Partenariat pour un hub logistique biosourcé à Rotterdam

Publié le 5 septembre 2013 par Dinhill On

L’Autorité du port de Rotterdam (Pays-Bas) a signé un accord de coopération avec les sociétés E.On, Evides Industriewater, Stedin et Vopak pour la création d’un hub logistique de 80 hectares. « Cette collaboration est une étape majeure pour faire du port de Rotterdam le port international du biosourcé », affirme Hans Smits, p-dg de l’Autorité du port de Rotterdam. Avant d’ajouter : « Nous souhaitons être capable d’offrir une infrastructure de base, de telle sorte que les industriels du secteur du biosourcé puissent se concentrer pleinement sur leur cœur d’activités ». Situé sur le parc Maasvlakte 2 du port, le Biobased Cluster proposera différentes infrastructures et services aux acteurs des secteurs des biocarburants, de la bioénergie et de la chimiebiosourcée : fourniture d’énergie, stockage de produits, traitement des effluents, etc. Ainsi, les entreprises souhaitant s’y établir n’auront plus à investir dans les principales infrastructures logistiques autour de leur usine. En outre, l’organisation en cluster possède un autre avantage, comme l’indique Hans Smits : « Les industriels peuvent profiter au maximum de la présence de chacun sur le Biobased Cluster. Le produit résiduel d’un industriel pouvant être la matière première d’un autre ».

El plástico ¿un mito o una realidad?

Los peligros e impactos reales alrededor de este material

Guatemala, – 5 de septiembre de 2013 – Según algunos estudios se calcula que diariamente se deposita en los vertederos de la ciudad de Guatemala unas 2,500 toneladas de basura sin contar la que se desecha en los más de1,000 botaderos ilegales, ubicados principalmente en barrancos, sitios baldíos y calles. Aproximadamente el 5%de todo el material reciclable y reutilizable que llega a los basureros se recupera. Debido a estos datos ABIMA en conjunto con Plastic Pollution Coalition organizaron el evento “La verdad detrás del plástico. Una realidad que necesitas saber ya”. El objetivo del evento fue informar sobre los peligros, impactos y problemas que el plástico ocasiona en la salud y el medio ambiente así como buscar cambiar los mitos y percepciones que a lo largo de los años se han generado alrededor de este material.

La primera exposición estuvo a cargo de Daniella Dimitrova Russo, co-fundadora y Directora Ejecutiva de Plastic Pollution Coalition, que es una alianza global de personas, organizaciones y empresas que trabajan en conjunto para poner fin a la contaminación ocasionada por el plástico así como a los impactos tóxicos que este material ocasiona a las personas, animales y el medio ambiente, quien expuso sobre Los problemas globales derivados de la contaminación por el plástico.

“El plástico es un producto cuya vida no tiene fin. Es derivado del petróleo, pero sin embargo se comunica que es un material que es barato. Es tóxico, pero se utiliza para elaborar botellas y recipientes para almacenar alimentos y bebidas. Su descomposición dura para siempre pero se realizan productos desechables. En los últimos 10 años se han producido aproximadamente la misma cantidad de plástico que en las últimas décadas juntas. El plástico no es barato ni seguro por eso es importante conocer la verdad sobre el mismo” añadió Daniella Dimitrova, co-fundadora y Directora Ejecutiva de Plastic Pollution Coalition.

El segundo tema Problemas en la salud derivados de la contaminación por el plástico, estuvo a cargo del Dr. Greg Baxter, vicepresidente de Desarrollo de Negocios de CertiChem Inc., cuya misión es desarrollar pruebas sensibles, precisas, confiables y efectivas en cuanto a costos para detectar perturbadores endocrinos en productos de consumo y quién tiene una amplia experiencia en el campo de la bioquímica y biología molecular.Su charla se centró en exponer los peligros que el plástico, ya sea en su forma física (botellas, recipientes, etc.) como las partículas que se desprenden al momento de ser incinerado.

El tercer expositor fue el Dr. Chris Pincetich quién trabaja en el proyecto de Restauración de las Tortugas Marinas de la Red de Restauración de Turtle Island, donde realiza campañas para salvas a las tortugas marina y

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proteger el hábitat en los océanos y comentó sobre Los impactos en el ecosistema por la contaminación del plástico y como este material afecta directamente las costas y el hábitat de la vida marina.

La última intervención estuvo a cargo de Ana Giró Petersen de Healthy Reefs quién habló sobre La salud del arrecife mesoamericano y el impacto de los plásticos, un tema que afecta directamente al entorno guatemalteco e hizo un llamado a todos para crear conciencia sobre el uso del plástico.

Adicional Sergio Izquierdo, presidente de ABIMA comentó, “Vivimos en una sociedad de consumismo, donde la mayoría de lo que usamos lo desechamos, convirtiendo nuestro mundo prácticamente en un basurero, que se va llenando cada vez más. Impactando negativamente tanto en la salud de las personas, como de nuestro medioambiente. Tenemos que buscar soluciones inmediatamente para ir reduciendo el daño que hacemos a nuestro planeta.”

Una alternativa tanto para cuidar la salud como al medio ambiente es el vidrio. Desde su origen es un material de componentes naturales, los cuales son altamente disponibles en la corteza terrestre. Por el hecho de ser un material 100% e infinitamente reciclable se puede afirmar que al reciclar una tonelada de vidrio permite producir una tonelada de vidrio nuevo, con una economía sustancial de energía en el nuevo proceso de fundición. Además el vidrio en su forma de envase retornable logra reducir el volumen de sólidos desechados en concepto de envases, hasta en un 97% protegiendo el medio ambiente.

Acerca de ABIMA

La Asociación de Biología Marina de Guatemala, fundada en el 2006, es una organización sin fines de lucro enfocada a la protección y conservación de la vida marina costera en el Atlántico y Pacífico y promoción del desarrollo sostenible de las comunidades costeras. ABIMA promueve la biología marina y brinda información al público sobre la importancia de los mares.

El objetivo estratégico de la ABIMA es reunir en su seno a todas aquellas personas nacionales o extrajeras que estén interesados, o desarrollen actividades de investigación, protección, y conservación, o estudios de biología marina y/o ciencias marinas en Guatemala. Además se pretende aumentar los esfuerzos locales, regionales, nacionales o internacionales para la investigación científica del ambiente marino costero y sus recursos naturales.

Acerca de Plastic Pollution Coalition (Coalición contra la Contaminación por Plástico)

La misión de la Coalición contra la Contaminación por Plástico es detener la contaminación por plástico y sus impactos tóxicos sobre los seres humanos, el medio ambiente y la fauna de todo el planeta.

La Coalición contra la Contaminación por Plástico es una plataforma para la planificación estratégica y la coherencia en las comunicaciones; aumenta la concienciación y facilita la comprensión del problema y de cuáles son las soluciones sostenibles; y apoya las medidas necesarias para eliminar el impacto negativo de los plásticos sobre el medio ambiente, la fauna, la vida marina y la salud humana.

Attention ! Traduction automatique de Google, sans relecture

Le plastique sont un mythe ou une réalité ?

Les dangers et les impacts réels sur cet article

Guatemala , - 5 Septembre 2013 - Selon certaines études, il est estimé que chaque jour est déposée dans les décharges de la ville de Guatemala quelques 2.500 tonnes d'ordures que l'exclusion jetés dans les plus de 1000 décharges illégales , principalement situés dans des ravins , et le parcellaire vacants. Environ 5% de tous les matériaux recyclables et réutilisables atteignant décharges récupère . Parce que ces données ABIMA avec la Coalition de la pollution plastique a organisé l'événement «La vérité derrière le plastique . Une réalité que vous devez savoir maintenant. " Le but de l'événement était d'informer sur les dangers et les impacts que le plastique pose des problèmes sur la santé et l'environnement et de chercher à changer les mythes et les perceptions qui au fil des années ont généré sur cet ouvrage.

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La première présentation a été faite par Daniella Dimitrova Russo, co- fondateur et directeur exécutif de la Coalition de la pollution plastique, une alliance mondiale d' individus, les organisations et les entreprises à travailler ensemble pour arrêter la pollution par le plastique ainsi que impacts toxiques que ce matériau provoque les gens , les animaux et l'environnement, qui ont discuté des problèmes globaux de la pollution par le plastique.

« Le plastique est un produit dont la vie n'a pas de fin. Il est dérivé du pétrole , mais communique néanmoins ce qui est un matériau qui ne coûte pas cher . Il est toxique , mais il est utilisé pour fabriquer des bouteilles et des récipients pour stocker la nourriture et des boissons. Sa décomposition ne dure éternellement , mais jetables sont faites. Au cours des 10 dernières années ont approximativement la même quantité de plastique ainsi que dans les dernières décennies . Le plastique n'est pas pas cher , ni sûr , il est important de connaître la vérité à ce sujet ", a déclaréDaniella Dimitrova , co- fondateur et directeur exécutif de la Coalition de la pollution plastique .

La deuxième question des problèmes de santé dus à la pollution par le plastique, a été donnée par le Dr Greg Baxter , vice-président du développement des affaires CertiChem Inc., dont la mission est de développer des tests sensibles , précis, fiable et rentable en termes pour détecter les perturbateurs endocriniens dans les produits de consommation et qui possède une vaste expérience dans le domaine de la biochimie et de biologie moléculaire. Son entretien a porté sur l'exposition aux dangers que le plastique , que ce soit sous forme physique (bouteilles , conteneurs, etc . ) Comme les particules qui se dégagent lors de la crémation .

Le troisième orateur était le Dr Chris Pincetich qui travaille dans le Projet de restauration des tortues de mer Restauration Réseau Turtle Island où vous enregistrez les campagnes pour les tortues de mer et protéger l'habitat dans les océans et commenté sur les impacts dans l'écosystème par la pollution plastique et comment ce matériau influe directement sur l'habitat de la vie marine et côtière .

Le dernier intervenant a été tourné Anna santé des récifs Petersen qui a parlé de l'état de santé du récif méso-américain et l'impact des matières plastiques , un problème qui affecte directement l'environnement du Guatemala et a fait appel à tous pour sensibiliser la population à l'utilisation du plastique .

Supplémentaires Sergio Izquierdo , président ABIMA déclaré: «Nous vivons dans une société consumériste , où la plupart de ce que nous utilisons ce que nous rejetons , transformer notre monde dans une poubelle virtuelle qui remplit de plus en plus . Impact négatif à la fois sur la santé de la population , comme notre environnement. Nous avons besoin de solutions immédiates pour réduire progressivement les dommages que nous faisons à notre planète " .

Une alternative pour les soins de santé et l'environnement est en verre. Depuis son origine est un des matériaux de composants naturels qui sont hautement disponible dans la croûte terrestre. En vertu d'être à 100% et recyclable à l'infini peut dire que par le recyclage d'une tonne de verre pour produire une tonne de verre neuf , avec une économie d'énergie substantielle dans le nouveau processus de coulée . Outre le verre sous la forme de mesure réutilisables pour réduire le volume des solides jetés concept d'emballage , jusqu'à 97% tout en protégeant l'environnement.

À propos de ABIMA

La Marine Biological Association du Guatemala , fondée en 2006, est un organisme sans but lucratif axé sur la protection et la conservation de la vie marine côtière dans l'Atlantique et du Pacifique , et promouvoir le développement durable des communautés côtières. ABIMA favorise la biologie marine et fournit des informations au public sur l'importance des mers.

L'objectif stratégique est de rassembler dans le corps ABIMA embrassant toutes les études de biologie marine sciences marines nationales ou extrajeras ceux qui sont intéressés ou impliqués dans la recherche , la protection et la conservation, et et / ou au Guatemala. Il vise également à accroître les efforts locaux, régionaux, recherche environnement marin côtier scientifiques nationaux ou internationaux et de ses ressources naturelles.

À propos de la Coalition de la pollution plastique (Coalition contre la pollution plastique )

La mission de la Coalition contre la pollution plastique est d'arrêter la pollution plastique et ses effets toxiques sur les humains, l' environnement et la faune autour du globe.

La Coalition contre la pollution plastique est une plate-forme pour la planification stratégique et la cohérence de la communication , de sensibilisation et facilite la compréhension du problème et quelles sont les solutions durables , et soutient les mesures nécessaires pour éliminer l'impact négatif de la plastiques sur l'environnement , la faune , la vie marine et la santé humaine

Bio-on Bioplastics Help to Rebuild Human Bones

Tom Saidak | September 3, 2013

In Italy, bio-on reports that their PHA bioplastic can be used to regenerate human tissue, notably to create scaffolds for cultured bone cells. This is possible because this material is 100% biodegradable in water, and extremely bio-compatible, as shown by a study by a team of Italian researchers. The first results of this study are being published in major international specialized scientific journals. bio-on designed and patented what it describes as the first bioplastic PHAs in the world to be 100% naturally biodegradable in water and soil, using

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residues from sugar production, from both beet and cane. In around 10 days the product dissolves in river waterwithout leaving any traces.

Grom switches over to using Novamont’s Mater-Bi bioplastic

Tom Saidak | January 29, 2013

In Italy, Grom, a gelato company has chosen to replace all the plastic used in their stores with Novamont’s Mater-Bi. Mater-Bi is a bioplastic sourced from vegetable oils and corn starch, and is both biodegradable and compostable.

FachPack 2013 : Sappi présente un papier compostable à contrecollersur les films Innovia (Merci Thierry de Breizpack)9 septembre 2013-09-10

Pour sa première apparition au salon de Nuremberg qui se tient du 24 au 26 septembre, Sappi Fine Paper Europe a placé sa présentation de papiers spéciaux sous le signe des solutions d'emballage élégantes et intelligentes. Il exposera également son papier Algro Nature qui peut etre contrecollé avec NatureFlex.En réponse aux attentes d'un marché demandeur d'innovations écoresponsables et durables, Sappi met l’accent sur son support d'emballage souple compostable et issu de ressources renouvelables : Algro Nature qu’il présente comme étant « le premier et unique papier d'emballage compostable à domicile ». Il peut aussi être contrecollé sur des films d'emballage souples en NatureFlex fabriqués par Innovia Films, qui expose également à FachPack (sur un stand proche de celui de Sappi), pour donner un complexe d'emballage souple qui reste compatible avec un compostage domestique, explique Sappi.

En unissant leurs forces, Sappi et Innovia Films sont en mesure de proposer au secteur du packaging une solution de fin de vie pour les déchets autre que la récupération énergétique (par digestion anaérobie et biométhanisation) ou, au minimum, le compostage par le consommateur, afin d'en réduire la fraction mise en décharge et de faciliter la mise en conformité avec la prochaine Directive européenne sur les emballages, qui entrera en vigueur en 2014, explique Kerstin Dietze, Marketing Manager Speciality Papers de Sappi Fine Paper Europe.

Outre son carton blanc brillant Algro Design®, Sappi exposera aussi son topliner Fusion® d'égale brillance pour les applications de cartonnages plats et ondulés ; Algro® Nature ; Algro® Finess et Algro® Primess, deuxmarques bien connues des fabricants de packagings souples ; et des papiers siliconés pour étiquettes et autoadhésifs.

« Sur le stand, les transformateurs, les chefs de marque, les graphistes et concepteurs, et les spécialistes de la finition verront clairement à quel point la flexibilité des papiers spéciaux de Sappi contribue aux propriétés visibles, tactiles et protectrices de l'emballage terminé. En matière d'emballages fins, la différence réside dans ledétail. Et c'est l'affaire de Sappi».

En plus de ses papiers et cartons spéciaux pour tous les besoins de packaging, du suremballage extérieur aux boîtes pliantes, et pour toutes les techniques d'impression, de finition et de façonnage, Sappi exposera des échantillons et solutions d'emballages élégants et intelligents, ainsi que la création d’une robe de haute couture réalisée à partir de papiers et cartons techniques - un véritable festival sensoriel.

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Degradable BiopolymersStephen A. Miller, 09/07/2013

The polymer age – which arguably began in 1907 with Leo Baekeland’s Bakelite – has vastly improved our standard of living, but not without undesirable consequences. Worldwide production of synthetic plastics currently accounts for over 60m jobs and yields over 200bn kg of material each year – nearly 30kg per person. Commercial polymers consume around 5% of the earth’s finite reserves of fossil fuels such as natural gas and petroleum from which they are made. Most are designed for durability and will easily persist 1000 years under normal conditions, greatly contributing to the world’s growing trash crisis.

Plastic bag litter is just one example of the problem. More than one trillion grocery/retail polyethylene bags are consumed each year. This amounts to over 4bn kg and over 2% of all plastics. Attempting to counter this blight,many municipalities around the world have banned plastic bags, or prohibited their free distribution.

Where does all the plastic go? Recycling efforts vary considerably from country to county. Recycling rates for polyethylene terephthalate (PET), for example, are high in France (>80%), but low in the US (<30%). While some polymers are incinerated for energy production, most are discarded either to landfill or worse, directly into the open environment. Those plastics that float, principally polyethylene and polypropylene, have an easy route to the ocean, which is the destination for an estimated 5bn kg of plastic/year – equivalent to nearly 10,000kg/minute!

These startling numbers, combined with the deleterious effects of floating plastics on ocean ecosystems, have prompted the X Prize Foundation to develop the Ocean Plastics X Prize, to be awarded to a team that invents anenvironmentally safe, ocean-degradable alternative to petroleum plastics at scalable volume.

My own research group at the University of Florida, for example, is busy attempting to find a solution by creating ‘sustainable polymers’ that address the major drawbacks of traditional polymers. First, sustainable polymers are designed to have a ‘green birth’ and derive from annually renewable chemical building blocks, such as plant-based polysaccharides (cellulose), lignin, or triglycerides (bio-oils). Second, they are designed to undergo programmed or facile degradation, returning to small molecular units that can be easily metabolised back to carbon dioxide via normal microbial action.

Today, only about 5% of US chemical production employs biorenewable feedstocks. Several US governmental resolutions and (non-binding) targets plan for an increase to 25% by the year 2030, while companies such as Dow Chemical and BASF have disclosed more ambitious goals. The amount of biomass generated annually, mainly by photosynthesis, has been estimated at 170 trillion kg, or about 1000 times more than the quantity of synthetic plastics produced. While this amount of biomass is not enough to satisfy our energy needs, it is more than sufficient to satisfy our need for polymeric building blocks.

Perhaps the most successful synthetic, sustainable plastic is the polyester polylactic acid (PLA). The world’s largest PLA plant is in Blair, Nebraska, US, where cornstarch is converted to glucose, which is then partially

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fermented to lactic acid. The capacity of this NatureWorks plant is 250m kg/year, which is about 1000 times smaller than the output of the whole polymer industry. Nonetheless, PLA is readily found in disposable packaging goods, such as restaurant cups and fruit trays, and in durable goods, such as Ingeo fibres for textiles.

Many industry observers thought that PLA would never become economically viable because of the high cost: initially 15 to 20 times the price of polyolefins. However, economies of scale mean the price is now only 15% to 25% more than fossil fuel-based PET (polyethylene terephthalate) polyester, widely used in water bottles, films and the textile industry.

While PLA has garnered many environmental accolades; however, it is not perfect. For example, it does not break down or biodegrade in a conventional landfill, so rivalling classical polymers with respect to slow degradation. Sending these materials to industrial composting sites for proper biodegradation is not often feasible. Moreover, the useful temperature range of PLA is limited by its low glass transition temperature of 55°C, above which the polymer loses its rigidity and succumbs to plastic deformation. As such, it is not appropriate for hot beverages or hot food and usually is marked with a warning such as ‘cold drinks only’.

Polymer development in my research group has been inspired by nature. Half of all the organic carbon in our environment is contained in the world’s most abundant polymer: cellulose. Usefully, the glucose monomer units making up cellulose are also connected by hydrolysable acetal (–OCO–) – a functional group that is surprisingly rare in synthetic and commercial polymer chemistry. By installing this readily hydrolysed acetal group into the backbone of polylactic acid (PLA), for example, we have been able to produce a water-degradable PLA variant. Based on the rate at which the polymer loses mass in distilled water or Atlantic seawater, which regular PLA and polyolefins do not, our new PLA polymer is expected to take five to 10 years to degrade.

The group has also developed a variety of other polyacetals that are structurally akin to polyethylene but derived from bio-oils. Future work is aimed at matching the thermal and mechanical properties of polyethylene,but retaining the water-degradability of polyacetals – which could significantly reduce the amount of persistent plastics added to the oceans each year.

Yet another polymer of interest in my group, meanwhile, is polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which accounts for about 18% of the global plastics market. Americans discard over 6m PET bottles/hour. Since PET is an aromatic polyester, a reasonable approach to matching the thermal properties of PET is to commandeer aromatics from nature and employ them as monomeric feedstocks. Lignin, which makes up about 30% of a typical tree, is the second most abundant organic polymer on earth and is the best source of renewable aromatics. Lignin is the major byproduct of the paper pulping industry, but nearly all of it is burned for onsite energy production.

Technology exists, however, to extract two discrete molecules, vanillin and ferulic acid, from lignin and lignocellulose from wheat or rice bran. These aromatic molecules have the potential to be abundantly available and are key starting materials investigated by my group. For example, the aromatic polyester polydihydroferulicacid (PHFA) exhibits a glass transition temperature that slightly exceeds that of PET (Tg = 73°C vs. 67°C). Importantly, the hydrolytic degradation product of PHFA is dihydroferulic acid, a dietary antioxidant found in tea, coffee, whole grains, and other antioxidant rich foods. Its relative, ferulic acid, is even available in 250mg tablets as a dietary supplement. More recent efforts have developed copolymerisation strategies that afford PHFA copolymers with glass transition temperatures over 150°C. The wider temperature range of such materials makes them excellent candidates for replacing polystyrene (Tg = 95°C) in cups, plates, utensils, disposable packaging etc, and for hot-fill bottling and canning processes.

Finally, an ongoing collaboration with fashion designer Natalia Allen seeks to spin these novel aromatic polyesters into fibres for use in eco-friendly textiles.

Ethylene is the most abundantly produced commercial organic molecule and much of it goes into the 80bn kg of polyethylene produced each year — about a 40% market share of all synthetic polymers. Because of

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increasing and tangible efforts to replace fossil fuels with sustainable biomass, it has been proclaimed that sugar(glucose, the monomer of cellulose) is the ‘new oil’. If that is the case, then it is logical to ask: ‘What is the newethylene?’ After some consideration my group has heralded formaldehyde as the new ethylene.

Formaldehyde and ethylene have nearly identical mass and both contain carbon participating in a reactive double bond, but formaldehyde also shares the oxidation state and empirical formula of biomass, which is approximately that of cellulose and sugar, CH2O. One targeted application of formaldehyde is its perfectly alternating copolymerisation with carbon monoxide, which has been optimised to yield polyglycolic acid (PGA) that is functionally equivalent to commercial PGA, but is made in fewer steps with significantly less generation of wasteful byproducts.

Previously, the cost and diminutive production scale of PGA – a relative of PLA – has precluded its use in commercial packaging applications. Importantly, the inexpensive C1 monomers formaldehyde and carbon monoxide are potentially made from methanol, which 100 years ago was sustainably produced via the destructive distillation of wood (hence its common name of ‘wood alcohol’).

A methanol economy has received serious consideration as a sustainable, biobased successor to the fossil fuel economy. To the extent that the methanol economy enjoys future success, polymers derived from this C1 feedstock will become economically privileged.

An impediment to the growth of green polymers is the enormous momentum of the existing fossil fuel-based polymer industry. The chief technology officer of a Fortune 100 Company recently wrote to me to say that they are ‘highly interested in finding bio-based routes to [incumbent] commodity plastics which fit with current processing and disposal infrastructures,’ but are ‘less concerned with developing new-to-the-world biodegradable plastics for our packaging and products.’ This mindset partly explains the success of bio-polyethylene and the PET PlantBottle. Using bioethanol from fermented sugarcane sugar, Dow Chemical and Braskem already make bio-polyethylene, which is technically the volume leader in biorenewable synthetic polymers. Similarly Coca-Cola has exploited bioethanol to synthesise the ethylene glycol comonomer of the PET PlantBottle, thus achieving 30% plant-based material. These approaches have nominally addressed the ‘green birth’ challenge, but accomplish little with regards to the ‘green death’ of a polymer. Indeed, bio-polyethylene and the PET PlantBottle possess the same woeful degradation behaviours as their fossil-fuel cognates.

The global plastics market is a $1200bn/year industry. Short-term packaging applications constitute about one-third of this amount, or $400bn/year. In 2007, the green polymer industry in the US was worth a meagre $1bn, but is rapidly headed toward $10bn in 2020. Sustainable polymers will continue to displace traditional materials.

Akin to turning an oil tanker, the industry momentum is changing fractionally and slowly. A quantum leap will likely occur only in response to considerable consumer demand coupled with a willingness to absorb the extra cost, at least during the introduction and growth phases of the next green polymer.

The technical substitution potential of biobased plastics, including synthetic fibres, is 90%. That is, only about 10% of the polymers we use today must derive from fossil fuels because of specific performance characteristicsthat have not been achieved with green polymers. Hence, it is possible that the bioplastics packaging industry will grow to several hundred billion dollars/year.

This growth will be accelerated by decreasing fossil fuel resources, increasing fossil fuel prices and an evolvingconsumer attitude abetted by improved marketing campaigns. And, of course, technical innovations such as those being explored by my own group in Florida will hopefully drive this growth as well.

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Further reading

1 Feedstocks for the future; J. J. Bozell; M. K Patel, eds., ACS Symposium Ser. 921, Oxford University Press, 2006.2 J. J. Bozell, Soil, Air, Water, 2008, 36(8), 641.3 L. Shen, E. Worrell and M. Patel, Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, 2010, 4 (1), 25.4 T. Kijchavengkul and R. Auras, Polym. Int., 2008, 57, 793.5 G. A. Olah, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2005, 44, 2636.6 G. A. Olah, A. Goeppert and G. K. S. Prakash, Beyond oil and gas: the methanol economy; Wiley-VCH: Weinheim, 2006.7 A. G. Pemba, J. A. Flores and S. A. Miller, Green Chemistry, 2013, 15, 325.8 L. Mialon, R. Vanderhenst, A. G. Pemba and S. A. Miller, Macromol. Rapid Commun., 2011, 32, 1386.

Stephen A. Miller is professor of chemistry in the department of chemistry at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, US.

EuPC calls on legislator to support separate collection of degradable plastic materials and ban oxo fragmentable plastics

12 septembre 13 Plastics via Blandine de Breizpack…merci Blandine

During its 2013 Annual Meeting in Bruges the Brussels based association of plastics converters , EuPC, representing 50.000 companies in Europe informed its membership about the long awaited test results ofdegradable/fragmentable plastics materials affecting the quality of plastics recycling.In 2012 EuPC initiated independent testing of different sorts of degradable materials used in the production of carrier bags in Europe through its membership. The objective was to measure the impact on the current recycling streams and the quality of the recyclates for the production of new PE film.

Companies supplied all kinds of plastic carrier bags which are available on the European market and industrial scale trials were conducted during more than eight months at a state of the art plastics recycling machinery producer. Pre-consumer waste was used to perform the tests (non-contaminated and not aged material). Seventeen different mixtures of theoretical end of life situations were reproduced and 3,740 measurements weremade in order to carry out the research and measure the impact.

Independent laboratories conducted mechanical tests, such as tensile properties, tear resistance and puncture impact on newly blown PE films.Evidence is now showing clearly that as from 2% oxo fragmentable material in the input waste stream there is already a visual negative impact, thus affecting the PE film quality. This means that oxo fragmentable plastics have a very negative impact on plastics recycling already at very low percentages. The research is on-going to deal with impact from other bioplastics on the market in order to clarify the ambiguous situation. Oxo-fragmentable plastics have no positive environmental impact on the existing waste streams and should be forbidden in Europe.

It is crucial in terms of resource efficiency for Europe to ensure that biodegradable materials do not end up in the current plastics recycling streams and that they should be kept separate from collection of conventional plastics waste. European Legislators should act accordingly and the Green paper on plastics in the environment will hopefully trigger action in this direction.

Researcher alarmed about microplastics in Great Lakes

By Jeremy CarrollStaff Reporter

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Updated: September 11, 2013

Image By: Lorena Rios-Mendoza Lorena Rios-Mendoza has been studying microplastics pollution in the U.S.Great Lakes.

When Lorena Rios-Mendoza starting telling people she believed the same microplastics that are in the oceans also were likely plaguing the Great Lakes, her colleagues thought she was crazy.

"Plastic is everywhere," said Rios-Mendoza, an assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. "And people told me, 'No, the Great Lakes are so clean. Lake Superior? Forget it.' But no, we found it."

Not only did researchers find microplastics in the Great Lakes, but they found them at alarming rates, she said. The concentrations of microplastics that Rios-Mendoza and her team found were double that of concentrations found in previous years in the Atlantic Ocean, she said.

"In the ocean, it's very difficult to point out what country or where is the source of the plastic because it is so big," she said. "But with Lake Erie, it's a smaller and shallow lake."

In 2012, Rios-Mendoza took samples from lakes Erie, Superior and Huron. This year she took samples from lakes Michigan, Huron and St. Clair. Preliminary results from her August trip show more of the same.

Rios-Mendoza said while studying the plastics, she noticed that many were perfectly rounded — about one millimeter each — and some were colored blue, green or white. That might mean they are plastics from beauty products that made their way through treatment systems into the lakes.

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"Fish could easily confuse the plastic with food," she said. "And if it contains a toxic compound, then my question is what is going to happen with the fish? Will the problem stop with the fish? Or when we eat the fish, will the problem continue with us? At this point we have more questions than answers."

Tests are still needed to confirm if the plastics are indeed polyethylene or polypropylene found in some beauty products, such as face scrubs.

"These are human-created pollutants that are finding their way into the lakes," said Geoff Peach, coastal resources manager for the Canadian-based Lake Huron Centre for Coastal Conservation. "We took a blind eye when it was in the ocean, but once it got into the Great Lakes, it got personal, I guess."

He said the issue is extremely important, and he is concerned that the microplastics could make their way back through water treatment facilities into drinking water for coastal communities.

"Plastic is something that we all use. And so how do we contain it so doesn't get out in the environment? [To make sure] it's contained and used just as it was designed for?" he said. "Certainly beaches and fresh water lakes were not what plastics were designed for."

Rios-Mendoza plans more research, including buying various types of beauty products to see if she can determine definitively if that is the source of the microplastics. She would also like to raise money for more sample collections, including going to Lake Ontario, and return to the other four lakes during different times of the year to see if the concentration of plastics shifts.

Meanwhile, Rios-Mendoza is very blunt about her opposition to plastics in beauty products.

"Before you buy a product, and read the label," she said. "And if it has polyethylene or polypropylene, don't buy it. This is the only way we can put pressure on the companies and they can return to the natural product. They use the plastic because it's cheap."

Education will be the key next step in the situation, Peach said.

"It's an issue that needs the cooperation of every single person in the Great Lakes basin to correct the issue," he said. "There's a big education process that is going to be needed here."

API and SACMI develop a 100% biodegradable cap

Posted by Will Farrel on Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The cap was obtained starting from a compound belonging to the APINAT BIO range; thanks to their chemical structure and versatility, these compounds can easily be processed using widely available technology and have

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an extensive application range, being used in industries as varied as footwear, agriculture and, of course, packaging.

Thanks to the unique rheology and behaviour of the molten material, APINAT BIO has been able to take full advantage of the cap-making compression technology for which SACMI is so renowned; the flexibility of this technology has, in fact, resulted in optimisation of the APINAT compound and attainment of outstanding production, functional, biodegradability and compostability performance of the cap.

Stemming from a joint project by API Spa and SACMI, this latest development confirms and reinforces both firms’ mutual commitment to the high-innovation development needed to resolve the planet’s burgeoning environmental issues.

Capa™ significantly enhances biodegradability & bioplastic performance

Posted by Will Farrel on Thursday, September 12, 2013

Perstorp Group will be launching its proven technology Capa™ Thermoplastic products for bioplastics at K Fair, 2013. Considerable investments have been made in caprolactones to ensure new Capa™ products addresskey issues related to plastic materials, such as sustainability, biodegradability and product safety. Bioplastics are receiving enthusiastic attention today because they save on resources and offer the unique potential of carbon neutrality. With a projected growth in bioplastics of 500% between 2011-2016* this is a very exciting growth area.

Bioplastics that are biodegradable, such as PLA (PolyLactic Acid) and TPS (ThermoPlastic Starch), are becoming increasingly attractive to both consumers and producers, as they offer new ways of recovery and recycling. Perstorp’s caprolactones enhance the properties of bioplastics allowing them to be used for new market opportunities and applications. Capa™ provides superior biodegradation, easier processing and compatibility. Capa™ – the perfect polyester for bioplastic blends Capa™ is the perfect polyester for bioplastics blends, improving several mechanical properties as well as accelerating biodegradation of the biopolymers.

Bioplastics with Capa™ biodegrade quickly in the right conditions - you can use domestic composting, rather than industrial requiring a higher temperature. Capa™ also offers excellent tear properties by adding mechanical strength, and making the bioplastic more flexible, so that it elongates and stretches rather than tears.The excellent low temperature performance allows bioplastic products to be used in cold environments.

Capa™ can be easily blended with PLA and starch based polymers to attain customized and desirable properties that really broaden their appeal. Wherever you can use biopolymers you can use Capa™ that is ideal

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for both renewable and disposable polyesters. In disposables – for plastic bags, compost bags, coated paper and one-time plastic cutlery, and in renewables – for cutlery, trays and items that need to last a year or two.

Bioplastics are now broadening out into electronic equipment, such as mobile handsets and casings, and makinginroads into automotive parts too. Capa™ is an essential part of this journey into these new market segments.

Province of Friesland plans to produce bioplastics from vegetable residuals

Paris, France, June, 2013 - June 2013 marked a significant step forward for the technical and commercial evolution of producing bioplastics from residuals and promoting the development of circular economies. Following an international seminar "From the tomato to a car door", the governor of Friesland in The Netherlands and Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies signed a letter of intent for developing the first full scale demonstration of biopolymer production from agricultural, industrial and/or municipal sources. The biopolymers are polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) which are an ingredient of value-added bioplastics that are bio-based and biodegradable.

The signing ceremony and information seminar took place in the city of Berlikum and was hosted by A7Westergo from the Province of Friesland. Friesland is one of the most active European regions in encouraging real working examples of opportunities in a bio-based economy. The region has a substantial horticulture industry producing tomatoes and other vegetables and considerable costs are incurred with regards to the disposal of the related organic residues. The intent to turn these residuals (or "up-cycle") into valuable raw materials for biodegradable bioplastics is therefore a significant milestone in the overall efforts of establishing the first footholds in a bio-based economy.

Producing bioplastics from residuals

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies has developed the innovative Cella™ technology, which combines environmental protection with the value-added benefits of biopolymer production. A raw product, rich in biopolymer, can then be produced and recovered as a key ingredient in bioplastics, which have exciting applications in new materials and consumer products. A future full scale demonstration plant in Friesland dedicated to biopolymer production will put to commercial practice the knowledge base, momentum, and commitment Veolia has invested and built over a decade. The corporate vision is to be at the forefront in sustainable developments and provide the best in service, value and responsibility within the environmental sector.

A common vision for a sustainable future

"The Province of Friesland and Veolia share the same vision. We believe in turning water treatment into a renewable resource supply and create value through responsible and sustainable solutions" states Terry Mah, Chief Operating Officer of Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies' international municipal activities. A firm handshake with Dr. Hans Konst, the governor of Friesland, after signing the agreement marks a new phase in these exciting developments.

Creating bioplastics is one of the most innovative ways of turning services of environmental protection into a resource and a demonstration plant will be a showcase for the Province of Friesland. It will represent a significant step in the region's move towards economic growth in a sustainable bio-based future where technologies such as Cella™ catalyze new relationships between people and organizations. For Veolia, the demonstration plant represents not only a milestone for the Cella™ technology, but a decisive step in the company's ongoing innovation and commitment to delivering service, value, and responsibility to its customers and the community. V

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Environmentally friendly polyamide cranks up presence in auto sector

By PlasticsToday Staff Published: September 9th, 2013

A lightweight multi-functional crankshaft cover in molded from a bio-based polyamide (PA) 410 has been adopted by the latest generation of diesel engines developed by the Volkswagen Group. The EcoPaXX PA resinin question was supplied by DSM Engineering Plastics (Singapore) and molded by KACO GmbH & Co. (Heilbronn, Germany).

The crankshaft cover incorporates integral seals in PTFE and liquid silicone rubber (LSR), as well as various metal inserts. It will be used on Volkswagen's new MDBmodular diesel engine platform, implemented across its Audi,Seat, Škoda and VW brands. Volkswagen, along with all majorautomobile producers, is in a constant search for new ways toincrease the sustainability of its products, and the new bio-based crankshaft cover is a good example of solutions that it isimplementing.

Compared with covers made in aluminum, system costs for thePA 410 cover are reportedly considerably lower, thanks in partto the use of an integrated, fully automated production cell forthe component at KACO. Weight has been reducedconsiderably too, since the EcoPaXX grade is 45% less densethan aluminum.

DSM's EcoPaXX polyamide 410 is 70% derived from renewable resources, and the polymer is certified 100% carbon neutral from cradle to gate. In component production, KACO uses the highly energy-efficient

This VW crankshaft cover features EcoPaXX.

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production cell to not only mold the crankshaft cover, but also integrate two separate seals: the first, in PTFE, isplaced into the mold by a robot, and EcoPaXX is over-molded onto it; the second, in LSR, is then molded directly into the part using a 2K process. This results in reduced energy consumption during production, as wellas zero material waste. Finally, because the finished cover weighs so much less than an aluminum version, it makes the vehicle run more efficiently.

Thermoplastic crankshaft covers are still uncommon, with polyamide 6 or 66 currently being the favored material when they are molded from plastic. The very tight dimensional specification of the VW version, as well as the high loads it has to withstand, made the challenge of producing it in thermoplastic particularly severe. DSM and KACO reportedly met the challenge, thanks to the overall exceptional performance of the EcoPaXX grade-its very good mechanical properties at elevated temperatures, in combination with excellent toughness, make it an ideal material for the required high performance under extreme use-and KACO's skills in integrating static and dynamic seals into the part in a highly intelligent way.

Andreas Genesius, head of project management at KACO, emphasizes the importance of the waste-free production process. "The part comes out of the injection molding cell ready to be assembled onto the engine block," he says. "No trimming is necessary at all. By taking a holistic approach to automotive part design and production, we are contributing to sustainable technological progress without any compromise on part performance or competitiveness."

Genesius adds that a key to the successful launch of the crankshaft cover after an extremely short development period was the strategic joint development with key partners, including DSM, in the areas of part design, material development, process design and bonding of the different materials.

Fiber orientation, the number and position of gating points, and the design and integration of the various inserts have all been optimized in the crankshaft cover to minimize warpage and ensure tight seals between the cover and the engine block and oil sump. The cover also has to resist tightening of bolts fixing it to the engine block and the sump (each of which is built to different tolerances), as well as from tools used to fix the position of the FEAD (front end accessory drive) belt. With its excellent mechanical properties, DSM's EcoPaXX reportedly provided the answer to these requirements. DSM and KACO expect to obtain more business for this sustainablesolution

Au sujet des Nanotechnologies

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Thyssen Krupp invests into production processes for biodegradableplastics04/09/2013 by Bioplastics Bulletin

(Left to right) State Secretary Marco Tullner, Ministry of Science and Economics of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, Dr. Joachim Schulze,Head of Biotechnology Division at ThyssenKrupp Uhde and Dr. Heinrich Hiesinger, CEO of ThyssenKrupp visiting the new facility.

In July 2013, ThyssenKrupp inaugurated its first multi-purpose fermentation plant for the production ofbiobased chemicals in Leuna, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. An interdisciplinary team of engineers and scientistsfrom ThyssenKrupp’s plant technology business worked for five years to develop a licensable process for theproduction of lactic acid. The company’s technical center for research into biochemicals was relocated fromLeipzig to Leuna in August 2012.

Built at a cost of around 20 million euros, the facility will enable ThyssenKrupp to further expand its researchand development activities in the area of biochemicals based on renewable raw materials. Among other things,these biochemicals are used as starting materials for biodegradable plastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) andpolybutylene succinate (PBS).

The multi-purpose fermentation plant will enable ThyssenKrupp to demonstrate laboratory-developedfermentation and processing technologies under industrial conditions to provide performance guarantees forown and third party processes.: More than 1,000 metric tonnes of biochemicals, such as lactic acid and succinicacid, can now be produced at this facility annually.

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Bioplastic market growth

Bioplastics are ideal for processing into a large variety of packaging materials, films and textiles. It is expectedthat production capacities will grow fivefold from 1.2 million tonnes in 2011 to roughly 6 million tonnes in 2016.Among the biodegradable bioplastic materials, PLA and PBS show an above-average growth rate.

EC invests 3.8 billion euros in biobased productsThe Biobased Industries Consortium (BIC) and the European Commission recently introduced a Public Private Partnership (Biobased and Renewables Industries for Development and Growth in Europe or ‘BRIDGE’ for short) worth 3.8 billion euros to accelerate the deployment of biobased products in Europe by 2020.

Coke – biobased polyester from agricultural wasteCoca-Cola is on the cusp of transforming agricultural waste into biobased polyester to generate a more sustainable ingredient for its PlantBottle packaging. Aiming to expand their EcoPartnership, the initiative received support from the US and Chinese governments.

DuPont plans large scale conversion to biobased polymersLewis E. Manring, Vice President of Technology at DuPont Performance Polymers, recently announced that DuPont aims to replace more than half of its current plastics portfolio with biobased versions within the next 15years.

BASF broadens its bioplastics strategyIncreasing use of renewable resources has recently become a key step in BASF’s plastics business strategy. Renewable resources are integrated systematically in the existing production, new bioplastic research is conducted (biodegradable, over 50 percent biobased foam) and new bioplastic products are launched (ecovio injection molding grade).

TMO Renewables to produce PLA

Posted by Doris de Guzman ⋅ August 22, 2013

An official from UK-based cellulosic ethanol developer/producer TMO Renewables announced today it is expanding its portfolio to include polylactic acid (PLA) that will be produced at their Dunsfold Airfield site near Guildford, Surrey, starting the fourth quarter of 2014.

This site has been in operation since 2008 and has been used to demonstrate biomass-based ethanol at commercial scale. Blayne Jackson, head of business relations at TMO Renewables, said the company is lookingfor early off-takers for their PLA. The facility is expected to produce 3,000 tons per year of PLA.

“This is an exciting step forward for TMO as this will not only create the UK’s first PLA production unit but will coincide with the company’s second generation ethanol plant which is being built in Brazil,” said Blayne Jackson.

TMO noted the current PLA market in the UK is 100% imported. According to NNFCC, a UK-based bioeconomy consulting firm, demand for PLA in the UK is expected to reach 50 ktpy by 2025. Other UK-basedcompanies looking to produce second generation PLA are Nuplas and Plaxica.

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Cities unearthing best practices for compostable plastic

September 13, 2013 By Catherine Kavanaugh

Composting food waste is the next step for cities hungry to reach recycling goals and reroute organic matter back to the soil instead of landfills and incinerators.

Compostable plastics are making the job easier but there are challenges to overcome from manufacturers "greenwashing" products labels to composters determining what will breakdown in an appropriate time frame given the temperature and moisture of their facility.

As more cities start up food waste programs, Michele Young, organics manager of the San Jose's Environmental Services Department, says the time is ripe for an online clearinghouse of what works, or as she calls it, a compostable plastics toolkit.

Young wrote and received a $50,000 grant from the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) to pull together the best resources for city recycling coordinators and others wanting to successfully compost plastic bags, plates, bowls, utensils, coffee stirrers and other food service items.

"There is tremendous opportunity to capture more food waste with compostable plastics but the solid waste industry is working to bring end-of-life issues to light," Young says. "If the compostable plastics don't get to a large-scale composting facility, they can cause greater problems than conventional plastics."

For example, compostable plastic that ends up at a material recovery facility will only degrade the quality of theplastic commodity coming out of the recycling process.

"If you're making plastic straps to secure bricks on the back of a truck, you really don't want a disintegratable plastic in the recycled plastics mix," Young says. "That's a contaminant."

Young is working with colleagues in Ashville, N.C., and Gaithersburg, Md., to determine what the compostableplastics toolkit should have to support food waste diversion programs. The goal is to post the information on theU.S. Composting Council (USCC) website in February 2014 and then update it frequently.

"A lot of resources are floating in the ether," Young says. "We'll make them into a package so a municipal staff person with no background at all can see tools that are peer-reviewed or refer residents, businesses and compostoperators to the toolbox."

Fueling the need

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The number of compostable plastics making their way to consumers is outpacing development of the infrastructure to handle the products and that's causing problems for composting facilities and well-intentioned consumers.

Young says many compostable plastics end up in landfills because the buyers don't live in places with collection and processing programs.

"People want to do the right thing. They want to do the next green thing but we need to build all the pieces," Young says. "We can't say it's on the shelf; buy it and consider that green. We also have to ask what do the collection systems look like. Are there available composting facilities? How can consumers be sure they boughtsomething that is truly compostable?"

While San Jose is a leader in solid waste management, the city is moving ahead cautiously with compostable plastics. The city spent five years creating a collection and processing system that diverts 300 tons of commercial food waste to two composting facilities every day. However, they aren't requiring use of compostable plastic bags or service ware yet.

"We're in the process of doing disintegration testing to identify materials that will disintegrate in our composting facilities," Young says

Portland, Ore., is further along with residential and commercial programs. New York City is adding high-rises and neighborhoods to its food waste pick-up program every few months. The state of Massachusetts plans to require all restaurants, universities, hospitals and hotels that generate at least a ton of organic materials every week to repurpose the food; composting is one of the options.

Food waste and organics make up 20-25% of the waste stream going to Massachusetts landfills and incinerators, state officials announced recently. They project the proposed ban on food waste disposal will help the state reach its goals to reduce the waste stream by 30% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.

The need to offer cities more resources came out of a meeting of the Compostable Plastics Task Force, which isan initiative started by the USCC. Cary Oshins, USCC spokesman, said the toolkit will be handy for decades as municipal leaders with a lot of questions and limited staff and budgets hammer away at issues.

"There's no reason to recreate the wheel," Oshins says. "It may be 50 years before Bismarck is composting, but many cities, especially major ones, are banning food waste and taking on the huge effort now. This toolkit will have fact sheets, planning guides, white papers and camera-ready material."

Oshins points to Cedar Grove in Washington, which recycles food and yard waste into compost for the Seattle area, as a model for a robust program.

"They say if you're going to do a food waste program and bring it to our facility, it needs to be approved by us,"Oshins says. "So when the Seattle Mariners wanted to convert their stadium, they worked with Cedar Grove and their product suppliers to meet the end user's -- the composter's -- specifications. That's a great example of working through the value chain of resin manufacturers, product producers, distributors, the facility, and there's a hauler in there some place, to coordinate all the pieces for the system to work."

Getting it right

Cedar Grove composts 400,000 tons of organic matter annually from households, businesses, offices schools and prisons.

"The reason we take compostable products is to get more food waste because it's a good feedstock for our process. It brings in a higher nitrogen, which we need a lot of in the fall and winter and it really helps us

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maintain a consistent product year round," says Michele Riggs, the biodegradable technical specialist and environmental technician for Cedar Grove.

She and other staff test everything for disintegration rates in their composting process. Riggs says not all of the compostable materials certified by the Biodegradable Product Institute (BPI), which reviews products that meetstandards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), make the Cedar Grove list.

"The parameters in which we operate to create and manufacture our compost are extremely different than the parameters used in the methods to test these products for disintegration," she explains.

The Cedar Grove process takes 49-60 days, depending on the season and tonnage coming in. Part of the processentails pulling out materials that consumers thought were compostable, and even more so, traditional plastic.

"People don't realize the little tag you got with the plant for your garden doesn't go in your yard waste bin and we have more than a million customers so it really does add up over time," Riggs said.

People also don't realize labels can be deceiving with descriptions touting products or packaging as biobased, biodegradable, degradable, compostable, starch based, plant based, and made from "renewable" materials.

For consumers, Riggs suggests watching for the BPI certification logo even though it doesn't mean a product will turn to humus in 60 days or less at Cedar Grove.

"People need to know about identification so they aren't greenwashed," she says. "Many food service products are labeled 'biobased' or 'made from plants,' which means they are made from renewable sources and traditionalpolymer chains. People may associate that as green and part of 'clean green' and may place them with their yardwaste and that's bad."

For example, the PlantBottles used for some Coca-Cola and DaSani products come from Brazilian sugar cane and molasses and are intended to be recycled and not composted.

Look for the logo

The BPI compostable logo, which shows an evergreen and leaf, indicates a product is certified to biodegrade completely, quickly and safely in a well-run or commercial compost facility as opposed to a back-yard compostbin. To carry the logo, products that meet ASTM D6400 standards for compostable plastic films and bags and D6868 standards for compostable fibers and plastic-coated paper and board must pass an independent BPI review.

Biodegradable doesn't equate to compostable. Biodegradable is a vague term without a time frame. A tree is biodegradable but it can take centuries while composting is a managed process with definitive temperatures andtimes to create humus, says Steve Mojo, BPI executive director.

"There are also requirements of how much has to biodegrade," he adds. "The person who put starch in the polypropylene can say its 50% starch so it's biodegradable but the other 50% will remain there forever" so it isn't compostable.

Mojo lauds California's progressive labeling law, which prohibits the use of the term biodegradable on all plastic products and mandates the term compostable only be used for products that meet the ASTM D6400 and 6868 standards.

BPI has licensed products from 140 companies since 2002 and recently went online with the largest public database of 3,300-plus compostable products for consumers and composters.

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"It's something we have been working on for close to two years now," Mojo says. "The industry has grown dramatically. The material properties and the products have gotten remarkably better. I've been in the business for 20 years and I can say compostable materials are every bit as good as the traditional plastics and applications they are used in."

Still, Riggs has one lament amidst all the innovations: those little stickers on pieces of fruit.

"You don't pull off the fruit sticker and it ends up in our product and in the gardens of our customers," she says."Most of them are okay with it compared to seeing forks and piece of plates. Even so, that's one of our big things. I'm really trying to find a compostable sticker. That's just another thing to tackle."

New biodegradable film developed by basque researchers

Posted by Will Farrel on Wednesday, September 18, 2013

The research group BIOMAT from the UPV / EHU Polytechnic School of San Sebastian has developed an innovative film hundred percent biodegradable , compostable and heat sealable from agroindustrial byproducts .

As reported from the Universidad del País Vasco / EHU ( UPV / EHU ) study results were published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.

Also explained that vegetable proteins are abundant renewable raw materials , easily obtainable and potential agro-products properties for applications in the field of packaging for their ability to form films with good barrier properties in dry conditions.

Also, being biodegradable , offer significant advantages in terms of environmental and economic . Therefore, taking into account these characteristics , BIOMAT research group of the UPV / EHU has produced a groundbreaking film for food packaging that can replace conventional films based on non-renewable resources hundred percent biodegradable / compostable .

In this sense, underlined that this new biofilm improves the properties of the current commercial film , especially with regard to transparency and barrier properties to oxygen and ultraviolet light. Another outstanding properties of the biofilm is its excellent adhesion to different surfaces.

Biofilm developed by the BIOMAT group can be heat sealed to surfaces considered " difficult" for the packaging industry , as is the case of polyethylene terephthalate ( PET). The mechanical properties of manufactured biofilm are kept at low temperatures ( -20 ° C) , not transformed into a stiff and brittle film as with some conventional films .

The researcher of the BIOMAT Group at the UPV / EHU , Pedro Guerrero , has indicated that in recent years to reduce dependence on fossil fuel based plastics has become a target "fundamental " both legislatively and socially.

In this search for alternative materials that respect the environment, both in the manufacturing process and after their useful life , the research of this group have focused on the development of biodegradable and compostablematerials through enhancement of industrial products and analysis of environmental burdens associated with a product's life cycle from raw material extraction to disposal of materials after use.

Source: Ecodiario (translated from the original in Spanish)

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Enhanced Binder System for Bioplastics

Posted by Will Farrel on Thursday, September 19, 2013

Bioplastics represent promising, sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based products. They are widely manufactured from renewable materials and, ideally, are biodegradable. Until now, however, their widespread use was hindered by processing drawbacks compared to conventional thermoplastics.

Using WACKER’s VINNEX®, a vinyl-acetate-based polymer binder system, manufacturers now have the capability to develop high-performance biopolymer blends. VINNEX® enables different biopolymer raw materials such as polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), cellulose acetate (CA) and starch to be combined into a new class of customizable biopolymer blends with a wide array of properties. Depending on the composition, these blends have higher impact strengths, are more flexible or have a higher melting strength than conventional biopolymers while maintaining biodegradability. The blends can be processed on conventional equipment, and make injection molding, extrusion, vacuum forming, thermoforming and calendering much easier.

VINNEX® opens up an expanding range of applications for biopolymers: the binder enables highly transparentand noise-reduced PLA films that offer improved physical, film-sealing, and shrinking properties, e.g. for packaging applications. In addition, VINNEX® enables thermoforming of bioplastics intended for hot filling applications and increases the adhesion of PLA to paper. Thus, the new binder could soon serve as a raw material for coffee cups, soup containers and cutlery. Most VINNEX® grades can be used in food contact applications. The new blends can also be processed into brochures, parts for electronic appliances or self-degradable gardening and agricultural containers. Experts estimate that bioplastics could replace up to 90 percent of all conventional plastics in the future.

Perturbateurs endocriniens

From www.maxisciences.com - September 17

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Selon une étude rendue publique vendredi dernier, environ 40 % des produits d’hygiène-beauté contiennent au moins un perturbateur endocrinien (PE). Alors que la présence de perturbateurs endocriniens (PE) dans notre quotidien est de plus en plus pointée du doigt, c’est une étude d’importance qu’a réalisé l’Institut Noteo en partenariat avec le Réseau environnement santé (RES). Ces derniers se sont intéressés aux substances contenues dans les produits d’hygiène-beauté que nous utilisons quotidiennement. Verdict : 40 % d’entre eux contiennent des perturbateurs endocriniens. Dans cette étude, pas moins de 15.000 produits d’hygiène et contenants alimentaires ont été testés. Les résultatsmontrent que les vernis à ongles sont les plus dangereux puisque 74 % d’entre eux en contiennent au moins un, suivis des fonds de teint qui sont 71 % à en contenir et des produits de maquillage pour les yeux avec 51 %. Parailleurs, les démaquillants sont 43%à en présenter, les rouges à lèvres 40 %, les soins du visage 38 %, les déodorants 36 %, les dentifrices 30 % et les shampoings 24 %. Les perturbateurs endocriniens les plus fréquemment retrouvés sont les parabènes (23 %) et le cyclopentasiloxane (15 %), le bisphénol A étant interdit depuis le 1er janvier 2013. Dans une moindre mesure (1,3 %), du triclosan a été retrouvé. Mais « on trouve souvent plusieurs de ces substances dans un même produit », indique Baptiste Marty, le président fondateur de Noteo cité par l’AFP. L’institut appelle ainsi purement et simplement le gouvernement à interdire l’usage de ces produits du quotidien. Des perturbateurs plus nombreux qu’on ne penseComme le précise le toxicologue André Cicolella, président du Réseau environnement santé (RES), 870 perturbateurs endocriniens sont connus, mais leur nombre pourrait être « beaucoup plus important » au seindes 143.000 substances aujourd’hui présentes sur le marché. Rappelons que les perturbateurs endocriniens sont accusés d’avoir un impact sur le développement des enfants qui y sont exposés au cours de leur croissance in utero, de perturber la fertilité et d’augmenter les risques de développer un cancer, notamment du sein ou de la prostate. L’étude précise que 98,7 % produits bios ne contiennent pas de ces PE. Tout juste peut-on retrouver dans les 1,3 % restants du cinnamal, naturellement présents dans certaines huiles essentielles (cannelle, jacinthe et patchouli). Mes produits contiennent-ils des perturbateurs ?Pour aiguiller les consommateurs, Noteo a mis à leur disposition un dossier qui regroupe des dizaines de milliers de produits selon quatre critères : santé, environnement, social et budget. Librement accessible sur le site, la fiche de chaque produit lui attribue une note : plus celle-ci est élevée, moins le produit contient de PE. Constamment mise à jour, cette base de données vise également à inciter les fabricants à adapter leurs produits et à trouver des substituts. L’entreprise n’est pas vaine puisque, à titre d’exemple, la multinationale Procter & Gamble a décidé il y a dix jours de retirer les phtalates et le triclosan de ses produits. De même, comme le souligne André Cicolella, des coopératives danoises se sont engagées dans la substitution des perturbateurs endocriniens.

Plantic associe son bioplastique au PET

Le 13 septembre 2013 par Tiziano Polito

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Plantic eco Plastic R est issu à 60% de matériaux d'origine renouvelable.

L'Australien estime que le matériau peut ensuite être recyclé dans le cadre d'un système de récupération classique. -

Spécialisé dans les bioplastiques, Plantic a développé Plantic eco Plastic R pour le conditionnement de produits nécessitant une haute barrière de protection aux gaz et pouvant être conservés sous atmosphère protectrice (MAP) comme cela est souvent le cas dans l'alimentaire. Son matériau combine son bioplastique phare, Plantic eco Plastic, fabriqué à partir de ressources végétales renouvelables, et du polyéthylène téréphtalate (PET), utilisé pour sa barrière aux gaz. Au total, le fabricant évalue à 60% la part de matériaux d'origine renouvelable contenue dans Plantic eco Plastic R. Surtout, Plantic estime que son plastique peut être recyclé comme un PET traditionnel car la part de bioplastique "se dissout et se dégrade durant le processus". Grâce à cet atout, Plantic eco Plastic R serait le premier plastique haute barrière à être à la fois reyclable et d'origine renouvelable. Pour mémoire, tous les plastiques peuvent se recycler en théorie, à condition, toutefois, de les collecter et de les recycler séparément. Plantic eco Plastic R peut être utilisé pour fabriquer des barquettes ou, sous forme de film,pour alimenter des thermoformeuses form-fill-seal (FFS). Son emploi n'implique pas de modifier les machines et les outillages de soudure.

World's first 100% biodegradable plastic bag

Ndlr: poudre de perlimpimpim ???

Mallika Kapur reports on the world's first 100% biodegradable plastic which completely disappears into the environment.

The process involves adding an enzyme when the plastic bag is produced. After the bag is discarded and comes into contact with soil, the combination of the two act as a catalyst to break down the molecules in polythene.

Within 6 months the bag completely disappears into the environment leaving no toxic residue behind.

BPI certified compostable products (Biodegradable Products Institute – USA)

AL-PACK

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Sells AL-PACK Compostable Bags

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Allstate Plastics LLC

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Alte-Rego Corporation

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Manufacturers and sells a new line of bags under the brand names "Compost-A-Bag". Based in Toronto.

Anqing Hexing Chemical Co. Ltd.

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Uncolored resins for blown film, injection molding, thermoforming and extrusion, with a maximum thickness of 50 microns. Resins will be sold as HEXING HX-ZBEI01.

Asean

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Asean Corporation produces a line of BPI approved, premium high performance table top products represented by three brands. “Stalkmarket” molded sugarcane fiber plates, bowls, cups and containers. “Jaya” biopolymer plant sugar PLA cold cups, lids and straws. “Planet Plus” hot cups, food containers and lids.

BASF

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Manufacturers EcoFlex and Ecovio Resins

Be Green Packaging, LLC

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Molded pulp fiber products made from bulrush fiber with a maximum thickness of 29 mils to be sold by the trade name of "Be Green Packaging, Inc. "

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Because We Care Pty, Ltd.

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Manufactures BWC BF-90 resins for making films with a maximum thickness of 60 microns. Also manufactures the nonwoven fabric bags under the tradename ‘BOTANICBAG’.

Beijing Macrolink Biomaterial Co., LTD

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Manufacture and marketing compostable resins MBM-CF and its film, bag, packaging products.

Bi-ax International

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Manufactures Evlon EV biaxially oriented films.

BioBag-Americas

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World's largest producer of certified compostable bags and films. We offer a wide range of BioBag products for the U.S., Canadian and South American markets. Our bags assist communities, residents and businesses with thecollection of food and lawn waste for composting. We have worked with numerous haulers, composters, and government agencies to start, promote and maintain composting programs. BioBag products meet ASTM D6400specifications. BioBag strongly supports the use of GMO free certified crops and participates in a source-offset program with our suppliers. BioBag products include: bags from 2 to 96+ gallon for the collection of organic waste for composting, films for packaging and agriculture and customized products for retail and commercial businesses.

BioGreen Choice (formerly Vamser)

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Click here for a list of products

BioGeenChoice is a manufacturer of compostable products. BioGreenChoice provides high quality compostable food service disposables and food packaging products for use in schools, hospitals, corporate cafeterias, restaurants, etc. Our products are made from annually renewable resources like sugarcane, corn etc. Our products are sustainable alternatives to plastics and Styrofoam.

Biome Bioplastics Ltd.

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Biome manufacturers a variety of grades for for making films, sheet and injection molded products, as shown below.

Biosphere Industries, LLC

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Bowls, trays and other dishes made with Biosphere's PPM100, a new biobased material that is ovenable and microwavable.

Bridge-Gate Alliance Group

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Molded Fiber Plates, Bowls, Trays, and other takeout Food Containers. Products are designed and manufacturedby Bridge-Gate and sold under the Bridge-Gate trademark.

Cardia Bioplastics

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Markets and sells both compostable bags and compostable resins, under the Cardia name.

Cell-o-Core

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Extruded drinking straws (natural and green color), made from a BPI-certified resin, with a wall thickness not exceed 0.010”.

Cereplast

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Manufacturers biodegradable resins for injection molding.

Cheers Cup Company, Ltd.

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White-colored hot drink lids manufactured by Cheers Cup with a maximum thickness of 0.37mm.

CKF Inc.

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Molded fiber plates, bowls, platters and trays sold under the brand names of Royal Chinet and Savaday. Four cup carrier and other products sold under Savaday and Paprus trademark.

Clarifoil

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Clarifoil is a leading producer of cellulose diacetate films for print lamination, carton windows, labels, tapes and numerous other specialist applications. Manufactured exclusively in the UK, Clarifoil distributes both their cellulose acetate and PVOH water soluble films to customers around the globe.

ClearBags

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Uncolored bags sold under the tradename “Eco Clear,” with a maximum thickness of 2 mils. The bags will be manufactured primarily from PLA resin.

Conglom Inc.

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Foodservice products manufactured from sugarcane bagasse with a maximum thickness of 27 mils (0.6858 mm),and sold under the IEco brand name.

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Cortec

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Manufacturer of EcoFilm®, EcoWorks®, Eco-Corr®, Eco-Corr® ESD and EcoWrap® families of films. These films range from stock bags and sheeting for organic diversion programs to corrosion-inhibiting films as well as cling, stretch and shrink films. EcoOceanTM for marine applications and disposal methods that promote anaerobic digestion.

Danimer Scientific

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DaniMer manufactures ReNew® Resins for papercoating of compostable products.

Dongguan Houjie Longxin Plastic Bags Co., Ltd.

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Dyne-A-Pak, Inc

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Manufacturers and sells Dyne-A-Pak Nature compostable foam trays.

Earthcycle Packaging

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Provides an earth-to-earth packaging and food service solution. Our compostable palm fiber products come from the earth and, when you are finished with them, return to earth. They can be composted as part of your community’s efforts to divert waste. In 90 days, they will be ready to make a healthy contribution to the soil.

EATware Food Packaging Ltd.

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Foodservice items, including plates, bowls, cups, lids, trays and containers, manufactured from natural raw pulp fibers and/or agricultural by-products fibers, such as bamboo, reeds, sugarcane or such other fiber materials.

Eco Guardian

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Eco Guardian foodservice products manufactured from sugarcane bagasse with a maximum thickness 0.71 mm (28 mils).

Eco II Manufacturing Inc

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Manufacturers and sells EcoII Compostable Bags for use in food waste collection programs.

Eco Kloud

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· White compostable cutlery manufactured with a maximum thickness of 87.5 mils, sold under the eco Kloud brand name. · Single-wall paper cups (from 2 oz. to 24 oz.) and bowls (from 8 oz. to 34 oz., sold under the eco Kloud brand name. · Plates made from bagasse sugarcane, with a maximum thickness of 0.66 mm, sold under the “eco Kloud” brandname, · Compostable bags and films with a maximum of 134 microns, sold under the “ecoKloud” brandname,

Eco-Products, Inc

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Sells a full line of compostable foodservice products including corn cups, straws, hot cups, hot cup lids, cutlery, food containers, and other compostable items.

El-En Packaging Company Limited

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Films and bag with a maximum thickness of 3.0 mils, produced by El-En Packaging and sold under the trademarkQuikki and approved private label products.

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Fabri-Kal Corp

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Manufacturers of "Greenware" compostable cups, lids and containers.

Farnell Packaging

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Farnell Packaging Limited manufactures all compostable, biodegradable films and bags from materials which meet industry standards for aerobic biodegradation. These products are certified to use the compostable logo of the International Biodegradable Products Institute & the U.S. Composting Council.

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH

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Bio-Flex resins F2110, F1130, and C9550 for the manufacture of blown films, compostable bags, and injection molded items including cutlery.

Fortune Plastics

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Manufactures "Comp-Lete" Compostable Bags in various sizes.

Gallimore Healthcare

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Approved products are GalliGreen compostable coated paper cups and bowls; clear cold drink cups from NatureWorks PLA and bagasse/sugarcane foodservice items.

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Genpak LLC

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Molded pulp food service items (bowls, ‘to-go’ boxes, plates etc), with a maximum thickness of 0.026” (0.6604 mm).

Georgia-Pacific

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• Dixie® EcoSmart® PLA paper hot cups containing 98% renewable material such as cellulose fibers from trees and poly lactic acid and starch from corn. • Dixie® white no-print paper plates containing 95% renewable material such as cellulose fibers from trees and starch from corn.

GeoTegrity (Quanzhou Far East Environmental Protection)

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Geo-Tegrity is a manufacturer of sugarcane-bagasse tableware and food packaging products.

Gio-Soltech, Ltd.

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Glad Manufacturing Co.

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Manufactures and markets Glad Compostable Bags for sale throughout Canada and the United States. www.glad.com

Grabio Greentech Corporation

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Manufacturers and distributes Grabio Greentech Resin GB 100 for the manufacture of blown films and bags.

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Green Century Enterprises Inc.

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GreenCentury® Enterprises manufactures biodegradable and compostable packaging and food service items including NatureCup® hot drink cups and NatureBowl® food containers.

Green Chemical Co., Ltd

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Uncolored resins for producing extruded films with a maximum thickness of 213 microns, marketed under the tradename GC8400.

Green Day Eco-friendly Material Co., Ltd

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Manufactures PLA extruded drinking straws,C-PLA injection molded cutlery and other foodservice items.

Green Works (Clorox)

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GreenGood Eco-Tech Company

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GreenGood's thermoformed foodservice items made from NatureWorks PLA with a ntaximunt thickness of 1.65 mm, including cold drink cups & lids, cutlery and hot drink lids. GreenGood's hot drink cups, coated with a BPI approved resin, including single wall, double wall and triple wall items. GreenGood's foodservice items made from bagasse with a maximum thickness of 1.027 mms.

Greenwave (Trans-World International)

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Molded fiber products consisting largely of Sugar cane and Bamboo, including bowls, plates, take out containers, and a 5 compartment tray. Products sold under the GreenWave brand name.

Guangdong Shangjiu Biodegradable Plastics Co., Ltd.

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Manufactures and sells BOR-Q-805F resins for making films, bags, and disposable packaging.

Guangzhou Bio-plus Materials Technology

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Hefei Hengxin Env. Science & Technology

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Heritage Bag Company, Inc.

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• BioTuf compostable bags of 3.0 mils (75 microns) or less, manufactured from BPI-approved resins.

Heritage Plastics

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Produces the following resins for manufacture of compostable bags and films: BioTuf 946; BioTuf 966; BioTuf 970; BioTuf 976; BioTuf T682T2 and BioTuf T968U2

Hoffmaster

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Huhtamaki (Chinet)

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Manufacturers and sells Chinet products, including bowls, rough and smooth molded trays and other foodservice items

Hung Fu Xin Co., Ltd.

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•Injection molded products, such as cups, lids and food containers, with a maximum thickness of up to 3 mm, sold under the tradename of GreenFuture by HungFu Xin CO., LTD. •Thermoformed products, such as cups, lid's and food containers, with a maximum thickness of 0.4 mm, sold under the tradename· of GreenFuture by Hung Fu Xin CO., LTD.

IFN Green

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Foodservice items (bowls, plates, trays, containers, cups & utensils) made from bagasse, bamboo, PLA and plant starch.

Imaflex, Inc.

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Manufacturer of the following approved films: ECO100, ECO101, ECO102, ECO103, ECO104,LECO100, LECO101, LECO102, LECO103 and LECO104 for conversion into bags.

Indaco Manufacturing Ltd.

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Canadian manufacturer of Bag to nature brand compostable bags and liners for the curbside collection of organic waste.

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Innovia Films, Inc.

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Innovia Films is a major producer of Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) and cellulose (NatureFlex™ and Cellophane™) films with production sites in the UK, USA, Belgium and Australia. It holds a leading global positionin the markets for labels and security films, coated packaging, overwrap and renewable and compostable films. NatureFlex™ films, made from wood pulp, are certified to the Industrial Composting norms ASTM D6400, EN13432, AS4736, the BPI and OK Compost’s Home Composting standards.

Inteplast Group

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Blown films and plastic bags with a maximum thickness of 3 mils. Products will be sold under the INTEGREEN brand name.

International Group (IGI)

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IGI owns and operates the largest independent, ISO 9001 registered, petroleum wax refinery/blending plants in North America.

International Paper

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International Paper's ecotainer family of products are made from renewable resources such as SFI certified paperboard and Ingeo (PLA), a plant-based material. The ecotainer family of products include hot cups, hot cup lids, cold cups, cold cups lids and food containers.

Jiangmen Proudly Water-Soluble Plastic Co., Ltd.

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Kaneka Corporation

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Kingfa Science & Tech. Co., Ltd.

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Manufactures and sells ECOPOND Flex-262 and ECOPOND Flex-64D for making bags and films.

KTM Industries, Inc.

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KUREHA CORPORATION

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Kureha manufactures Kuredux resins for making films and bags with a maximum thickness of 137 microns (5.39 mils).

Lakeside Plastics Ltd.

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High performance biodegradable plastic bags for consumer retail, packaging, agriculture/horticulture and collection of yard waste for municipal composting.

Lenzing Aktiengesellschaft

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Logico International Ltd.

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Disposable Cutlery (Knife, Fork, Spoon), sold under the tradename of ONE.

Long Green (TWN) Corp.

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Click here for a list of products

Manufactures corn starch PLA biodegradable and compostable safe food packaging.

Mantrose-Haeuser Inc.

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Mantrose-Haeuser, www.mantrose.com , a world leader in edible coatings and specialty products for the Food, Confectionery, Pharmaceutical, Cosmetics and Industrial markets is proud to introduce VerdeCoat Biopolymer Barrier Coatings. This new “green” coating technology provides excellent grease, water and oxygen barrier properties for many types of flexible packaging. VerdeCoat high-performance barrier coatings are effective for coating starch, cellulose, molded fiber, bagasse, palm fiber, paper/paperboard and polylactic acid based packaging. VerdeCoat uses natural renewable ingredients which are approved for direct food contact and have also been successfully tested for repulpability and recyclability.

McNairn Packaging

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Manufacturers and sells a wide variety of grease resistant McNairn Compostable FoodWraps and Bags.

MeadWestvaco

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MWV’s MWare food service line of materials for cups, plates and other disposable containers are made from PLA-coated and uncoated bleached paperboard. These BPI certified materials can be commercially composted with food waste. All MWare paperboard materials are made from Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certified, sustainably sourced paperboard and can be made with up to 30 percent post consumer recycled fiber.

Minima Technology Co. Ltd

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Approved to manufacture coated paper products, including cups, lids, along with compostable plastic bags. Also makes Eco-Solutions GP grade resins for making blown films, thermoformed sheet and injection molded items with a maximum thickness of 55 microns (2.165 mils). Also approved for paperboard coated with Minima BPC-100.

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Mirel™ Bioplastics by Metabolix

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Manufactures and sells a broad family of Mirel™ bioplastic including resins including M0000, M2100, M2200, M4100, M4300

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

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Manufacturers and sells GS PLA resins for making extruded sheet.

Multibax Public Company Limited

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Multibax MBIO-1 brand PCL-based resins for making films and bags.

Nantong Huasheng Plastic Products Co., Ltd.

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Uncolored films and bags with maximum thickness of 100 microns made from Nantong Huasheng PCO2 resins. Products, such as T-sacks, can-liners and shopping bags etc.) will be sold under the tradename PCO z Product by Nantong Huasheng.

NatureWorks LLC

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Manufactures & sells a broad family of Ingeo resins.

Northern Technologies

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Manufacturer of Natur-Tec compostable films and bags

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Novamont NA

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Producer and distributor of Mater-Bi Resins.

Pac Paper

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Pak-Sher

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Manufacturers compostable films, along with EnviroJolt compostable bags

Pan Pacific Corporation

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A variety of die-cut compostable bags.

Pitt Plastics

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Manufactures and sells BIO-STAR Compostable Bags.

Pland Paper (Wei Mon)

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Paper and paperboard products coated with a BPI-approved resin, bags and resins, sold under the tradename Pland Paper or Wei Mon.

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Plastic Suppliers

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Manufactures EarthFirst® PLA films- produced from an annually renewable resource, corn, making it truly sustainable. Plastic Suppliers offers clear, matte and white versions with properties comparable and even superior to plastic films. EarthFirst is currently used in the flexible packaging and shrink sleeve label markets. EarthFirst is made from NatureWorks® PLA resin

Plastics Solutions (EcoSafe brand)

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Markets "EcoSafe-6400" Compostable Bags

Poly-America L.P.

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Manufacturers "Husky" EcoGuard Lawn & Leaf Bags.

Polyethics Industries

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Manufacturers and sell Econogreen and Polyethics Compostable Bags.

Polykar Industries

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Manufactures clear compostable bags, sold under the brand names of Polykar-BASF and INSTINCT.

Precision Color Graphics

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President Packaging Ind. Corp

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President Packaging Ind. Corp which majorly involved in food paper packing and material selling and manufacture, was established in 1994. Embracing the corporate social responsibility, our company continually develops environmental friendly and convenient products for the consumers. Main products including: Cold Drink cups, hot coffee cusp, heat insulated cups, biodegradable cups, noodle cups and plastic lids, etc.

PrimeWare/PrimeLink Solutions, LLC

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Uncoated bagasse foodservice tableware, including hinged containers, and meat/produce trays with a maximum thickness of 22.0 mils and sold under the tradename PrimeWare by Primelink Solutions, LLC. Bagasse foodservice tableware coated with NatureWorks Ingeo, including hinged containers, with a maximum thickness of 22.0 mils and sold under the tradename PrimeWare by Primelink Solutions, LLC. Both the approved products may be produced and sold in either white or tan.

Red Pod Inc.

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Sells BPI approved hot cups, under the Earth to Earth brandname.

Republic Bag Inc.

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Compostable bags and films manufactured by Republic Bag from Novamont NFOIU, sold under the name "Code Green."

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Return2Green

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Rock-Tenn Converting Co. (Fold-PAK)

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Fold-Pak is the manufacturer of FOLD-PAK, FOLD-PAK EARTH, BIO-PAK, BIO-PLUS EARTH, BIO-PLUS TERRA, SMARTSERV, BIO-PAK VIEW, and BIO-PLUS VIEW food containers. The products are all made of paperboard and can hold any type of food - wet, dry, hot, or cold. Additionally the products are all recyclable and 100% made in the U.S.A. The company has manufacturing facilities in Fresno, CA; Hazleton, PA; and Lebanon, TN.

Romapack e Importacao Exportacao e Industria de Embalagens (Extrusa-Pack)

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• White and green colored plastic bags made from a BPI-certified resin, with a maximum thickness of 0.7 mil.

S-EnPol Co. Ltd., subsidiary of Samsung Fine Chemicals

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S-EnPol manufactures advanced synthetic polymers, especially for environmentally friendly biodegradable polymers for diverse applications. Currently, S-EnPol produces and markets its biodegradable aliphatic polyesterunder the trade name of EnPol.

Sabert Corporation

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Sabert Corporation is a global leader and innovator in the food packaging industry. Since 1984, Sabert has been designing, manufacturing and distributing quality, cost-effective solutions for packaging, displaying, serving and storing fine food. Headquartered in Sayreville, New Jersey, USA, Sabert also has North American facilities in California and Kentucky, as well as manufacturing facilities in Belgium, Europe and Zhongshan, China.

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Sealed Air

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Manufactures and sells "NatureTRAY" compostable foam trays for foodservice and meat/poultry and Loosefill packaging materials

Shandong Fuwin New Material Co., Ltd.

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Manufactures ECONORM-brand Biodegradable resins for extruded films used to make compostable bags, merchandise bags, mulch films and other film-based products.

Shang Tao Plastics Co., Ltd.

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Shanghai Disoxidation Macromolecule Materials Co.

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Shanghai Mingwang Environmental Protection Product Co., Ltd.

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Plates, bowls, cups and other foodservice items made from sugarcane bagasse pulp, sold under the tradename of MW.

Shengzhou Aike Environmental Commodity

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Shenling Environmentally Friendly Packing Materials Co.,Ltd,

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Bagasse tableware, such as plates and bowls, manufactured by Shenling Environmentally Friendly Packing Materials Co.,Ltd and sold under the Shenling brand name.

Sichuan Corn-T Biology Technology Co., Ltd.

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Solo Cup (Dart Container Corporation)

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• Plastic foodservice and consumer items of all types (e.g. cups, soufflés, hinged and unhinged food containers and plates) sold under the BARE tradename; • Coated paper cups and food containers sold by Solo under the BARE tradename; • Bagasse foodservice items, sold under the BARE tradename including hinged and unhinged food containers, food trays, plates and bowls. • Printed “fry boats,” made from 14 pt. SBS paperboard coated with 1.0 lbs dry/1000 sq. ft. of waterbased varnish, sold under the BARE tradename.

Source Atlantique Inc. (If You Care brand)

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Sells a variety of clear bags under the tradename If You Care(TM) including 3-, 13- and 33-gallon sizes, along with paper coffee filters.

Staples

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Sustainable Earth is Staples' exclusive line of eco-conscious disposable breakroom items include compostable cups, hot cup sleeves and lids derived from natural resources like sugarcane fiber and other plant-based materials. Products are both recyclable and compostable.

StarchTech

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StarchTech foam packing peanuts, made from ReNew Resin 400.

Storopack

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Introduces Airplus-Bio, the first compostable air-cushion that meets ASTM D6400 and is approved by the BPI.

Sustainable Fiber Solutions LLC

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EcoFriendly Solutions EFS225TC Basecoat and EcoFriendly EFS550BC Topcoat.

Suzhou Hanfeng New Material Co.,Ltd

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Resins sold under the SUZHOU HANFENG NEW MATERIAL CO.,LTD. tradename.

Teknor Apex Company

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Teknor Apex Company, a leading custom compounder, manufactures Terraloy™ Bioplastic Resins for blown film,cast film, injection molded goods, blow molded articles, thermoformed products, extruded sheets and profiles.

Thantawan Industry Plc.

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Clear or natural colored "zipper bags" with a maximum thickness of 100 microns. Products are manufactured from BPI approved resins and will be sold under EcoAbsolute tradename by Thantawan.

Tianan Biologic Material Company (TNN)

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Manufactures and sells PHBV based resins under the brand name of ENMAT 100, for use in injection molding and film applications.

Tianjin Greenbio Material Co., Ltd.

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Manufactures and sells P(3,4HB) based resins under the tradenames: • Sogreen P(3,4HB) Resin 00A • Sogreen P(3,4HB) Resin 1001 • Sogreen P(3,4HB) Resin 2001: [maximum thickness of 0.075 mm] • Sogreen P(3,4HB) Resin 3001 ： [maximum thickness of 0.57 mm]

Tork - SCA Tissue North America

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White or brown paper napkins (printed or unprinted) sold under the Tork brand name and carrying the BPI Compostable Logo.

Total Packaging Solutions, LLC

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•Bagasse foodservice containers (such as plates, bowls and clamshells, and trays), •Hot and cold drink cups and soup containers, coated with a BPI approved resin, •Compostable foodwaste bags and T-shirt bags, •All items will be sold under the Total Packaging Solutions brandname.

Ucan Products, LLC

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• Green compostable bags made from a BPI approved resin and sold under the Ucan and UnTrash brandnames.

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V-IN Industrial Corp.

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Vegware Ltd

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Vegware - Sells a full range of completely compostable foodservice products including BPI-approved hot and cold cups, BPI-approved cutlery, CPLA hot cup lids and a full range of moulded fibre plates, bowls, food containers and other eco packaging items.

VerTerra Ltd.

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VerTerra Dinnerware is a versatile line of single-use plates, bowls, and trays. Made from fallen leaves, steam, pressure and heat, VerTerra is all-natural: no chemicals, lacquers or bonding agents of any kind.

W. Ralston (Canada)

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Manufacturers and sells Biosak Compostable Bags to retailers throughout Canada.

Waddington North America Inc.

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WNA is a leading manufacturer of disposable drinkware, dinnerware, servingware, cutlery and custom packaging with a broad line of upscale products.

Wenzhou Sanxing Eco-Friendly Packaging Co., Ltd.

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Winfa Packaging Company, Ltd.,

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Manufactures thermoformed foodservice containers.

World Centric

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Sells compostable clamshells, cutlery, deli containers, souffle cups, straws, cold drink cups and lids and PLA coated hot cups and bowls. You can reach an order form for BPI approved products by clicking here: www.worldcentric.org/biocompostables/bpi .

Wuhan Tankon Colour Print Co.Ltd.

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Compostable bags and films with a maximum of 134 microns manufactured from a BPI approved resin, in the following colors: white, black, green and natural (beige). Bags will be sold under the brandname "TK-3 Compostable Bag".

Xiamen Xiehe Green Technology Co., Ltd.

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Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

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Uncolored resins for making products with a maximum thickness of 55 microns, sold under the following brand name and grades; Biocosafe 1903I, Biocosafe 1903F, and Biocosafe 1903E.

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Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co., Ltd.

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White translucent resin for making thermoformed, injection molded products with a maximum thickness of 0.607mm (23.9 mils). Resins will be sold as REVODE by Hisun.

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