Brand Owner Brand-Owner’s perspective on bioplastics and how to unleash its full potential In early July, Kimberly-Clark (headquartered in Dallas, Texas, USA) introduced an ambitious new sustainability strategy for 2030, which includes a commitment to reducing waste and innovating new ways to give consumers the products they need with the smallest impact on the environment. With an estimated quarter of the world’s population using their products every day, Kimberly-Clark has joined WWF’s Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) as part of their commitment to provide quality products for their customers while minimizing the impact on the planet. BFA is a multi-stakeholder forum for collaboration and knowledge sharing to drive the shift towards the responsible sourcing of plant-based plastics known as bioplastics and create a more circular economy. Through their 2030 Ambition, Kimberly-Clark is focused on tackling single-use plastics and supporting innovation in waste collection and recycling to reduce their plastic footprint 50% by 2030. Kimberly-Clark aims to deliver its new ambition through delivery of solutions that use more renewable materials and/or can be regenerated after use. Pete Dulcamara Technical Vice President and Chief Scientist at Kimberly-Clark “The challenges of plastics and single-use products require us to think beyond just recycling schemes, so we’ve set our sights on innovative new materials in plant-based plastics” said Pete Dulcamara, Technical Vice President and Chief Scientist at Kimberly-Clark. “We see the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) with WWF as an important forum to help us achieve this ambition.” Kimberly-Clark is also bringing experience to the table — the company leverages renewable materials across its product and packaging categories such as sourcing from plant-based materials in Huggies Special Delivery Diapers or sourcing flexible packaging from sugarcane-based materials. www.kimberly-clark.com Organiser nova-institute.eu Contact Dominik Vogt dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de Tel.: +49 2233 / 48 14 49 Gold Sponsor Cellulose fibres, the fastest growing fibre group in textiles, the largest investment sector in the bio-based economy and the solution for avoiding microplastics. After the impressive start, more than 250 participants are expected. • New Technologies & Applications • Cellulose Market – Status & Development • Supply and Demand – Market Trends and Data • Sustainability & Circular Economy • Alternative Feedstocks • Strategies & Policy Framework 56 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/20] Vol. 15 www.cellulose-fibres.eu
10 Automotive Years ago tinyurl.com/avianca2010 PLA cups for AVIANCA airline Biowaste mixed with ground cup flakes Left: before drinking - right: after collecting Ground cup flakes are mixed with biowaste www.grupophoenix.com www.avianca.com P Published in bioplastics MAGAZINE Applications hoenix Packaging Group (PPG) is one of the most important packaging manufacturing conglomerates in Latin America with sales in more than 30 countries in the Americas. And as a leader in innovation the Phoenix Packaging Group is very proud to have presented the world‘s first Ingeo PLA cup for an airline. The Colombian airline Avianca for their part is a company very active with regard to environmental awareness, so it was only a question of time before these two came together to their mutual benefit - but more about this later. “Avianca is closing the life cycle - a matter they are very concerned about - by using thermoplastic PLA cups with an eye on LCIA“, Giovanna Cruz Nieto, Business Project Leader of Phoenix Packaging Group said to bioplastics MAGAZINE. The airline uses the thermoformed PLA cups during national and international flights, to treat the environment with maximum respect. After use the cups are collected for composting at a composting facility that belongs to the Colombian Environmental Control Center (Control Ambiental de Colombia). This company also composts materials such as market and flower waste and industrial ‘bio‘-residues as well as food waste. So, during/after a flight, when any waste is collected, the PLA cups are separated. Due to legislation, for international flights leaving Bogotá the complete waste is incinerated at the respective destination. But for all domestic flights and for those arriving in Bogotá, all PLA cups are composted, which takes between 6 and 12 weeks. Actually, the cups are ground into small flakes and mixed with other compostable bio-waste. But even complete cups can be composted very well and actually test runs are being perfumed at the moment to verify this. Always busy and ‘go-ahead’, PPG was approached by NatureWorks in 2005 and did not hesitate to start trials with Ingeo immediately. Finally, in 2009, Phoenix Packaging offered their developments to Avianca, duly aware of their environmental consciousness and already being their supplier for other packages at that time. Avianca presented this fascinating opportunity to their president in February 2009. “And so, hand in hand with Avianca and in close cooperation with the Environmental Control Center we came to the point that we have reached today” Giovanna Cruz Nieto admitted, not only proud of this business in general, but primarily of the great environmental impact. This PPG initiative is really different, because this is the first closed life cycle with post consumer residues. Avianca thus can be named as the first and pioneer enterprise in introducing and permanently using PLA cups, along with KLM who started to use PLA coated paper cups in June 2009 - mainly for hot beverages - and ANA in Japan, who carried out a project with PLA cups within the framework of their ‘e-flight‘ campaign in 2009. Encouraged by the success enjoted by Avianca‘s PLA cup, Phoenix Packaging Group looked into other Ingeo products and thus launched the “We serve the planet” GeoPack ® line earlier this year. With factories in Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico they will open another new plant in Virginia (USA) this coming September. - CJ/MT bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/10] Vol. 5 23 In September 2020, Camilo Mora, Colombia Country Director, Grupo Phoenix says: At Grupo Phoenix we are committed to the planet Grupo Phoenix was a pioneer 11 years ago in Colombia in the development of the GeoPack brand, which includes packaging for mass consumption manufactured from PLA (polylactic acid from renewable resources such as corn and beet). It should be noted that this type of packaging degrades under a composting process, becoming organic fertilizer in a 47-day period. One of the first companies to rely on this type of solution was Avianca, Colombia’s main commercial airline, venturing into our GeoPack cups for its onboard catering service. Throughout this time and taking into account the needs of the market, we have expanded our portfolio with cups in various sizes, as well as in lids, domes, and insert cups. Similarly, in 2017 we developed the first 100% biodegradable straw in Colombia, from PLA as well. Likewise, we have created alliances with various composting plants in the country to close the cycle of these products. Here at Grupo Phoenix we want our products to have a complete and efficient life cycle. And under this purpose, we seek to generate an economic, social, and environmental balance in our operation, which is why we constantly work on the development of innovative processes to protect the planet and reduce our environmental impact. www.grupophoenix.com bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/20] Vol. 15 57
