05 | 2008

ioplastics magazine Vol. 3 ISSN 1862-5258
05 | 2008
Special editorial focus:
Bottle Applications
Bioplastics From
Non-Food Sources

Don’t worry,
the raw material for Ecovio ®
is renewable.
Ecovio ® , a biodegradable plastic from the PlasticsPlus TM product line,
is keeping up with the times when it comes to plastic bags and food
packaging. Ecovio ® is made of corn starch, a renewable raw material,
and it has properties like HD-PE, which translates into a double plus
point for you. Films made of Ecovio ® are water-resistant, very strong
and degrade completely in composting facilities within just a few weeks.
www.ecovio.com
I N N O VAT I O N R E L I A B I L I T Y PA R T N E R S H I P D I V E R S I T Y

Editorial
dear readers
I am sure that, like me, for many of you the Munich Oktoberfest, the
famous beer festival, is always a special experience. And when you look
at this page you may almost think that you‘ve picked up the Bavarian
edition - the bioplastics MAGAZINE team just got back from holding its
own show in Munich!
It‘s fair to say that at our event, the 1 st PLA World Congress on September
9th and 10th, we didn’t have anything like the 6.2 million visitors that the
Oktoberfest attracted in 2007, but we did draw about 170 delegates from
36 countries.
The number of delegates, and their enthusiasm for the subject, was very
pleasing, and clearly showed the high level of international interest in
the potential, the versatility, the new developments and the challenges
presented by PLA.
The congress was rounded off with a social ‘get
together’ in the Hofbräuhaus, Munich‘s famous
beer hall. Once again we didn’t manage to
drink anything like the 60,000 hectolitres of
beer that are sold during the Oktoberfest,
but neither did we create the 650 tonnes
of trash, which after the Oktoberfest will
hopefully renew an interest, especially in the
minds of the Bavarians, in the subject of biopackaging.
Not exactly Bavarian, but other topics in this issue
which we are sure you will find of interest focus on the
latest developments and trends in the fields of bottles, caps etc.
and bioplastics made from non-food sources.
So we hope that you enjoy reading this issue of
bioplastics MAGAZINE, and we bid you, as they say in
Bavaria, a cheerful
“Servus“
Yours,
Samuel Brangenberg
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 3 ISSN 1862-5258
05 | 2008
Special editorial focus:
Bottle Applications
Bioplastics From
Non-Food Sources
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/08] Vol. 3

Content
Materials
Nano-Alloy Technology for High- 10
Performance PLA Applications
Bottle Applications
Pure, Light, Mountain Water - Bottled in Ingeo 12
Australia’s First Natural Spring 14
Water in PLA Bottles
Not only Celebrities like New Zealand’s 16
PLA-bottled “Good Water”
Closures made from bio-plastics 18
Primo Water offer Mineral enriched 20
Water in PLA bottles
Bio-Bottle Meets Private Label Water 22
“EcoSield” PLA bottles 24
Impact of Dry and Wet 26
Sterilisation on PLA Bottles
September 05|2008
Non-Food Bioplastics
Generation ZERO 28
Proteinous Bioplastics from Bloodmeal 30
Bioplastic Products From Biomass 32
Waste Streams
Editorial 03
News 05
Suppliers Guide 44
Event Calendar 45
PHA from Switchgrass – 36
a Non-Food-Source Alternative
Sustainable “Zoom-Zoom” with 38
Non-Food-Based Bioplastic
Politics
Situation in India 39
Basics
Carbon and Environmental Footprint 40
of PLA Products
Impressum
Publisher / Editorial
Dr. Michael Thielen
Samuel Brangenberg
Layout/Production
Mark Speckenbach, Jörg Neufert
Head Office
Polymedia Publisher GmbH
Dammer Str. 112
41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany
phone: +49 (0)2161 664864
fax: +49 (0)2161 631045
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Media Adviser
Elke Schulte, Katrin Stein
phone: +49(0)2359-2996-0
fax: +49(0)2359-2996-10
es@bioplasticsmagazine.com
Print
Tölkes Druck + Medien GmbH
Höffgeshofweg 12
47807 Krefeld, Germany
Print run: 5,000 copies
bioplastics magazine
ISSN 1862-5258
bioplastics magazine is published
6 times a year.
This publication is sent to qualified
subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues).
bioplastics MAGAZINE is read
in more than 80 countries.
Not to be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher
The fact that product names may not
be identified in our editorial as trade
marks is not an indication that such
names are not registered trade marks.
bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British
spelling. However, in articles based on
information from the USA, American
spelling may also be used.
Editorial contributions are always
welcome. Please contact the
editorial office via
mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Event Review
1 st PLA World Congress
a Great Success
The 1st PLA World Congress hosted by bioplastics
MAGAZINE (September 9th and 10th in Munich,
Germany) attracted about 170 experts and interested
delegates from more than 35 countries. Delegates from
the packaging and other industries, universities, research
institutes and similar organisations, as well as dedicated
PLA experts, came from all over Europe, North America
and countries as far away as Costa Rica, Australia, South
Africa and Sri Lanka.
The Congress was opened with a key-note speech of
Professor Endres from the University of Applied Sciences
and Arts, Hanover, Germany. In the first session the
audience received the long-expected confirmation that
Pyramid bioplastics, represented by their CEO Bernd
Merzenich, will build a 60,000 tonnes/annum PLA plant
in Germany (see news on page 5). Speakers from Uhde
Inventa-Fischer, Purac and Sulzer continued the first
session with the basics of PLA. How is starch (e.g. from
corn) converted into lactic acid and then into PLA? What
can be done to purify lactide or what is the secret behind
d- and l-isomers, mesomers and stereocomplexing.
Remy Jongboom of Biopearls presented a broad choice
of different application possibilities apart from the classic
film or packaging applications. Examples were injection
moulded parts produced from tailor-made PLA blends,
including such items as tomato clips and DVD cases,
as well as geo-textiles. The special market situation of
PLA for stretch blow moulded bottles was explained by
NatureWorks with the examples from the Italian Sant’Anna
and German happYwater both reported about in more
detail in this issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE.
The next sessions, with contributions from FKuR,
DuPont, Cereplast, Clariant, PolyOne and the University
of Wageningen, were all about blending PLA with other
materials and available additives to improve the properties
of PLA, such as impact resistance, thermal properties,
processing behaviour etc.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Event Review
A “Bavarian Night” in Munich‘s famous Hofbräuhaus
beer hall offered another chance for intensive networking
and establishing personal contacts.
The second day started with a comprehensive session
about PLA films. Brückner Maschinenbau opened
this session with information about biaxial stretching
machinery for BO-PLA. Presentations about different film
applications (Sidaplax and Polyfilms) were followed by a
talk about Ceramis SiOx coating for barrier improvement
by Alcan.
Foamed PLA trays for (e.g.) meat packaging were
presented by Coopbox Europe. Presentations about
reinforcing PLA with different (including natural) fibres
and automotive applications as well as barrier improved
bottles rounded off the afternoon.
His own opinion about LCAs and how to argue the real
value propositions of bioplastics towards customers and
stakeholders was given by Professor Ramani Narayan in
the final presentation of this conference.
The day ended with a panel discussion about end-oflife
options, and - similarly to the same discussion during
the 1st PLA Bottle conference last year - it can be said
that composting is not necessarily the best option for all
applications. Composting, yes where real added benefit
can be exploited, for example by packaging vegetables
in PLA which can then be disposed of together with the
vegetables for composting if they become spoilt on a
supermarket shelf. Otherwise recycling (physical as well
as chemical) – and here the critical mass has clearly
not yet been reached – or waste-to-energy (incineration
with energy recovery or biogas production) seem viable
alternatives.
As the conference was considered by many – delegates,
speakers, and the organisers – as a great success, the
next PLA World Congress will be a definite diary date.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Materials
Nano-Alloy Technology
for High-Performance
PLA Applications
Article contributed by
Pierre Oliver Muench,
Assistant Manager,
Plastics Department, Resin,
Toray International Europe GmbH
Introduction
Against the backdrop of global warming, curbing CO 2
increase in the atmosphere has become a pressing issue.
As conventional plastics are manufactured using fossil
fuels such as petroleum, incineration or other forms of
disposal of these plastics generate CO 2 . Bioplastics, such
as polylactide (PLA) on the other hand, are manufactured
from plant-based materials, and any CO 2 emitted during
their incineration or biodegradation will not increase the
amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere, as the carbon emitted
is what the plant, its raw material, originally absorbed
through photosynthesis. This makes it carbon neutral,
which is the most important feature of bioplastics. In
addition, being plant-based gives such plastics a gentle
image and awareness about them has been steadily
growing among general consumers in recent years.
Endeavors in the plastics business
Among bio-based plastic products, Japanese Toray
Industries Inc. has also been focusing its efforts on PLA
injection molding materials and films.
In injection molding, PLA on its own had drawbacks
such as slow crystallization, insufficient durability and
heat resistance. However, by employing Toray’s proprietary
nano-alloy technology and techniques to improve shockproofing
and hydrolysis resistance, the company was able
to dramatically improve the material’s heat resistance
properties such as deflection temperature under load
as well as moldability, impact resistance and durability
(dry and wet heat). The injection moldable plastics thus
developed have already been introduced into the market.
Nano-alloy technology enables the forming of
microscopic network structure inside the polymer by finely
dispersing minute amount of high-performance polymer
in PLA at a nanometric level. Compared to conventional
10 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Materials
polymer alloys, the addition of small quantities of alloys
helps in achieving great improvements in properties, when
nano-alloy technology is employed. In development of the
nano-alloy for PLA-based injection moldable plastics,
Toray focused on the molecular interaction of PLA and
high-performance polymer and succeeded in achieving
desired levels of properties by combining compound
technology. The technologies accelerate the crystallization
process and enable molding under normal injection
molding conditions. Also, while deflection temperature
under load, the standard measure of heat resistance, is
56°C for PLA alone, it is above 100°C with the nano-alloy
high-performance polymer.
Furthermore, the company also succeeded in the
development of PLA resin with high impact resistance
similar to that of ABS resins and high level of flame
resistance without using halogenated fire retardants,
which could generate hazardous substances, to produce
and market a halogen-free flame retardant PLA plastic
with heat resistance, moldability, durability and impact
resistance. These products have already been introduced
in the market. These successes have opened the door for
Toray’s PLA plastics in high-performance applications
such as electric and electronic fields and automobile
parts applications, the fields which previously have been
considered to be difficult to break into with the standalone
PLA-based products.
Examples of PLA product development
(1) Front panel for DVD drives
Pioneer Corporation has adopted the flame-retardant
PLA resin for the front panel of its DVD drives introduced
in July 2008. They are used in the high-end models
available in Japan and neighboring countries. The
material developed for this application has high flame
retardant and heat resistance properties necessary for
its use as electronic equipment body, which was achieved
using Toray’s proprietary polymer alloy technology and
halogen-free fire retardant technology. At the same time
it also possesses high moldability and is suitable for mass
production.
(2) Substrate material for DVDs and CDs
While highly transparent, the existing PLA-based
products had heat resistance problems when used as
substrate material for DVDs and CDs. Toray succeeded
in improving the heat resistance by fine nano-metric
dispersion of highly heat-resistant polymer. The material
thus developed has superior optical characteristics
suitable for disc materials and could be used not only
for DVDs and CDs but also blu-ray discs. It is currently
adopted for some CD-ROM applications.
(3) Toy applications
Conventional PLA-based polymer alloys, due to their
mechanical properties (impact and flexural strengths),
moldability (flowabilty, molding cycle, molding shrinkage )
and other properties, were not suitable for manufacturing
process using the same molds as that of ordinary, generalpurpose
plastics. However, Toray’s proprietary polymer
alloy technology has enabled PLA-based polymer alloys
to achieve heat resistance, impact resistance, fluidity and
molding shrinkage factor equivalent to that of ABS resins,
leading to increased adoption in toy applications.
Conclusion
PLA is one of the best environment-friendly materials
among the current crop of industrially produced plastics.
By expanding the use of such plant-based resins, Toray
aims to make contributions to the society in efforts to
stem the increase of greenhouse gases such as CO 2 in the
atmosphere and reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.
www.toray.de
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 11

Bottle Applications
Pure, Light,
Mountain Water
– Bottled in Ingeo
Italian mineral water company Fonti di Vinadio Spa,
which bottles and sells Sant’Anna di Vinadio mineral
water is located in the North-Italian Piedmont area.
Just recently they introduced their water in Ingeo PLA
bottles. bioplastics MAGAZINE spoke to Alberto Bertone,
owner and Chairman of the company (assisted by Ingeo
European press office - Global Business Solutions)
bM: Mr. Bertone, can you tell us something about your
company and its history?
AB: Well, I founded the company Fonti di Vinadio Spa in
1996. The company ethos is based on a deep conviction
of the high potential for the water which flows from the
mountains towering over Vinadio, in the heart of the
Maritime Alps. The high quality of the Vinadio water has
been known since the 16th century. Today, Sant’Anna
water is the market leader in Italy with a turnover of about
150 million Euro and an output of 650 million bottles in
2007.
bM: Before you started filling your water in PLA bottles,
did you use PET or glass or even other packaging?
AB: From the very beginning, Sant’Anna has been
available in PET. We never used glass or cans or carton.
bM: What did you do before?
Where appropriate Fonti di Vinadio use
wood for many of the logistic plant parts
AB: When we entered the market about 10 years ago,
we always focused on our Sant’Anna brand, optimizing our
business also with co-packaging activities. Currently the
business is 98% represented by Sant’Anna brand sales.
From the beginning, environmental activities have always
been part of our focus.
bM: Why did you start this PLA-bottle activity?
AB: I decided to experiment bottling the mineral water
with an innovative material derived totally from a raw
vegetal material about one year ago. I imported the Ingeo
bioplastic bottle preforms directly from the USA. And so
with the policy of our company focused very much on the
environmental aspects of this project, we can calculate that
if 50 million of our new bioplastic bottles each weighing 27
grams replace the same quantity of PET bottles, we will
save 13,600 barrels of crude oil, or the same amount of
energy it takes to supply electricity to 40,000 people for an
entire month.
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Bottle Applications
bM: What do you expect from the introduction of PLA
bottles?
AB: Of course the Sant’Anna Ingeo BioBottle is a
great eco solution that matches the new needs of the
contemporary consumer, and it opens up a new and
important business reality for Sant’Anna today. The world
is looking for sustainability improvements in products and
services. These include reductions in greenhouse gas
emissions, reductions in fossil energy use, reductions
in oil dependency and more. Switching to a bio-based
material allows us to make a positive contribution to the
environment we all live in without having to change our
way of life.
Sant‘Anna has a robust corporate social responsibility
policy and by switching to Ingeo PLA bottles, we can
translate this policy in a meaningful way into our daily
transactions with our direct customers and consumers.
This without sacrificing anything from a performance or
quality perspective.
The new Sant’Anna BioBottle delivers all the values that
made them market leader in Italy for volume and value.
Sant’Anna water has achieved extraordinary results in
terms of its values of lightness (fixed residue 23.1 mg/l),
one of the lowest in the world, receiving authorisation
for use in the diet of newborn babies and low sodium
diets (only 0.9 mg/l of sodium). The production process
is guaranteed by the latest generation bottling systems.
Fonti di Vinadio wants to become a European brand leader,
and the challenge will now be the German market.
bM: Did someone support you?
AB: Of course Sant’Anna has been working very close
with NatureWorks LLC, the world‘s first large-scale
manufacturer of their unique natural plastic branded as
Ingeo now used to create these new BioBottles.
bM: What products are you currently bottling in PLA in
which sizes?
AB: For the moment we are producing just still mineral
water in two sizes: 0,5 litres and 1,5 litres.
bM: Does your company have any policy for “end-of-life”
of the bottles?
AB: Initially, a limited number of what we call the new
“BioBottles” will be introduced, about 50 million half-liter
bottles during the first 12 months. The Ingeo bottles will
be distinguished from the PET ones, both by the label and
by the color, which will be green. Furthermore, distribution
will be limited to a specific geographic area. This will allow
the company to monitor the impact of the new product on
the market and the reactions of the consumers. At the
same time, Acqua Sant’Anna is keeping in close touch
with businesses, public and private bodies and trade
associations dealing with environmental matters and,
in particular, has already advised those responsible for
refuse collection and disposal regarding this business
venture, in order to enable an assessment of the various
disposal options and decide which method is best suited
to these new plastics. The message to consumers is to
collect the BioBottles in a regular plastic bottle bin,
together with all the plastic packaging. The company
in charge of plastic waste treatmant will separate the
BioBottles bottles from the rest of the stream and will
decide to go for the best available end-of-life whether it be
incineration, composting or recycling. Some companies
are already interested in composting, others are prepared
only for incineration and some are willing to test industrial
scale chemical recycling. All in all a lot of interest for a
new bioplastic offering so many disposal and recovery
options.
bM: Anything else you’d like to tell our readers?
AB: We would like to underline that Sant’Anna, the
leading brand name of Fonti di Vinadio, is a completely
Italian-owned business, and will market for the first time
in Italy and will mass market for the first time in Europe
a mineral water that uses a bottle made entirely from the
revolutionary natural plastic made from plant sugars rather
than petroleum. Acqua Sant’Anna is the first privatelyowned
Italian business to combine an environmentallyfriendly
policy with a venture of this size.
bM: Thank you very much Mr.Bertone
www.santanna.it
Alberto Bertone
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 13

Bottle Applications
Australia’s
First Natural
Spring
Water in
PLA Bottles
Cool Change Natural Spring Water from Australia is
owned by the Paterson Family, Helen, James and
Richard. Cool Change was set up in March 2008
to launch the NatureWorks Ingeo TM PLA bottled water
product in Australia.
The Paterson family also own Yarra Valley Spring Water
(YVSW), a bulk and bottled water business based on their
farm at Launching Place in Victoria‘s Yarra Valley. YVSW
produces a glass bottled sparkling water and also supplies
other water bottlers with bulk water. Whilst the world
around them is coming to terms with climate change,
the Paterson family decided that they wanted to be part
of the solution rather than the problem, by starting with a
few simple steps such as decreasing their energy usage,
offsetting their carbon emissions, the logical next step was
to start to revise their packaging and their contribution to
landfill. That was the begining of Cool Change.
It all started in 1986 when the Patersons ran a tourist
property with a restaurant, horse rides and four wheel drive
tours around the property situated in the High Country of
Victoria. The water they served in the restaurant was being
fed from a spring fed dam on the property, without filtration
to the restaurant taps. After the local health inspector
suggested to bottle the water, because it was the purest
water he had ever tested, the Patersons thought he was
crazy as bottled water just wasn‘t a big thing in Australia
in 1986. A few years later, with the unconventional help of
Richard Paterson’s mother – she simply said “dig here”
– the family discovered the actual source of the spring
14 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Bottle Applications
flowing naturally and they started their commercial water
business.
“We knew that PET wasn‘t the best thing for the
environment and there was increasing concern about
the impact of PET bottles,” says Richard Paterson, today
Managing Director of the company. “While we wanted to
do a product for retail (our Yarra Valley range was aimed
at Restaurants and Hotels) and as soon as we saw the PLA
we knew that was the way to go.”
Long term Richard would like to see every bottle of
water in Australia made from Ingeo PLA and a much wider
uptake of the material also for use in juices, milks and a
range of other products. Cool Change is all about creating
a change, to rethink the way to produce, consume, and
dispose. “We‘re hoping to start our ‘change‘ within the
Australian Beverage Industry,” Richard says. “We are also
now promoting and assisting the setting up of composting
facilities in Australia which at this stage are almost
nonexistent outside of South Australia.”
As the next step the Patersons would like to do a milk
line and a juice line. “But we‘ll stick with the water for
a start to open the route to market and then add new
products on once we‘ve learnt from our water line and
everything settles down,” as Richard comments their
plans. For the time being they are going to start with a
500ml water bottle. Over summer (which is beginning just
now in Australia) a 350ml, 600ml, 1500ml are to follow.
Asked about the end of life options of their PLA bottles,
Richard Paterson explains that they are setting up
composting sites in each state to handle the bottles until
a critical mass is reached to make recycling pure PLA
viable.
Initially the bottles will enter the current waste stream
but the Patersons are working with their customers to
reclaim as many of the bottles as possible. In the short
term the bottles will either be composted or end up in
landfill until there is a much better waste treatment
system in place. Where possible, they will be supplying
bins to collect not only their Cool Change Water bottles
but other products made from PLA.
As a closing remark of our conversation, Richard adds:
“We are all about change. Just going to bioplastics isn‘t
the solution. But they offer a greater range of end of life
options and allow us to create substantial change in the
way we package fast moving consumer goods and also
how we handle the waste at the end of the products life.”
www.coolchangespringwater.com.au
Anz_Rohstoffwende_EN_A5quer:08-09-04 04.09.2008 15:46 Uhr Seite 1
International Congress
Raw Material Shift
& Biomaterials
Practice-oriented for decision makers of the producing industry
December 3 rd and 4 th 2008
Maritim Hotel, Cologne
www.raw-material-shift.info
The newest
developments
regarding
resources &
materials
With the awarding
ceremony of the
“Innovation Award –
Biomaterial of the
Year”
Organizer
1 st day: Raw Material Shift – Changed framework for the resource supply of the
industry
➔ Fossil and mineral resource (price)crisis ➔ Global resource-problem ➔ What can agricultural resources accomplish as an
alternative? ➔ Trends of the most important agricultural and wood resources
Speakers of the following companies and institutes will be attending the congress Bank Sarasin & Cie AG (Switzerland) •
Cognis GmbH • European Industrial Hemp Association e.V. and Badische Naturfaseraufbereitung GmbH • F.O. Licht GmbH • Federal
Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources • Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection • German
Pulp and Paper Association • HypoVereinsbank – UniCredit Group AG • Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut • nova-Institut
GmbH • Syntegra Solar Ltd. • Tate & Lyle PLC • Weber & Schaer GmbH & Co. KG
2 nd day: Biomaterials – materials for the future
➔ Bioplastics, natural fibre (bio-)composites, Wood-Plastic-Composites (WPC) ➔ National and global markets ➔ Technologies
and methods ➔ Industries and applications
Speakers of the following companies and institutes will be attending the congress 3N & Forschungsgemeinschaft Biologisch
abbaubare Werkstoffe e. V. • Amorim Group (Portugal) • European Bioplastics e. V. • Evonik Industries AG and CLIB 2021 • FKuR
Kunststoff GmbH • Ford Research Centre Aachen • Johnson Controls Interiors & Co. KG • STFI-Packforsk AB (Sweden) • University
of Applied Sciences Bremen, Dept. for Biomimetics
For more information and registration please visit www.raw-material-shift.info
Sponsor
Partner
ASSOCIATION OF THE GERMAN
WOOD-BASED PANEL INDUSTRIES
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 15
nova-Institut GmbH | Chemiepark Knapsack | Industriestr. | 50354 Huerth | Germany | contact@nova-institut.de | www.nova-institut.de/nr

Bottle Applications
Not only
like New
PLA-bottled
Good Water Brand Ambassador Mel Smith and
Jack Johnson at a Jack Johnson concert
It may be one of the little guys competing against the
larger players but as it celebrates its first birthday The
Good Water Company has found over the past year a
number of high profile people have been in support of the
company’s environmental aims. From international celebrities
such as singer Jack Johnson to local who’s who Tiki
Taane, Peter Urlich, Oscar Kightley and John Key the positive
feedback has surprised even Good Water CEO Grant
Hall.
“It’s humbling to have such high profile people tell
us they like what we are doing. I think there is so much
awareness around sustainability now that Good Water is a
product of the times,” says Hall.
Good Water is New Zealand’s first environmentally
sustainable water bottle that looks and feels like petroleum
based plastic yet is made entirely from PLA, i.e. from
renewable resources. In addition when the water bottle
has reached the end of its useful life cycle consumers can
then dispose of it with the knowledge that it will completely
break down and not harm the environment.
Tiki Taane
famous musician
in New Zealand
16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Nuremberg, Germany
12 – 14.11.2008
Celebrities
Zealand’s
“Good Water”
Raw Materials – Technologies –
Logistics – Marketing
48. European Trade Fair
for the Beverage Industry
The bottle was developed with input from the Sir
Peter Blake Trust. Good Water supports the Trust by
donating a percentage from the sale of every bottle
sold in order to help fund the Trust’s environmental
education programmes for young Kiwis (that’s how the
New Zealanders call themselves).
“Our goal is to have raised $1 million for the Trust
by 2012. It forms a nice loop using an environmental
initiative like Good Water to help fund teaching kids
about the environment,” says Hall.
Dubbed The Good Water Project, the objective of
the company is to also recycle the bottles. Good Water
currently recycles the bottles from its home and office
delivery service launched earlier this year by sending
them to a recycling plant in the North Island.
“The aim is to help reduce the overwhelming amount
of plastic bottles being sent to landfill each year in this
country. Currently all plastic bottles put out for collection
in New Zealand are bailed up and exported to Asia, with
the rest going to landfill as they do not biodegrade or
break down,” says Hall.
He says that although more Kiwis are still needed
to get behind The Good Water Project there has been
a groundswell of interest with many Kiwis logging onto
the company website to find out more.
“What we have achieved as a company in such a short
space of time is a testament to the innovation and drive
behind the Good Water vision for sustainability, which
is obviously shared by many Kiwis. As more and more
people learn about what we are doing we find they are
becoming emotionally connected to the project and are
advocates in the marketplace. We’re touching people
from all walks of life with the vision we have for this
project.”
www.goodwater.org.nz
The best preparation for
the coming beverage year
Organizer
NürnbergMesse GmbH
Messezentrum
90471 Nürnberg
Visitor service
Tel +49 (0) 9 11.86 06-49 99
Fax +49 (0) 9 11.86 06-49 98
visitorservice@nuernbergmesse.de
• Safely invested: 1,400 exhibitors present
the latest technologies, raw materials, logistics
and marketing ideas
• Perfectly arranged: Innovations, experiences,
contacts – here the industry shows the way
ahead
• Fully informed: New theme pavilions on
IT in the beverage industry and production,
purchasing and use of renewable energy
Wanted? Found!
www.ask-BRAU-Beviale.de
Here you will find all exhibitors and products!

Bottle Applications
Closures
Bioplastics
Fig. 3: Closures made from plastics based on
maize starch, lignin, PLA and wood-plastic
Literature
[1] Biologisch Abbaubare Werkstoffe,
Publisher: Fachagentur Nachwachsende
Rohstoffe e.V., Gülzow.
[2] Produkte aus Bioplastics, Chancen
und Potentiale, IK Industrieverband
Kunststoffverpackungen e.V., Bad
Homburg.
[3] Caps catalogue, Ki-Si-Co GmbH, Oestrich-
Winkel.
[4] Kirchner, Jan: Entwicklung einer
Lebensmittelverpackung aus
nachwachsendem biologisch abbaubaren
Kunststoff, Technomer 2007, ISBN 978-
3939382-08-09
[5] Seidel, F. , Peter, R., Frohberg, K.:
Kunststoffe mit Getreideanteil helfen
Erdöl sparen, Technomer 2007, ISBN 978-
3939382-08-09
Fig. 1: Caps made from wood-based bioplastic
Motivation
In 2000 there were 180 million tonnes of plastic used
worldwide. For 2010 the forecast is for a demand of 260
million tonnes. The packaging industry requires about
25% of the plastic that is traded as granulate [1]. Given
the constantly increasing material prices bioplastics
offer a medium to long term alternative to those
plastics obtained from fossil resources. Alongside the
possibility of cutting down the need for petroleum-based
products, bioplastics offer other advantages in terms of
biodegradability and ecological balance, with the latter
aspect being the subject of some heated discussion.
Furthermore the socio-political structure implied in the
use of renewable resources is also mentioned in this
regard, with the increased use of renewable resources
strengthening the role of the agricultural sector.
In the food industry bioplastics are already widely
used as film or blister packaging. Their use in bottles
and caps is just beginning.
Initial work
By the end of the 20th century the German company
Ki-Si-Co GmbH was already working on the manufacture
of caps and closures made from alternative materials.
The first trials were carried out using materials
based on wood and lignin (fig. 1). One feature of these
materials is that they are very hard, and so are not
suitable for one-piece caps because they always need
a liner. Their potential use is really limited to the field
of rustic designs.
A further problem with these plastics is that they are
not at all easy to handle and process. Because of the,
at times, very high fibre content they need wide gate
diameters. The feed performance of the screw is also at
times very difficult to control. Despite intensive efforts
it was impossible to successfully process all of the
various materials using existing tooling. The tools must
be adapted to the specific properties of each individual
bioplastic.
18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Bottle Applications
made from
Article contributed by
Dr.-Ing. Jan Kirchner, General
Manager, Ki-Si-Co GmbH,
Oestrich-Winkel, Germany
Fig. 2: Prototype and final design
Current developments
For a client seeking a bottle and cap suitable for use
for a nutritional supplement in tablet form a package
was developed based on natural biological materials and
which met the demands of the consumers for ecologically
acceptable packaging and contents.
Important criteria were:
• A good water vapour barrier
• Easy opening and handling
• Ability to be resealed
• Tamper evidence
• About 150 ml capacity
• Wide neck for ease of dispensing tablets
• Suitable for food contact.
The previous packaging was a cardboard carton which
only partially met the above criteria.
For the development project [4] Ki-Si-Co selected firstly
a standard bottle from a company with which we work
closely and standard caps from our own range [3] which
had performed well in conventional plastic.
For the plastic a material based on maize starch was
selected, which had the mechanical properties necessary
to produce the tamper evidence feature. In figure 2 on the
left the functional prototype variant is shown and on the
right is the redesigned final model with a smooth outer
surface and a more attractive shape.
Another interesting alternative to a pure bioplastic
is a blend of conventional plastics and biomaterials. By
adding barley bran or maize meal to polypropylene about
20 percent conventional plastic can be saved, as well as
achieving interesting visual effects [5].
Experience with bioplastics
When injection moulding biomaterials consideration
must be given to the specific characteristics of each
material. The use of hot runners, for instance, is not
generally possible because the cooling around the hot
runner nozzle is less effective and the surface of the
moulded parts in this area is hard to grip. In fact, in
contrast to conventional plastics, generally more attention
has to be paid to the management of the mould-tool
temperature and the melt temperature than to the tool
itself. Overall significantly higher cycle times must be
expected - at times even twice the usual cycle time.
The strong intrinsic colouring of some materials often
makes it difficult to mould them in different colours,
especially light colours.
An important aspect of biomaterials is the current
supply situation. Because the market demand for film
for food wrapping and for agricultural use is booming
just now, and the producers are generally running at full
capacity, there is little incentive or interest in moving to
new alternatives. Many types of bioplastic are suitable
only for extrusion. The level of commitment by many of
the injection moulders at the moment leaves something
to be desired. Because, however, many manufacturers are
currently investing in significant increases in their capacity
things should improve in the medium term.
Many materials are either a lot harder or softer than
polypropylene (the standard material for caps). A type of
bioplastic that comes close to the mechanical properties
of polypropylene would make things a lot easier.
The prices for bioplastics are, at the moment, at a level
which makes them more likely to find application in bottles
and caps for niche markets. Given the increasing capacity
amongst producers or bioplastics, and the increasing
price of crude oil on the other hand, the price differences
should even out in the medium term.
Conclusion
With the right experience in the processing of bioplastics
it is possible to produce caps for the widest range of
applications. We have been successful in moulding caps
from wood pulp, lignin, maize starch and polylactic acid
(Fig 3).
www.kisico.de
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 19

Bottle Applications
Primo Water offer
Mineral Enriched
Water in PLA bottles
Primo Water Corporation, a privately-held company
based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA manufactures
mineral enriched bottled water. According
to a recently published press release Primo is the only
nationally distributed bottled water whose bottle is made
from plants, not crude oil. Primo Water offers a sustainable
bottled water option without having to give up portability,
convenience and great refreshing taste. The bottle is made
from Ingeo TM , NatureWorks’ PLA resin that is a 100% renewable
resource “grown on American soil”, as the company
proudly stated.
“Primo Water, with its plant based bottle, is leading the
movement for sustainable green packaging, especially
in bottled water. The fact that Primo is recyclable and
compostable was a big plus to our event. We were very
pleased to find them,” said Jim Flint, president of the
Rattlesnake Triathlon (www.rattlesnaketri.com).
Consumers will not only enjoy Primo for its environmental
benefits, but also for its great taste. In blind taste tests
conducted at the end of 2007 across the U.S., three out of
four consumers preferred Primo over the leading spring
water and four out of five preferred Primo over tap water 1 .
In fact, Primo water was enjoyed at the MusiCares ® Person
of the Year event, on the red carpet and in the green room
of the first ‘green’ GRAMMY awards ceremony held in Los
Angeles on February 10th.
“We‘re proud to bring consumers a more
environmentally-friendly bottled water,“ said Billy Prim,
CEO of Primo Water Corporation. “Not only does Primo
give consumers the great taste, convenience, everyday
price value and availability that they‘ve been looking for in
a bottled water, it also helps them to leave a better world
for their children.“
“With Primo, consumers have told us they feel good
twice; once for promoting their own health by drinking
more water and avoiding sugar, and twice, for helping
to preserve the precious and depleting resources of our
planet,“ said Dave Burke, President and COO of Primo To
Go.
Today, three product lines make up Primo Water
Corporation’s portfolio. The first, introduced in June
of 2005, offers 3 and 5 gallon Zero Waste bottles and an
exchange program that rewards consumers for recycling
their bottles for refills. The second, launched in April of
2008, is a new line of Energy Star rated and stylish water
coolers. And the third is a single-serve bottled water, in
a more-environmentally-friendly bottle made from PLA.
Primo is available at nearly 4,000 retail stores across the
USA.
1 Taste tests conducted by an independent contractor,
Marketing Connections, in Charlotte, Tampa, Boston,
Dallas, Columbus and Los Angeles between September and
December 2007
www.primowater.com.
Watch a series of YouTube clips at
www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/200805
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Bottle Applications
Primo Water offer
Mineral Enriched
Water in PLA bottles
Primo Water Corporation, a privately-held company
based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA manufactures
mineral enriched bottled water. According
to a recently published press release Primo is the only
nationally distributed bottled water whose bottle is made
from plants, not crude oil. Primo Water offers a sustainable
bottled water option without having to give up portability,
convenience and great refreshing taste. The bottle is made
from Ingeo TM , NatureWorks’ PLA resin that is a 100% renewable
resource “grown on American soil”, as the company
proudly stated.
“Primo Water, with its plant based bottle, is leading the
movement for sustainable green packaging, especially
in bottled water. The fact that Primo is recyclable and
compostable was a big plus to our event. We were very
pleased to find them,” said Jim Flint, president of the
Rattlesnake Triathlon (www.rattlesnaketri.com).
Consumers will not only enjoy Primo for its environmental
benefits, but also for its great taste. In blind taste tests
conducted at the end of 2007 across the U.S., three out of
four consumers preferred Primo over the leading spring
water and four out of five preferred Primo over tap water 1 .
In fact, Primo water was enjoyed at the MusiCares ® Person
of the Year event, on the red carpet and in the green room
of the first ‘green’ GRAMMY awards ceremony held in Los
Angeles on February 10th.
“We‘re proud to bring consumers a more
environmentally-friendly bottled water,“ said Billy Prim,
CEO of Primo Water Corporation. “Not only does Primo
give consumers the great taste, convenience, everyday
price value and availability that they‘ve been looking for in
a bottled water, it also helps them to leave a better world
for their children.“
“With Primo, consumers have told us they feel good
twice; once for promoting their own health by drinking
more water and avoiding sugar, and twice, for helping
to preserve the precious and depleting resources of our
planet,“ said Dave Burke, President and COO of Primo To
Go.
Today, three product lines make up Primo Water
Corporation’s portfolio. The first, introduced in June
of 2005, offers 3 and 5 gallon Zero Waste bottles and an
exchange program that rewards consumers for recycling
their bottles for refills. The second, launched in April of
2008, is a new line of Energy Star rated and stylish water
coolers. And the third is a single-serve bottled water, in
a more-environmentally-friendly bottle made from PLA.
Primo is available at nearly 4,000 retail stores across the
USA.
1 Taste tests conducted by an independent contractor,
Marketing Connections, in Charlotte, Tampa, Boston,
Dallas, Columbus and Los Angeles between September and
December 2007
www.primowater.com.
Watch a series of YouTube clips at
www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/200805
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Bottle Applications
Bio-Bottle
Meets
Private
Label Water
Two complementing niches
in a fast growing market
Bottled water is one of the fastest growing markets of
the 21st century. In Germany alone, 11 billion liters of
spring-, mineral-, and table waters are sold annually,
which includes domestic, as well as imported waters. Plastic
bottles made from PET had a huge breakthrough in this market
a decade ago and is now the most popular way of enjoying
this healthy and refreshing beverage for the modern and
mobile consumers.
The clear 500 ml water bottle has become THE accessory
of the century. It is ‘cool’, to be seen with this handy item,
celebrities even carry their bottles on the catwalks of this
world. This trend seems to be unbreakable and especially
young people carry their small and practical mobile water
tanks on the go. Still water in particular is the fastest growing
segment here. In the USA, water consumption in plastic
bottles will surpass CSD (carbonated soft drinks) and coffee
soon as the most consumed beverage.
In the past years, a new niche market within the bottled
water market was established in the USA, which is called
private label water. The current market share is 12.5% with an
annual growth rate of 0.9% regarding to BEVERAGE DIGEST.
For US-companies it is normal to use their ‘own spring
water’ with their own label and message, on events or even in
schools, the water bottle is being used as a fresh marketing
tool, even for charities.
This is possible due to the small operators which have
specialised in producing personalized bottled water in small
numbers.
The German market for personalized bottled water is just
starting out and a handful of players sold 10 million bottles
in 2007.
Article contributed by
Manfred Burkart,
Managing Director,
happYwater, Berlin, Germany
happYwater ® was founded on Christmas eve of 2007 and
started out with the traditional 500 ml PET bottle, serving
companies like BMW, on golfing tournaments, sailing cups
and polo events, as well as large catering companies and also
small charities.
22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Bottle Applications
The founders, Manfred Burkart and Lothar M. Lappöhn, located
in Berlin, are two veterans in the water business. In 1996 they
brought the „WaterCooler“ to Germany and with it a new way of
consuming cooled water in the office or at the shopping mall. The
company was sold in 2000 to Hutchinson Whampoa and after the
integration process and the creation of the new European brand
PowWow water, which is Nestlewaters today, they left the water
business, to return in 2007 with a new exciting venture in the ever
growing water market.
happYwater today is the fastest growing private label water
company in Germany and will be the number one by the end of
2009 with an annual sales volume of 5 million bottles.
Part of this hughe success is the fact that happYwater will be
the first German company with a DIN CERTCO certified PLA water
bottle within the EN 13432 regulation.
The first mass produced happYwater bio-bottle will be made
completely of PLA, including the label and the cap. Supported by
the German Government (the next amendment to the Packaging
Ordinance comes in effect in 2009) biodegradable PLA bottles will
be exempted from the stringent mandatory deposit. This creates a
unique selling point and a clear price advantage. This is essential,
also for the image of PLA, since big corporations and known
companies identify with this product and they will communicate
this innovative and clean product to their customers and the
public. This combination of two new markets in Germany is the
perfect start for PLA in an exciting segment, the bottled water
market which is also becoming more and more controversial, due
to the fact that PET bottles are made of oil. Of course there will
be more controversies coming up in the future, but for the bottled
water industry this will be a good testing ground. Private label
water will stay a niche business. Nevertheless, there is a lot of
potential in this niche and room for more innovations, which the
two founders have already in the pipeline. In the next 20 years
there will many problems and therefore many opportunities
coming up in the bottled water business and a big part of it will be
the packaging. Germany is also a good testing ground for the PLA
bottle, in connection with the separation of PET and PLA within the
recycling resp. the degradation process, which is managed by the
German Duales System. By the end of 2012, which the ‘transfer
law’ is aimed at, the technology will be much more advanced.
One big advantage for PLA will be that the bottles are filled
exclusively with still water. Also the bottles are in circulation for
approximately 4 to 8 weeks from production date to consumption
date. This minimizes problems through the known weak points
of PLA concerning the use of carbonated drinks, or unlike retail
where a circulation of 6 to 9 months is common. Leakage and
deformation will not be an issue.
happYwater wants to be part of this process in the future and
is already looking for additional markets and innovative products.
After all, the waterwheel keeps turning and turning.
www.happywater.de
Our covergirl Christina says: „A bottle
made from plants - sounds like a good
idea. But what about the food vs. biofuel
debate? Isn‘t that similar?“ Christina is
curious to read this complete issue of
bioplastics MAGAZINE.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 23

Bottle Applications
Closure mainly
made from
PLA compound
“EcoSield”
PLA Bottle
(TiO 2
whitening)
PLA shrink label
Fig. 1: “EcoSield” protopye bottles
Article contributed by
Dr. Takurou Ito, Manager,
Plastic Bottle Development Department ,
Dr. Takurou Ito
Toyo Seikan Kaisha, Ltd.
Yokohama, Japan
This article is based on a
presentation of Dr. Ito at the
1st PLA World Congress,
Munich, Germany, 9.-10. Sept. 2008
Today it is widely accepted that the reduction of carbon
dioxide emissions is a very important factor in
the prevention of global warming. Therefore Toyo
Seikan Kaisha, Ltd. from Yokohama, Japan, gives serious
consideration to the following questions: “What kind of
packaging is the best for our environment?” and “In what
way will this packaging protect it?” With regard to these
questions, the company has taken a positive step by developing
an eco-friendly bottle that is called “EcoSield”.
The Toyo Seikan Group consists 66 companies, including
subsidiaries across South East Asia, China, and Japan. In
2006 the consolidated turnover was about 4 billion Euros.
The group is a packaging supplier producing metal cans,
plastic bottles, glass, paper cups, closures, chemical
materials and packaging manufacturing machinery.
Toyo Seikan, Kaisha Ltd, parent company of Toyo Seikan
Group companies, is the largest packaging company in
Asia, operating in six countries (Japan, China, Thailand,
Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia) with net sales of about
two billion Euros.
The product line is divided into nine groups comprising
a wide variety of packaging for beverages, food, toiletries
and cosmetics, and health care products for everyday life.
EcoSield
Toyo Seikan has developed an environmentally-friendly
packaging called “EcoSield” made predominantly from
carbon-neutral PLA. EcoSield stands for Ecoactive,
Simplicity, Earth and Land, Decontamination. EcoSield
and EcoSield-WO are the two different types that are
available today. EcoSield is a simple PLA bottle and
is available for packaging chilled drinks and water. In
addition to that, EcoSield-WO has an excellent gas barrier
performance thanks to the use of Toyo Seikan’s unique
gas barrier technology applied by a plasma CVD method.
This bottle is suitable for oxygen-sensitive and watersensitive
contents. Figure 1 shows EcoSield-bottles. They
consist of three parts: bottle, closure and shrink label.
The bottle is made from 100 percent PLA with a whitening
pigment. Figure 2 shows the relationship between the d-
isomer content of the PLA resin and the overflow volume
reduction of PLA bottles. The overflow volume reduction
indicates the rate of the thermal shrinkage of the bottle.
It can be seen that the lower the d-isomer content of the
PLA, the higher the thermal stability of the PLA bottle
when it is kept in an atmoshpere of 55°C. Table 1 shows
24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Bottle Applications
PLA Bottles
the gas barrier performance of EcoSield and EcoSield-
WO compared to a PET bottle. The barrier performance is
only 1/8 (water vapor) and only 1/9 (oxygen) of that of PET.
The EcoSield-WO however, has a slightly improved water
vapor barrier performance over the PET bottle. Compared
to existing PLA bottles an excellent gas barrier advantage
for both water vapor and oxygen can be seen. With these
barrier enhancements EcoSield-WO is suitable for oxygen
and water vapor sensitive contents, just as a PET bottle.
Figure 3 shows the storage temperature dependency on
the water vapor barrier performance of EcoSield, EcoSield-
WO and the PET bottle. As can be seen, EcoSield-WO has
the same water vapor barrier performance as the PET
bottle at temperatures of up to 45°C. Thus, EcoSield-WO
will be suitable for water vapor sensitive contents similar
to a PET bottle.
With regard to biodegradability, Toyo Seikan is looking
at two points, namely reduction of plastic waste and
ease of disposal for each household to achieve a positive
contribution to society. EcoSield is biodegradable under
certain circumstances. Figure 4 shows the degradation
results in an electrically powered house-hold-composter 1 ,
as it is used in Japanese households. As the picture shows
EcoSield can be broken down within 32 hours in such a
‘home-composting unit’ 1 . In addition, the biodegradability
was determined by measuring the carbon dioxide generated
(ISO 14855 part 2) by the reaction with microorganisms
using standard compost and EcoSield at 58°C. EcoSield
can be biodegraded within 45 to 50 days, which means
that the biodegradability of EcoSield is rapid in controlled
compost conditions. With regards to these results, the
advantages in disposing of PLA bottles make it possible
to promote a change in the way societies approach waste
collection and processing. If this bottle becomes more
widely used throughout the world the environment would
naturally become cleaner.
Toyo Seikan seriously hopes that the EcoSield technology
will be able to contribute to reducing global warming as
much as possible.
www.toyo-seikan.co.jp/e
Fig. 2:
Thermal
stability
25
Fig. 3:
Gas barrier
property of
water vapor
Table 1:
Gas barrier
performance
Start
End
Over flow volume reduction (%)
Water vapor permeation (g/m 2 day)
20
15
10
5
PLA bottle
Purchased from Market
0
1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
d-isomer content (%)
Sample condition: Mold temperature 30 ºC
Storage condition: 55 ºC
Storage period: 7 days
30
25
20
15
10
5
EcoSield TM
(Standard)
EcoSield-WO TM
(High Barrier)
PET
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Storage temperature (ºC)
EcoSield-WO TM (Under development)
Bottles H 2
O O 2
PET 1.0 1.0
EcoSield TM
(Standard: PLA only)
EcoSield-WO TM
(High Barrier)
1 / 8 x 1 / 9 x
1.3 x 1.0 x
EcoSield-WO TM (Under development)
Barrier performance has been improved
by Toyo Seikan’s unique gas barrier technology.
After 20
treatments
(80Hr)
After 4
treatments
(16Hr)
After 16
treatments
(64Hr)
After 12
treatments
(48Hr)
After 8
treatments
(32Hr)
1: This has nothing in common with what is usually referred to
as “home composting”. In such an electric home-composter,
temperatures of approx. 80°C are applied to reduce the
volume of kitchen waste.
Fig. 4: Degradation by ‘home composting’ 1 process
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 25

Bottle Applications
Impact of Dry and Wet
Sterilisation on PLA Bottles
shrinkage of volume in %
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
4 6 8
time of rinsing [s]
Fig. 1: Bottle shrinkage during 60°C rinsing process
remaining H 2
O 2
[ppm]
1
0,9
0,8
0,7
0,6
0,5
0,4
0,3
0,2
0,1
0
conventional blow
molding process
optimized blow
molding process
uncoated
PLASMAX coated 1
after treatment after 1 day time after 3 days
Fig.2: Residuals for dry sterilization
1: no residuals detectable with PLASMAX
Article contributed by
Lars von Carlsburg, Application Engineer,
KHS Plasmax GmbH, Hamburg, Germany
If aseptic cold filling is required to ensure the quality and
shelf life of juice, ice tea, dairy products or flavoured
water the impact of either dry or wet sterilisation on
the container prior to filling also needs to be considered.
A known issue with aseptic cold filling is that, depending
on the specific conditions of the sterilisation process as
well as the technology applied, some sterilisation media
might migrate into the container material.
After filling, the sterilisation medium in the container
wall can partially remigrate into the product. This issue
causes, for example, an initial vitamin reduction in fruit
juices. Using the barrier coating technology offered by
KHS Plasmax, which covers the entire internal surface of
the bottle with a thin glass layer, it has already been shown
that for PET bottles any migration of H 2
O 2
into the bottle
material and subsequent remigration into the product is
totally eliminated. Since the material properties of PLA are
quite different from those of PET it makes sense to verify
the suitability of PLA for the aseptic cold filling process.
Properties of PLA bottles
During the wet or the dry sterilisation process the
bottles are exposed to higher temperatures. This has no
significant influence in the case of PET bottles due to
their high glass transition temperature. The PLA material
however is much more sensitive to higher temperatures
because of its lower glass transition and crystallisation
temperatures. This can ultimately lead to higher bottle
shrinkage.
To minimise this shrinkage of PLA bottles and to reach
a similar level as seen in PET bottles KHS Corpoplast has
optimised the blow moulding process. These optimised
PLA bottles were for instance, rinsed with hot water
at 60°C to simulate the wet sterilisation. A substantial
reduction of the resulting shrinkage from 6% to below 1%
was achieved (Fig. 1).
Comparison of remigration
To determine the possible sterilisation medium residuals
for PLA, and to evaluate the benefit of the PLASMAX
internal coating, KHS Plasmax tested the remigration
in both processes – dry and wet sterilisation on coated
and uncoated 330 ml, 35g PLA bottles. These bottles
were manufactured using the optimised blow moulding
process.
26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K
For the dry sterilisation trials the concentration of
the sterilisation medium H 2
O 2
was set at 20 %. The
resulting maximum outside temperature of the bottle
was below 55°C while it was being treated.
Directly after filling of the uncoated PLA bottle the
residual concentration of H 2
O 2
was below 0.5 ppm and
therefore in conformity with the FDA guideline. But
after just one day the remaining H 2
O 2
increased to
nearly 1 ppm. The test also showed that for PLASMAX
coated PLA bottles the remigration of H 2
O 2
is below the
detection limit of the measurement equipment (Fig.
2). These test results for PLA showed slightly higher
residuals compared to the general results from PET
migration tests for uncoated bottles.
With regard to the bottle‘s thermal stability, the
reduction of the fill weight amounts to only 0.3 % after
dry sterilisation treatment, which again is comparable
to PET. In the case of wet sterilisation with peracetic
acid (PAA), which contains a certain amount of H 2
O 2
,
no remigration of either sterilisation medium was
observed. Both coated and uncoated PLA bottles
were tested at 60°C rinse temperature, 1000 ppm PAA
concentration and 7 seconds dwell time. As expected
from the previous simulated rinse test the reduction
in the fill weight after treatment is comparable to PET
and amounts to 0.15 %.
Conclusion
When looking at thermal stability an optimised
blow moulding process makes PLA bottles perfectly
suitable for aseptic cold filling using either dry or
wet sterilisation. Although for uncoated bottles the
sterilisation residuals are slightly higher for PLA than
for PET they are in the same typical range. However,
in the end only an internal coating can substantially
reduce this level.
But even if the PLA material is suitable for aseptic
filling from the point of view of bottle stability, the
most critical issue remains the low barrier property of
PLA against gas permeation of oxygen, CO 2
and water
vapour. But here too the PLASMAX coating provides the
optimum solution.
Pictures: NatureWorks LLC, WZS/Kurt Fuchs, Fraunhofer ICT · werbersbuero.de · 28250
Cooperation Forum
Biopolymers
Raw materials - Technologies - Applications
Herzogschloss Straubing
23 October 2008
Information and registration:
www.bayern-innovativ.de/biopolymers2008
Speakers, e.g. from BASF, DuPont, EMPA, Huhtamaki,
Novamont, Teijin, TU München, Virginia Tech, will present:
• Renewable raw materials for biobased polymers
• Innovative technologies for manufacturing and processing
• New markets for industrial applications
Visit of the Competence Centre for Renewable Raw Materials
in Straubing on 22 October 2008
www.valueaddedbottling.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 27

Non-Food
Cellulose - the first bioplastics already a century ago
Container made
from Biograde
C 8500 CL (left) and
C 9540 (right)
Generation
Article contributed by
Dr.-Ing. Christian Bonten,
Director for Technology and Marketing,
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH,
Willich, Germany
Injection moulded sharpener
made from Biograde C 9540
ZERO
Non-food stock bioplastics
were the very beginning
As early as 1869 thermoplastic celluloid (softening
temperature approx. 85 °C) was developed by J.W. Hyatt as a
replacement material for ivory, intended for the production of
billiard balls [1]. At that time he certainly was not aware that
he had already produced the first ever bioplastic in a synthetic
process. Celluloid is composed of a mixture of about 70 to 75 %
by weight of cellulose di-nitrate and 25 to 30 % by weight of
camphor [1]. Over the years it has been displaced by mixtures
of cellulose acetate which are less combustible.
Cellulose can be found as a structural component in all
plants – including many plants that do not serve as food. Hence
cellulose is the most frequently encountered carbohydrate on
earth. Vegetable fibres such as cotton, jute, flax and hemp are
cellulose in a nearly pure form [2].
By means of fiberisation and forming, it is possible to
convert cellulose into paper (‘pulp’). The cellulose used here
is obtained from wood or straw. By hydrolysis of cellulose,
glucose is obtained, which can then be converted into
different chemicals such as acetone, alcanoles, carboxylic
acids, and also ethanol, by means of fermentation. This bioethanol
can deliver ethylene and butadiene for the production
of bioplastics. However, this method involves many different
steps and is not always efficient.
A simpler method is to produce derivatives from cellulose
which can be converted more directly into bioplastics. The
esterification to a cellulose ester with the aid of derivatives
of organic acids (e. g. acid anhydride) represents a typical
method. The characteristics of these cellulose esters can be
strongly influenced by additives, e.g. plasticizers.
The common cellulose esters CA (cellulose actetate), CAB
(cellulose acetate butyrate) and CP (cellulose propionate) can
be converted using all known plastics converting processes
[3]. The ease of flow is excellent and even allows pin gates.
Although under thermal aspects cellulose ester is more
resilient than many other bioplastics, hot runners are not
recommended, or at least the dwell time should be short.
Vented moulds are also recommended.
Biodegradable cellulose ester – made by nature!
With the mission ‘Plastics – made by nature!’ the company
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH was incorporated in Willich, Germany,
in 2003. In cooperation with the Fraunhofer UMSICHT Institute
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH has developed and established a
wide range of biodegradable plastics primarily made from
renewable raw materials on the market.
In general biodegradable raw materials (CA, starch, PLA,
PHA, PBS, etc.) are not ready-made for conversion processes,
but can be tailored for the particular application by means of
compounding. This processing of biodegradable raw materials
requires special knowledge of both the selection of additives
and a smooth compounding process.
Although the FKuR product portfolio comprises more than
bioplastics on the basis of cellulose, growth over recent years
28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Non-Food
has been very much due to bioplastics based on PLA and used
for packaging goods with a short lifetime (food packaging,
waste bags, diaper backing sheets, mulch films, etc.). Here
the biodegradability and the associated alternative disposal
route are especially beneficial for the consumer.
The demand for bioplastics for durable goods is continuously
rising and will outstrip the demand for bioplastics for short
life-time goods in the medium term. Since the importance
of biodegradability takes a back seat in this context and
sometimes is not even requested, research and development
at FKuR focuses more and more on the exclusive use of
renewable resources.
Whereas bioplastics for packaging are indeed converted
into films by means of different extrusion processes, injection
moulding is the most commonly used process worldwide for
the production of plastic components. Typical application fields
are to be found in all industry branches. Merely as examples
we can mention here automotive, construction, electronic and
household articles, the furniture and toy industries as well as
medical technology.
Biograde ® - injection mouldable bioplastics with
properties similar to polystyrene
Injection mouldable bioplastics – similar to extrudable
bioplastics for packaging – preferably have to be capable of
being processed on conventional machinery. For injection
moulding specific mechanical characteristics (demoulding)
and temperature conditions (dwell time) have to be taken into
consideration.
Injection mouldable cellulose ester compounds from FKuR
are marketed under the brand name “Biograde“. They offer
the following advantages:
• Up to 100 % natural resources (depending on grade)
• Raw material: wood from European forests
• Excellent heat distortion temperature up to 122 °C
• Injection mouldable on conventional injection moulding
machinery
• Thermoformable on conventional equipment
• Suitable for food contact
• Biodegradability tested according to EN 13432 by
independent organisations.
The balanced properties profile is comparable to the
mechanical characteristics of polystyrene (fig. 1). Biograde is
extraordinarily rigid, scratch resistant and also transparent
depending on the grade.
Typical existing applications are shown in the photos.
Moreover any kind of application made from polystyrene or any
other rigid commodity plastic may be realised with Biograde.
Cellulose based Bioplastics have already existed for a long
time: let‘s call them Generation ZERO!
www.fkur.com
Elongation at break (%)
14,0
12,0
10,0
8,0
6,0
5,0
2,0
0,0
Biograde ® C 8500 CL
Standard-PS
2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000
Tensile Modules (MPa)
Sources:
Biograde ® C 9540
Fig. 1.: Selected mechanical properties of Biograde in
comparison to standard polystyrene
Biodegradable,
disposable cutlery made
from Biograde C 9540
[1] Tänzer, W.: Biologisch abbaubare
Polymere. Deutscher Verlag für
Grundstoffindustrie, (2000)
[2] Eyerer, P.; Elsner, P.; Hirth, T.:
Domininghaus – Die Kunststoffe
und Ihre Eigenschaften. 6. Auflage.
Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg
(2005)
[3] Oberbach, K.: Saechtling –
Kunststoff Taschenbuch. 28. Auflage,
Carl Hanser Verlag (2001)
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 29

Non-Food
Proteinous
Bioplastics
from
Bloodmeal
Homogeneity
Article contributed by
Johan Verbeek, University of
Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
and Lisa van den Berg
Granular appearance
Heterogeneities
Cohesive failure and
increased homogeneity
It is almost impossible to remember a world without plastics;
however, environmental concerns over the origin, use and
disposal of plastics have created a substantial effort into finding
alternative solutions to these issues. Recycling is aimed at
reducing the amount of virgin material required; biodegradable
polymers are intended to solve the disposal and ultimate fate of
polymers, while research into finding sustainable sources for polymer
production is aimed at reducing the reliance on petrochemical
sources. Although bioplastics sound like the perfect solution
to these problems, bioplastics also have some drawbacks; most
importantly the perceived competition with food production. As
a result, attention is shifting to second generation bioplastics
manufactured from non-potential food sources. However, one of
the challenges for bioplastics is to be successfully integrated into
common synthetic plastic processing routes, such as extrusion
and injection moulding.
Chain entanglements and secondary interactions are what
differentiate synthetic polymers from other low molecular weight
organic substances. Inter- and intra molecular bonds, as well
as chain entanglements, prevent chain slippage leading to the
superior properties of polymers. Proteins are natural biopolymers
and exhibit the same behaviour. Various amino acid functional
groups offer a wide range of possible inter- and intra-molecular
interactions, leading to the complex structure found in proteins.
This implies that successful processing hinges on the ability to
manipulate protein structure.
In this article thermoplastic bioplastics produced from proteins,
obtained as a co-product in the meat industry, are discussed.
Bloodmeal is mostly unfit for human consumption and is currently
used as a low cost animal feed supplement. With more than
80% protein, it has the potential to be used as a thermoplastic
biopolymer. However, during the production of bloodmeal, proteins
are exposed to high temperatures, inducing aggregation and crosslinking.
Cross-links are heat-stable, covalent bonds between either
cysteine or lysine amino acid residues, resulting in an insoluble
powder. Previous studies have claimed blood proteins not to be
extrudable, failing to produce a homogenous plastic material.
This offers a great challenge to its processability since the
wrong conditions may lead to further cross-linking, not only
leading to a non-homogenous material, but also potentially
30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Non-Food
Denaturation
+ heat
+ pressure
+ chemical additives
Folded
Quaternary and Tertiary Structure
Hydrogen Bonds
Hydrophobic Interactions
Ionic Interactions
Covalent cross-linking
Unfolded
Secondary and Primary Structure
Hydrogen Bonds
Peptide Bonds
blocking the extruder or injection moulder. It was found that
processing requires sufficient protein denaturing leading to the
exposure of different amino acid functional groups, followed by
rearrangement of chains by means of plasticisation and shear
flow and finally allowing new interactions to be established during
the solidification stage and appropriate additives. Successful
processing therefore requires appropriate modification by
eliminating or introducing intermolecular bonds at the correct
time during processing.
Bloodmeal is a powdery product and processing is therefore
required to consolidate the particles to prevent adhesive failure.
It was found that denaturation of bloodmeal using water, heat
and pressure was not enough to break covalent bonds, resulting
in a heterogeneous material. Thermoplastic processing required
a combination of aggressive denaturants, reducing reagents and
plasticizers to form a homogenous and extrudable material.
By relying on Fourier Transform Infrared analysis (FTIR)
the structure of a processable bloodmeal based bioplastic
could be assessed. Results confirmed a shift from α-helix
to a predominantly β-sheet and random coil structure. It is
interesting to note the similarity between the mixed random coil/
α-helix structure of these proteins compared to that of synthetic
semi-crystalline polymers. In synthetic polymers chains in the
crystalline regions are typically kept in position by hydrogen
or van der Waals forces in an extended zigzag conformation.
Chains then fold into and out of this crystalline lamella forming
amorphous regions. It is therefore an important observation that
the β-sheet/ random coil structure of extrudable proteins closely
resembles that of synthetic semi-crystalline thermoplastic
polymers.
Initial trials showed mechanical properties of extrudable
bloodmeal bioplastics to vary depending on the moisture and
plasticiser content. The tensile strength of linear low density
polyethylene (14 MPa) was easily surpassed, however, the
material was considerably stiffer. Potential applications
are in the agricultural and horticultural markets, more
specifically products such as seedling trays, tree guards
and possibly extruded netting. Technology in the area
is still in its infancy and considerable research is still
required to improve properties such as long term stability
and embrittlement. This patented technology is currently
owned by Novatein Ltd., a spin-off company by WaikatoLink
Ltd., the commercial arm of the University of Waikato.
www.eng.waikato.ac.nz/research/comps/
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 31

Non-Food
Bioplastic Products from
Biomass Waste Streams
Article contributed by
Dr Alan Fernyhough,
Bioproduct Development Group, Scion,
Rotorua, New Zealand
Introduction
The exploitation of non-food biomass resources and
industrial waste streams in bioplastic products has been a
major theme of research and development at New Zealand
Crown Research Institute ‘Scion’ for nearly 10 years (see
bM 04/07). Among this research two major strategies for
manufacturing bioplastic products have been pursued:
utilisation of forestry resources and utilisation of industrial
biomass waste streams. Such resources or residues
can, depending on their nature and on the modification
technology employed, be transformed into bioplastics,
or into functional additives for bioplastics, especially
polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and
other biopolymers. Thus these bioplastics products are
made from non-food resources.
Exampe 1: Microbial Waste Water Treatment For
PHA Bioplastics
Huge volumes of wood waste, bark, paper and pulp
processing waste – solid and liquid (waste water) are
generated each year in commercial forestry and forest
processing operations. About 10 years ago Scion
recognised these underutilised and readily available
residues were sources of chemicals and polymers
for use as bioplastics and/or as bioplastics functional
32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

A_MAT_95x277.indd 1
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 33
20 08 08 12:16:19 Uhr
additives. Several technologies are under development for
bioplastics.
One key development has focused on adapting a
unique microbial transformation technology developed
for treating waste water from paper and pulp mills into a
process for making PHA bioplastics from industrial waste
waters. Novel proprietary microbial, bioreactor and postproduction
processes have been developed. The preferred
process uses bacteria which can directly fix nitrogen from
the atmosphere and convert carbon in wastes into useful
bio-based polymers. This technology has now been
proven in large scale trials, including 1000 litre scale
at Scion. Aspects will be presented at the forthcoming
International Symposium on Biological Polyesters (ISBP
2008), to be held in Palmerston North, New Zealand in 23-
27 November 2008.
Example 2: Fruit/Crop Waste Utilisation
Scion has undertaken various surveys of industrial
waste streams in New Zealand to identify the most likely
significant sources of available biomass wastes. In
addition to forestry and its various downstream processing
operations, certain sectors of the food processing and
wider horticultural and agricultural industries were
identified as major sources of wastes which contained
useful biopolymers or biopolymer feedstocks of potential
use in Scion’s technologies for bioplastic products. As
one example, in the case of kiwifruit, and through a more
recent study commissioned by Zespri TM , a survey identified
~50,000 tonnes per year of waste biomass from the kiwifruit
industry alone. Most of this is either landfilled or
given to farmers as cattle feed. Neither of these options
are sustainable on an ongoing basis for such volumes of
organic waste, and are increasingly disfavoured. Scion has
developed technologies to use this type of waste stream as
a potential source for bioplastics or bioplastics products.
Several scenarios for using waste fruit or vegetables have
been identified. The bio-based polymers and chemicals in
fruit waste have many attributes, with the added advantage
of being renewably produced and biodegradable. Other
non-food resources such as ‘green waste’ or even
cow-poo have been studied for use in bioplastics. The
transformation of such wastes, and the selected use of
co-additives with the modified waste derived bio-based
polymers, can produce useful plastics, adhesives, coatings
or composites. If appropriately formulated and processed,
they can also reduce the overall cost of the final product
and impart new functional attributes. Through studying
the interactions of biomass wastes with commercial
biopolymers, Scion has created a range of novel wastederived
industrial products including biodegradable pots
and other moulded plastic products, all containing various
types and amounts of processed and modified biomass
waste streams.
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Non-Food
Example 3: Use Of Lignins/Lignocelluosics In
Bioplastics
Scion is working with a range of ‘waste generators’ to
identify how best to use their wastes in bioplastics and
related industrial polymer products, and to measure and
improve sustainability profiles in their value chains. Life
Cycle Assessments (LCA) and carbon-footprinting are
increasingly used to guide the research and technology
developments. As another example, research is ongoing
into the utilisation of lignin, the second most abundant
natural polymer. It is a residue from pulp and paper
processing, and indeed from biofuels or other processing
of lignocellulosic materials. By exploiting synergies
across its various research programmes in biofuels, pulp
& paper, waste treatment and bioplastics Scion has a
focus on developing new technologies for lignin utilisation.
Its use as a plastically processable polymer through direct
modification and formulation strategies, or as an additive
for use in combination with other bioplastics and additives
is being investigated. Novel highly lignin-rich compounds
have been successfully extruded and injection moulded.
Example 4: Use Of Wood Fibers In Bioplastics
Another Scion development, aimed at enhancing
further the performance of bioplastics and using non-food
resources, is the manufacturing of reinforced bioplastic
products with wood fibres. Most prior developments,
including Scion’s work in the distant past, have used
sawdust or wood flours as low cost additives for plastics
and bioplastics. However, this type of manufacturing
does not fully use the wood fibres’ reinforcing potential
since they are ground up and have largely destroyed the
actual fibres. In the fibre board manufacturing industry,
the technology exists to extract fibre from timber, but
the `cotton wool’ like material it produces is unsuitable
for feeding into conventional plastics machinery. Scion
has developed a cost-effective way to turn these fibres
into pellets in a way that does not damage the fibres. The
patented wood-fibre process, which includes the use of
34 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

selected additives, will enable wood fibres to compete in
the future with higher priced fibres such as hemp, or flax
- or even glass fibres - in higher performance moulded
bioplastic applications.
Summary
Non-Food
Scion’s approaches to bioplastic products have as
a key point of difference a focus on utilising non-food
resources such as those from forestry, and from a wide
range of waste streams or other reject materials. It
is not just about plant pots and ground pegs as end
products – several other product development projects
with industry (New Zealand and international) are being
progressed. Scion’s bioplastics technologies, which are
based on, or incorporate, waste derived polymers, through
various modification technologies, could be used to make
furniture parts, electronic/appliance parts or casings,
packaging - virtually any use conventional plastic is put to.
Scion has researched a wide spectrum of biomass wastes
and natural resources and has evaluated their suitabilities
to plastics processes. Scientists have then developed
modifications or treatments of such wastes to enable
their use in common plastic processes such as extrusion
or injection moulding. Discovering what ‘biomass’ wastes
are best suited for what product or performance attribute
is part of the fun. Some of them have definite potential.
Some have none at all (at present!).
www.scionresearch.com
Sofitel Hotel, Munich, Germany
3-4 December 2008
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Confirmed speakers
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 35

Non-Food
PHA from Switchgrass –
a Non-Food-Source
Alternative
Scientists and engineers have been at it for years, trying
to crack the code for an economically viable and agriculturally
available resource that can be used as a feedstock
to produce significant amounts of bioplastics. Research
has been done with sugarcane, flax, cotton, tobacco, alfalfa, potato,
oilseed, and of course, corn. Many of these resources have
shown the potential for engineering into bioplastic, but none
without sacrifice. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA - based Metabolix
has been hard at work evaluating renewable solutions
to help minimize the negative environmental impact of plastics
and has had a breakthrough that promises to literally change
the landscape of the industry.
Switchgrass
“There is a need throughout the world, not only in the U.S.
and Europe, to identify renewable resources that can be used
as feedstocks in the production of plastics. It is a glaring truth
that oil is not the answer, and so Metabolix and others are hard
at work evaluating natural resources that can help to reduce
the amount of petroleum and chemicals that go into plastics,
lowering greenhouse gas emissions and reducing our carbon
footprint,” commented Brian Igoe, VP and Chief Brand Officer
of Metabolix, Inc.
Metabolix is often viewed as one of the leaders in the
bioplastics industry, primarily as it relates to its production of
polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) via the microbial fermentation of
sugars. This first generation bioplastic, called Mirel, is a family
of bioplastics created within the cells of engineered microbes.
Mirel starts with corn sugar, as this is the most economic
feedstock in the U.S., but the technology is adaptable for cane
sugar in Brazil or even palm oil in Southeast Asia.
What differentiates Mirel from other biobased plastics is its
combination of high performance and biodegradability in a wide
range of environments including soil, home compost, industrial
compost, municipal waste treatment facilities, septic systems
and even wetlands, rivers, and oceans. In the second quarter
of 2009, Telles, the company’s 50-50 joint venture with Archer
Daniels Midland, will begin producing 110 million pounds (approx.
50,000 tonnes) of Mirel bioplastic per year at a production facility
being constructed now in Clinton, Iowa, USA.
Second Generation Bioplastics
Over the last seven years, Metabolix scientists have been
working to engineer the genetic pathways that would make it
36 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Non-Food
possible to produce bioplastics directly within biomass energy
crops such as switchgrass. In August the company announced a
promising development in its research of these biomass crops,
validating its business model to co-produce both bioenergy and
bioplastic from a single biomass source - switchgrass.
Switchgrass, commonly known as prairie grass, is a
naturally abundant crop, capable of growing throughout much
of the U.S. and Europe. Dense growth, multiple harvests and
versatile growing conditions have previously made the grass a
highly attractive resource for the production of biofuels, namely
cellulosic ethanol.
The co-production of high-value bioplastics within this
bioenergy crop was seen as a key driver in the economics of
the system. The U.S. Department of Energy saw the value
and awarded Metabolix $7.4 million in 2001 for their research.
Although the company concedes that commercial-scale
production of plastic inside switchgrass is still a number of
years away, the results of their research show proof that such
a concept is in fact viable.
Switchgrass
Lab and greenhouse trials by Metabolix have resulted in
a yield of 3.72% dry weight PHB in the leaves and 1.23% dry
weight in the switchgrass plant as a whole. Researchers aim
to yield about 7.5% dry weight from the plant, a benchmark that
would be economical for full scale commercial production.
“To understand the economics of this initiative, we’ve
calculated that at just a 3% plastic yield, the amount of
switchgrass that would be used to produce 100 million gallons
of cellulosic ethanol would also yield 100 million pounds of
PHA bioplastic,” said Oliver Peoples, Ph.D., co-founder and
Chief Scientific Officer of Metabolix.
A detailed scientific paper on the technology, titled
‘Production of polyhydroxybutyrate in switchgrass, a valueadded
coproduct in an important lignocellulosic biomass crop,’
was recently published in Plant Biotechnology Journal. Beyond
switchgrass, Metabolix has also announced ongoing research
in developing bioplastics inside sugarcane and oilseed crops.
Stained switchgrass leaf
Metabolix PHA bioplastic from switchgrass will expand
the platform of their Mirel corn-based bioplastic. PHA from
switchgrass could provide tremendous volume potential, and
could also be blended with Mirel for some applications.
“The goal of our research was to successfully execute the
first multi-gene expression pathway in switchgrass which
would allow for the co-production of bioplastic directly within
the biomass crop, significantly increasing the economics while
demonstrating that we can engineer other characteristics of
the crop as well,” said Kristi Snell, Ph.D., Director of Plant
Science at Metabolix. “We are pleased with the progress that
has been made in this short amount of time and we feel that
large scale commercial viability will be attainable in the near
future.”
www.metabolix.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 37

Non-Food
Sustainable “Zoom-Zoom”
with Non-Food-Based
Bioplastic
(Photo: Mazda)
Japanese Mazda Motor Corporation will launch the
“Mazda Bioplastic Project” together with Hiroshima
University (see bM 04/08).
The non-food based bioplastic will be made from cellulosic
biomass produced from inedible vegetation such as plant
waste and wood shavings.
Seita Kanai, Mazda’s director and senior executive officer
in charge of R&D, said, “Development of a non-food-based
bioplastic made from sustainable plant resources has great
potential in the fight against global warming, and can help allay
global food supply concerns. Mazda is pleased to join forces
with our regional partners as we work toward systematically
combining various biomass technologies. Through this
cooperation, we intend to strengthen Hiroshima’s position as
a center for biomass research, and develop technology that
can be used throughout the world.”
Mazda’s previous research on biomass technology resulted
in the world’s first high heat-resistant, high-strength bioplastic
and the world’s first 100 percent plant-derived fabric for use
in car seats. These two biomaterials are used in the interior of
the Mazda Premacy Hydrogen RE Hybrid. Powered by Mazda’s
hydrogen rotary engine mated to a hybrid system, the Premacy
Hydrogen RE Hybrid is scheduled to start commercial leasing
in Japan this year (see bM 02/08).
Mazda began joint activities with the research department
at Hiroshima University’s Graduate School of Engineering in
2005. This partnership’s comprehensive agreement on joint
automotive technology research includes biomass technology.
Going forward, Mazda plans to expand the collaborative
research on biomass technologies and strengthen its
relationship with Hiroshima University for multidisciplinary
joint research. Japan’s National Institute of Advanced
Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) will also participate
in the bioplastic project as part of its ongoing agreement to
collaborate on biomass research with Hiroshima University.
In March 2007, Mazda announced its long-term vision for
technology development, ‘Sustainable Zoom-Zoom’. This
vision sets out Mazda’s commitment to advance safety and
environmental technologies, which include biomass-related
research, with the aim of realizing a sustainable society.
www.mazda.com
38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Politics
Situation
in India
Article contributed by
Perses Bilimoria,
Founder and CEO,
Earthsoul India Pvt. Ltd.
Mumbai, India
(Photo: Brasil2, iStockphoto)
India as everyone knows, has one of the world’s fastest
growing economies, at around 7-8% per annum.
It is paradoxical that India also boast’s of one of the
largest poor and uneducated population in the world.
This combination makes a heady and almost lethal
cocktail for waste generation, around the major cities of
India. Some cities such as Mumbai (Bombay), the financial
capital of India, has a population of over 15 million
inhabitants, almost twice the size of the population of
France.
India’s consumption of plastic in packaging, is around
3 million tonnes per year, the third highest in the world,
growing at 20% per year.
India, also has one of the highest recycling initiatives in
the world, where nearly 67% of all plastic waste is recycled,
in mainly, local community driven initiatives.
Yet one will find the Indian countryside littered with
commonly called ‘white snow’ or waste plastic litter.
A large number of local State Governments have tried
to impose complete bans on plastic bags or a regulation
on minimum micron thickness, but, till now, there is no
implementation to be effective.
Various private, public and Government efforts have
been started to prevent this from becoming a widespread
disease, however, for most Indians the primary concern is
earning their daily meal and not the enviroment.
Hence, it is a challenge on how to motivate the poor to
care for the enviroment and to build schemes where they
could earn their livelyhood as well.
Such schemes are being run successfully in many parts
of India.
The Government of India has also implemented a ‘solid
waste management’ programme to deal with India’s
700 million tonnes of bio waste each year. Of this solid
waste generated is nearly 40 million tonnes per year. So
clearly there is a potential for waste to energy programmes
and the use of bioplastics in packaging.
Unfortunately, bioplastics have not been a cost effective
alternative and are currently only serving the niche
markets, mainly high end hotels and certain select organic
foods outlets. Unfortunately, biopolymers are classified
as synthetic polymers in the import code and the import
duties are a staggering 35%.
However interestingly oxo-degradable products are
finding themselves in a comfort zone in this country,
where no certification guidelines are yet in place and the
products are cheaply available.
The potential for producing PLA from lactic acid
monomer, via the sugar cane baggasse route is enormous,
as is the potential to harness waste agro starches being
produced in India on very large scales. A few companies
have embarked on R&D in these areas.
The areas for large scope of bioplastics would be
plasticulture, flexible packaging, consumer goods and
automobile and other accessories.
Currently apart from my company, Earthsoul India, there
appears to be only one other company in the biobased
bioplastic field.
I believe that the Indian market will be ready to embrace
bioplastics in various applications within the next two
years, more particularly in the field of agriculture and
consumer goods.
The demand for bioplastics in India, within the next 5
years could be approximately 100,000 tonnes provided
manufacturing facilities are set up within the country to
make the product affordable.
www.earthsoulindia.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 39

Basics
Carbon and Environmental
Footprint of PLA Products
1 - 10 yrs
CO 2
Polymers,
Chemicals
& Fuels
Sunlight energy
CO 2
+ H 2
O (CH 2
O) x
+ O 2
1 year
Bio-chemical industry
Chemical Industry
NEW Carbon
Biomass/Agricultural Crops
> 10 6 yrs
Fossil Recources
petroleum, natural gas coal
OLD Carbon
Bioplastics like PLA use renewable (bio) carbon,
and therefore provide an intrinsic reduced carbon
footprint depending on the amount of renewable
carbon in the product. This fundamental principle and
concept behind the use of bio(renewable) feedstocks for
reducing the carbon footprint is not captured or calculated
in the many LCA’s reported or if it is, then it is lumped
together with other related carbon emissions and the ‘intrinsic
value proposition’ is lost.
NEW (Renewable) Carbon Foodstock
vs
OLD (Fossil) Carbon Foodstock
Fig 1: Global Carbon Cycling
Carbon Management Nature’s Way
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
‚ZERO‘ FOOTPRINT
Starch/PLA
Carbon Foodprint
kg of CO 2
per 100 kg of plastic
PET
PP (85.71%c)
Fig. 2: Intrinsic value proposition for ‘Bio’ feedstock
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
Starch
Carbon Footprint Including Conversion
CO 2
released during conversion
Feedstock CO 2
release
PET
ZERO CARBON
FOOTPRINT
Intrinsic
‚Value Proposition‘
PP (85.71%c)
Fig. 3: Intrinsic Value Proposition for ‘Bio’ feedstock
(Source: E. Vink et. al.)
The intrinsic ‘zero carbon’ value proposition is best
explained by reviewing and understanding Nature’s
Biological Carbon Cycle (see bM 01/2007). Nature cycles
carbon through various environmental compartments
with specific mass, rates, and time scales (see fig 1).
Carbon is present in the atmosphere as CO 2 , essentially
as inorganic carbon. The current levels of CO 2 are around
380 ppm. CO 2 is a life sustaining, heat trapping gas,
and needs to be maintained at or around current levels
to maintain life-sustaining temperature of the planet.
While, one may debate the severity of effects associated
with this or any other target level of CO 2 , there can be
no disagreement that uncontrolled, continued increase
in levels of CO 2 in the atmosphere will result in global
warming and with it associated severity of effects affecting
life on this planet as we know it. It is therefore prudent
and necessary to try and maintain current levels – the
‘neutral or zero carbon’ approach. This can best be done
by using annually renewable biomass crops as feedstocks
to manufacture our carbon based products, so that the
CO 2 released from the end-of-life of the product after
use is captured by planting new crops or biomass in the
next season. Specifically the rate of CO 2 release to the
environment at end-of-life equals the rate of CO 2 fixation
photo synthetically by the next generation biomass planted
– a ‘neutral or zero carbon’ foot print. In the case of fossil
feedstocks, the rate of carbon fixation is in millions of years
while the end-of-life release rate into the environment is
in 1-10 years – the math is simple, this is not sustainable
and results in more CO 2 release than fixation, resulting
in a increased carbon footprint with its associated severe
environmental impacts.
Thus, for every 100 kg of polyolefin (polyethylene,
propylene) or polyester manufactured from a fossil
40 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Article contributed by
Ramani Narayan, University Distinguished
Professor, Michigan State University
Department of chemical engineering &
materials science
feedstock, there is an intrinsic net 314 kg CO 2 (85.7% fossil
carbon) or 229 kg of CO 2 (62.5% fossil carbon) released
into the environment respectively at end-of-life. However,
if the polyester or polyolefin is manufactured from a
biofeedstock, the net release of CO 2 into the environment
is zero because the CO 2 released is fixed immediately by
the next biomass cycle. This is the fundamental intrinsic
value proposition for using a bio/renewable feedstock
and is totally lost or ignored during LCA discussions.
Incorporating biocontent into plastic resins and products
would have a positive impact – reducing the carbon
footprint by the amount of biocarbon incorporated, for
example incorporating 30% biocarbon PLA content into
a fossil based polypropylene resin would intrinsically
reduce CO 2 emissions by 42%. These are significant
environmental value gains for the biobased product.
It is equally important to note that in the conversion of the
feedstock to product and in its use and ultimate disposal,
‘carbon’ in the form of energy is needed and releases
CO 2 into the environment. Currently, in the conversion of
biofeedstocks to product, for example corn to PLA resin,
fossil carbon energy is used. The CO 2 released per 100 kg
of plastic during the conversion process for biofeedstocks
as compared to fossil feedstock is in many cases higher,
as in the case of PLA. However, in the PLA case, the total
(net) CO 2 released to the environment taking into account
the intrinsic carbon footprint as discussed in the earlier
paragraph is lower, and will continue to get even better,
as process efficiencies are incorporated and renewable
energy is substituted for fossil energy (see fig 3, these
are actual data from Vink et al, www.natureworksllc.com
and the APME database). For PLA and other biobased
products, it is important to calculate the conversion
‘carbon costs’ using LCA tools, and ensure that the
intrinsic ‘neutral or zero carbon’ footprint is not negated
by the conversion ‘carbon costs’ and the net value is lower
than the product being replaced from feedstock to product
or resin manufacture.
Biocarbon content determination:
In order to calculate the intrinsic CO 2 reductions from
incorporating biocarbon content, one has to identify and
quantify the biobased carbon content.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 41

Basics
As shown in figure below, 14 C signature forms the basis
for identifying and quantifying biboased content. The CO 2
in the atmosphere is in equilibrium with radioactive 14 CO 2 .
Radioactive carbon is formed in the upper atmosphere
through the effect of cosmic ray neutrons on 14 N. It is
rapidly oxidized to radioactive 14 CO 2 , and enters the Earth‘s
plant and animal lifeways through photosynthesis and the
food chain. Plants and animals which utilise carbon in
biological foodchains take up 14 C during their lifetimes.
They exist in equilibrium with the 14 C concentration of
the atmosphere, that is, the numbers of C-14 atoms and
non-radioactive carbon atoms stays approximately the
same over time. As soon as a plant or animal dies, they
cease the metabolic function of carbon uptake; there is
no replenishment of radioactive carbon, only decay. Since
the half life of carbon is around 5730 years, the fossil
feedstocks formed over millions of years will have no 14 C
Carbon Footprint Including Conversion
signature. Thus, by using this methodology one can identify
and quantify biobased content. ASTM subcommittee
D20.96 CO2 has released codified during this methodology coversion into a test method
(D 6866) to quantify biobased content. D6866 test method
involves combusting the test material in the presence of
oxygen to produce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas. The gas is
analyzed to provide a measure of the products. 14 C/ 12 C
content is determined relative to the modern carbonbased
oxalic acid radiocarbon standard reference material
(SRM) 4990c, (referred to as HOxII).
700
600
500
400
300
End-of-Life Option:
PLA, PLA blends and similar biobased plastics end-oflife
scenario involves recycling, waste to energy plants or
200
biological disposal systems like composting or anaerobic
100
digestion. In each case, the biocarbon conversion to CO 2
is fixed by the next season biomass plantation giving it the
0intrinsic value proposition as discussed in detail earlier.
However, many LCA studies show landfills as an end-of-life
Fig 3 option for PLA and similar biobased plastics. The studies
assume breakdown of the biocomponent anaerobically
to methane with its attendant negative global warming
Biocarbon content determination:
Starch PET PP (85.71%c)
effect. However, landfills are not the preferred end-of-life
option for any waste, and efforts at all levels are underway
to divert waste from landfills to making more useful
product.
It is also important to note that biodegradability is many
times erroneously assumed for all biobased plastics.
Not all biobased plastics are biodegradable, and not all
biodegradable plastics biobased. Furthermore, the use of
the term biodegradability is very misleading and deceptive
if one does not define the disposal environment and the
time to be completely assimilated by the microorganisms
present in the disposal environment. Harnessing the power
of microorganisms present in the disposal environment
to completely (the key word being completely) remove
the plastic/product from the environment via microbial
assimilation (essentially food for the microorganisms) is a
safe, efficacious, and environmentally responsible way to
handle our waste products – the concept of biodegradable
plastics. However, one must demonstrate complete
feedstock removal CO2 in release one year or less via microbial assimilation in
the selected disposal environment as codified in any of
the ASTM D6400, EN 13432, and ISO 17088 standards. As
reported by us, and clearly documented in literature, there
is serious health and environmental effects if there is not
complete removal (biodegradation) of the plastic from the
environmental compartment.
In summary, reporting the carbon and environmental
footprint of PLA, PLA based products, and similar
bioplastics and biodegradable plastics requires a clear
understanding of the intrinsic carbon value proposition, the
use of biocarbon content to quantify this value proposition
and the appropriate use of LCA tools to report on the total
environmental footprint.
(from a presentation at the 1st PLA World Congress,
9-10 Sept. Munich, Germany)
narayan@msu.edu
14 CO2
12 CO2
Solar radiation
14 C signature forms the basis to identify
and quantify biobased content -- ASTM D6366
Biocarbon content
Biomass/biobased feedstocks
( 12 CH 2 O) x ( 14 CH 2 O) x
> 10
6 years
Fossil feedstocks -- Petroleum, Natural gas, Coal
( 12 CH 2 ) x ( 12 CHO) x
References:
1. Ramani Narayan, Biobased & Biodegradable
Polymer Materials: Rationale, Drivers, and
Technology Exemplars; ACS (an American
Chemical Society publication) Symposium
Ser. 939, Chapter 18, pg 282, 2006; Polymer
Preprints (American Chemical Society,
Division of Polymer Chemistry) (2005), 46(1),
319-320
2. Ramani Narayan, Rationale, Drivers,
Standards, and Technology for Biobased
Materials; Ch 1 in Renewable Resources
and Renewable Energy, Ed Mauro Graziani &
Paolo Fornasiero; CRC Press, 2006
3. R Narayan, Proceedings ‘Plastics From
Renewable Resources’ GPEC 2005 Global
Plastics Environmental Conference -
Creating Sustainability for the Environment,
February 23-25, 2005
42 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

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bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 43

Suppliers Guide
1.3 PLA
1.6 masterbatches
3.1.1 cellulose based films
1. Raw Materials
BASF SE
Global Business Management
Biodegradable Polymers
Carl-Bosch-Str. 38
67056 Ludwigshafen, Germany
Tel. +49-621 60 43 878
Fax +49-621 60 21 694
info@basf.com
www.ecovio.com
Division of A&O FilmPAC Ltd
7 Osier Way, Warrington Road
GB-Olney/Bucks.
MK46 5FP
Tel.: +44 1234 88 88 61
Fax: +44 1234 888 940
sales@aandofilmpac.com
www.bioresins.eu
1.4 starch-based bioplastics
PolyOne
Avenue Melville Wilson, 2
Zoning de la Fagne
5330 Assesse
Belgium
Tel.: + 32 83 660 211
info.color@polyone.com
www.polyone.com
INNOVIA FILMS LTD
Wigton
Cumbria CA7 9BG
England
Contact: Andy Sweetman
Tel.: +44 16973 41549
Fax: +44 16973 41452
andy.sweetman@innoviafilms.com
www.innoviafilms.com
4. Bioplastics products
1.1 bio based monomers
Du Pont de Nemours International S.A.
2, Chemin du Pavillon, PO Box 50
CH 1218 Le Grand Saconnex,
Geneva, Switzerland
Phone: + 41(0) 22 717 5428
Fax: + 41(0) 22 717 5500
jonathan.v.cohen@che.dupont.com
www.packaging.dupont.com
BIOTEC Biologische
Naturverpackungen GmbH & Co. KG
Werner-Heisenberg-Straße 32
46446 Emmerich
Germany
Phone: +49 2822 92510
Fax: +49 2822 51840
info@biotec.de
www.biotec.de
Sukano Products Ltd.
Chaltenbodenstrasse 23
CH-8834 Schindellegi
Phone +41 44 787 57 77
Fax +41 44 787 57 78
www.sukano.com
2. Additives /
Secondary raw materials
alesco GmbH & Co. KG
Schönthaler Str. 55-59
D-52379 Langerwehe
Sales Germany: +49 2423 402 110
Sales Belgium: +32 9 2260 165
Sales Netherlands: +31 20 5037 710
info@alesco.net // www.alesco.net
1.2 compounds
BIOTEC Biologische
Naturverpackungen GmbH & Co. KG
Werner-Heisenberg-Straße 32
46446 Emmerich
Germany
Phone: +49 2822 92510
Fax: +49 2822 51840
info@biotec.de
www.biotec.de
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH
Siemensring 79
D - 47 877 Willich
Tel.: +49 (0) 2154 9251-26
Tel.: +49 (0) 2154 9251-51
patrick.zimmermann@fkur.de
www.fkur.de
Transmare Compounding B.V.
Ringweg 7, 6045 JL
Roermond, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)475 345 900
Fax: +31 (0)475 345 910
info@transmare.nl
www.compounding.nl
Plantic Technologies GmbH
Heinrich-Busold-Straße 50
D-61169 Friedberg
Germany
Tel: +49 6031 6842 650
Tel: +44 794 096 4681 (UK)
Fax: +49 6031 6842 656
info@plantic.eu
www.plantic.eu
1.5 PHA
Telles, Metabolix – ADM joint venture
650 Suffolk Street, Suite 100
Lowell, MA 01854 USA
Tel. +1-97 85 13 18 00
Fax +1-97 85 13 18 86
www.mirelplastics.com
Tianan Biologic
No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd,
Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800
Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2
Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0
enquiry@tianan-enmat.com
www.tianan-enmat.com
Du Pont de Nemours International S.A.
2, Chemin du Pavillon, PO Box 50
CH 1218 Le Grand Saconnex,
Geneva, Switzerland
Phone: + 41(0) 22 717 5428
Fax: + 41(0) 22 717 5500
jonathan.v.cohen@che.dupont.com
www.packaging.dupont.com
3. Semi finished products
3.1 films
Huhtamaki Forchheim
Herr Manfred Huberth
Zweibrückenstraße 15-25
91301 Forchheim
Tel. +49-9191 81305
Fax +49-9191 81244
Mobil +49-171 2439574
Maag GmbH
Leckingser Straße 12
58640 Iserlohn
Germany
Tel.: + 49 2371 9779-30
Fax: + 49 2371 9779-97
shonke@maag.de
www.maag.de
www.earthfirstpla.com
www.sidaplax.com
www.plasticsuppliers.com
Sidaplax UK : +44 (1) 604 76 66 99
Sidaplax Belgium: +32 9 210 80 10
Plastic Suppliers: +1 866 378 4178
Arkhe Will Co., Ltd.
19-1-5 Imaichi-cho, Fukui
918-8152 Fukui, Japan
Tel. +81-776 38 46 11
Fax +81-776 38 46 17
contactus@ecogooz.com
www.ecogooz.com
Forapack S.r.l
Via Sodero, 43
66030 Poggiofi orito (Ch), Italy
Tel. +39-08 71 93 03 25
Fax +39-08 71 93 03 26
info@forapack.it
www.forapack.it
Minima Technology Co., Ltd.
Esmy Huang, Marketing Manager
No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City,
Taichung County
411, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Tel. +886(4)2277 6888
Fax +883(4)2277 6989
Mobil +886(0)982-829988
esmy325@ms51.hinet.net
Skype esmy325
www.minima-tech.com
natura Verpackungs GmbH
Industriestr. 55 - 57
48432 Rheine
Tel.: +49 5975 303-57
Fax: +49 5975 303-42
info@naturapackaging.com
www.naturapackagign.com
44 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

Events
Wiedmer AG - PLASTIC SOLUTIONS
8752 Näfels - Am Linthli 2
SWITZERLAND
Phone: +41(0) 55 618 44 99
Fax: +41(0) 55 618 44 98
www.wiedmer-plastic.com
5. Traders
6. Machinery & Molds
Oct. 3-5, 2008
EcoInnovAsia 2008: An International
Conference on Biofuel and Bioplastics
organized by National Innovation Agency (Thailand)
Bangkok, Thailand
www.ecoinnovasia.com
Oct. 6-8, 2008
The Future of Biopolymer | Symposium 2008
IntertechPira
Chicago, IL, USA
www.biopolymersummit.com
FAS Converting Machinery AB
O Zinkgatan 1/ Box 1503
27100 Ystad, Sweden
Tel.: +46 411 69260
www.fasconverting.com
Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey
Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic
Container Industry
284 Pinebush Road
Cambridge Ontario
Canada N1T 1Z6
Tel.: +1 519 624 9720
Fax: +1 519 624 9721
info@hallink.com
www.hallink.com
MANN+HUMMEL ProTec GmbH
Stubenwald-Allee 9
64625 Bensheim, Deutschland
Tel. +49 6251 77061 0
Fax +49 6251 77061 510
info@mh-protec.com
www.mh-protec.com
7. Plant engineering
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH
Holzhauser Str. 157 - 159
13509 Berlin
Germany
Tel. +49 (0)30 43567 5
Fax +49 (0)30 43567 699
sales.de@thyssenkrupp.com
www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com
8. Ancillary equipment
9. Services
polymedia consult
Bioplastics Consulting
Tel. +49(0)2161 664864
info@polymediaconsult.com
www.polymediaconsult.com
Marketing - Exhibition - Event
Tel. +49(0)2359-2996-0
info@teamburg.de
www.teamburg.de
Stay permanently listed in the Suppliers Guide with
your company logo and contact information.
For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you can be present
among top suppliers in the field of bioplastics.
Simply contact: Tel.: +49-2359-2996-0
or suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com
Oct. 7-8, 2008
BioKunststoffe
Automobil von morgen
Universität Duisburg-Essen, Germany
www.hanser.de
Oct. 7-10, 2008
International Symposium on Polymers and the
Environment: Emerging Technology And Science
Co-Hosted by the BioEnvironmental Polymer Society
and the Biodegradable Products Institute
Radisson Hotel Nashua | Nashua, New Hampshire, USA
http://www.beps.org/index.php?page=events
Oct. 13-15, 2008
Third International Conference on Technology & Application
of Biodegradable and Biobased Plastics (ICTABP3)
Bejing, China
www.degradable.org.cn
Oct. 21, 2008
Biodegradable Plastics
International Conference during Expoquimia - Equiplast Fair
Barcelona, Spain
www.cep-inform.es/JornadaBio.pdf
November 5-6, 2008
3rd European Bioplastics Conference
Hotel Maritim | Berlin, Germany
www.european-bioplastics.org
Nov. 11, 2008
Kunstsof en rubber masterclass - Thema Biopolymeren
Kasteel Montfoort, The Netherlands
www.kunststofonline.nl
December 3-4, 2008
Bioplastics 2008
with Bioplastics Awards
Sofitel Munich | Munich, Germany
www.prw.com
December 3-4, 2008
Internationaler Kongress Rohstoffwende & Biowerkstoffe
Maritim Hotel Köln
Cologne, Germany
www.rohstoffwende.dee
January 21-22, 2009
The Permanent Oil Crisis - Challenges and Opportunities
Amsterdam RAI Congress Centre
Amsterdam, the Netherlands
www.permanentoilcrisis.com
You can meet us!
Please contact us in advance by e-mail.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3 45

Companies in this issue
Company Editorial Advert
Alcan 8
Alesco 44
Arkema 7
Arkhe Will 44
BASF 2, 44
Bayern Innovativ 27
Biopearls 8
bioplastics 24 41
Biotec 44
Brückner Maschinenbau 8
Cereplast 8
Clariant Masterbatches 8
Cool Change Natural Water 14
Coopbox 8
CSM 5
DuPont 8 44
EarthSoul India 39
European Bioplastics
insert
European Plastics News 35
FAS Converting Machinery 45
FH Hannover 8
FKuR 8, 28 44
Fonti di Vinadio 8, 12
Forapack 44
Fraunhofer Inst. Appl. Polym. Res. 5
Fraunhofer UMSICHT 28
German Bioplastics 5
Global Business Solutions 12
Good Water 16
Hallink 45
HappYwater 8, 22
Company Editorial Advert
Hiroshima University 38
Huhtamaki 44
Innovia 44
KHS Plasmax 26
Ki-Si-Co 18
Maag 44
Mann + Hummel Protech 45
Mazda 38
Messe München (Materialica) 33
Metabolic Explorer 6
Metabolix 36
Michigan State University 8, 40
minima technology 44
natura packaging 44, 47
NatureWorks 8, 13, 14, 20
Nova Insitut 15
Novamont 48
Novatein 31
NürnbergMesse (BRAU) 17
Pioneer 10
Plantic 5 44
plasticker 41
Plastics Suppliers 44
Polyfilms 8
Polymediaconsult 45
PolyOne 8 44
Primo Water 20
Principia 7
Purac 6, 8
Pyramdi Bioplastics 5
Pyramid Industries 5
Sant‘Anna 8, 12
Scion 32
Sidaplax 44
Sukano 44
Sulzer Chemtech 6, 8
Synbra 6
Teamburg / TransFair 45
Telles 36 44
Tianan Biologic 44
Toray 10
Toyo Seikan Kaisha 24
Transmare 44
Uhde Inventa Fischer 5, 8 21, 45
Universität Kassel
University of Waikato 30
Wageningen University Research Centre 8
WaikatoLink 31
Wiedmer 45
Next Issue
For the next issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE
(among others) the following subjects are scheduled:
Topics:
Films, Flexibles, Bags
Paper Coating
Basics:
Home Composting
Next issues:
06/08 November 2008
01/09 January/February 2009
02/09 March/April 2009
46 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

News
Plantic to Establish
European
Manufacturing
Operation
Australian Plantic Technologies Limited, manufacturer
of biodegradable polymers made from starch for packaging
and other applications, has announced that it will build a
manufacturing plant in Jena, the second largest city in the
state of Thuringia, Germany.
Plantic will receive a grant from the German Government,
which is expected to contribute up to 45% towards capital
investment in developing the European plant. This funding
contribution will assist Plantic in establishing its operations
in a growing bioplastics market and is an indication of
Germany’s overarching commitment to the environment.
Plantic Technologies already exports rigid sheet product
from Australia to European thermoforming contractors
and, finally, to packaging manufacturers for supply to brand
owners in the UK and Continental Europe. Based on Plantic’s
success to date, the company now plans to establish a
manufacturing presence in Europe with the aim to deliver
greater value to customers.
In phase one of a two phase strategy, Plantic will establish,
by the first quarter of 2009, a thermoforming operation in a
newly leased factory in Jena. This operation will allow for rapid
prototyping, more efficient customer trials, and increased
production capacity. This will accelerate Plantic’s entry into
the European thermoforming market and, most importantly,
further improve Plantic’s competitiveness and response to
customers and brand owners. The total investment in this
first phase, before subsidies, is €1.2 million.
Once sufficient thermoforming volume is established,
based on imported sheet, it is planned that a second phase
of the strategy will be implemented by installing rigid sheet
production. This strategy will eliminate sea freight, thereby
streamlining the supply chain and, ultimately, lowering
Plantic’s production costs. Extruded Plantic ® materials will
not only be utilized by Plantic’s thermoforming business, but
also by third party thermoformers and processors.
Mr. Brendan Morris, Chief Executive Officer, Plantic
Technologies Limited, commented, “Plantic’s decision to
establish a manufacturing operation in Europe is a very
important and exciting development, not only for the Plantic
team, but for all Plantic stakeholders.
www.plantic.com.au
0,9
0,6
0,3
Mio.
t/a
Packaging
Packaging &
Textile
Advanced
Technology
Scenario
Application of High
Performance PLA
(PLA Stereokomplex)
2006 2010 2015
Market and Application Development (Worldwide)
PLA Production
to be Established
in Germany
Base
Scenario
Packaging,
Textile & Eng.
Plastics
During the 1st PLA World Congress (9-10 Sept. in
Munich, Germany) Bernd Merzenich, CEO of Pyramid
Bioplastics from Guben, Germany estimated a market
potential of biopolymers in packaging applications: If
5 percent of all plastic packaging materials would be
substituted by biopolymers until 2015, for Europe alone
this would mean almost 1,000,000 tons per year. At least
30 percent of these biopolymer packaging applications
– according to Bernd Merzenich – can be made of PLA,
which amounts to approx. 300,000 tons per year. And
there is substantially more potential for PLA applications
in consumer electronics, in the automotive sector or in
textiles and nonwovens.
Within this dynamic perspective Pyramid Bioplastics,
a partnership of Pyramid Technologies of Switzerland
and German Bioplastics of Germany, is establishing a
production facility for the biopolymer PLA in Guben, a city
on the German-Polish border in eastern Brandenburg.
Based on the technology of Uhde Inventa-Fischer, an
initial capacity of 60.000 tons per year will be realised.
According to Bernd Merzenich, Pyramid Bioplastics will
produce PLA from non-GMO feedstocks. A first production
unit, for which the plant engineering is in progress, will
commence operations in the second half of 2009. Pyramid
Bioplastics will polymerise its PLA from lactic acid made
from sugar beets and sugar cane. These feedstocks
achieve a much higher yield per hectare than e.g. corn
or wheat. In cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute of
Applied Polymer Research, Pyramid Bioplastics will also
undertake significant activities in biopolymer research &
development.
www.pyraplast.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

News
PLA-Biofoam
Production to be
Established in The
Netherlands
Dutch company Purac (subsidiary of CSM) and Swiss
Sulzer Chemtech have jointly developed a new cost
effective polymerization process to produce high quality
PLA. The new process relies upon proprietary and
jointly developed polymerization and devolatilization
technology to efficiently produce a range of PLA
products from the specialty lactides supplied by Purac.
Purac and Sulzer Chemtec signed a joint cooperation
agreement for the development and sharing of this
technology.
Poly-Lactide (PLA) is a bioplastic made from
biorenewable raw materials like carbo-hydrates.
Purac offers the lactide monomers as polymerization
feedstock and in cooperation with Sulzer the
polymerization technology to make PLA. This offering
will significantly reduce the process and product
development time thereby enabling faster and more
reliable market entry for PLA producers. The new
process requires substantially less investment and
has unmatched potential for economic scale-up to
high volumes.
The first plant to use this new technology will be
built by Synbra in the Netherlands for the production
of BIOFOAM ® , a foamed product made from this PLA,
complementary to their wide range of polystyrene foam
products offered today. The new plant with a capacity of
5,000 tons/year is targeted to be operational by the end
of 2009. Synbra intends to assume a leading position in
Europe as supplier of biologically degradable polymers
from renewable sources and plans to expand the PLA
capacity to 50,000 ton/year. By the end of 2008, a
demonstration and product development plant will be
available exclusively to partners of Purac, to facilitate
both product and process development to meet various
application and customer demands. The demonstration
plant will be located at Sulzer Chemtec in Winterthur,
Switzerland.
www.purac.com
www.sulzerchemtech.com
www.biofoam.nl
www.synbra.com
Metabolic Explorer
Bio-PDO Program
Achievements and
Schedules
METabolic EXplorer has developed three costcompetitive
bulk chemical production programs
for which the company has already created tailored
cell factories. METabolic EXplorer, in 2007, started
small with bio-production at lab scale and has
more recently moved into the pre-industrial pilot
phase for business partnerships.
• 1,3 Propanediol (PDO), Butanol and 1,2
Propanediol (MPG) METabolic EXplorer’s
bioprocesses applied to renewable feedstock
enables the company to achieve a cost reduction
of over 30% when compared to the existing
chemical process.
• 1,3 Propanediol (bio-PDO) produced with a purity
superior to 99.5% is a cost competitive alternative
to other sources of PDO. This non-petroleum
specialty glycol can also serve the coatings and
resins industry.
• Butanol where METabolic EXplorer is more
focused on the chemical intermediate in plastic
or acrylic industries markets.
The METEX bio-PDO program is on schedule:
After announcing that they have been granted
that a licensed patent in the U.S.A. (Patent No US
7,267,972) in January 2008, METabolic EXplorer
obtained the first samples of one of its proprietary
products, PDO (1,3-propanediol) in May of this
year. These samples, with a purity above 99,5%,
have been produced by fermentation of crude,
industrial glycerol (83%purity grade), followed by a
proprietary, patent-protected purification step. By
the end of 2008, the company will have produced
quantitative samples of PDO for testing and
qualification purposes. And in the second semester
of 2009, a significant piloting plant (which will be
large enough to prove the industrial and business
feasibility of Metex PDO technology) will be running
for bio-PDO, using proprietary fermentation and
purification processes from industrial crude
glycerine.
www.omnexus.com/bioplastics
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

News
Arkema Introduces New PLA
Processing Lubricant
Arkema Inc. has added a new metal release lubricant to its Biostrength ® impact
modifier line of additives for biopolymers. Intended for use in extrusion, injection
molding and calendaring of PLA and other biopolymers, new Biostrength 900 metal
release lubricant enables more consistent processing of PLA. A small amount
of Biostrength 900 metal release lubricant enables a wider processing window
during the processing of PLA, leading to lower scrap rates. Variations in processing
temperatures and shear are minimized with the addition of Biostrength 900 metal
release lubricant, enabling injection molding and calendaring operations that
previously were problematic in the processing of PLA.
“I’m pleased that Arkema’s talented team of scientists and application development
engineers has developed a product with release properties that can enable the
market expansion of PLA into more challenging processing environments,” said
Peggy Schipper, commercial development business manager of Arkema’s Functional
Additives business. “This product is a nice addition to our Biostrength line of impact
modifiers and melt strength enhancers and fits well with our strategy to provide our
customers additives that contribute to increasing the use of polymers made from
renewable resources.”
www.additives-arkema.com
Principia Partners Announces...
Bio-based and
Biodegradable Polymers 2008
A GLOBAL INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
Principia
What’s Inside?
A comprehensive market study assessing the bio-based and biodegradable polymers industry,
the report is designed to be a strategic planning tool for polymer producers, processors,
and end users seeking to or currently participating in this emerging industry.
g Global analysis of the industry by various regions, markets,
major applications, and products using 2008 as the baseline year
g Insights on market trends and regulations
affecting future demand that will
help subscribers identify the next
set of markets and applications
Contact
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Tel: US +1-610-363-7815 ext 252
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Fax: US +1-484-214-0172
E-mail: AAneja@PrincipiaConsulting.com
Principia Partners
604 Gordon Drive
P.O. Box 611
Exton, PA 19341
USA
g Detailed value-chain analysis to aid
readers in building the right partnerships
and capabilities to serve this high
growth industry
Visit www.PrincipiaConsulting.com and
click on Principia Publishing > Industry Reports >
Bio-based and Biodegradable Polymers 2008 to
view study prospectus. Use promotion code BBP08
to receive a US $500 discount.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/08] Vol. 3

A new world requires a new way of thinking
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Email info@naturapackaging.com
Internet www.naturapackaging.com

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