics.

In the 2014 nova paper “GreenPremium prices along the value chain of bio-based products”, the term ‘GreenPremium price’ is defined as: “The additional price a market actor is willing to pay for the additional emotional performance and/ or the strategic performance of the intermediate or end product the buyer expects to get when choosing the biobased alternative compared to the price of the conventional counterpart with the same technical performance.” [1]

Exactly the same question had been put to similar LinkedIn groups in 2013. The comparison of the answers of 2013 and 2016 as depicted by figure 2 shows a very similar picture for the two years.

In October 2016, a first new survey was conducted. It focused on bio-based plastics only to have a reference to a similar survey in 2013. It was carried out among the following LinkedIn groups related to bio-based plastics: “myBIO Community” (49,000 members), “BioBased Economy” (6,000), “Bioplastics” (4,000) and “Polymer Chemistry & Polymeric Materials” (20,000) as well as more than 100 personal contacts in the bioplastics sector.

The survey could make out only insignificant differences between 2013 and 2016. In 2016, the group indicating „> 50 % GreenPremium“ is a bit smaller than in 2013, in 2016 the group „20-40 %“ is a little bit bigger than in 2013.

These results are quite unexpected. In several personal communications before the survey, a range of experts had expressed the opinion that the willingness to pay GreenPremium prices would have decreased since 2013. This was mostly due to the fact that bio-based plastics are not that new and innovative in the market place anymore and that certain concerns might have had impacts on the green image.

Out of the several expert groups, 69 experts participated in the survey, mainly from companies producing and/ or marketing bio-based plastics, industrial associations and consultants of this market area; all respondents are experts in the field of bio-based plastics, markets and

Figure 2: Comparison of reported GreenPremium prices for bio-based plastics 2013 and 2016

80

10-20%

70 60 50 40 30

20-40%

20 >50% 10 0

1

2 Survey August 2013

48

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

3 Survey October 2016

Think Sustainable

M·VERA® –

biodegradable bioplastic

By: Michael Carus, Asta Partanen and Lara Dammer nova-Institute Hürth, Germany

With our M·VERA® range of biodegradable plastics (certified to EN 13432), we provide you with customized solutions for your application:

This thinking does not seem to be relevant for the broad

audience. In the markets, bio-based polymers are still perceived positively enough to obtain a GreenPremium price. The willingness to pay GreenPremium has not reduced over the last three years. It has even grown in the medium category of “20-40 %”.

• Film Such as shopping bags, biowaste bags or agricultural films

Perhaps all the discussions about food security, direct and indirect land use changes and sustainability take place only in small circles in the bio-based economy. The real markets and the image of bio-based plastics seems to be less impacted by them than the political sector.

• Injection moulding Such as coffee capsules, cutlery, toys and others

A more detailed survey has been launched meanwhile, to understand the phenomena of GreenPremium prices in depth: What are the drivers for the willingness to pay more? Are there different levels of GreenPremium prices along the value chain? Is there a higher willingness to pay GreenPremium prices for products made from second generation feedstocks? Readers of bioplastics MAGAZINE are kindly asked to participate at http://tinyurl.com/GreenPremium.

• Color, carbon black and additive masterbatches

Our team of highly experienced plastic specialists is pleased to help you – contact us!

[1] Carus, M., Eder, A., Beckmann, J. 2013: nova paper #3: “GreenPremium prices along the value chain of bio-based products“. Hürth 2013. http:// bio-based.eu/publication-search/?wpv_post_search=greenpremium www.bioforever.org

Figure 1: GreenPremium prices reported for bio-based plastics, October 2016

6% 16% 19% more than 50% 20-40% 10-20% no GreenPremium

59%

BIO-FED Branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH BioCampus Cologne · Nattermannallee 1 50829 Cologne · Germany Phone: +49 221 88 88 94-00 Fax: +49 221 88 88 94-99 info@bio-fed.com www.bio-fed.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

49

Basics

Glossary 4.2

last update issue 02/2016

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.

Since this Glossary will not be printed in each issue you can download a pdf version from our website (bit.ly/OunBB0) bioplastics MAGAZINE is grateful to European Bioplastics for the permission to use parts of their Glossary.

Version 4.0 was revised using EuBP’s latest version (Jan 2015). [*: bM ... refers to more comprehensive article previously published in bioplastics MAGAZINE)

Bioplastics (as defined by European Bioplastics e.V.) is a term used to define two different kinds of plastics: a. Plastics based on → renewable resources (the focus is the origin of the raw material used). These can be biodegradable or not. b. → 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.

1 Generation feedstock | Carbohydrate rich plants such as corn or sugar cane that can also be used as food or animal feed are called food crops or 1st generation feedstock. Bred my mankind over centuries for highest energy efficiency, currently, 1st generation feedstock is the most efficient feedstock for the production of bioplastics as it requires the least amount of land to grow and produce the highest yields. [bM 04/09] st

2nd Generation feedstock | refers to feedstock not suitable for food or feed. It can be either non-food crops (e.g. cellulose) or waste materials from 1st generation feedstock (e.g. waste vegetable oil). [bM 06/11] 3rd Generation feedstock | This term currently relates to biomass from algae, which – having a higher growth yield than 1st and 2nd generation feedstock – were given their own category. It also relates to bioplastics from waste streams such as CO2 or methane [bM 02/16] Aerobic digestion | Aerobic means in the presence of oxygen. In →composting, which is an aerobic process, →microorganisms access the present oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere. They metabolize the organic material to energy, CO2, water and cell biomass, whereby part of the energy of the organic material is released as heat. [bM 03/07, bM 02/09]

50

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Anaerobic digestion | In anaerobic digestion, organic matter is degraded by a microbial population in the absence of oxygen and producing methane and carbon dioxide (= →biogas) and a solid residue that can be composted in a subsequent step without practically releasing any heat. The biogas can be treated in a Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP), producing electricity and heat, or can be upgraded to bio-methane [14] [bM 06/09] Amorphous | non-crystalline, glassy with unordered lattice Amylopectin | Polymeric branched starch molecule with very high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09] Amylose | Polymeric non-branched starch molecule with high molecular weight (biopolymer, monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09] Biobased | The term biobased describes the part of a material or product that is stemming from →biomass. When making a biobasedclaim, the unit (→biobased carbon content, →biobased mass content), a percentage and the measuring method should be clearly stated [1] Biobased carbon | carbon contained in or stemming from →biomass. A material or product made of fossil and →renewable resources contains fossil and →biobased carbon.

The biobased carbon content is measured via the 14C method (radio carbon dating method) that adheres to the technical specifications as described in [1,4,5,6].

Biobased labels | The fact that (and to what percentage) a product or a material is →biobased can be indicated by respective labels. Ideally, meaningful labels should be based on harmonised standards and a corresponding certification process by independent third party institutions. For the property biobased such labels are in place by certifiers →DIN CERTCO and →Vinçotte who both base their certifications on the technical specification as described in [4,5] A certification and corresponding label depicting the biobased mass content was developed by the French Association Chimie du Végétal [ACDV].

Biobased mass content | describes the amount of biobased mass contained in a material or product. This method is complementary to the 14C method, and furthermore, takes other chemical elements besides the biobased carbon into account, such as oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. A measuring method has been developed and tested by the Association Chimie du Végétal (ACDV) [1] Biobased plastic | A plastic in which constitutional units are totally or partly from → biomass [3]. If this claim is used, a percentage should always be given to which extent the product/material is → biobased [1] [bM 01/07, bM 03/10]

Biodegradable Plastics | Biodegradable Plastics are plastics that are completely assimilated by the → 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.

The process of biodegradation depends on the environmental conditions, which influence it (e.g. location, temperature, humidity) and on the material or application itself. Consequently, the process and its outcome can vary considerably. Biodegradability is linked to the structure of the polymer chain; it does not depend on the origin of the raw materials.

There is currently no single, overarching standard to back up claims about biodegradability.

One standard for example is ISO or in Europe: EN 14995 Plastics- Evaluation of compostability - Test scheme and specifications [bM 02/06, bM 01/07]

Biogas | → Anaerobic digestion Biomass | Material of biological origin excluding material embedded in geological formations and material transformed to fossilised material. This includes organic material, e.g. trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, algae and waste of biological origin, e.g. manure [1, 2] Biorefinery | the co-production of a spectrum of bio-based products (food, feed, materials, chemicals including monomers or building blocks for bioplastics) and energy (fuels, power, heat) from biomass.[bM 02/13] Blend | Mixture of plastics, polymer alloy of at least two microscopically dispersed and molecularly distributed base polymers Bisphenol-A (BPA) | Monomer used to produce different polymers. BPA is said to cause health problems, due to the fact that is behaves like a hormone. Therefore it is banned for use in children’s products in many countries.

BPI | Biodegradable Products Institute, a notfor-profit association. Through their innovative compostable label program, BPI educates manufacturers, legislators and consumers about the importance of scientifically based standards for compostable materials which biodegrade in large composting facilities.

Carbon footprint | (CFPs resp. PCFs – Product Carbon Footprint): Sum of →greenhouse gas emissions and removals in a product system, expressed as CO2 equivalent, and based on a →life cycle assessment. The CO2 equivalent of a specific amount of a greenhouse gas is calculated as the mass of a given greenhouse gas multiplied by its →global warmingpotential [1,2,15]

Basics Carbon neutral, CO2 neutral | describes a product or 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.

Carbon neutrality can also be achieved through buying sufficient carbon credits to make up the difference. The latter option is not allowed when communicating → LCAs or carbon footprints regarding a material or product [1, 2].

Carbon-neutral claims are tricky as products will not in most cases reach carbon neutrality if their complete life cycle is taken into consideration (including the end-of life).

If an assessment of a material, however, is conducted (cradle to gate), carbon neutrality might be a valid claim in a B2B context. In this case, the unit assessed in the complete life cycle has to be clarified [1] Cascade use | of →renewable resources means to first use the →biomass to produce biobased industrial products and afterwards – due to their favourable energy balance – use them for energy generation (e.g. from a biobased plastic product to →biogas production). The feedstock is used efficiently and value generation increases decisively.

Catalyst | substance that enables and accelerates a chemical reaction Cellophane | Clear film on the basis of →cellulose [bM 01/10] Cellulose | Cellulose is the principal component of cell walls in all higher forms of plant life, at varying percentages. It is therefore the most common organic compound and also the most common polysaccharide (multisugar) [11]. Cellulose is a polymeric molecule with very high molecular weight (monomer is →Glucose), industrial production from wood or cotton, to manufacture paper, plastics and fibres [bM 01/10] Cellulose ester | Cellulose esters occur by the esterification of cellulose with organic acids. The most important cellulose esters from a technical point of view are cellulose acetate (CA with acetic acid), cellulose propionate (CP with propionic acid) and cellulose butyrate (CB with butanoic acid). Mixed polymerisates, such as cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) can also be formed. One of the most well-known applications of cellulose aceto butyrate (CAB) is the moulded handle on the Swiss army knife [11] Cellulose acetate CA | → Cellulose ester CEN | Comité Européen de Normalisation (European organisation for standardization) Certification | is a process in which materials/products undergo a string of (laboratory) tests in order to verify that the fulfil certain requirements. Sound certification systems should be based on (ideally harmonised) European standards or technical specifications (e.g. by →CEN, USDA, ASTM, etc.) and be performed by independent third party laboratories. Successful certification guarantees a high product safety - also on this basis interconnected labels can be awarded that help the consumer to make an informed decision.

Compost | A soil conditioning material of decomposing organic matter which provides nutrients and enhances soil structure. [bM 06/08, 02/09]

Compostable Plastics | Plastics that are → biodegradable under →composting conditions: specified humidity, temperature, → microorganisms and timeframe. In order to make accurate and specific claims about compostability, the location (home, → industrial) and timeframe need to be specified [1].

Several national and international standards exist for clearer definitions, for example EN 14995 Plastics - Evaluation of compostability Test scheme and specifications. [bM 02/06, bM 01/07] Composting | is the controlled →aerobic, or oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic materials by →microorganisms, under controlled conditions. It reduces the volume and mass of the raw materials while transforming them into CO2, water and a valuable soil conditioner – compost.

When talking about composting of bioplastics, foremost →industrial composting in a managed composting facility is meant (criteria defined in EN 13432).

The main difference between industrial and home composting is, that in industrial composting facilities temperatures are much higher and kept stable, whereas in the composting pile temperatures are usually lower, and less constant as depending on factors such as weather conditions. Home composting is a way slower-paced process than industrial composting. Also a comparatively smaller volume of waste is involved. [bM 03/07] Compound | plastic mixture from different raw materials (polymer and additives) [bM 04/10) Copolymer | Plastic composed of different monomers.

Cradle-to-Gate | Describes the system boundaries of an environmental →Life 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 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 →LCA studies.

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

Crystalline | Plastic with regularly arranged molecules in a lattice structure

e.g. sugar cane) or partly biobased PET; the monoethylene glykol made from bio-ethanol (from e.g. sugar cane). Developments to make terephthalic acid from renewable resources are under way. Other examples are polyamides (partly biobased e.g. PA 4.10 or PA 6.10 or fully biobased like PA 5.10 or PA10.10) EN 13432 | European standard for the assessment of the → compostability of plastic packaging products Energy recovery | recovery and exploitation of the energy potential in (plastic) waste for the production of electricity or heat in waste incineration pants (waste-to-energy) Environmental claim | A statement, symbol or graphic that indicates one or more environmental aspect(s) of a product, a component, packaging or a service. [16] Enzymes | proteins that catalyze chemical reactions Enzyme-mediated plastics | are no →bioplastics. Instead, a conventional non-biodegradable plastic (e.g. fossil-based PE) is enriched with small amounts of an organic additive.

Microorganisms are supposed to consume these additives and the degradation process should then expand to the non-biodegradable PE and thus make the material degrade. After some time the plastic is supposed to visually disappear and to be completely converted to carbon dioxide and water. This is a theoretical concept which has not been backed up by any verifiable proof so far. Producers promote enzyme-mediated plastics as a solution to littering. As no proof for the degradation process has been provided, environmental beneficial effects are highly questionable.

Ethylene | colour- and odourless gas, made e.g. from, Naphtha (petroleum) by cracking or from bio-ethanol by dehydration, monomer of the polymer polyethylene (PE) European Bioplastics e.V. | The industry association representing the interests of Europe’s thriving bioplastics’ industry. Founded in Germany in 1993 as IBAW, European Bioplastics today represents the interests of about 50 member companies throughout the European Union and worldwide. With members from the agricultural feedstock, chemical and plastics industries, as well as industrial users and recycling companies, European Bioplastics serves as both a contact platform and catalyst for advancing the aims of the growing bioplastics industry.

Extrusion | process used to create plastic profiles (or sheet) of a fixed cross-section consisting of mixing, melting, homogenising and shaping of the plastic.

DIN | Deutsches Institut für Normung (German organisation for standardization)

FDCA | 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, an intermediate chemical produced from 5-HMF. The dicarboxylic acid can be used to make → PEF = polyethylene furanoate, a polyester that could be a 100% biobased alternative to PET.

DIN-CERTCO | independant certifying organisation for the assessment on the conformity of bioplastics

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

Dispersing | fine distribution of non-miscible liquids into a homogeneous, stable mixture

FSC | Forest Stewardship Council. FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not-forprofit organization established to promote the responsible and sustainable management of the world’s forests.

Density | Quotient from mass and volume of a material, also referred to as specific weight

Drop-In bioplastics | chemically indentical to conventional petroleum based plastics, but made from renewable resources. Examples are bio-PE made from bio-ethanol (from

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

51

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

Genetically modified organism (GMO) | Organisms, such as plants and animals, whose genetic material (DNA) has been altered are called genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Food and feed which contain or consist of such GMOs, or are produced from GMOs, are called genetically modified (GM) food or feed [1]. If GM crops are used in bioplastics production, the multiple-stage processing and the high heat used to create the polymer removes all traces of genetic material. This means that the final bioplastics product contains no genetic traces. The resulting bioplastics is therefore well suited to use in food packaging as it contains no genetically modified material and cannot interact with the contents.

Global Warming | Global warming is the rise in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere and oceans since the late 19th century and its projected continuation [8]. Global warming is said to be accelerated by → green house gases.

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.

Greenhouse gas GHG | Gaseous constituent of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorbs and emits radiation at specific wavelengths within the spectrum of infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface, the atmosphere, and clouds [1, 9] Greenwashing | The act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company, or the environmental benefits of a product or service [1, 10] Granulate, granules | small plastic particles (3-4 millimetres), a form in which plastic is sold and fed into machines, easy to handle and dose.

HMF (5-HMF) | 5-hydroxymethylfurfural is an organic compound derived from sugar dehydration. It is a platform chemical, a building block for 20 performance polymers and over 175 different chemical substances. The molecule consists of a furan ring which contains both aldehyde and alcohol functional groups.

5-HMF has applications in many different industries such as bioplastics, packaging, pharmaceuticals, adhesives and chemicals.

One of the most promising routes is 2,5 furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), produced as an intermediate when 5-HMF is oxidised. FDCA is used to produce PEF, which can substitute terephthalic acid in polyester, especially polyethylene terephthalate (PET). [bM 03/14, 02/16] Home composting |

→composting [bM 06/08]

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

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

52

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Hydrophobic | Property: water-resistant, not soluble in water (e.g. a plastic which is water resistant and weather proof, or that does not absorb any water such as Polyethylene (PE) or Polypropylene (PP).

Industrial composting | is an established process with commonly agreed upon requirements (e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming biodegradable waste into stable, sanitised products to be used in agriculture. The criteria for industrial compostability of packaging have been defined in the EN 13432. Materials and products complying with this standard can be certified and subsequently labelled accordingly [1,7] [bM 06/08, 02/09] ISO | International Organization for Standardization JBPA | Japan Bioplastics Association Land use | The surface required to grow sufficient feedstock (land use) for today’s bioplastic production is less than 0.01 percent of the global agricultural area of 5 billion hectares.

It is not yet foreseeable to what extent an increased use of food residues, non-food crops or cellulosic biomass (see also →1st/2nd/3rd generation feedstock) in bioplastics production might lead to an even further reduced land use in the future [bM 04/09, 01/14] LCA | is the compilation and evaluation of the input, output and the potential environmental impact of a product system throughout its life cycle [17]. It is sometimes also referred to as life cycle analysis, ecobalance or cradle-tograve analysis. [bM 01/09] Littering | is the (illegal) act of leaving waste such as cigarette butts, paper, tins, bottles, cups, plates, cutlery or bags lying in an open or public place.

Marine litter | Following the European Commission’s definition, “marine litter consists of items that have been deliberately discarded, unintentionally lost, or transported by winds and rivers, into the sea and on beaches. It mainly consists of plastics, wood, metals, glass, rubber, clothing and paper”. Marine debris originates from a variety of sources.

Shipping and fishing activities are the predominant sea-based, ineffectively managed landfills as well as public littering the main land-based sources. Marine litter can pose a threat to living organisms, especially due to ingestion or entanglement.

Currently, there is no international standard available, which appropriately describes the biodegradation of plastics in the marine environment. However, a number of standardisation projects are in progress at ISO and ASTM level. Furthermore, the European project OPEN BIO addresses the marine biodegradation of biobased products.[bM 02/16] Mass balance | describes the relationship between input and output of a specific substance within a system in which the output from the system cannot exceed the input into the system.

First attempts were made by plastic raw material producers to claim their products renewable (plastics) based on a certain input of biomass in a huge and complex chemical plant, then mathematically allocating this biomass input to the produced plastic.

These approaches are at least controversially disputed [bM 04/14, 05/14, 01/15]

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

Molecule | group of at least two atoms held together by covalent chemical bonds.

Monomer | molecules that are linked by polymerization to form chains of molecules and then plastics Mulch film | Foil to cover bottom of farmland Organic recycling | means the treatment of separately collected organic waste by anaerobic digestion and/or composting.

Oxo-degradable / Oxo-fragmentable | materials and products that do not biodegrade!

The underlying technology of oxo-degradability or oxo-fragmentation is based on special additives, which, if incorporated into standard resins, are purported to accelerate the fragmentation of products made thereof. Oxodegradable or oxo-fragmentable materials do not meet accepted industry standards on compostability such as EN 13432. [bM 01/09, 05/09] PBAT | Polybutylene adipate terephthalate, is an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester that has the properties of conventional polyethylene but is fully biodegradable under industrial composting. PBAT is made from fossil petroleum with first attempts being made to produce it partly from renewable resources [bM 06/09] PBS | Polybutylene succinate, a 100% biodegradable polymer, made from (e.g. bio-BDO) and succinic acid, which can also be produced biobased [bM 03/12].

PC | Polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyester, petroleum based and not degradable, used for e.g. baby bottles or CDs. Criticized for its BPA (→ Bisphenol-A) content.

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

PE | Polyethylene, thermoplastic polymerised from ethylene. Can be made from renewable resources (sugar cane via bio-ethanol) [bM 05/10] PEF | polyethylene furanoate, a polyester made from monoethylene glycol (MEG) and →FDCA (2,5-furandicarboxylic acid , an intermediate chemical produced from 5-HMF). It can be a 100% biobased alternative for PET. PEF also has improved product characteristics, such as better structural strength and improved barrier behaviour, which will allow for the use of PEF bottles in additional applications. [bM 03/11, 04/12] PET | Polyethylenterephthalate, transparent polyester used for bottles and film. The polyester is made from monoethylene glycol (MEG), that can be renewably sourced from bio-ethanol (sugar cane) and (until now fossil) terephthalic acid [bM 04/14] PGA | Polyglycolic acid or Polyglycolide is a biodegradable, thermoplastic polymer and the simplest linear, aliphatic polyester. Besides ist use in the biomedical field, PGA has been introduced as a barrier resin [bM 03/09] PHA | Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) or the polyhydroxy fatty acids, are a family of biodegradable polyesters. As in many mammals, including humans, that hold energy reserves in the form of body fat there are also bacteria that hold intracellular reserves in for of of polyhydroxy alkanoates. Here the microorganisms store a particularly high level of

Basics energy reserves (up to 80% of their own body weight) for when their sources of nutrition become scarce. By farming this type of bacteria, and feeding them on sugar or starch (mostly from maize), or at times on plant oils or other nutrients rich in carbonates, it is possible to obtain PHA‘s on an industrial scale [11]. The most common types of PHA are PHB (Polyhydroxybutyrate, PHBV and PHBH. Depending on the bacteria and their food, PHAs with different mechanical properties, from rubbery soft trough stiff and hard as ABS, can be produced. Some PHSs are even biodegradable in soil or in a marine environment PLA | Polylactide or Polylactic Acid (PLA), a biodegradable, thermoplastic, linear aliphatic polyester based on lactic acid, a natural acid, is mainly produced by fermentation of sugar or starch with the help of micro-organisms.

Lactic acid comes in two isomer forms, i.e. as laevorotatory D(-)lactic acid and as dextrorotary L(+)lactic acid.

Modified PLA types can be produced by the use of the right additives or by certain combinations of L- and D- lactides (stereocomplexing), which then have the required rigidity for use at higher temperatures [13] [bM 01/09, 01/12] Plastics | Materials with large molecular chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced by chemical or biochemical reactions.

PPC | Polypropylene Carbonate, a bioplastic made by copolymerizing CO2 with propylene oxide (PO) [bM 04/12] PTT | Polytrimethylterephthalate (PTT), partially biobased polyester, is similarly to PET produced using terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate and a diol. In this case it is a biobased 1,3 propanediol, also known as bioPDO [bM 01/13] Renewable Resources | agricultural raw materials, which are not used as food or feed, but as raw material for industrial products or to generate energy. The use of renewable resources by industry saves fossil resources and reduces the amount of → greenhouse gas emissions. Biobased plastics are predominantly made of annual crops such as corn, cereals and sugar beets or perennial cultures such as cassava and sugar cane.

Resource efficiency | Use of limited natural resources in a sustainable way while minimising impacts on the environment. A resource efficient economy creates more output or value with lesser input.

Seedling Logo | The compostability label or logo Seedling is connected to the standard EN 13432/EN 14995 and a certification process managed by the independent institutions →DIN CERTCO and → Vinçotte. Bioplastics products carrying the Seedling fulfil the criteria laid down in the EN 13432 regarding industrial compostability. [bM 01/06, 02/10] 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. → glucose is a monosaccarin. They are important for the diet and produced biology in plants.

Semi-finished products | plastic in form of sheet, film, rods or the like to be further processed into finshed products

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.

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.

Starch | Natural polymer (carbohydrate) consisting of → amylose and → 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 → amylose and → amylopectin known. [bM 05/09]

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

Starch derivatives | Starch derivatives are based on the chemical structure of → starch.

The chemical structure can be changed by introducing new functional groups without changing the → 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 connected with an 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 → starch with propane or butanic acid. The product structure is still based on → starch. Every based → glucose fragment is connected with a propionate or butyrate ester group. The product is more hydrophobic than → starch.

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

One famous definition of sustainability is the one created by the Brundtland Commission, led by the former Norwegian Prime Minister G. H. 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 nonhuman environment).

Sustainable sourcing | of renewable feedstock for biobased plastics is a prerequisite for more sustainable products. Impacts such as the deforestation of protected habitats or social and environmental damage arising from poor agricultural practices must be avoided. Corresponding certification schemes, such as ISCC PLUS, WLC or BonSucro, are an appropriate tool to ensure the sustainable sourcing of biomass for all applications around the globe.

Sustainability | as defined by European Bioplastics, 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

Thermoplastic Starch | (TPS) → starch that was modified (cooked, complexed) to make it a plastic resin Thermoset | Plastics (resins) which do not soften or melt when heated. Examples are epoxy resins or unsaturated polyester resins.

Vinçotte | independant certifying organisation for the assessment on the conformity of bioplastics WPC | Wood Plastic Composite. Composite materials made of wood fiber/flour and plastics (mostly polypropylene).

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

References: [1] Environmental Communication Guide, European Bioplastics, Berlin, Germany, 2012 [2] ISO 14067. Carbon footprint of products Requirements and guidelines for quantification and communication [3] CEN TR 15932, Plastics - Recommendation for terminology and characterisation of biopolymers and bioplastics, 2010 [4] CEN/TS 16137, Plastics - Determination of bio-based carbon content, 2011 [5] ASTM D6866, Standard Test Methods for Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis [6] SPI: Understanding Biobased Carbon Content, 2012 [7] EN 13432, Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation. Test scheme and evaluation criteria for the final acceptance of packaging, 2000 [8] Wikipedia [9] ISO 14064 Greenhouse gases -- Part 1: Specification with guidance..., 2006 [10] Terrachoice, 2010, www.terrachoice.com [11] Thielen, M.: Bioplastics: Basics. Applications. Markets, Polymedia Publisher, 2012 [12] Lörcks, J.: Biokunststoffe, Broschüre der FNR, 2005 [13] de Vos, S.: Improving heat-resistance of PLA using poly(D-lactide), bioplastics MAGAZINE, Vol. 3, Issue 02/2008 [14] de Wilde, B.: Anaerobic Digestion, bioplastics MAGAZINE, Vol 4., Issue 06/2009 [15] ISO 14067 onb Corbon Footprint of Products [16] ISO 14021 on Self-declared Environmental claims [17] ISO 14044 on Life Cycle Assessment

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

53

Suppliers Guide 1. Raw Materials

AGRANA Starch Bioplastics Conrathstraße 7 A-3950 Gmuend, Austria technical.starch@agrana.com www.agrana.com

Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China China contact: Grace Jin mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843 Grace@xinfupharm.comEurope contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang mobile: 0032 478 991619 zxh0612@hotmail.com www.xinfupharm.com

Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd. No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone, Guangdong, P.R. China. 510663 Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696 info@ecopond.com.cn www.ecopond.com.cn FLEX-162 Biodeg. Blown Film Resin!

Bio-873 4-Star Inj. Bio-Based Resin!

1.1 bio based monomers

Showa Denko Europe GmbH Konrad-Zuse-Platz 4 81829 Munich, Germany Tel.: +49 89 93996226 www.showa-denko.com support@sde.de

Simply contact:

Corbion Purac Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21 4200 AA Gorinchem The Netherlands Tel.: +31 (0)183 695 695 Fax: +31 (0)183 695 604 www.corbion.com/bioplastics bioplastics@corbion.com

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

Tel.: +49 2161 6884467 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.

For Example:

PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd. info@pttmcc.com / www.pttmcc.com Tel: +66(0) 2 140-3563 MCPP Germany GmbH +49 (0) 152-018 920 51 frank.steinbrecher@mcpp-europe.com MCPP France SAS +33 (0) 6 07 22 25 32 fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com 62 136 Lestrem, France Tel.: + 33 (0) 3 21 63 36 00 www.roquette-performance-plastics.com

GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com

39 mm

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

DuPont de Nemours International S.A. 2 chemin du Pavillon 1218 - Le Grand Saconnex Switzerland Tel.: +41 22 171 51 11 Fax: +41 22 580 22 45 www.renewable.dupont.com www.plastics.dupont.com

API S.p.A. Via Dante Alighieri, 27 36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy Telephone +39 0424 579711 www.apiplastic.com www.apinatbio.com

Green Dot Bioplastics 226 Broadway | PO Box #142 Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845, USA Tel.: +1 620-273-8919 info@greendotholdings.com www.greendotpure.com

Sample Charge: 39mm x 6,00 € = 234,00 € per entry/per issue

Sample Charge for one year: 6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 € 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.

www.facebook.com www.issuu.com www.twitter.com www.youtube.com

54

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Tel: +86 351-8689356 Fax: +86 351-8689718 www.ecoworld.jinhuigroup.com ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com

Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe Polyester Co., Ltd. No. 316, South Beijing Rd. Changji, Xinjiang, 831100, P.R.China Tel.: +86 994 2713175 Mob: +86 13905253382 lilong_tunhe@163.com www.lanshantunhe.com PBAT & PBS resin supplier

BIO-FED Branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH BioCampus Cologne Nattermannallee 1 50829 Cologne, Germany Tel.: +49 221 88 88 94-00 info@bio-fed.com www.bio-fed.com

NUREL Engineering Polymers Ctra. Barcelona, km 329 50016 Zaragoza, Spain Tel: +34 976 465 579 inzea@samca.com www.inzea-biopolymers.com

PolyOne Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 Zoning de la Fagne 5330 Assesse Belgium Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 www.polyone.com

Suppliers Guide

Tecnaro GmbH Bustadt 40 D-74360 Ilsfeld. Germany Tel: +49 (0)7062/97687-0 www.tecnaro.de 1.3 PLA

Metabolix, Inc. Bio-based and biodegradable resins and performance additives 21 Erie Street Cambridge, MA 02139, USA US +1-617-583-1700 DE +49 (0) 221 / 88 88 94 00 www.metabolix.com info@metabolix.com

BeoPlast Besgen GmbH Bioplastics injection moulding Industriestraße 64 D-40764 Langenfeld, Germany Tel. +49 2173 84840-0 info@beoplast.de www.beoplast.de

1.6 masterbatches

6.2 Laboratory Equipment

Shenzhen Esun Ind. Co;Ltd www.brightcn.net www.esun.en.alibaba.com bright@brightcn.net Tel: +86-755-2603 1978 GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 JIANGSU SUPLA BIOPLASTICS CO., LTD. www.grafe.com Tel: +86 527 88278888 WeChat: supla-168 supla@supla-bioplastics.cn www.supla-bioplastics.cn

PolyOne Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 Zoning de la Fagne Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co.,Ltd. 5330 Assesse No.97 Waisha Rd, Jiaojiang District, Belgium Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 Tel: +86-576-88827723 www.polyone.com pla@hisunpharm.com www.hisunplas.com 2. Additives/Secondary raw materials 1.4 starch-based bioplastics

BIOTEC Biologische Naturverpackungen Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32 46446 Emmerich/Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510 info@biotec.de www.biotec.de

GRAFE-Group Waldecker Straße 21, 99444 Blankenhain, Germany Tel. +49 36459 45 0 www.grafe.com 3. Semi finished products

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

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 esmy@minima-tech.com Skype esmy325 www.minima-tech.com

MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer SAIDA FDS INC. 143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu, Shizuoka,Japan Tel:+81-54-624-6260 Info2@moda.vg www.saidagroup.jp 7. Plant engineering

EREMA Engineering Recycling Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH Unterfeldstrasse 3 4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0 Natur-Tec® - Northern Technologies Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-23 erema@erema.at 4201 Woodland Road www.erema.at Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA Tel. +1 763.404.8700 Fax +1 763.225.6645 info@natur-tec.com www.natur-tec.com

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

3.1 films

Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH Holzhauser Strasse 157–159 D-13509 Berlin Tel. +49 30 43 567 5 Fax +49 30 43 567 699 sales.de@uhde-inventa-fischer.com Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG Via Innovativa 31, CH-7013 Domat/Ems Tel. +41 81 632 63 11 Fax +41 81 632 74 03 sales.ch@uhde-inventa-fischer.com www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com 9. Services

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

Infiana Germany GmbH & Co. KG Zweibrückenstraße 15-25 91301 Forchheim Tel. +49-9191 81-0 Fax +49-9191 81-212 www.infiana.com

1.5 PHA

4. Bioplastics products

6.1 Machinery & Molds

Bio4Pack GmbH D-48419 Rheine, Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 5975 955 94 57 info@bio4pack.com www.bio4pack.com

Buss AG Hohenrainstrasse 10 4133 Pratteln / Switzerland Tel.: +41 61 825 66 00 Fax: +41 61 825 68 58 info@busscorp.com www.busscorp.com

TianAn Biopolymer 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

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 6. Equipment

Osterfelder Str. 3 46047 Oberhausen Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227 Fax: +49 (0)208 8598 1424 thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de

Institut für Kunststofftechnik Universität Stuttgart Böblinger Straße 70 70199 Stuttgart Tel +49 711/685-62814 Linda.Goebel@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

55

Suppliers Guide Simply contact:

Tel.: +49 2161 6884467 BPI - The Biodegradable Products Institute 331 West 57th Street, Suite 415 New York, NY 10019, USA Tel. +1-888-274-5646 info@bpiworld.org

9. Services (continued)

suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com

Michigan State University Dept. of Chem. Eng & Mat. Sc. Professor Ramani Narayan East Lansing MI 48824, USA Tel. +1 517 719 7163 narayan@msu.edu 10.3 Other Institutions

nova-Institut GmbH Chemiepark Knapsack Industriestrasse 300 50354 Huerth, Germany Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40 E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de www.biobased.eu

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

Bioplastics Consulting Tel. +49 2161 664864 info@polymediaconsult.com 10. Institutions 10.1 Associations

54

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hanover Faculty II – Mechanical and Bioprocess Engineering Heisterbergallee 12 30453 Hannover, Germany Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 22 69 Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 99 - 22 69 lisa.mundzeck@hs-hannover.de www.ifbb-hannover.de/

Biobased Packaging Innovations Caroli Buitenhuis IJburglaan 836 1087 EM Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel.: +31 6-24216733 www.biobasedpackaging.nl

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.

For Example:

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

Sample Charge: 39mm x 6,00 € = 234,00 € per entry/per issue

Sample Charge for one year: 6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 € 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.

39 mm

narocon Dr. Harald Kaeb Tel.: +49 30-28096930 kaeb@narocon.de www.narocon.de

Events

Subscribe now at

Event Calendar

bioplasticsmagazine.com the next six issues for €149.–1)

You can meet us

SPS ‚16 - Waste Valorization: Using Renewable Co-Products as Feedstocks 12.12.2016 - 13.12.2016 - Massachusetts, USA http://bit.ly/2cRebE7

Special offer for students and young professionals1,2) € 99.2) aged 35 and below. end a scan of your student card, your ID or similar proof ...

bio!PAC

04.05.2017 - 06.05.2017 - Düsseldorf, Germany organized by bioplastics MAGAZINE www.bio-pac.info

interpack 2017

04.05.2017 - 10.05.2017 - Düsseldorf, Germany www.bio-pac.info

4th Euro BioMAT 2017

09.05.2017 - 10.05.2017 - Weimar, Germany European Symposium and Exhibition on Biomaterials and Related Areas https://biomat2017.dgm.de/home/

Int. Conf on Bio-based Materials

10.05.2017 - 11.05.2017 - Cologne, Germany www.bio-based-conference.com

Chinaplas

16.05.2017 - 19.05.2017 - Guangzhou, China www.chinaplasonline.com/

BioBased Re-Invention of Plastic

23.05.2017 - 25.05.2017 - New York City Area, USA www.innoplastsolutions.com/

6th International Conference on Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers (BIOPOL-2017) 11.09.2017 - 13.09.2017 - Mons, Belgium www. biopol-conf.org

+

or

Mention the promotion code ‘watch‘ or ‘book‘ and you will get our watch or the book3) Bioplastics Basics. Applications. Markets. for free 1) Offer valid until 28 February 2017 3) Gratis-Buch in Deutschland nicht möglich, no free book in Germany

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

57

Companies in this issue Editorial

Advert

Editorial

Company

56

Polarbröd

33

European Bioplastics

Aardse Droom

23

Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe

Aarts Plastic

34

FKuR

Abo Akademi

14

Fraunhofer - UMSICHT

Additive Manufacturing Facility

5

Fraunhofer ISC

28

PTT MCC

Fraunhofer IVV

14

Qmilk

29

Advanced Technology Innovations

7, 11, 24

54

55

26

Futamura

36 56 54, 55

President Packaging

55 54 36

1

Roquette

55

Sachsenmilch

8, 10 54

Agricultural Research Center ARS

18

GRABIO Greentech Corporation

AIMPLAS

14

Grafe

54, 55

Saida

Altoni-Keldermann

14

Green Dot

55

SELM

37

American Chemical Society ACS

18

Gupta

56

Servo Artpack

34

API

34

Hallink

55

Shenzhen Hongcai New Materials

33

Shinkong Synthetic Fibers

32

API Applicazioni Plastiche Ind.

54

Hasselt University

20

Artibal

14

Helian

Avantium

32

iChoc

B.R.A.I.N.

40

Infiana Germany

BASF

8

Inst. f. bioplastics & biocomposites

Beoplast

55

bio4pack

12, 22, 34, 42

13, 55

Biobased Packaging Innovations

11

56

Biobrush

12

Bio-Fed

49, 54

46

Jinhui Zhaolong Karlsruhe Inst. of Technology

14 55

Showa Denko

7

Stenden University

34

55

Südzucker

40

56

Sukano

31

54

Sulzer Chemtech

6

12

24

40

Kingfa

54

55

Sustainability Consult

Kitamura Chemicals

33

Syncom

Lucart Group

36

Taghleef Industries

35 34 8, 10, 22

37

Made in Space

5

Tecnaro

Biomass Technology Group

7

Mapea

14

Tereos

8

TetraPak

8

Biotec

8

BMEL

24

Bobino Plastique

14

Mars

55

Metabolix

55

TianAn Biopolymer

Michigan State University

56

TIPA

55

Total

6

Toyobo

32

TPK Kunststofftechnik

25

TU Berlin

7

56

Braskem

5,8,34,36

Buss

55

46

8, 10

Minima Technology

BPI

35, 55

Mondi

10

Nager IT

24

narocon

56

55 22

Central Quesera Montesinos

14

NASA

5

Uhde Inventa-Fischer

Ceresana

5

National Univ. Mar del Plata

30

Univ. Bayreuth

41

30

Univ. Groningen

34

6

Cortec Corporation

15

NatureWorks

Cumapol Emmen

34

Natur-Tec

35

NEN

CurTec DIN-Certco

54

National Univ. San Juan

Corbion

22, 42

DLO

7

Nova-Institute

DO-it

22

Novamont

Dr. Heinz Gupta Verlag

52

DuFor Resins

34

DuPont

8

Eko Plaza EnBW

Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 55

7 12, 33 7,11,38,42,44,48

17, 19, 56

47

55, 60

Nurel

39, 55

54

55

USDA

18

Vallé Plàstic

14

Van der Windt Verpakking

42

Vinçotte

42

Wacker Chemie

33

Winnaz

23

Open.Bio

7

Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe Polyester

Peeze

34

Xlim

22

Percol

12

Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu

54

40

Perstorp

8

Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials

55

PHB International

6

54

Erema

55

Euroflex

8, 33

Nespresso

54

Supla

BioInspiration

bioplastics.online

Advert

PolyOne

Rodenburg

12, 22

Editorial

polymediaconsult 2, 55

Fraunhofer WKI

12, 22

Agrana

8

Advert

A.J. Plast

Adsale (Chinaplas)

22

plasticker

Editorial Planner

58

Company

54 23

28

2016/17

Publ.

Date

edit/ad/ Deadline

Edit. Focus 1

Edit. Focus 2

Edit. Focus 3

Basics

Jan Feb

06 Feb 17

23 Dec 16

Automotive

Foams

BENELUX Special

Can additives make plastics biodegradable?

02/2017

Mar Apr

03 Apr 17

05 Mar 17

Thermoforming Rigid Packaging

Bioplastics in agriculture / horticulture

Germany/Austria Switzerland Special

“Biodegradability/ compostability”standards & certification

interpack & Chinaplas preview

03/2017

May Jun

05 Jun 17

05 May 17

Injection moulding

Food packaging

China Special

FAQ (update)

interpack & Chinaplas review

Issue

Month

01/2017

bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/16] Vol. 11

Trade-Fair Specials

Subject to changes

Company

GET THE APP NOW

download free of charge*

Via the new App you read bioplastics MAGAZINE sooner on your mobile device

Not only on a tablet, but also on your smartphone you can easily read bioplastics MAGAZINE

Be informed quicker: read bioplastics MAGAZINE a week before the print edition is mailed

More features: find links to additional material like PDFs, videoclips, photos etc.

Easy navigation: digital version, optimized for tablets and smartphones Includes a Twitter Feed about our daily online news

* Contents may become restricted to subscribers or subject to additonal fees at a later stage.

COME TO VISIT US AT

www.novamont.com 29 • 30 NOVEMBER 2016 STEIGENBERGER HOTEL • BERLIN

BIODEGRADABLE AND COMPOSTABLE BIOPLASTIC

CONTROLLED, innovative, GUARANTEED Using the MATER-BI trademark licence means that NOVAMONT’s partners agree to comply with strict quality parameters and testing of random samples from the market.

These are designed to ensure that films are converted under ideal conditions and that articles produced in MATER-BI meet all essential requirements. To date over 1000 products have been tested.

THE GUARANTEE OF AN ITALIAN BRAND MATER-BI is part of a virtuous production system, undertaken entirely on Italian territory.

It enters into a production chain that involves everyone, from the farmer to the composter, from the converter via the retailer to the consumer.

USED FOR ALL TYPES OF WASTE DISPOSAL

MATER-BI has unique, environmentally-friendly properties.

It is biodegradable and compostable and contains renewable raw materials.

It is the ideal solution for organic waste collection bags and is organically recycled into fertile compost.

r8_03.2016

EcoComunicazione.it

QUALITY OUR TOP PRIORITY