Application News iPhone
Application News iPhone Cover Made from PLA Article contributed by Kaya Kaplancali, CEO, Dandelion Research, Hong Kong In March, Bioserie began online sales of the World’s First Apple 3G/3GS iPhone covers made from plants, not oil. Consumers can pick from six different colors. The new covers were for the first time presented among other innovative bioplastic consumer products on December 17th, 2009 in the Technology Conference & Showcase hosted by ‘The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and EuropaBio,‘ as part of the Copenhagen Climate Summit. While the market for mobile phone accessories is competitive and crowded, Bioserie has a unique distinction, its iPhone covers are better than 95 % biobased. Management is building a business around products that not only look great and perform well, but also are good for the environment in terms of lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced energy consumption. Bioserie iPhone covers consist of 95 % NatureWorks Ingeo biopolymer, with the remainder consisting of a new biobased impact modifier and organic pigments used as colorants. As the company works through its initial manufacturing, sales, and customer feedback phase, it is fine tuning the raw material formulation in the covers. Once the final formulation is set, the company plans to seek certification to biopolymer compostability standards EN13432 and ASTM 6400-99. Packaging follows Bioserie’s commitment to improved sustainability by using soy ink and environmentally safe glue. The outer box is made of FSC certified 100 % post-consumer recycled paper. The window piece is transparent film made entirely of Ingeo biopolymer. The origins of Bioserie Bioserie began with a search for a breakthrough mobile phone accessory. During that research the potential of bioplastics — a material that appeals to a more environmentally savvy and upscale segment of the market — became evident. Plus products made from bioplastic would also be unique in the iPhone segment of the crowded accessories market. With this product concept established, investors were found to fund the bioplastic project. A new company, Dandelion Research Limited, was quickly established to focus on compelling, environmentally friendly bioplastic consumer products. The company then proceeded to create a suitable brand from scratch, which led to the formation of Bioserie. Since bioplastics are a relatively new and growing field, it was intellectually stimulating, but also challenging, for Bioserie executives to develop the company’s first product line. Bioserie received significant help, both on technical issues and marketing communications, from NatureWorks. The team at NatureWorks supported the project from day one, and has maintained that support through to today. Although it was the injection molder’s first experience with bioplastics, the team there was also keenly interested in the project and showed great patience and cooperation throughout numerous test runs and adjustments. Everyone associated with the project knew they were trail blazing. A great effort was made to find the right mix of materials and production methodology required to achieve product performance and cost objectives. It is obvious that the bioplastics field is ripe for innovation and commercial exploitation. Currently, Bioserie is developing several carrying accessories for Apple mobile devices in an effort to leverage the publicity surrounding the Apple brand and exploit the sales channels and production infrastructure Bioserie executives have developed in the IT/ Telecommunications accessories industry. These products will be released throughout 2010. The company plans to develop and commercialize products for other consumer product categories as well. Bioserie will strive to incorporate as many renewable materials as possible into its products as well as to make the products compostable. Although end-of-life options such as recycling and industrial composting seem to be as much a commercial and regulatory issue as a technical one, Bioserie will do its part to make these options practical. The company wants to remain in the forefront among its competitors. www.bioserie.com 48 bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5
Application News (Scene from the 3D-Movie ‚Avatar‘, Photo © Twentieth Century Fox, All rights reserved) Bioplastic Glasses for 3D-Movies Cereplast, Inc., El Segundo, California, USA and Oculus3D from Las Vegas, a company focused on film-based 3D projection technology, recently announced that Oculus3D will introduce the world‘s first bioplastics 3D glasses as part of the OculR 3D viewing system to movie theaters. The eco-friendly 3D glasses are manufactured using Cereplast‘s Compostables ® resin made with Ingeo TM PLA. These resins allow for the manufacturing of glasses made of renewable material and create a truly compostable product. The glasses are expected to be available this Summer 2010. With major 3D movie releases such as ‘Avatar‘ and ‘Alice In Wonderland‘ requiring more than 10 million pairs of glasses to be shipped to movie theaters across the globe for each movie, the demand for 3D presentations is growing rapidly. While many theaters collect 3D glasses at the conclusion of each show, damaged glasses, or pairs not returned end up in trashcans and ultimately in waste-toenergy plants or landfill sites. The joint goal of Cereplast and Oculus3D is to supply 3D glasses made from plastics from renewable resources which in addition are biodegradable/compostable. Thus the amount of petroleum-based plastic waste being incinerated or ending up in landfills will be reduced. If discarded at a compost site, the 3D glasses will return to nature in less than 180 days with no chemical residues or toxicity left in the soil. The current 3D glasses offered by movie theaters are made of traditional fossil fuel plastic and are not biodegradable. The CO 2 emissions for the more than 10 million plastic glasses is equivalent to the harmful emissions generated by burning 190,000 Liters (50,000 gal) of gasoline or 917 barrels of oil. “We are very glad to be associated with Oculus3D, a company that understands and is concerned about the environmental impact associated with traditional petroleum-based plastic. Through the collaboration of our joint effort, we can offer the Hollywood community meaningful ‘green‘ benefits requiring little effort and providing large impact,“ said Frederic Scheer, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Inc. “By using Cereplast‘s resins in our 3D biodegradable and compostable glasses we can now help the entertainment industry reduce its carbon footprint and provide movie theaters with smarter choices for both affordable 3D systems and compatible 3D eyewear,“ said Marty Shindler, Co-founder and CEO of Oculus3D. MT www.cereplast.com www.oculus3d.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/10] Vol. 5 49
