Issue 02/2019

News daily upated news

News daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com DSM and Roquette to dissolve Reverdia, reframe relationship DSM and Roquette are taking the next step in biobased succinic acid, as the companies recently announced. Following the successful production of bio-succinic acid under the trademark Biosuccinium since 2012, Reverdia’s parent companies — Royal DSM, a global science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living, and Roquette, a global leader in plant-based ingredients for Food, Nutrition and Health markets, — have decided on a strategic shift in the continuing operations of their joint venture. Effective 1 April 2019, the joint venture Reverdia will be dissolved and the partners will transfer the rights and obligations related to Reverdia’s Biosuccinium plant in Cassano, Italy to Roquette. Under a non-exclusive license from DSM, Roquette will operate the plant and continue serving customers of Biosuccinium. Customer service, order processing, and marketing and sales will be integrated into Roquette’s existing business to ensure a smooth transition. DSM, the original developer of the Biosuccinium technology, will assume the role of exclusive licensor, in line with its business model in this field. Atul Thakrar, President of Biobased Products and Services at DSM says: “The Reverdia joint venture has proven Biosuccinium technology to be the most sustainable and competitive bio-succinic acid on the market today. We have gone well beyond the start-up phase and the Biosuccinium brand will continue to grow under the leadership of our partner Roquette. This is an example of DSM doing what it does best — establishing market-leading technologies and commercializing them.” “After the success of the collaboration with DSM through the joint venture, we will integrate the Biosuccinium product line within our global business organisation. Our sales force will continue to support our customers’ growth,” says Bruno Plancke, Vice President of the Industry Global Business Unit at Roquette. DSM, the original developer of the Biosuccinium technology, will become the exclusive licensor to strategic customers and other third parties interested in the integration of the Biosuccinium production process into their value chains. Bio-succinic acid is a platform molecule with applications in a range of large-volume markets. DSM’s technology has matured to a point where the roll-out potential is significant enough to warrant a focused effort on licensing. MT www.reverdia.com Virent & partners: biobased paraxylene BP, Virent Inc. and Johnson Matthey (JM) have signed an agreement that will further advance the commercialisation of Virent’s Bioforming® process for production of bio-paraxylene (PX), a key raw material for the production of 100 % biobased PET. Virent’s Bioforming technology, which is being developed with JM, produces drop-in reformate product from renewable sources that can be used to produce renewable fuels and also processed into lower carbon intensive bio- PX, the feedstock for bio-purified terephthalic acid (PTA), using existing technologies. As part of this agreement, the parties will work together to commercialise the BioForming technology – BP will contribute technical resources and has exclusive rights to negotiate becoming the sole manufacturer of bio-PX using Virent’s technology. “We have been working with JM to scale up the BioForming process for production of renewable fuel and are very pleased to enter into this agreement with BP to commercialisethe technology for production of bio- PX and bio-PTA,” said Dave Kettner, President of Virent. “This is an indication of the flexibility of the BioForming technology to produce both bio-fuels and bio-aromatic chemicals. MT www.bp.com Braskem and Haldor Topsoe: biobased MEG Braskem and Haldor Topsoe announced today that they have reached mechanical completion of the MOSAIK process step of their demonstration plant that will produce bio-based monoethylene glycol - MEG - from sugars. The mechanical completion of this process step is the first milestone to be achieved by Braskem and Haldor Topsoe’s partnership to validate the MOSAIK sugar-tobiochemicals solution for production of cost-competitive bio-based MEG. Currently, MEG is made from fossil-based feedstocks, such as naphtha, gas or coal, and it is a key component of PET plastic used for food packaging, especially bottles, and polyester fabrics. The global MEG market represents a value of 25 billion dollars. The demonstration plant, located in Lyngby, Denmark, is an important step towards upscaling the MOSAIK solution and production at an industrial scale, which is planned to commence in 2023. The plant demonstrates all key design features of the technology and can produce more than 100 tons per year of glycolaldehyde, which is converted into MEG in the next process step. MT www.braskem.com | www.topsoe.com 6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/19] Vol. 14

News New study assesses the environmental impact of innovative biobased products The European Union has published a new study entitled “Environmental impact assessments of innovative biobased products” which aims to provide science-based facts and evidence on the environmental impacts of innovative biobased products and mostly plastic products compared to petrochemical counterparts. Seven cradle-to-grave Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) case studies were carried out covering three major commercialised biobased polymers: • biobased polyethylene terephthalate (PET; “beverage bottles”); • polylactide acid (PLA; “single-use cups”, “single-use Cutlery”, “packaging films”) and • starch plastics (“clips”, “mulch films” and “carrier bags”). Primary data were gathered from the industry based on the real supply chain. This also included the biomass currently used by the industry. The study is accessible vie the link below. MT tinyurl.com/EU-report-19-02 Biome Bioplastics and Futamura partner on development of compostable multilayer packaging Biome Bioplastics (Southampton, UK) and Futamura (Wigton, Cumbria, UK) have partnered on the development of a range of bio-based and compostable multilayer films. The materials offer competitive performance, while tackling the negative environmental impact of traditional oil-based, non-recyclable multilayer packaging. Sustainable alternatives to challenging packaging formats such as multilayer pouches will be key to meeting the UK Plastics Pact target that 70% of plastic packaging is effectively recycled or composted by 2025. Multilayer films can be used in packaging both fresh products and dry foods to extend shelf life in a cost-effective manner. However, their multilayer construction means that this type of packaging cannot be recycled and lacks a viable disposal route. The compostable multilayer films are manufactured by combining Biome’s range of biodegradable sealant resins with Futamura’s compostable NatureFlex cellulose films to generate a range of laminated flexible structures. The films are compliant to the European industrial composting standard EN13432 The materials have a biobased content of between 50- 70 %. The performance of the compostable materials is comparable to non-recyclable multilayer packaging for decoration, oxygen and moisture barrier and heat-sealing properties. The companies have demonstrated how a viable compostable solution can be achieved by creating a dry food pouch, which offers excellent oxygen barrier and good moisture barrier properties, as well as efficient sealability. The pouches can also be easily printed using both conventional and digital print processes, allowing manufacturers to create highly decorated branding to ensure their sustainable pack stands out on shelves. Additionally, the puncture resistance of the pouch is similar to products currently available on the market. Myriam Moeyersons, Sales Manager at Biome Bioplastics, commented: “This range of multilayer films allows brand owners to move away from nonrecyclable packaging and show that they are at the forefront of the drive to create a circular economy for plastics. There is no time to lose if we are to bear down on packaging waste and achieve the aims of the UK Plastics Pact. We must immediately start implementing changes to existing packaging.” Dr Lucy Cowton, Product & Sustainability Manager at Futamura, added: “Futamura chose to partner with Biome as our companies are aligned in their passion to produce technically strong, sustainable and compostable alternatives to conventional packaging films. Biome’s sealant resins are an excellent pairing because they complement the heat resistance and barrier properties of our NatureFlex range with their puncture resistance and strong sealability.” MT www.biomebioplastics.com | www.futamuragroup.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/19] Vol. 14 7