Application News Korea
Application News Korea delivers ecofriendly fishing net filaments to the US The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea announced that a Korean company exports biodegradable fishing nets to the US by means of technology transfer. The biodegradable fishing net production technology was developed to reduce environmental issues caused by ghost fishing and protect the marine ecosystem. The National Institute of Fisheries Science, an organization under the umbrella of the Ministry, developed patented technology for high-quality biodegradable fishing nets and transferred the technology to ANKOR Bioplastics, a Korean (Wonju-si) materials manufacturer, in 2020 to help export the technology overseas. At the request of buyers that sell fishing lines in the US, ANKOR produced biodegradable fishing net filaments and started to export them beginning in January 2022. The fishing nets exported to the US buyers have the same strength and flexibility compared to existing fishing lines and are decomposed into water and carbon dioxide by microorganisms after a certain amount of time in the ocean. The exported fishing nets are expected to be widely used for both freshwater and saltwater fishing purposes. The products are now sold in offline and online stores, including on Amazon. Choi Yong-Seok, the director-general for fishery resources at the Ministry, said, “the export signifies the worldwide recognition of Korea’s leading technology in biodegradable fishing net production that helps protect the marine environment”. He added that, “the Ministry will beef up promotion of biodegradable fishing nets and stress their excellence and necessity through seminars and international patent applications. The Ministry will also increase support for Korean exporters in this field. MT Plant-derived high-index lens Mitsui Chemicals (Tokyo, Japan) recently launched its newest product, MR-160DG. Boasting a refractive index of 1.60, MR-160DG is being added to Mitsui Chemicals’ Do Green series of plant-derived high-index lens materials. MR-160DG has received Biomass Mark certification from the Japan Organics Recycling Association (JORA), which will make this new offering the world’s first optical lens material to be sold with Biomass Mark certification and a refractive index of 1.60. Making use of an unparalleled material known as thiourethane resin, Mitsui Chemicals’ MR series exhibits characteristics not found in conventional resins. The series is rated highly as an optical lens brand of its own that underpins the superb quality of the world’s top brand optical lenses, and is used in many such lenses throughout the world. Built upon the exceptional optical performance of MR, the Do Green series is thin and light, safe and resistant to breakage; has lasting appeal, and provides a clear view. Following on from the ultrahigh-index product here is Do Green MR-174 and its refractive index of 1.74, the new offering from Mitsui Chemicals comes as a mass-market product with a refractive index of 1.60. Mitsui Chemicals declared in November 2020 that it will endeavour to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. To this end, Mitsui Chemicals is pursuing a carbon-neutral strategy based on the two-pronged approach of reducing the Mitsui Chemicals Group’s Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions while also maximizing the ability of the Group’s products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Based on this strategy, Mitsui Chemicals’ Vision Care Materials Business aims to flesh out its lineup of Do Green products so as to meet various customer needs and provide solutions to social issues, ultimately contributing to a circular society in harmony with the environment. MT https://jp.mitsuichemicals.com/en/service/product/dogreen.htm https://www.mof.go.kr 40 bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/22] Vol. 17
Sustainable clamshells Good natured Products (Vancouver, Canada), announced on March 30 that ForageGirl, a brand of Norcliff Farms (Port Colborne, ON, Canada) and North America’s largest producer of fiddleheads, will be shipping this year’s harvest in new customdesigned, BPI-certified compostable packaging supplied by good natured ® . ForageGirl Fiddleheads is on a mission to supply fresh, sustainably foraged, fiddleheads to plates throughout Canada and the United States. These vegetables are foraged by hand in New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario – and then delivered in as few as 30 hours to major grocers, including Sobeys, Metro, Safeway, and Loblaws. Established in 1973, ForageGirl Fiddleheads is a second-generation family-run business that aims to transition 100 % of its packaging to plant-based by 2023. Collaborating to create a custom good natured clamshell package helped ForageGirl Fiddleheads retire their previous tray and plastic wrap, which did not match with their long-term sustainability goals or maximize protection of their delicate product. “Nature is the foundation that supports our lives, and it is our responsibility to take care of it”, says ForageGirl Fiddleheads President Brittany Maranger. “We recognize the importance of doing our part. We appreciate the incredibly nourishing food we have right in our backyard and are committed to being sustainable in every stage of delivering our hand-foraged, preservative-free wild fiddleheads. We steer clear of tractors and industrial equipment to reduce our carbon footprint and we’re excited to extend that focus through to our new good natured packaging, which is sourced and produced locally in North America”. Good natured CEO Paul Antoniadis commented, “Our North American focused manufacturing model is flexible and scalable, allowing us to offer packaging solutions to local businesses of all sizes who are looking to switch to plant-based. Our BPI-certified compostable packaging helps our customers reduce their overall transportation footprint, as well as provide more reliable and timely availability of products in the current climate of supply chain disruptions. It’s been an absolute pleasure working with a leader in sustainable foraging and farming practices, like ForageGirl Fiddleheads, to design and deliver customized good natured plant-based packaging”. MT www.goodnaturedproducts.com | www.foragegirl.com Application News Wood-based bioplastic storage box Industrial customers can now easily make an environmentally conscious choice for their storage areas by choosing Treston BiOX. As an industry first, Treston (Newbury, UK) launches sustainable wood-based bioplastic bins for industrial use. The carbon-neutral material for Treston BiOX bins is over 90 % wood-based renewable material, residue from pulp production process, and cellulose fibres from sustainably managed forests. The quality, as well as the look and feel, remains the same as with traditional plastic bins. “I am excited we are driving the change and can offer new carbon-neutral material options for our customers”, says Esa Siljander, CEO of Treston. “Treston has always stood for high-quality, long-lasting workstation solutions that naturally reduce the need to use our planet’s resources. For decades, we have also paid attention to our manufacturing processes and, for example, the heat from the plastics manufacturing process is recovered to heat the plant premises”, continues Siljander. Treston first brings to the market the ‘forest green’ shelf bins, followed by other kinds of storage bins and solutions later in the autumn. The material for Treston BiOX bins comes from UPM (Lahti, Finland). The material for the transparent label shields and crossdividers comes from the innovative Finnish start-up Woodly (Helsinki, Finland). For both companies, the joint development work with Treston marks a first in creating wood-based plastic products for industrial use. “Our unique Woodly ® material is a perfect match for Treston’s high-quality and globally used bins. Our collaboration with Treston and the use of Woodly material in the BiOX bins will ensure a great look and feel for these biobased products and comparability to traditional plastic options. We could not be more excited about our work together with Treston”, comments Jaakko Kaminen, CEO of Woodly. MT www.treston.com | www.upmformi.com | https://woodly.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/22] Vol. 17 41
