bioplasticsMAGAZINE_0905

News
Completely
Biodegradable Food
Service for Dallas
Convention Center
Centerplate (Stamford, Connecticut, USA), the hospitality
partner to North America‘s premier convention centers and
sports stadiums, recently announced the introduction of a
completely biodegradable food service solution for the Dallas
Convention Center. All of the facility‘s disposable food
service items from cups to flatware to napkins will be 100 %
biodegradable, dramatically reducing the environmental impact
of the site‘s menu operations.
The initiative taps Centerplate‘s deep expertise in
implementing eco-friendly food service programs for major
convention centers and stadiums across North America
following its recent work helping the University of Colorado
at Boulder transform its 53,750 seat Folsom Field football
stadium into a zero-waste facility. For the Dallas Convention
Center, the biodegradable program augments the site‘s
position as one of the most environmentally sound convention
venues in the nation and one of the few to achieve the elite
ISO 14001:2004 certification, an international environmental
standard which helps organizations limit the negative impact
of their operations on the environment.
“When a two-million square foot plus operation like the
Dallas Convention Center commits to this level of change,
the benefits to the overall environment and to the health
of the immediate community are substantial,“ said Des
Hague, president and CEO of Centerplate. “As part of our
commitment to becoming the number one in hospitality
and a leader in sustainability, we intend to extend this
biodegradable food service solution to all our clients.“
Among the new biodegradable products being introduced
are cutlery made from potato starch; clear colored, cornbased
cups for beer and soda; and plates, bowls and togo
containers made from sugarcane pulp; hot cups that
are lined with plant-based plastic; and compostable lines
for trash receptacles.”It‘s a point of pride for us to be
able to operate a world class venue offering a world class
experience while simultaneously maintaining one of the
most environmentally responsible facilities in the country,“
said Frank Poe, the director of convention and event services
at the Dallas Convention Center. “Centerplate has been a
key partner of ours for several years and their ability to
successfully implement major changes such as this new
biodegradable food service program has played a key role in
our overall success.“ - PRNewswire - MT
www.centerplate.com.
PLA Based Masterbatches
At FAKUMA 2009, to be held in Friedrichshafen, Germany in mid October, Austrian
Gabriel-Chemie from Gumpoldskirchen is presenting its new MAXITHEN ® BIOL
range of colour- and additive masterbatches based on Polylactide (PLA).
At a dosage rate up to 5% MAXITHEN BIOL colour masterbatches comply with
the composting regulations and the normative standard EN13432. The colour
masterbatches are characterised by transparency and high colour strength and
can be well processed on existing machines. All PLA based colour- and additive
masterbatches are compatible with a lot of other biogenic as well as petrochemical
(conventional) polymers and offer a wide range of applications.
MAXITHEN BIOL masterbatches can be used for the production of films, form
parts, boxes, cups, bottles and other commodities. This new product range is
mainly recommended for the colouring of short-dated packaging or thermoformed
products (e.g. beverage- or yoghurt cups, trays for meat, fruits and vegetables);
but also for the colouring and dressing of agricultural films (mulch and protective
films) and auxiliary gardening articles (seedling trays, plant holders, single-use
plant pots). www.gabriel-chemie.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/09] Vol. 4