Films/Flexibles/Bags Mulch films and more Barbier Group Bioplastic films Barbier Group is a French family-owned company founded in 1955 and headquartered in Sainte-Sigolène near Lyon, Barbier extrudes, prints and recycles polyethylene films. Its activity focuses on three complementary markets: agriculture films, industrial packaging films and retailing (mainly garbage and carrier bags). National leader and in the top 10 producers of flexible polyethylene film in Europe, Barbier Group has always been committed to environmental issues. Indeed, in the 1980s, Barbier Group invested in a recycling plant in order to stop throwing away plastic waste. Initially focusing on post-production waste, this plant then began recycling post use plastic film as well. This marked the end of a linear model (manufacture, sell, discard) and the beginning of a circular economy (manufacture, sell, collect, recycle, manufacture …). This commitment to recycling activities carried on with the construction of a second recycling plant in 2015. In the 1990s, when the first biodegradable raw materials for flexible film applications became available on the market, Barbier Group decided to launch R&D projects aiming to develop biodegradable film. From the beginning, Barbier’s approach was the following: to use biodegradable raw materials only when they offered real benefits both for end-users and for the environment. Indeed biodegradability is only an additional function for a product and has to be promoted only when it represents the best option for product end of life. Too often biodegradability has been used primarily for marketing reasons. That is why Barbier Group works closely with its clients to understand their needs and how the product is used: • When plastic film is easy to collect and not too soiled, a recyclable product is advised • When plastic film is hard to collect and very soiled, a biodegradable product is advised The product life cycle is therefore thought of since its conception. In 2000, Barbier Group introduced its first biodegradable product into the market: a biodegradable mulching film (Bionov ® ). Standard mulching films (films made with polyethylene resins) are laid every year by farmers and should be removed after use because they are not biodegradable. This is very time consuming for them and it is difficult to recycle these soiled films. Thus bioplastic is really the right solution: there is no need to remove the plastic film and no ground pollution. To meet the requirements of the new Energy Transition for Green Growth Act (France) and also to meet the growing demand for eco-friendly bags, Barbier Group in collaboration with Novamont (a leading European producer of compostable and biosourced resins) developed a wholly compostable bag for home composting: Ma-ter-bio ® . This bag is an alternative to traditional non-biodegradable and non-compostable plastics packaging: Ma-ter-bio’s percentage of renewable content (obtained from locally sourced starch and sunflower oil), is at least 40 %, but can already be increased to over 50 %. This product reflects the commitment of Barbier to the circular economy and to a clean and environmentally friendly industry. In response to the same requirement, Barbier Group also developed a biodegradable home compostable mailing film. In 2017, and for the first time in Barbier Group’s history, biodegradable products will represent around 5 % of the company’s total production volume and the target is 8 % in the near future. www.babiergroup.com Magnetic for Plastics www.plasticker.com • International Trade in Raw Materials, Machinery & Products Free of Charge. • Daily News from the Industrial Sector and the Plastics Markets. • Current Market Prices for Plastics. • Buyer’s Guide for Plastics & Additives, Machinery & Equipment, Subcontractors and Services. • Job Market for Specialists and Executive Staff in the Plastics Industry. Up-to-date • Fast • Professional 12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/17] Vol. 12
Films/Flexibles/Bags Sustainable and eco-friendly bioplastics developer SECOS Group Limited (headquartered in Mt Waverley Victoria, Australia) recently announced its successful Malaysian operations will expand to commence manufacturing compostable resin in the first quarter of 2018. This supports Secos’ international growth strategy and follows ongoing business development at the Company’s production facility at Port Klang near Kuala Lumpur. Secos’ new strategic business unit will be named Cardia Bioplastics (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd and will operate under the Stellar Films (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd business the Company acquired in April 2015. The company’s establishment of a resin manufacturing facility furthers the strong green initiatives set by the Malaysian Government and encourages sustainable manufacturing. This move represents the outcome of 18 months of government negotiations, dialogue with the Malaysian Plastics Association, and discussions with key players in the local film and bag industry. These green initiatives have culminated in the Malaysian Government awarding the new strategic business unit with Bionexus status. This recognition bestows fiscal incentives, grants and other guarantees to assist growth. Only certain qualified companies undertaking value-added biotechnology and/or life sciences activities qualify for Bionexus status. The business unit will commence operations having made strong sales of compostable resin (in excess of 35 tonnes) to large-scale bag manufacturers in Malaysia. These initial sales have followed successful production trials, using resin Secos manufactured at its Nanjing, China plant. Secos Managing Director, Stephen Walters, said: “With single-use plastic bags having become a global ecological issue, we applaud the Malaysian Government for showing leadership and making a strong commitment to bioplastics. Establishing a new compostable resin plant in Malaysia will set the Company as a leader in the Malaysian bioplastics industry and provide Secos with a significant growth opportunity. The new plant will work closely with local film and bag producers to produce and market bioplastic resins that suit the needs of the large Malaysian bag market. The Malaysian plastics industry is estimated to be worth more than 5 billion EURO (A bn) and is growing at 5 % to 8 % per annum, with a large percentage of this growth coming in the bioplastics sector. The Company expects to reap the benefit of additional synergies through its Stellar Films Malaysia business accelerating its use of bioplastics in products for the hygiene market. The Company is increasingly offering products with higher blends of biohybrid resin that decrease the use of oilbased plastics in baby diapers and feminine hygiene products. This initiative will strengthen Secos’ relationship with its customers as it opens the potential for innovative new products and guarantees continuity of supply.” MT www.secosgroup.com.au Compostable film resins from Malaysia Malaysian plant upgrade to meet demand for compostable resin bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/17] Vol. 12 13
