Application News PLA
Application News PLA flexible packaging for Pet-food The global pet food industry, of which Europe and the U.S. make up 80%, is expected to grow to .4 billion (€44 billion) by 2015 according to Pet Foods: A Global Strategic Business Report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc. Trends in the pet food industry strongly correlate with societal ideas about nutrition. PLA Sunshades M+N Projecten in Delfgauw, The Netherlands, manufactures polyester-based sunshade systems for commercial buildings. The green building revolution and proliferation of green building certifications had been on the company’s development radar for a number of years. In 2010, the company began a research and development project into fabrics that would meet green building certification guidelines while providing the performance equivalent of polyester in sunshade applications. Initial research into Ingeo PLA showed promising results. With the help of supplier/ partners, M+N Projecten developed a new sunshade material, which is now being marketed under the Revolution ® brand name. Revolution is an Ingeo-based sunshade fabric that meets the company’s green design and performance criteria. M+N Projecten says, “Revolution performs just as well as (conventional) polyester fabrics. It is very stable and durable. In terms of manufacturing there is less fossil fuel consumed and less greenhouse gases emitted than conventional polymers used in synthetic fibers.” M+N took its new sunscreen fabric to the largest electric supplier in the Netherlands, Eneco NV in Rotterdam which was then engaged in construction of a headquarters facility. Armed with environmental benefits calculations prepared by NatureWorks, M+N presented its case for the new solution. Appreciative of the low carbon, lightfast and durable performance solution that the fabrics provided, Eneco NV specified the Ingeo-based sunshade system for its new building and consequently gave M+N’s its first major customer for Revolution. High nutrition frozen dog food from Steve’s Real Pet Food (Murray, Utah, USA) is now available in an innovative Ingeo PLA based NVIRO ® flexible bag from Eagle Flexible Packaging (Batavia, Illinois, USA). The new package incorporates a ZIP-PAK ® press-to-close seal, made from Ingeo. This flexible package also features water-based inks that contain less than 5% volatile organic compounds. “I really wanted a solution that was green, not one that just sounded green,” says Nicole Lindsley, project manager at Steve’s. Cardinal Pet Care (Azusa, California, USA) and Tuffy’s Pet Food (Perham, Minnesota, USA) recently began using ECOTERAH brand packaging from Precision Color Graphics (Wilmington Delaware, USA). Introduced late last year, Ecoterah packaging consists of a multiwall paper bag lined with EarthFirst ® PLA film made by Plastic Suppliers (Columbus, Ohio, USA) from NatureWorks’ Ingeo. The new packing is FDA approved for people and pet food, the company reports. It is BPI certified ASTM D6400 and is suitable for commercial/ industrial composting facilities where available. One application of the new multi-wall PLA-lined paper bag is Cardinal Pet Care’s Pet Botanics Healthy Omega Gourmet. Tuffy’s Pet Food features Ingeo-lined bags on several brands such as Nutri Source or Natural Planet Organics, a premium organic food for dogs and cats with fresh, organic ingredients including chicken, select grains, fruits and vegetables. “Ingeo bioplastic has been a perfect addition to our sustainable packaging initiative,” said Dan Brulz, vice president of Precision Color Graphics. “Ingeo offers a more than adequate oxygen and moisture barrier for many products. It also acts as a great sealant on pouches and roll stock items. Our clients have been proud to highlight the fact that they are making efforts to use more sustainable packaging.” About future projects, Dan Brulz told bioplastics MAGAZINE that they are currently in the process of doing shelf life testing on a variety of products including, potato chips, pasta, ground coffee, freeze dried vegetables, trial mix, nuts, and several others. “We feel the future is extremely bright for home grown polymers”. MT www.eagleflexible.com www.stevesrealfood.com www.cardinalpet.com www.tuffyspetfoods.com www.precisioncolor.com www.plasticsuppliers.com www.natureworksllc.com www.mnprojecten.nl www.natureworksllc.com 32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7
Application News Football boot The new Nike GS football boot is the lightest, fastest, most environmentally-friendly production boot the company has ever made. It is constructed using renewable and recycled materials, designed for explosive performance on the pitch and lower impact on the planet. Every component has been optimized to reduce weight and waste, creating Nike’s lightest football boot ever at 160 grams (size 9). Stylish office baskets The French Company ELISE, a specialist in office paper recycling, has adopted ROQUETTE’s plant-based plastic GAÏALENE ® for a new baskets that it is going to place at the disposal of companies next year. These new baskets, designed by the famous designer Philippe Starck, are intended for all kinds of companies that want to have a really professional solution for solving the question of waste on their premises. The elegant and refined baskets are available in various colours in order to encourage the recycling of office paper and also, for example, the recycling of used batteries, light bulbs, bottles or tins in companies. Unique and unrivalled on the market, these baskets combine both innovative design and functionality with sustainable production. They are produced by injection moulding of a rigid grade of Gaïalene that gives them a warm and soft feel. This bio-plastic is produced locally from vegetable crops of European origin. It is made industrially in France through starch grafting according to an innovative technology patented by Roquette. In addition the ELISEbyS+ARCK ® baskets offer a very low carbon footprint and are themselves recyclable at the end of their lives. They thus perfectly translate the ethical and social commitment of the Elise Company to sustainable development that is respectful of the environment. Just recently Roquette and Elise were distinguished with an ‘Eco-Design’ award for the office basket at the Annual Sustainable Development and Enterprise Days (JADDE) held in Lille, France “We were honoured to have been selected as the material supplier by both Elise and Philippe Starck for the new office baskets, which combine innovative design and sustainable manufacturing. With their very low environmental footprint these baskets totally reflect the ethical and social responsibility of both companies with regard to sustainable development.” commented Léon Mentink, Gaïalene Product Manager. Conceived and engineered in Italy, the Nike GS features recycled and renewable materials throughout the upper and plate design. The sole traction plate is made of 50% renewable Pebax ® Rnew (a polyether block amide by Arkema made from 97% castor oil). The other 50% is Pearlthane ® ECO TPU by Merquinsa. The Pearlthane ECO product line has an 82 to 95 Shore A hardness and covers a range of 32 to 46% bio-based carbon content (as per ASTM D-6866). The plate is 15% lighter than a traditional plate composition. The traction plate includes a minimalist diamond-silhouette spine, which provides optimal flex and agility in plate performance. Anatomically positioned studs maximize speed in multiple directions to ensure responsive and assured movement on pitch. The lightweight and chemical-free sock liner is made of a 100% castor bean based material (more details were not disclosed by Nike) and eliminates any layers for a snug fit and enhanced touch on the ball. The boot laces, lining and tongue are made from a minimum of 70% recycled materials. The toeboard and collar, feature at least 15% recycled materials. Anatomical and asymmetrical heel counter and heel bucket locks the foot down for stability and support. The counter is also made of Pebax Rnew. “The Nike GS is the lightest and fastest football boot we’ve ever made and really defines a new era in how we create, design and produce elite football boots,” said Andy Caine, global design director for Nike Football. “When you can deliver a boot that combines high end performance and a low environmental footprint that’s a winning proposition for players and planet.” MT www.nike.com - www.arkema.com - www.merquinsa.com www.gaialene.com www.elise.com.fr bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/12] Vol. 7 33
