News New Issue of Study
News New Issue of Study will be published Bioplastics - Processing Parameters and Technical Properties Purchase adds biodegradable plastics capabilities Hycail now with Tate & Lyle Tate & Lyle’s April 2006 acquisition of the assets and intellectual property of Hycail BV, a Dutch company previously owned by Dairy Farmers of America, strengthens the company in the field of industrial ingredients from renewable resources. Hycail has developed technology to produce polylactic acid (PLA). “An increased desire for biodegradable products, coupled with rising oil prices, is driving demand for new environmentally-friendly plastics,” says Clive Rutherford, Chief Executive, Food & Industrial Ingredients, Europe. “The PLA business is an excellent fit with our Group strategy to develop value-added ingredients from renewable resources.” The Hycail purchase includes a PLA pilot plant in Noordhorn, the Netherlands; and Hycail Finland Oy, a research branch in Turku, Finland which also provides technical service to Scandinavian customers. Hycail has developed several grades of PLA polymers and resins, each with a unique functionality. “The ability to produce variations of PLA makes it possible to provide customers with a wide range of biodegradable packaging,” says Dr. Michael Harrison, Global Director, Industrial R&D. “The combination of Hycail PLA technologies has the potential for the development of a completely compostable plastic packaging solution.” Tate & Lyle, a global company with operations predominantly in Europe, the Americas and Asia, provides ingredients, ingredient solutions and services to food, beverage and industrial customers. The Institute for Recycling (IfR) of the University of Applied Sciences Braunschweig/Wolfenbüttel, Germany and the international market portal bioplastics24.com announced the publication of a new issue of the study „Bioplastics - Processing Parameters and Technical Properties“ of globally available thermoplastic biopolymers. The study will be presented for the first time at the InnoBioplast conference in Bangkok from September 18-21, 2006. Available in German and English language, the study can be downloaded at bioplastics24.com after September 22, 2006. Main subject of the report is a comprehensive, comparing compilation of the technical properties and the processing parameters of biodegradable plastics. The report also considers non-degradable plastics, as long as these are made mainly on the basis of renewable resources. More than 40 polymers of almost 30 manufacturers were processed into test specimens at the Institute for Recycling (IfR). All tests were performed in the laboratories of the institute on a multitude of different testing equipment. The technical properties were determined according to the requirements of current DIN standards. The study addresses mainly producers, converters and users who are planning to start processing bioplastics, as well as all interested parties, that want to gather an overview about these materials, their properties, prices and applications. www.bioplastics24.com/study www.tateandlyle.com, www.hycail.com bioplastics [06/02] Vol. 1
News Huhtamaki awarded Silver Huhtamaki’s PLA dessert cup successful in the annual UK Starpack competition Huhtamaki is a leading manufacturer of consumer and specialty packaging, with its headquarter in Espoo, Finland. In April 2006, Huhtamaki launched a new dessert cup range made from NatureWorks PLA. Bespoke to a major UK retailer, the cup range includes 7 cups in the sizes from 71mm in diameter with 180ml capacity to 126mm in diameter and 1000ml capacity, and 4 lid sizes. The biodegradable dessert cups are thermoformed, unprinted and sealed. Some also have a snap on lid, also of PLA. Starpack is co-ordinated by IOP: The Packaging Society (a Division of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining) and IOM Communications Ltd. The Starpack Awards scheme has been running since 1960 and is the premiere UK annual award scheme recognizing innovation in packaging design and technology. In 2006, Starpack broke all records with 850 entries received across all 4 main categories. Judging of the entries took place in April and the awards were presented on July 5. Award wining cups and plates “Huhtamaki’s new dessert cup was judged to be awarded silver for best component and best use of innovative material”, says Jez Allman, Huhtamaki’s General Manager for Consumer Goods Sales in Gosport, UK. “Our new dessert cup range is a forerunner in future packaging as the consumers are getting more environmental conscious. That we were awarded silver shows that biodegradable packaging is being taken seriously in the industry.” Huhtamaki’s BioWare PLA dessert cups are perfectly clear and sturdy, well suited for serving chilled desserts and other food products. BioWare cutlery in sturdy, future friendly material Cutlery made from Mater-Bi is a new addition to the abovementioned cups and plates. Ideal for quick service restaurants, catering, outdoor and mass events, the new Mater-Bi cutlery is produced in the popular Super Party shape. The knife and fork are sturdy yet lightweight. Crack resistance and flexibility are substantial features of the cutleries - making them extra good and safe to use, as the company states. The new BioWare cutleries are made from Mater-Bi, a compostable biopolymer based on renewable raw materials such as corn starch. Two vegetable extracts and one polymer have been added to the modified molecular structure obtaining a bioplastic raw material that is extremely adaptable and versatile. This functional cutlery is suitable for hot food and can be colored with natural pigments, heat laminated to paper, cardboard, cotton and other natural fibers, and can even be sterilized with the help of gamma rays. The interest for environmentally sound tableware is increasing: Huhtamaki is committed to develop the BioWare range further. As Huhtamaki point out, the BioWare range offers retailers and brand owners, as well as foodservice operators a natural way to invest in their environmental image and support the consumers wanting to make a conscious choice. www.huhtamaki.com, www.iom3.org/starpack/ bioplastics [06/02] Vol. 1
