bioplastics MAGAZINE Issue 03/2012

The 2nd PLA World Congress organized by bioplastics MAGAZINE (May 15th and 16th in Munich, Germany) attracted more than 160 experts and interested delegates from 23 countries.

End of March Avantium, Amsterdam, the Netherlands announced its second major partnership for its YXY technology to produce PEF bottles. Danone Research and Avantium have entered into a Joint Development Agreement for the development of PEF bottles for Danone, number two worldwide in bottled water business. The agreement forms another cornerstone of Avantium‘s commercialization strategy to further co-develop the YXY technology for producing PEF bottles.

the perfect stepping stone for the wide exposure of biobased plastics

In-feed in the form of fibre pellets solves dispensing problems

A number of biobased plastics, for example several partly or fully biobased polyamides are manufactured using sebacic acid as a monomer or as a chemical building block. Castor oil is the raw material of choice for the production of bio-based sebacic acid. Another monomer based on castor oil is 11-aminoundecanoic acid.

CHINAPLAS 2012 again made great strides forward, evidenced by the double-digit growth in terms of both the physical size of the show scale and the number of exhibitors.

About two years ago, The Ethical Coffee Company SA (Fribourg, Switzerland) had introduced a capsule that can be used with the usual Nespresso machines. In the meantime the alternative capsule is being sold in different supermarket chains in Germany, The Netherlands, France and many other countries to come soon.

Cardia Bioplastics, headquartered in Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia recently announced the launch of the Cardia Compostable Bubble Wrap. Cardia Compostable Bubble Wrap extends the product range made from Cardia’s certified compostable resins into protective packaging.

Cycling isn’t just healthy and fun it’s also one of the key ways for developing sustainable transportation models for our increasingly congested cities filled with noise and atmospheric pollution.

After a break of four years the time was ripe for the second PLA World Congress. More than 160 delegates and speakers proved this by gathering in Munich, Germany, for an exchange of information and experiences, and for establishing or renewing contacts. All of the positive feedback from both delegates and speakers has confirmed that this unique event, organized by bioplastics MAGAZINE, was a great success.

At the last JEC Composite Show & Conferences (27-29 March, Paris, France) the European Confederation of Linen and Hemp (CELC) and the JEC Group (the largest international organization of the composite materials industry) co-published a new technical and scientific publication on renewable natural fibre based composite solutions.

In recent decades, great efforts are being made towards the development of new materials with less environmental impact, coming as far as possible from renewable sources and with a high level of biodegradability.

The eyes of the world are set to descend on London on the 27th July, as the UK’s capital hosts the 30th Olympic Games. Those attending the Olympics will see the world’s greatest athletes competing for gold but what they might not see, but will almost certainly use, is the biobased and compostable packaging which is set to feature across the Olympic Park’s food outlets.

The 2nd edition of the unique international directory of major suppliers of bio-based plastics, composites, intermediates and green additives is distributed to more than 50,000 potential clients worldwide via the nova-Institute’s huge bio-based network. The International Business Directory for Innovative Bio-based Plastics and Composites (iBIB) 2012/13 is published as a print version (book), PDF file, online-database and for the first time also as an eBook and an App (for iPad).

Cincinnati Milacron is gearing up for an expected growth in the European Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) market of around 20% during 2012. This expected growth will come from a mix of new business and the pushing out of existing imported products from the Far East and the USA.

Natural (plant based) fibres, such as flax, hemp, jute, abaca or animal based fibres such as silk or wool are becoming more and more popular for use in industrial applications.

In research projects shared with the West Saxony High School Zwickau and the Technical University Chemnitz (both Germany), mould maker ZAHORANSKY GmbH Formen- und Werkzeugbau in Rothenkirchen, Germany has realised two innovative manufacturing processes on the basis of renewable, biobased raw materials and developed them ready for series production.

Communicating the benefits of biobased content is often tricky. Biobased represents all of green marketing’s traditional challenges – including greenwash — but has additional, unique challenges all its own.

The HallStar Company (Chicago , Illinois, USA) introduced HALLGREEN R-8010, a new and recently patented, bio-based polymeric succinate that improves the flexibility and pliability of biopolymers including polylactic acid (PLA), starch-based polymers, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), and polyhydoxybutyrate (PHB); while maintaining long-term compatibility.

In 2009 RheTech Inc. (Whitmore Lake, Michigan, USA) started to develop its biocomposites product line RheVision®. At that time the market was buzzing with the potential of bio fibers being incorporated into plastic compounds.

End of March Chinese company Wuhan Huali Environmental Technology Co. Ltd. celebrated the groundbreaking of their new Ecoplast Technologies Bioplastic R&D and production base in the Wuhan Jiangxia Happiness Industrial Park.

Bioplastics are now produced from crops grown in fields with clearly laid down standards of sustainability. This is backed by the guarantee of two new certification systems, namely ICC PLUS and the American Working Landscapes Certificate (Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, IATP). They promote the maintenance of criteria for bio-diversity such as laying down ‘wild life corridors’, not watering drought areas, strong control of the use of plant protection media and no genetic modification.

Plexiglas Rnew alloys 
a new technology for the durables and semi-
durables market space

Compared to the last NPE in 2009, which was adversely affected by the global recession, this years ‘International Plastics Showcase’ showed significant improvement in all possible aspects.

End of April, the Obama Administration announced its commitment to strengthening bioscience research as a major driver of American innovation and economic growth. The National Bioeconomy Blueprint outlines steps that agencies will take to drive the bioeconomy—economic activity powered by research and innovation in the biosciences—and details ongoing efforts across the Federal government to realize this goal.

Tough PLA compounds reinforced with cellulose rayon for injection moulding

Magine Snowboards have developed a sustainable snowboard from a combination of innovative biomaterials including highly aligned flax fibres and an epoxy resin made from soybean oil.

WinGram Industry CO., LTD is a polymer resin supplier that was founded in Hong Kong in 1998. Since the very beginning the company has produced traditional cellulose acetate materials among others for the production of frames for sunglasses.

Two years ago, Ciments Calcia, Mondi Packaging, Groupe Barbier and Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients developed a concrete and relevant solution for the waste management of construction sites, thanks to BioSac by Calcia, the first biodegradable cement bag.

TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. from Livonia, Michigan, USA, has developed a range of driver airbag modules made of regenerative plastic material, which offers a number of environmental benefits. The Company is the first to develop the new, greener module where components, including the airbag cover and retainer plate, are now made from a new, bio-based material.