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| Issue date:14/06/2011 |
| Source:CPRJ Editorial Team |
| by Staff Reporters |
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| Green production and sustainability raised interest among the audience |
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The "Eco-friendly Plastics Conference" held during CHINAPLAS 2011 in Guangzhou has triggered interesting discussion on "bioplastics" and "degradable plastics", for which much is to be debated and standardized regarding their definition and terminology.
In the first session of the conference held on May 18 morning, experts from different countries shared their views on the applications of various bioplastics and degradable plastics in the market.
One of the speakers, Philip Law, Public & Industrial Affairs Director of the British Plastics Federation (BPF), introduced to the audience the current supply chain and the market of bioplastics and degradable plastics.
Philip Law, Director of Public & Industrial Affairs, The British Plastics Federation |
He said that bio-based production was expected to form a significant part of the oil-based chemistry industry. By 2013, global demand for bioplastics is expected to soar to 900,000 tonnes, or a global average of 35.1%.
"The success of bioplastics will not only be based on compostable types, but also on durable bio-based plastics," said Mr Law, while electronic and automotive applications are expected to help increase the demand for bio-based, durable products.
According to Mr Law, bioplastics are no longer limited to biodegradable or compostable plastics made from natural materials such as corn or starch, but also includes petroleum-based plastics that are degradable, natural-based plastics that are not necessarily biodegradable and plastics that contain both petroleum-based and plant-based materials.
He highlighted the use of oxo-biodegradable (OBD) plastics by producers of different products (e.g. bubble wrap, fruit netting, polyethylene rubbish bags, produce bags, and films in farming) and showed a series of pictures that illustrated the fragmentation of an OBD plastic bag in the course of two weeks.
Mr Law stressed that no OBD plastics had currently been certified as "compostable" according to EU standards, while some countries, such as UAE, Mexico and Argentina, had legislated the use of OBD plastic bags in supermarkets.
Steve Davies, Chairman of the SPI Bioplastics Council, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. |
Further discussing the application of OBD plastics, another speaker, Steve Davies, Chairman of the SBI Bioplastics Council under the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc (SPI), pointed out that there was considerable controversy in the industry around the use of OBD technology. About two years ago, for instance, the US National Advertising Division had judged that GP Plastics' "oxo-biodegradable" claims were not adequately supported.
"Biodegradable plastics are plastics that undergo biodegradation, a process in which the degradation results from the action of naturally occurring micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae as per accepted industry standards," Mr Davies explained.
No data has so far been released publicly relating to mineralization rates that support the claims of complete biodegradation of "oxo plastics", he said.
For instance, European Bioplastics, the association representing the interests of Europe's bioplastics' industry, stated that the resulting fragments of OBD plastics would remain in the environment. Through the impact of wind or precipitation the plastic fragments can drift into aquatic or marine habitat where they affect organisms and pose the risk of bioaccumulation.
Peter Clydesdale, Chief Marketing Officer, NatureWorks, LLC |
Whereas in the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) who deals with consumer protection issues, has advised companies "that unqualified biodegradable claims are acceptable only if they have scientific evidence that their product will completely decompose within a reasonably short period of time under customary methods of disposal."
Mr Davies believed that additional specifications were needed to clearly define biodegradable plastics, such as the conditions of the environment and the timeframe of biodegradation.
Eco-friendly products and practices
At the same conference, Peter Clydesdale, Chief Marketing Officer of NatureWorks, introduced the company's Ingeo, which, he described, was a biopolymer that can be chemically recycled ("cradle to cradle") back to its feedstock material (i.e. lactic acid). He believed that the targeted economies of scale for Ingeo are increasingly within reach.
Deon Wang, Principal Scientist, P&G Technology (Beijing) Co Ltd |
Ingeo can be applied in such different applications as food packaging, films/cards, fibers and non wovens, bottle containers, as well as durable goods (housing for electronic devices, automotive parts, etc). Recently NatureWorks announced an upcoming new bio-based grade of meso-lactide, M700X. This chemical intermediate can be used to develop new bio-based (co-) polymers, polymer additives, adhesives, coatings, printing toners and surfactants, etc.
In addition, Mr Clydesdale said NatureWorks will finalize site selection for its second polymer plant (minimum 140,000 mt/year) by mid 2011, most likely in Southeast Asia where sugar and tapioca-based feedstocks are abundant.
Meanwhile, Deon Wang, Principal Scientist at P&G Technology (Beijing) Co Ltd, illustrated how a fast-moving consumer goods company realizes green manufacturing. According to Mr Wang, all of P&G's plants are powered with 100% renewable energy, with zero manufacturing waste going to landfills. Besides, bioplastics are one of the technologies the company is using under its sustainability program.
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "China Plastic & Rubber Journal (CPRJ)", Adsale Plastics Website - www.AdsaleCPRJ.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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| Copyright © Adsale Publishing Limited. Any party needs to reprint any part of the content should get the written approval from Adsale Publishing Ltd and quote the source "China Plastic & Rubber Journal (CPRJ)", Adsale Plastics Website - www.AdsaleCPRJ.com. We reserve the right to take legal action against any party who reprints any part of this article without acknowledgement. For enquiry, please contact Editorial Department. |
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