Loopla by Galactic: From Lactic acid to biorenewable PLA

Via Biopol

Biodegradable Coating for Eco-friendly Packaging

Eco-Coating to Replace Plastic Packaging

Developers of an eco-friendly packaging coating made from starch and clay designed to replace plastic films are seeking partners to market the idea.

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Scientists from Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) in England and Karlstad University in Sweden said CaiLar, which is made from starch and clay, has been designed to encourage the use of natural based packaging. The team said the clay-starch-plasticiser combination maximises moisture and oxygen barrier properties while under normal conditions.

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A board substrate without any coating had a water vapour transmission rate (WVTR) of 340g per square metre per day, which was reduced to 260g per square metre a day after adding two individual layers of the starch and plasticiser.
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Stora Enso expands its selection of biodegradable packaging boards

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Stora Enso is meeting the growing demand for biodegradable packaging solutions by expanding its selection of biopolymer-coated packaging boards. Biodegradable coating options are available for a number of the company's board grades for use in cups, plates, trays and folding cartons. The paper cups used at the Finnish Pavillion at the current World Expo in Shanghai are made from biodegradable Cupforma board.

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The Stora Enso Cupforma board family offers biodegradable material options for drinking cups for all major end uses, such as cold and hot drinks, ice cream and yoghurt. Cupforma Classic Bio meets the compostability requirements of the EN 13432 and ASTM 6400 standards.

Paperboard trays made from Trayforma Performance Bio can be used for packaging fresh and chilled foods that are not heated in their packages. Vegetables, salads and sandwiches are typical examples. All boards in Stora Enso's biodegradable board offering are approved for direct food contact.

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Stora Enso has developed biopolymer coatings for years. "Our patented biopolymer coating technology has enabled us to develop the barrier and other material properties so that the requirements of various end use applications can be met," says Kiviranta. "Based on our experience from our long-time cooperation with cup producers, converting biopolymer-coated boards is more demanding than usual but doesn't require investments in new machinery."

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Biopolymer coatings provide an oxygen, moisture and grease barrier. Biopolymer-coated paperboard breaks down to humus and CO2 in industrial composting. In recycling schemes, biodegradable products are primarily intended for the collection of materials for industrial composting. Collection schemes depend on local collection conditions. Stora Enso's boards can also be safely collected and recycled separately or together with other paper and board products.
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Read more:

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Recyclable Barrier Coatings Offer Alternative

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Bioplastic coating from Iggesund
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DuPont Recognizes Significant Achievement in Sustainable Packaging

DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers announced winners in the 22nd DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation, which the company characterized as exhibiting collaborative innovation across a wide array of geographies and market segments.

“This year we focused the DuPont Awards program on the essential elements needed to drive breakthroughs in packaging. Innovative new developments, along with cost/waste reduction and improved sustainability, are what packaged goods companies and retailers are seeking to respond to consumer needs,” said Carolann Haznedar, global business and market director -- DuPont Packaging & Industrial Polymers. “These winners demonstrate the kind of collaborative innovation that is needed to solve such multi-dimensional problems.”

Thirteen winners and three notables were selected for sustainable achievements. The winners in the 22nd DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation characterized collaborative innovation across a wide array of geographies and market segments. This year the DuPont Awards focused on the essential elements needed to drive breakthroughs in packaging. Innovative new developments, along with cost/waste reduction and improved sustainability were the criteria. Selected winners represent excellence in these three areas. Diamond winners were determined to demonstrate excellence in all three. Gold winners demonstrated excellence in two areas, and Silver winners were selected on the merits of their breakthrough innovation. Notable honorees were selected for innovative problem solving.

View the 2010 DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation Winners' Summaries

 

Bioplastics in Brazil: Beyond the Green Speech

Bioplastics as a Growth Strategy to the Brazilian Chemical Industry

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The Brazilian chemical industry is among the top ten industries globally, having a major goal to be positioned among the top five. Several initiatives are being presented and put into practice in Brazil, supported by Brazilian Association of the Chemical industry (ABIQUIM), through a program called "Pacto Nacional da Indústria Química" (National Pact for the Chemical Industry). One of the main goals of this program is to make Brazil a global leader in green chemistry.
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In this context, Bioplastics will represent a major growth strategy to the Brazilian chemical Industry. Bioplastics are still a nascent market in Brazil; mostly penetrating segments such as food packaging and agriculture films, through imports and pilot scale productions. However, large production scales are expected to give a new shape to this market in the country.

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An Incipient but Promising Market

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The current market for bioplastics in Brazil is composed mostly by the resins polylactic acid (PLA) - imported by Cargill and Cereplast, Starch-based (produced by the Brazilian company Biomater), and poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), produced by the Brazilian company PHB Industrial. This market generates about $4 million to $5 million in revenues.
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The level of awareness of using bioplastics in Brazil is still very low, and this poses a considerable challenge. Bioplastics are still considered a niche market, with cost and performance issues to be solved. Besides, the Brazilian consumers have the habit of reusing plastic bags as garbage bags. Supermarket chains are providing returnable bags or boxes, but there is a huge resistance from customers, especially because plastic bags are offered free-of-cost.

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On the other hand, Brazil has unique competitive advantages for the local bioplastics production. Brazil is the leading producer of sugarcane in the world, having the lowest production costs for this raw material. The constantly growing production of sugarcane in Brazil will drive the country's bioplastics production based on ethanol.
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The main applications for bioplastics in Brazil are the segments of food packaging (rigid and flexible) and agriculture films and disposals. In agriculture, disposables for accommodating seeds during planting are being used.
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Plastic handbags are also an important application for bioplastics in Brazil.

Expected Movements in the Industry

For 2015, large scale units are expected to be producing bioplastics in Brazil, such as Braskem bio-based polyethylene (200,000 MT per year) and Solvay bio-based PVC (120,000 MT per year). Braskem bioplastics plant will be the largest in the world. This substantial change in the market will result in a rapid growth in the bioplastics market in Brazil, which is expected to value more than $600.0 million by 2015.

Braskem is the largest petrochemical company in Latin America with revenues of more than $12 billion in 2009, and entered into bioplastics production in 2007, manufacturing a product called 'green polyethylene'. The project to produce 200,000 MT of bio-based PE is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2010. The technology used for green PE manufacturing ethane, the raw material to make plastics, which can be manufactured by removing one water molecule (H2O) from sugarcane ethanol through dehydration process. In the end, the plastics produced have the same characteristics as conventional plastics derived from fossil feedstock, such as naphtha or natural gas.

Frost & Sullivan expects that bio-based and petrochemical plastics will coexist in the market. In the short to medium term, bioplastics are not considered a threat to petrochemicals, as its volumes will correspond to less than 5% of the total plastics' demand. While bioplastics will be focused on premium products, where biodegradability or compostability is an added value, conventional resins can focus on applications where low price is required or when improved technical performance (thermal and mechanical properties) is crucial.

Bioplastics's prices are expected to decrease by 20 to 25 percent in the next five years. This rate is highly influenced by the new capacity of bio-based PE that will come into the market in Brazil. Bioplastics are likely to be a fast growing market in Brazil, with production process rapidly dominated. On the other hand, petrochemical plastics' prices are expected to rise in the next years, following the growth in global demand and the increasing oil prices.

In the medium and long terms, bioplastics will have to identify applications where they can bring in genuine performance advantages over conventional plastics, rather than just being beneficial from the point of view of ending disposal. Promising applications for the future include: medical devices, construction (furniture), footwear and others. Nevertheless, the major applications continue to be food plastic packaging, agriculture, and consumer products.

Market Opportunities for Bioplastics in Brazil

Brazil represents a valuable opportunity to explore the production of plastics from renewable resources, as it has a competitive advantage over other countries regarding production costs.

The Brazilian production of bioethanol based on sugarcane is much more efficient than the U.S. production based on corn.

Competitive production scales and an increasing demand will be crucial to make bioplastics a growing and profitable market in the region. Legislation and government incentives, currently under development, are also considered important in this stage of the industry, leveraging small local companies.

Due to the price premium required for bioplastics over conventional plastics (30 to 70 percent higher), a major challenge to the market participants will be convincing new end users to use the products. As a result, the strategy of marketing and product positioning will be critical to the product's success in the market.

Success factors for the implementation of bio-based plastics

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Toxic glue used in supermarket food packaging 'poses severe risk to health'

A "highly toxic" chemical in the glue on supermarket labels can seep through packaging and contaminate food, a study has shown.

The chemical, which is in the highest toxicity category because it poses a "particularly severe risk to health", is found in high levels on some of the sticky labels placed on packages of fresh meat, vegetables, tubs of sauce and other foodstuffs.

Strict EU safety regulations govern which materials can come into direct contact with food, but there are no rules about the chemicals in adhesives used to fix labels to the packaging.

A study published today by the Royal Society of Chemistry shows that four toxic compounds in commonly-used glues on sticky labels can seep all the way through paper and plastic packaging and contaminate the food inside.

One such adhesive is in the "highly toxic" class along with other poisonous chemicals such as mercury, asbestos and hydrochloric acid. Highly toxic chemicals can cause organ failure and even death in high doses.

The researchers, from the University of Zaragoza, Spain, studied four different acrylic adhesives commonly used on food labels.

They examined in detail 11 compounds found in the adhesives, ten of which had low toxicity while the remaining compound – 2,4,7,9-tetramethyldec-5-yne-4,7-diol – belonged to the highest risk category.

The team placed the adhesive on to a layer of polymer or paper covering the food stimulant Tenax to measure whether it was capable of penetrating the packaging.

Valérie Guillard, an expert in food technology at the University of Montpellier, France, said: “This work brings significant breakthroughs in the study of compliance with regulations of food contact materials.” She believes the research shows that “migration of adhesive compounds is possible and at a level that could raise safety concerns”.

The Food Standards Agency said the findings highlighted "a potential area of further research" as part of its "horizon-scanning for developing risks".

But a spokeswoman said: "Our own research has found that although several chemical substances are present in adhesives, the potential for them to migrate into food is very low."
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The results are published in the latest edition of the RSC’s Journal of Materials Chemistry.
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Source

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The Future of Active and Intelligent Packaging in Food and Drinks

Awareness and interest in active and intelligent packaging is growing. Government funded projects which aim to introduce, evaluate, or initiate developments in active and intelligent packaging have been implemented. However, in the survey of food and drinks industry executives carried out for this report, 57.3% of respondents were "not at all aware" or "slightly aware" of active and intelligent packaging. These results indicate that awareness and understanding of active and intelligent packaging innovations and their resulting benefits will need to increase in order to facilitate more extensive uptake of these technologies.

The focus of active and intelligent packaging has moved from specific retailer and manufacturer driven benefits like shelf-life extension and spoilage protection, to include more consumer focused benefits such as freshness, quality and information. A range of diverse technologies and sectors are now relevant for active and intelligent packaging in food and drinks.

Key findings...

In the survey carried out for this report, 85.3% of executives stated that active and intelligent packaging will have ‘some’ or ‘a large’ impact on innovation within the food and drinks sector over the next five years.

According to the industry survey, freshness and quality indicators, temperature and time indicators, flavor and aroma releasing technologies, natural antimicrobials, self-heating and cooling technologies, were identified as the most important innovations for consumers over the next five years.

Food safety and traceability, food wastage and environmental concerns are influencing the uptake of active and intelligent packaging technologies in the food and drinks sector.

9% of all new food and drinks products launched over the period 2006 to 2009 were tagged with ‘fresh’, ‘freshness’, or related terms. 3.2% of new products launched were tagged with the term ‘quality’.

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Bioplastics: ten points to remember

1. Bioplastics are a family of different resin types, which are either bio-based or compostable or both. Bioplastics add new properties and performance characteristics to the huge family of plastics. So-called oxo-biodegradable polymer products, which fragment into small pieces, are not considered to be a bioplastic.
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2. Bioplastics have been developed to address a range of sustainability issues. The use of renewable raw materials instead of fossil sources and where applicable, their biodegradability can also make a difference. Like with every other (plastic) product, claims about sustainability need an individual assessment and a differentiated approach.

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3. Considerable investments have been made by the global bioplastics industry and high growth rates result from a continually increasing market interest. This has continued even through the currently difficult economic situation and is expected to continue. 
(see graph 1)

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4. The term “bioplastic” today can also cover commodities like PE or PET which can be fully or partially bio-based and perfectly recyclable – in exactly the same way as fossil-based PE or PET. However the bio-based content can lead to an increased degree of sustainability.

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5. “Older” bioplastics have been in the market place for decades due to their excellent application performance, e.g. certain types of polyamides and PUR or cellulosics – without causing any significant issues for recyclers.

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6. The recycling industry has found workable solutions to handle a huge variety of post-industrial and post-consumer plastic waste. The existing sorting and processing technology can handle bioplastics either without or with slight adaptation to specific material characteristics.

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7. In reality Bioplastics represent a high growth business opportunity rather than a threat to the plastic recycling industry. One example is PLA, a polyester which can be recycled in a similar way to PET. Separation technology allows high value recycling of both resin types. The establishment of an infrastructure for the recycling of PLA has started recently.

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8. Organic recycling of compostable polymers – e.g. in composting plants – adds new efficient recovery options to the world of plastics recycling and has significant advantages where heavy contamination with food waste or soil is unavoidable, e.g. catering products, tableware, mulching film, etc.

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9. Energetic recovery is a viable and useful solution until volumes allow the operation of more sophisticated ‘back-to-plastics’ recycling schemes. When renewable raw materials have been used for the production, renewable energy can be recovered.

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10. European Bioplastics calls on the traditional plastic and recycling industries, industrial plastic users, NGOs and governmental institutions to develop and establish workable solutions, in legislation as well as in practice, which support the increase of plastics recycling and the use of recyclates – whether from conventional, bio-based and/or biodegradable plastics.

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Source

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Cascades lance un «papier intelligent»

Après les savons antibactériens, voici le papier essuie-mains antibactérien. La fabricant de papier et de produits d’emballage Cascades a lancé aujourd’hui cette nouveauté, qu’il a présentée comme une première mondiale, fruit de cinq ans de recherches qui ont coûté 1 million $.
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Il s’agit d’un papier contenant du chlorure de benzalkonium, lequel est libéré à une concentration maximale de 0,1 pour cent au contact de l’eau. Cet ammonium quaternaire, largement utilisé dans les shampoings et les désinfectants, est généralement sans danger.

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Pour Cascades, l’essuie-mains antibactérien n’est que le premier d’une nouvelle gamme de produits de papier dits «intelligents». On songe notamment à des papiers détecteurs de drogue ou à des produits d’emballage spécialisés pour le secteur alimentaire.

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Lire la suite…

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Emballage du vin : Le verre meilleur que le plastique

L’Institut des sciences de la vigne et du vin (ISVV), le plus grand centre de recherche et développement sur la vigne et le vin en Europe, vient de publier les résultats mi-parcours d’une étude à l'initiative de l'ISVV, financée par le fabricant de bouteilles Owens-Illinois.

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L’objectif de cette étude était de comparer les caractéristiques organoleptiques du vin dans les différents contenants sur une période de 2 ans :

• Bouteille en verre
• Bouteille en PET Mono
• Bouteille en PET Multi
• Bag-in-box®

L’étude montre globalement une meilleure conservation des vins au fil du temps dans les bouteilles de verre, tant du point de vue des analyses chimiques (entrée d’O2, pertes en CO2 et en SO2), de la couleur des vins ou de la dégustation. Les résultats scientifiques semblent plus probants sur les vins blancs (oxydation marquée dans le plastique) que sur les vins rouges, tandis que la dégustation organisée lors de la présentation de l’étude pouvait sembler plus probante sur les vins rouges (meilleur volume du fruit dans la bouteille en verre) .

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Vous pouvez consulter ici les résultats détaillés de l’étude à 12 mois.

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France : l'emballage, grand oublié du Grenelle II selon le Cniid

Le Centre national d'information indépendante sur les déchets déplore que la réduction des déchets d'emballage ait été oubliée du texte de loi. Pour l'organisation non gouvernementale, cet oubli est d'autant plus étonnant que la prévention des déchets se place en tête de la hiérarchie des déchets définie par la directive cadre européenne.

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Dans le texte final du Grenelle 2, les mesures censées contraindre les producteurs et les distributeurs à prendre en compte cette priorité "sont étrangement absentes" selon le Cniid.
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Le seul article consacré à la conception des produits (Article 78 bis B) ne "mentionne même pas une prise en compte de la réduction des déchets". Les emballages, qui constituent aujourd’hui pourtant 30% du poids de la poubelle, sont épargnés par toute mesure contraignante.

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Et le Cniid de rappeler que Jean Louis Borloo, Ministre de l’écologie, avait déclaré en 2008 que toutes les mesures visant à lutter contre le suremballage seraient prises : la seule petite mesure qui ressort après trois ans de débat est donc l’installation de plateformes de déballage dans les hypermarchés d’ici 2011 (Article 78 ter).

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Lot de consolation du Grenelle II pour le Cniid : l’obligation faite aux collectivités de mettre en place un programme local de prévention des déchets d’ici le 1er juillet 2012 (Article 78 – alinéa 33).

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Source

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Europe : Pétition en ligne contre le suremballage

Pour convaincre l'Europe d'agir contre le suremballage, un militaire du Sud-Ouest a rallié 129.000 signatures en quelques mois grâce à Facebook et lance désormais une pétition internationale multilingue en ligne, en espérant récolter un million de signatures.
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"Parce que l'emballage peut représenter 80% du poids total du produit fini et jusqu'à 65% de son coût, la réduction des emballages doit permettre à chaque consommateur de réduire d'autant le volume global de sa production de déchets et réaliser des économies équivalentes"

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En 2008, les marques de grande distribution se sont juste engagées à réduire le poids de leurs emballages d'1kg par habitant sur cinq ans.

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Lire la suite

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Signez la pétition internationale multilingue en ligne contre le suremballage

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Vous pouvez consulter ici le dossier consacré au suremballage (Over-packaging)

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Vous pouvez consulter ici le dossier consacré à l’éco-conception des emballages

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Emballages plastiques et souples : Vers une nouvelle crise des matières premières ?

Les fabricants d’emballages plastiques et souples connaissent depuis 2 mois une situation difficile quant à leurs approvisionnements en matières premières. Cette situation perdure et s’accroit notamment pour les Polyéthylène (PE) et Polypropylène (PP). Ces difficultés sont assorties de réels contingentements de la part des producteurs vis-à-vis des fabricants d’emballages. Les fabricants d’emballages sont confrontés à des arrêts de production récurrents pour cas de force majeure de la part des producteurs de matières plastiques. Ceci s’ajoute aux rationalisations annoncées souvent avec des préavis très courts qui entraînent la suppression de certains grades dans les polymères, ce qui pose des problèmes de délais, de coûts et d’insatisfaction auprès de nos clients pour substituer ces grades et effectuer les tests nécessaires aux homologations et mises en œuvre.

Lire la suite…
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