bioplasticsMAGAZINE_1205

Application News
Biodegradable toothbrush
FRISETTA Kunststoff GmbH (based in Schönau, Germany)
recently introduced their new monte-bianco NATURE, a
toothbrush with a replaceable head for adults. The handle and
head are made from plastic which is biodegradable according
to EU 13432/EN and US ASTM D6400 standards, and has
natural bristles.
The project was realized by a team from three
companies, namely Frisetta Kunststoff, A. Schulman
GmbH (Kerpen, Germany) and API S.P.A. (Mussolente,
Italy) using API´s biodegradable thermoplastic
polymer APINAT.
The packaging of this product is
also in line with the green concept.
The plastic cover is made from
biodegradable and compostable
corn-starch based PLA. The
back of the package consists of
FSC-certified paperboard. The
product is available in special
bio shops in Europe.
For more than 60 years
Friseatta have been producing
oral care products of a high quality at their location in the
Southern Black Forest in Germany. The latest state-of-theart
technology allows them to protect the environment whilst
simultaneously producing technologically advanced and high
quality products in their manufacturing process.
With this new product Frisetta follows a general
environmentally-friendly approach. The warm water from the
cooling system used for cooling the production machines is
then used for heating the rooms in the building during the
winter. The cooled water then flows back into the production
system. In summer, the water is cooled in a deep, in-house
well. The required electricity is derived from 100% renewable
energy from their neighbour, the Schönau (EWS) electricity
generating plant
Frisetta´s target is the constant improvement of their
products and product range. The innovations of the past
few months that complete the monte-bianco range are only
a beginning. They are currently working not only on product
optimisation but also on more new developments. MT
www.frisetta-kunststoff.de
www.aschulman.com
www.apinatbio.com
Green foam profiles
NMC, headquartered in Eynatten, Belgium recently
presented NOMAPACK ® Green, the first packaging profile
that is certified as biosourced, made using renewable
materials and 100% recyclable.
With globalisation and easier transport, companies send
their products all around the world. Fragile products need to
be protected with reliable, lightweight, compact packaging.
In this field, practical criteria are no longer the only deciding
factors, and today, the sustainable dimension of a product is
becoming more and more important.
NMC decided to focus on renewable resources to create
the Nomapack Green profile. The company has developed
a process technology to produce profiles from renewable
materials with similar properties to the traditional Nomapack
profiles made from petroleum-based polyolefins; including
foamability, excellent shock absorption and long-lasting
mechanical properties. Nomapack Green is 100% recyclable.
The raw material for the production of Nomapack Green
profile has been developed by polymer experts from NMC’s
Research and Development unit. The so-called NMC
NATUREFOAM is a polyethylene blend with more than
30% renewable raw materials. It has been tested by the
Vinçotte International Institute, who certified it with one star
for its level of non-fossil fuel materials (between 20 and
40% of its components come from renewable sources). The
availability of these
components is not
limited over time,
so the production of
Nomapack Green
profiles is less
dependent on the
fluctuating price of
petroleum-based
raw materials. Last but not least, no genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) are used in the composition of the
Nomapack Green profile. The cultivation of these plant-based
materials does not compete with food production and does
not cause any problems of access to food for local residents.
With Nomapack Green, NMC is investing more than ever in
the development of sustainable products. As a pioneer in this
field, the company has not used chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)
and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) gases in the production
of its products for over 20 years, putting it at the cutting edge
of the synthetic foam industry. Over time, it has honed its
choice of materials as well as its environmentally friendly
manufacturing processes so that now a large proportion of
its product range is recyclable. MT
www.nmc.eu
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/12] Vol. 7 21