Application News
Application News Biodegradable fishing lures MHG (Bainbridge, Georgia, USA) recently announced the presentation of the first ever certified biodegradable freshwater fishing lure at a tradeshow in Orlando. The fishing lure is being produced by the company Bill Lewis Lures, the maker of Rat-L-Trap. “Fishing is a seventy three billion dollar industry and the freshwater division makes up 80 % of it,” remarked Paul Pereira, CEO of MHG. “Partnering with Rat-L-Trap to make these popular lures in a biodegradable form is a big step in reducing plastic pollution produced by the fishing industry.” In addition to performance, there has been positive feedback regarding the pilot production of the PHA Rat-L-Traps, including its ability to weld together better than the traditional plastic that’s been used. There have been no known production complications to date. “The PHA has a lot of potential and I am very excited about what we’ve seen so far,” stated Wes Higgins, President of Bill Lewis Lures, “I’m honored to have our name associated with research that could lead to conservation of our fishing resources.” MT www.mhgbio.com Undulae bioplastic lamps Designed by Architect Taeg Nishimoto from San Antonio, Texas, USA, Undulae is a series of table and pendant lamps made of cornstarch-based bioplastic tubes. Using the characteristics of shrinking and undulating when the bioplastic is in the drying process, the formal manipulation is left for each tube to form itself. There are two types of the application of this bioplastic tubes as a lighting fixture. One is a table lamp that uses the singular tube standing upright above a disk that contains the light bulb. The other is a pendant lamp that hangs multiple tubes from a disk above that contains the light bulb at the center. Bioplastic is made from the mixture of cornstarch, water, vinegar and glycerin with particular proportion and mixing process. The color at the edge of tubes is applied through adding a food colorant to the bioplastic mix. The bioplastic mixture is spread on a sheet of parchment paper with another sheet on top to make a sandwiched unit. This unit is held with two pipes along the longitudinal edges another inside which keep the drying unit in place by gravity. When the bioplastic is left to dry, the bioplastic’s nature of shrinking creates a condition on parchment paper with a crease pattern in one direction, which in turn becomes the texture of the surface of bioplastic tubes. The longitudinal sides that are exposed to the air also create unique undulating pattern along the edges while drying. MT www.cargocollective.com/taegnishimoto/Undulae 30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10
Application News Packs for children’s health products A conscientious South African company KiddieKix, who produce all‐natural children’s health products, found NatureFlex the best solution to wrap its cereals and dried fruit snacks. From their facilities in Stellenbosch, Western Cape, Alison McDowell, KiddieKix founder and her team continue to research the latest trends in children’s health and nutrition, to ensure their range delivers products that have been specifically developed with the needs of growing children in mind. Sourcing high quality ingredients that are also free from additives and preservatives is a top priority. McDowell states, “At KiddieKix our aim is take care of our children’s future, which means creating an entirely eco‐sustainable product, including the packaging. We sampled many compostable materials for our inner packaging and nothing compared to NatureFlex. In terms of feel, quality, strength, durability and barrier protection NatureFlex came out streets ahead of any other product.” The use of NatureFlex flexible packaging film ensures that KiddieKix’s product philosophy is strengthened because it matches the company’s core messages. These films are certified compostable and made from renewable resources. They also offer a host of advantages for packing and converting such as high seal strength and integrity, excellent gas, aroma, UV light and mineral oil barrier, grease and chemical resistance, dead fold and anti‐static properties, enhanced printing and conversion. Peter van Belle, Innovia Films’ Sales Account Manager explained, “We are delighted that we were able to assist KiddieKix in meeting their packaging aspirations while enhancing shelf life and reducing waste.”MT www.innoviafilms.com www.kiddiekix.co.za Innovia Films’ renewable and compostable NatureFlex packaging film has been chosen to wrap Kiddiekix all‐natural children’s health products. Nonwoven PLA floor polishing pads Treleoni, Manning, South Carolina, USA, designs and manufactures cleaning and polishing pads for industrial floor cleaning machines and hand wipes for industrial cleaning services. The newest addition to the company’s product inventory is the Provito (For Life) line of polishing pads made entirely with Ingeo nonwoven PLA fibers. These burnishing pads are used to enhance the gloss of softer floor finishes. Provito earned the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Biobased Product Certification label. The certification verifies that the amount of renewable biobased ingredients in the Ingeo‐based pads meets or exceeds levels set by the USDA. Biobased products are finished or intermediate materials composed in whole or in significant part of agricultural, forest, or marine ingredients. This certification means that Provito burnishing floor pads will be given preference in many U.S. government purchasing decisions. Provito pads have been nominated for the 2015 International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) Innovation Award. MT www.treleoni.com www.natureworksllc.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10 31
