bioplastics MAGAZINE Issue 03/2013

The bioplastics compounding company FKuR from Willich, Germany, celebrates its 10th anniversary this June. bioplastics MAGAZINE spoke with co-founder and CEO Edmund Dolfen.

According to a new IHS Chemical global market research report, mounting consumer pressure and legislation such as plastic bag bans and global warming initiatives will increase demand for biodegradable plastics.

Ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) of lactide represents a growing field of research because the resulting polymers are biodegradable and based on renewable raw materials which ensures growing attention within the context of Green Chemistry.

Interfacial Solutions LLC (River Falls, Wisconsin, USA) has developed proprietary processing technology that converts scrap PLA, possessing inferior properties, into a recycled PLA resin with properties that exceed those of virgin PLA.

Zéfal (Jargeau, France) is the world’s leading manufacturer of bicycle accessories. Innovation and environment play a significant part in the corporate strategy and eco-design of the products is part of a long-term progress undertaking.

Look at this issue of bioplastics Magazine and you will see nearly all things bio are not hyphenated. They are one single word, biobased, biodegradable, bioplastics, biopolymer, biorefineries, and biomass. Even the name of the publication, bioplastics Magazine, is not hyphenated.

As part of a diploma project on the subject of “Ecologically sustainable packaging in the food industry” the Ecological Dairies at Allgäu (ÖMA – Ökologische Molkereien Allgäu) worked closely together with Plantic Technologies GmbH (the German branch of Australian Plantic Technologies Limited) on the basic concepts of using sustainable packaging materials.

The UK’s innovation agency, the Technology Strategy Board, has awarded a £150,000 (€ 176,000) grant to a consortium led by Biome Technologies, to investigate a biobased alternative for the oil derived organic chemicals used in the manufacturer of bioplastics.

Introduction: Biomass-derived plastics have the potential to displace relatively high market value products, while also contributing to sustainability objectives. In particular, second generation feedstocks such as agricultural residues offer great potential. Employing citrus wastes (CW) as a feedstock for bioplastics production has potential as a low-cost alternative, while providing other environmental advantages.

A two year research project at Ghent University (Department of Food Safety and Food Quality, Ghent, Belgium) has shown that bioplastics have a great potential as a packaging material for various types of food products (short, medium and long shelf life), including packaging under modified atmosphere (MAP).

EREMA makes sure the loop is closed

Cardia Bioplastics Limited (Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia) recently announced a collaboration of the University of Sydney with CO2 Starch Pty Ltd (100% owned subsidiary of Cardia).

A research project at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point over the past two years has instituted what is believed to be the first concerted effort in the USA to collect and recycle post-consumer PLA.

Chinaplas 2013 took place from May 20 - 23 in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, being Asia’s No. 1 and the world’s no. 2 plastics and rubber exhibition. More than 2900 exhibitors from 38 countries showed their expertise on 220,000 m² of floor space. Chinaplas expected to attract more than 115,000 Chinese and foreign visitors from 150 countries looking to learn about, exchange and source chemicals and raw materials and a variety of plastics and rubber machinery.

bioplastics MAGAZINE has already reported a couple of times about the PLA beverage cups that are collected and recycled at large festivals, sport events or rock concerts.

The per capita meat consumption in the USA amounted to about 108 kg per year in 2012 [1]. The projection of FAPRI [1] until 2025 is that this level of consumption will rise only slightly to about 109 kg/year. This meat consumption level, one of the highest in the world, can be regarded as a kind of saturation level.

The RS product range of DuPont (RS for renewably sourced) is well known. It comprises among other products the long-chain Zytel RS polyamide 1010, the elastomer Hytrel RS and the PTT material Sorona.

DSM Engineering Plastics (since early 2012 headquartered in Singapore) recently announced that its development partner MF Folien GmbH in Kempten, Southern Germany, successfully introduced a new polyamide film, which is based on DSM’s bio-based EcoPaXX® polyamide 410.

The core business of Fukutomi Company Ltd. From Shantou, China, is the production of plastic parts from plastic scrap.

Grabio Greentech Corporation specializes in the development and manufacture of 100% biodegradable and compostable starch plastics.

A Breakthrough In Yield, A New Paradigm in Carbon Capture

In early April of this year, Merseburg University of Applied Sciences joined the Research for the Future stand, run by the Central German Universities at the Hanover Trade Fair, and presented the latest FABIO project results.

Bio-plus Materials Technology is specialized in the development of modified PLA. The predecessor, Junjia Technology Co., Ltd., was founded in 1998 and in 2006, the company started to step into the field of modified PLA and its application.

Since 2006 Hubei Guanghe Bio-technology has been engaged in the development of ultra-high molecular weight PLA compounds in cooperation with different universities and colleges.

An innovative PLA based blend with improved toughness and durability is close to reaching the market. The material, named Floreon was developed under a TSB funded knowledge transfer partnership between materials scientists at the University of Sheffield and CPD plc, a leading UK distributor of office water cooler bottles.

With 180 participants (60% up on 2012) from 23 countries (up 50%), this year’s International Conference on Industrial Biotechnology and Bio-based Plastics & Composites organized by the nova-Institute (Hürth, Germany) further established itself as a major industry meeting-place and visitors both grew in number and became more international.

The Spanish Packaging, Transport & Logistics Research Center ITENE is a Technological Center that promotes, in general and for any type of business, scientific research, technological advancement, the development of information society and promoting sustainability in the areas of packaging, logistics, transportation and mobility.

This company is located in Yangzhou (Jiangsu province) near Shanghai.

Introduction Every year millions of tons of tomatoes are used and large amounts of tomato by-products are treated as waste. About 300 million tonnes of by-products, waste and effluent are produced in the EU each year.

Founded in 1998, TECNARO GmbH develops, produces and markets bio-based and biodegradable compounds. Focusing on thermoplastic compounds made from renewable resources like lignin, cellulose, natural fibres, PLA, PHB, Bio-PE, Bio-PA and others, Tecnaro has been developing solutions for injection moulding, compression moulding, extrusion, calendaring, blow molding or thermoforming into moulded parts, semi-finished products, sheets, films or profiles.

The nova-Institute carried out the study ‘Biobased Polymers in the World; Capacities, Production and Applications: Status Quo and Trends towards 2020’ in collaboration with renowned international experts from the field of biobased polymers. Considerably higher production capacity was found than in previous studies.

When PLA was firstly introduced, the main proposal was a shift from fossil resources to renewable ones. But the remarkable versatility of the material also opened new recycling perspectives, further enhancing its environmental profile.

The Russian company PoliKompleks plans to build a complex for rectification of lactic acid and for the production of bioplastics in the Kaliningrad region.

Nafigate Corporation a.s. from Prague (Czech Republik) presented their biotechnology for PHA production that was developed by (Czech) Brno University of Technology. Nafigate is now seeking to find partners to invest into this technology.

Feedstock required for bioplastics production accounts for only a minimal fraction of global agricultural area.

Six years ago BASF launched the compostable plastic ecovio® – which is biodegradable as defined by EN 13432 and based to a large extent on renewable resources.

As PLA finds more and more applications it gives rise to the question of which are the most appropriate technologies for processing. Because of the low glass transition temperature of PLA the crystallization of the plastics may play a decisive role in identifying further processing, depending on the exact material parameters and processing tasks.

Well Water (Reeuwijk, The Netherlands) recently announced that the patented and stylish Well Jug pitcher with its crystal clear Ingeo bioplastic pitcher and removable bamboo handle is now being made available to hotels, restaurants, food service organizations, and distributors for direct-to-consumer sales in the U.S.

Background PLA, poly(lactic acid) is a commercial 100% biobased thermoplastic polymer that has found wide spread industrial applications. It derives its value proposition from having a zero material carbon footprint arising from the short (in balance) sustainable biological carbon cycle.

The Institute of Plastic Processing (IKV) evaluates the recycling behaviour of PLA. Recycling helps cut raw material consumption and lowers material costs. Additionally, it improves the ecological balance. The different industrially practiced recycling strategies are analysed. A review is given about the processing by means of melt degassing.

Purac’s partners have successfully launched a range of PLA serviceware based on PURALACT® Lactides. The range, available in retail outlets in Singapore, features printed text ‘Love Eco’ and ‘PLA’ on each item.

In early April CJSC Rotec (Moscow, Russia, a subsidiary of the Renova Group of companies) and Purac (Gorinchem, The Netherlands), a subsidiary of CSM), signed an agreement on the development of a project to create a unique in the world high-tech biopolymer production facility in Russia.

The Perpetual Plastic Project with live, interactive demonstration

Compared to conventional plastics, the bioplastics market is a fairly young one. Currently, there is no common systematization for bioplastics statistics available. The consequence: Diverse reports from private and public organisations and institutions try to give an impression of where the market stands and where it is heading.

Amyris, Inc. (Emeryville, California, USA), a leading renewable chemicals and fuels company, recently announced the first commercial shipment from its new plant in Brazil.

Shandong Fuwin New Material Co. Ltd., from Zibo Shandong is primarily engaged in the production and R&D of fully biodegradable plastic materials and fine chemicals.

With the mission of Life &Environment Balance and Natural, No Harm, Shanghai Disoxidation Macromolecule Materials Co., Ltd (DM) is providing plastic manufacturers and consumers with biodegradable starch resins and related derivatives, such as shopping bags, garbage bags, films and outside package.

Established in 2002 and located in Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, Shenzhen Esun Industrial Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise specializing in researching, developing, producing and operating degradable polymer materials, such as PLA and PCL.

Teijin Limited Tokyo, Japan, recently announced that it has developed technology to significantly enhance the heat and impact resistance of PLANEXT, the company’s high-performance bio-polycarbonate.

In many cases waste containing PLA is currently sorted out as an impurity during the disposal of plastic materials, since low PLA amounts do not yet justify recycling activities.

As industry transforms from petro-based to environmentally sustainable materials, succinic acid is emerging as one of the most competitive of the new bio-based chemicals [1].

Sulzer (Winterthur, Switzerland) has been awarded a contract for the delivery of a production plant based on Sulzer’s proprietary polylactic acid (PLA) technology.

A division of Starlinger & Co GmbH (Vienna, Austria), world market leader in the field of machinery and complete lines for woven plastic packaging production, Starlinger recycling technology provides machinery solutions for the recycling and refining of a wide scope of plastics such as PE, PP, PLA, PA, PS, BOPP and PET.

GreenBio is dedicated in the development, production and sale of the fully degradable bio-based polymer materials PHA and its application products.

Toray Industries Inc. headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, offers a range of different products under the common brandname ecodear.

Markus Swoboda, founder and managing director of the company BioFactur GmbH (Datteln, Germany) produces small things from bioplastics for day to day life. However, the way to market his products was not always easy.

BioTRANSformation of by-products from fruit and vegetable processing industry into valuable BIOproducts

Cooperation agreement for biopolymer use