News daily upated news at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com Coca Cola to show 100 % biobased PlantBottle in Milan For its PlantBottle, Coca-Cola currently uses PET that is 30 % (by weight) renewably sourced in many of its core brands. This 30 % ingredient (mono-ethylene glycol – MEG) can be produced from natural plant sources, the 70 % purified therephtalic acid (PTA) is currently not bio-based. Coca-Cola uses MEG derived from Brazilian sugar cane to make its PlantBottle 1.0. The company is also exploring the possibilities of using second-generation feedstocks for the production of bio-MEG. “That is PlantBottle 1.1,” as Klaus Stadler, responsible for the Environmental Sustainability agenda in Coca-Cola’s European Business Group, called it at the 8 th International Conference on Bio-based Materials in Cologne, Germany in mid April. In order to develop a bio-derived PTA, the Coca-Cola Company has also entered into long-term commitments with industry partners Gevo and Virent. “We have that. In fact, we will be showing a 100 % biobased PlantBottle—what we call PlantBottle 2.0—at the upcoming Expo Milano 2015,” said Stadler. Coca-Cola is the official soft drink partner of Expo Milano 2015. However, according to Stadler, it will take another five to eight years for bio-PTA to become available in commercial quantities. MT www.thecoca-colacompany.com New Initiative to Support 3D Printing Market NatureWorks recently announced a broad new initiative to support the growth of the additive manufacturing market. The company’s move to support the 3D market comprehensively is based on a three pronged approach. It includes the introduction of an entirely new series of Ingeo grades designed specifically for PLA filament for the 3D printing market; a full suite of technical support services for the additive manufacturing industry’s leading 3D printer and filament producers; and the creation of an in-house print lab, enabling the company to rapidly test new Ingeo formulations and collaborate with printer and filament producers. For the past 18 months, NatureWorks has engaged directly with 3D filament suppliers, printer manufacturers, and print operators to obtain first hand feedback on the needs of the 3D printing market. “3D printing has the rapid pace of innovation, development, and change that is normal to a new and still nascent market,” said Dan Sawyer, Global Leader, New Business Segment, NatureWorks. “Many new suppliers are entering the PLA filament market, while a breadth of experienced suppliers large and small are formulating and compounding to provide additional filament properties and options. That’s the sort of innovation that NatureWorks is aggressively moving to support and amplify with our new broad-based initiative.” With the launch of its initiative, NatureWorks is immediately offering the first grade in its new Ingeo 3D series. Denoted Ingeo 3D850, this base 3D grade takes advantage of the latest Ingeo polymer chemistries to provide a good overall balance of processability in filament production, filament consistency, and print quality. It is also designed to provide optimum performance for those looking to enhance the properties of PLA through further formulation and compounding to extend part properties beyond what base PLA grades provide. “What we learned from our market engagement,” said Sawyer, “is that a large segment of the market prefers to print with PLA and would like to replace petroleum-based ABS if PLA can rival the other material’s heat resistance and the toughness of finished parts.” To enable this substitution, NatureWorks has been working on the next offering in its new Ingeo 3D series with extended-property-range Ingeo 3D resin formulations. PLA filament produced from new higher heat and toughness Ingeo formulations are now being tested in NatureWorks’ newly established in-house print lab, with market introduction targeted for later in the year. NatureWorks has developed a full suite of filament melt processing guides, technical data sheets, and other technical service resources for printer manufacturers and filament producers. Furthermore, NatureWorks personnel are developing close working relationships with key regional suppliers. For those interested in purchasing Ingeo based PLA filament, the company has produced the NatureWorks 3D Suppliers Guide, which is now available for download. The new NatureWorks 3D printing lab employs multiple printers for assessing the performance and quality of new Ingeo formulations, both in printer operation and in the final printed part. This lab shortens time to market for new Ingeo grades in the 3D series and aids collaboration with printer and filament producers. Downloadlink http://bit.ly/1PNzYwa www.natureworksllc.com. 6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/15] Vol. 10
News Bio-On and Pizzoli collaborate to build potato waste-based PHA plant Bio-on S.p.A. (San Giorgio di Piano, Italy) and Pizzoli S.p.A. (Bologna, Italy) Italian potato processor will collaborate to build Italy‘s first PHAs bioplastic production plant using waste product from the potato agro-industrial process. The collaboration, signed by the two companies in March, arises from Bio-on‘s laboratory research and Pizzoli‘s experience in potato transformation, and aims to build a plant producing 2,000 tonnes/year of PHAs, expanding to 4,000 tonnes/year in the future. “It‘s a big step forward in the world of bioplastics,“ explains Marco Astorri, Chairman of Bio-on, “because it demonstrates how waste can be converted into raw material, teaming concepts such as biodegradability and eco-sustainability with technically advanced plastics. This collaboration represents an important factor in the affirmation of PHA in the latest-generation plastics market.“ “The path undertaken,“ says Nicola Pizzoli, Chairman of Pizzoli, “is part of an innovative industrial project aiming to improve and optimise potato processing technology, by transforming the by-products and waste into innovative products that will become new-generation plastics.“ Following an initial study phase to optimise the integration with existing structures and check economic compatibility, the project is set to be completed within approximately two years. The new plants will start production in 2017. “We will begin with a 220,000 Euro investment for the feasibility study,“explains Pizzoli, “but the real challenge will lie with future investments in an integrated industrial facility, serving the food sector and with zero environmental impact.“ “The collaboration between Bio-on and Pizzoli adds a new ingredient to the construction of the Italian green chemical industry,“ says Astorri, “and it also enables us to broaden the number of raw materials from which PHAs can be made using Bio-on technology. Our bioplastic can already be produced from sugar beet and sugar cane production waste.“ MT www.bio-on.it – www.pizzoli.it Wageningen UR presents Biobased Packaging Catalogue The very first edition of the new Biobased Packaging catalogue, compiled by Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research on request of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, has recently been translated into English and is now available for download. The catalogue offers a comprehensive overview of the various types of biobased packaging that are currently available on the market, including their current and potential applications. The idea behind the catalogue, which was put together in collaboration with a number of producers of biobased materials and packaging, was to boost the use of sustainable and biobased packaging by offering a clear review of the options and possibilities for commercial application. Interesting advantages of biobased plastics The most successful applications are those in which the specific properties and advantages of the biobased plastics are taken advantage of. Biobased plastic packaging often offers enhanced breathing properties, ensuring that fresh products such as lettuce or bread stay fresher, longer. A number of these plastics are naturally anti-static, which means that fewer additives are needed compared to conventional plastics. Compostable plastics are not required to be separately disposed of but can be disposed of together with the other organic household waste. The new catalogue is intended for buyers, users and producers of packaging materials, as well as for policy officers at public organizations. www.wageningenur.nl/ Downloadlink http://bit.ly/1dxTiMZ bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/15] Vol. 10 7
