Application News
Application News CaixaBank launches new biodegradable cards CaixaBank (Valencia, Spain) recently started releasing its first biodegradable cards, 150,000 units of which will be distributed per year. It is a new type of card that can be acquired in any branch of the CaixaBank network, in the format of a gift card. In fact, from now on, all gift cards issued by CaixaBank will be biodegradable. The launch of this product represents a significant step forward in a plan specifically designed to reduce the environmental impact of the Company’s cards, a business in which CaixaBank is the leading company in Spain, with a total of 17.4 million cards and a market share of 23.38 % in terms of turnover. The plan includes both replacing the manufacturing material of the range of gift cards, and creating a new recycling programme for all card types. The cards will now be fully made from a biodegradable material, primarily formed of PLA. All other components of the card are biomass derived as well. Cards that use this material last for approximately two years, which makes it an ideal material for the gift cards, which expire within a maximum period of two years. As well as being biodegradable, the new CaixaBank cards use a different manufacturing process, which halves the carbon footprint of their production and entails the reduction of practically half the CO 2 emitted. In order for customers to clearly recognise the biodegradable cards, CaixaBank is presenting a new design, with a more environmentally-friendly and minimalist feel, including a logo that indicates that it is a biodegradable product. In parallel to the launch of these new biodegradable cards, CaixaBank is continually analysing the materials that offer better durability to reduce the number of card replacements and thus reduce their carbon footprint. CaixaBank has also joined the United Nations Environment Programme - Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), which has three main goals: commitment to sustainable development, sustainability management and public awareness. MT www.caixabank.com New electric motorbike made with hemp biocomposite Cake (Stockholm, Sweden), which recently launched a groundbreaking electric motorbike, will now collaborate with Trifilon, an exciting Swedish startup from Nyköping that designs and sells sustainable materials with advanced biocomposite technology. The partnership was born of Cake’s mission to explore new sustainable technologies while producing exciting high-performance motorbikes. Trifilon’s biocomposites, which are produced with fibers from hemp and flax plants, can help the company improve its sustainability merits while maintaining the performance of its motorbikes. The current project will seek to replace current plastic components with Trifilon’s plant-based biocomposites. With Cake’s ethos of sustainability and clean transportation, the company has found a good match in the green-tech startup Trifilon, which helps companies systematically lower CO 2 emissions and integrate renewable materials. Trifilon’s hemp-based biocomposite BioLite reduces the CO 2 footprint from its manufacture by at least one third. “This is a great match because our companies are both about performance and sustainability. I think fans of Cake motorbikes will respond positively to having our plant-fiber composites in their motorbikes. It will mean that some ingredients in their motorbikes come from European farms. That makes these exciting motorbikes even cooler and more sustainable,” said Trifilon’s CEO and co-founder Martin Lidstrand. The technology behind Trifilon’s biocomposites was initially intended for the automotive segment, as a substitute for lightweight, strong carbon fiber. Trifilon had previously developed and built the body of a car for Volkswagen Rally with its hempbased biocomposite, BioLite. MT www.ridecake.com | www.trifilon.com 36 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/19] Vol. 14
green@hexpolTPE.com www.hexpolTPE.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/19] Vol. 14 37
