Application News
Application News Multipack Yogurt Cups Beginning in October 2010, global organic yogurt leader Stonyfield Farm (headquartered in Londonderry, New Hampshire, USA), replaced all of its petroleum-based multipack yogurt cups with cups made from Ingeo PLA, giving consumers a yogurt cup they can feel as good about as they do the yogurt inside. The new cups are a first for the dairy industry and reduce the package’s greenhouse gas emissions by 48%. All new Ingeo-based multipack cups look and feel exactly like the petroleum-based yogurt cups they replace and now carry a ‘This Cup is Made From Plants’ stamp on the bottom. MT www.stonyfield.com www.natureworksllc.com Biodegradable Beach Toys Zoë b Organic, a distributor of BPA-free, organic products for babies and kids from Winston Salem, North Carolina, USA has selected Mirel bioplastic for America’s first line of biodegradable beach toys. Mirel was the material of choice for Zoë b Organic’s new beach pails, cups and shovels for toddlers because it is the only durable bioplastic on the market that is proven to biodegrade in a marine environment. “Consumers are increasingly seeking more products that fit with their desire for healthier lifestyles, and forward-thinking brand owners, including distributors like Zoë b Organic, are responding by turning to biobased and biodegradable materials that are made from renewable sources,” said Bob Engle, Telles general manager. “Mirel’s biobased solutions provide an alternative to petroleum-based resins that offers brand owners a way to meet corporate sustainability goals and further differentiate product offerings.” “As a mother of three young children, I am concerned about the number of stray plastic shovels and beach buckets that inadvertently wash up on the shore,” said Valerie Lecoeur, president and founder of Zoë b Organic. “Our line of Zoë b Organic beach products made with Mirel represents a cultural shift in toy manufacturing. With Mirel’s ability to biodegrade in water and other environments, Zoë b Organic is making smarter beach toys that are healthier for our kids and our planet.” MT www.zoeborganic.com www.mirelplastics.com New Line of Kitchen Utensils Propper from Rain am Lech, Germany recently introduced a new line of kitchen utensils made from the fully degradable bioplastic PROGANIC ® again proving the versatility and heat stability of this much talked about bioplastic. At Ambiente 2011 (Frankfurt, Germany) Propper unveiled stylish kitchen utensils as well as the new kitchen herb pot ‘My Proganic Garden’. This decorative yet functional pot includes a smart watering system and comes with a pair of multi-blade herb-scissors. The new line of kitchen utensils is made from 18/8 quality stainless steel with removable Proganic handles. Proganic is dishwasher safe, wear-resistant and CO 2 neutral. Unlike conventional bioplastics this award-winning biopolymer is heat resistant up to 100°C. Proganic compounds consist of PLA and PHA plus natural waxes and minerals. This material processes on standard injection molding and extrusion machinery and molds/tooling. Heat resistance is to 110°C, and it is food safe and UV resistant. Additionally It is durable, with a modulus of 4300 N/mm 2 , higher than that of ABS or PS, and a Charpy impact strength that falls between that of those two standard plastics. Proganic already has had the material certified to DIN 14851/2 for home composting, so there is no need to dispose it to a commercial composting facilitity. www.propper.de 42 bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/11] Vol. 6
Application News Green Dust Bag With a variety of over 1000 different vacuum cleaner models worldwide, finding the right dust bag has been a challenge for consumers for many decades. To make life easier for consumers Electrolux from Sweden has developed the standard s-bag ® in collaboration with Philips. s-bag GREEN is a high-tech innovation and the first dust bag in the world using Ingeo biopolymer. s-bag Green is made from completely renewable sources, with Ingeo PLA fibers, natural rubber, and recycled cardboard. s-bag Green has up to 50% longer lifespan than paper dust bags and is TÜV certified. In summer 2010, Electrolux gathered plastic from the world’s oceans and turned it into a number of vacuum cleaners. The initiative – “Vac from the Sea” – aims to bring attention to the issue of plastic pollution and at the same time combat the scarcity of recycled plastics needed for making sustainable home appliances. MT www.electrolux.com www.natureworksllc.com www.electrolux.com/vacfromthesea Earth’s Best Diapers In a continued effort to provide a healthier alternative for babies and a cleaner, safer world for them to grow up in, Earth’s Best ® proudly introduces Earth’s Best TenderCare ® environmentally friendly disposable diapers. Earth’s Best are a product of The Hain Celestial Group, Inc, Boulder, Colorado, USA. Made from Ingeo fibers, a man-made fiber created from NatureWorks’ PLA, the production of Earth’s Best TenderCare Disposable Diapers offers a lower carbon footprint than traditional petroleum based diapers. Also chlorine free, made with non-bleached materials offering a soft, non-toxic, super absorbent inner panel, breathable sides and moisture barrier cuff. Available in five sizes, each with refastenable, velcro-like tabs, these diapers provide a perfect, comfortable fit for babies and ease of use for parents. Earth’s Best TenderCare Disposable Diapers are chlorine-free, latex-free, dye-free and perfume-free, and provide the ultimate comfort for babies. MT www.earthsbest.com www.natureworksllc.com ‘Nucycle’ Developed by NEC, the ‘Nucycle’ plant based formulation illustrates the NEC Group’s unique material development technology and capabilities. Nucycle significantly expands the application of Ingeo PLA bioplastics into products where performance features such as durability, safety, and high levels of flame retardancy are of paramount importance. Life cycle analysis (LCA) demonstrates that ‘Nucycle’, with high Ingeo bio-content (75%~ plant based) offers significant carbon footprint reduction, lowering CO2 emissions ~50% compared to the petroleum-based polycarbonate/ABS blends used in the past. With the development of Nucycle, the NEC group plans broad commercial implement across its PC business in 2010. Future NEC group focus is on actively promoting and supporting progress toward non food based cellulosic feedstocks. MT www.nec.com www.natureworksllc.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/11] Vol. 6 43
