Natural Plastics

The ROQUETTE Group, a global player in the processing of plant-based raw materials, was distinguished with an «Eco-design» award for its GAÏALENE^® plant-based plastic range at the Annual Sustainable Development and Enterprise Days (JADDE) held at the Lille Chamber of Commerce and Industry from 4 to 5 last October.

This competition organised by the platform [avniR], in association with the CCI Grand Lille, the Nord-Pas de Calais Regional Council and Ademe, rewards the best local initiatives in the field of eco-design. It takes up for the first time in France the original concept developed in 2011 by Novae in Quebec.

An independent jury made up of 8 international eco-design experts and representatives of the economic world distinguished GAÏALENE^® in the Large Company category.

This award rewards ROQUETTE for having adopted an innovative approach for the design of its plant-based plastics. The range that it offers today for plastics technology has reduced impacts on the environment thanks to the judicious choices made for the growing of plants, the method of synthesis, the location of the production facilities and the propensity of the material to be recycled at the end of its life cycle.
« We are particularly proud of this eco-design award which crowns our 5 years of research and development in perfecting an innovative and efficient range of plant-based plastics. During these years we have taken care to put the focus on respecting the environment and satisfying the needs of our industrial customers in order to meet the demand from the consumers for innovative and cleaner products.» said Léon Mentink, Product Manager at Roquette

Source: http://www.roquette.com/news-2012-health-nutrition-food-paper/

Industry excellence is being celebrated as BioAmber moves steadily toward construction of their full scale, commercial facility in Sarnia, Ontario. BioAmber has been named as an industry leader winning BIOTECanada’s Gold Leaf Award Early Stage Company of the Year for Industrial Biotechnology. BioAmber is a highly innovative company on the cusp of commercializing intermediate green chemicals.

The leadership at BioAmber has distinguished themselves from their peers with demonstrated technology innovation,” commented Brad Thompson, Chair BIOTECanada. “The market opportunities ahead for the company are significant as they embark on supporting the sustainability of industries across various sectors.

The incredible proprietary platform BioAmber has developed is a means to produce costcompetitive, chemically identical replacements for petroleum-derived chemicals with large, global markets. Succinic acid can be used to manufacture a wide variety of products used every day, including plastics, food additives and personal care products.

The recognition from BIOTECanada is very gratifying for all of us at BioAmber. We are thrilled to bring our proprietary technology to Canada,” said Jean Francois Huc, President and CEO of BioAmber Inc. “The BioAmber Sarnia plant will create forty renewable chemistry jobs in the growing Sarnia Lambton cluster. BioAmber’s products provide a sustainable and costcompetitive bio-alternative to petrochemicals.

BioAmber is a next generation chemicals company. Its proprietary technology platform combines industrial biotechnology, an innovative purification process and chemical catalysis to convert renewable feedstocks into chemicals for use in a wide variety of everyday products including plastics, food additives and personal care products. BioAmber produces biosuccinic acid in what it believes to be one of the world’s largest bio-based chemical manufacturing facilities. For more information visit the company’s web site at www.bioamber.com.

Source: http://www.bio-amber.com

The prize has been awarded to Danone in recognition to his exceptional commitment with the use of bioplásticos in the containers of his products. The sixth Prize of Bioplásticos, this year awarded exclusively by the magazine of the only organ of the industry of bioplásticos, went to the known mark of feeding Danone GmbH. Marianne Schweiger, engineer senior of development of packaging of Danone received the prize the past 22 November during the 6 ª European Conference of Bioplásticos of Berlin.

The annual prize of bioplásticos established in 2006 by the publication 'European Plastics News'. This prize recognises/recognizes the paper exerted by an owner of a mark or a alone person and recognises/recognizes the contribution contributed by the companies, products or services to a greater development of the bioplásticos through the innovation or specific concepts of imaginative marketing. This year, five judges that belong to the academic world, to the press and to the commercial associations of America, Europe and Asia, selected to this known mark in Haar, near city to Munich, from a long list of ideas of first level and innovations. The judges considered that Danone, like owner of the international mark, did a significant contribution to the movement bioplásticos from a product packed of niche for a product of massive market with the launching of Activia and Actimel in containers bioplásticos (PLA and HDPE Green). This means that nowadays more than half of the products Danone in the German market pack in bioplásticos.

 

Source:  www.interempresas.net

Frost & Sullivan's Green Excellence Awards are presented to companies that have excelled in green product & technology innovation, and service achievements that promote sustainability.These awards recognize groundbreaking ideas and innovations that originated from a firm sense of environmental responsibility across a multitude of disciplines. Recipient companies are committed to a continuous focus on reducing their dependency on nonrenewable resources, decreasing their impact on climate change, and diminishing their overall ecological footprint.

Cardia Bioplastics Managing Director, Dr Frank Glatz, said: "The Frost & Sullivan Green Excellence in Technology Innovation Award is further international recognition of Cardia's track record and sustainable packaging offering. Cardia offers customers the choice of using sustainable Cardia Biohybrid^TM technology (less oil, lower carbon foot print) or Cardia's internationally certified Compostable technology for their packaging or plastic products."

Cardia Bioplastics Limited develops, manufactures and markets sustainable resins derived from renewable resources for the global packaging and plastic products industries. Cardia Biohybrid^TM and Compostable products deliver solutions across a range of sustainable resin technologies to offer each customer a choice of solutions for their packaging or plastics product applications. Cardia's business is benefiting from the trend towards sustainable packaging with products used in a broad range of packaging applications, including flexible film, injection moulding, blow moulding, foam, extrusion and coating applications

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About Cardia Bioplastics
Cardia Bioplastics Limited (ASX CODE: CNN), through its 100% owned subsidiary Cardia Bioplastics (Australia) Pty Ltd, develops, manufactures and markets sustainable resins and finished products derived from renewable resources for the global packaging and plastic products industries. The Company holds a strong patent portfolio and its growth are fuelled by the global trend towards sustainable packaging. Established in Australia in 2002 as Biograde, the company Headquarters and Global Applications Development Centre is in Melbourne, Australia. The Product Development Centre and manufacturing plant is in Nanjing, China. There are Cardia Bioplastics offices in the Americas, Europe, Malaysia and China, and a network of leading distributors across Australia, the Americas, Asia and Europe. Visit www.cardiabioplastics.com
Cardia Bioplastics was the exclusive supplier of biodegradable packaging to the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, was awarded the Australian Chamber of Commerce "Australia-China Business Excellence Award" in 2008, and won the 2009 "Clean Equity Monaco Conference Award" for Excellence in the field of Environmental Technology Commercialisation.

About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit awards.frost.com

Source: http://www.cardiabioplastics.com

The Board of Cardia Bioplastics Limited is pleased to announce that the global technology and growth consultancy, Frost & Sullivan, awarded the Cardia Bioplastics business as the recipient of their "2011 Asia Pacific Frost & Sullivan Green Excellence in Technology Innovation Award" for Eco-Materials.

 

Frost & Sullivan's Green Excellence Awards are presented to companies that have excelled in green product & technology innovation, and service achievements that promote sustainability.These awards recognize groundbreaking ideas and innovations that originated from a firm sense of environmental responsibility across a multitude of disciplines. Recipient companies are committed to a continuous focus on reducing their dependency on nonrenewable resources, decreasing their impact on climate change, and diminishing their overall ecological footprint.

 

 

Cardia Bioplastics Managing Director, Dr Frank Glatz, said: "The Frost & Sullivan Green Excellence in Technology Innovation Award is further international recognition of Cardia's track record and sustainable packaging offering. Cardia offers customers the choice of using sustainable Cardia Biohybrid^TM technology (less oil, lower carbon foot print) or Cardia's internationally certified Compostable technology for their packaging or plastic products."

 

 

Cardia Bioplastics Limited develops, manufactures and markets sustainable resins derived from renewable resources for the global packaging and plastic products industries. Cardia Biohybrid^TM and Compostable products deliver solutions across a range of sustainable resin technologies to offer each customer a choice of solutions for their packaging or plastics product applications. Cardia's business is benefiting from the trend towards sustainable packaging with products used in a broad range of packaging applications, including flexible film, injection moulding, blow moulding, foam, extrusion and coating applications.
About Cardia Bioplastics

 

Cardia Bioplastics Limited (ASX CODE: CNN), through its 100% owned subsidiary Cardia Bioplastics (Australia) Pty Ltd, develops, manufactures and markets sustainable resins and finished products derived from renewable resources for the global packaging and plastic products industries. The Company holds a strong patent portfolio and its growth are fuelled by the global trend towards sustainable packaging. Established in Australia in 2002 as Biograde, the company Headquarters and Global Applications Development Centre is in Melbourne, Australia. The Product Development Centre and manufacturing plant is in Nanjing, China. There are Cardia Bioplastics offices in the Americas, Europe, Malaysia and China, and a network of leading distributors across Australia, the Americas, Asia and Europe. Visit www.cardiabioplastics.com

 

Cardia Bioplastics was the exclusive supplier of biodegradable packaging to the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games, was awarded the Australian Chamber of Commerce "Australia-China Business Excellence Award" in 2008, and won the 2009 "Clean Equity Monaco Conference Award" for Excellence in the field of Environmental Technology Commercialisation.

 

 

About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation, and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit awards.frost.com

 

Source: http://www.cardiabioplastics.com

Over 1,500 designs were submitted.  2.8 million votes were cast.  Only three designs remain in Cereplast’s “Make Your Mark” bioplastics symbol graphic design contest.

The “Make Your Mark” contest, which was officially launched on January 3, 2011, is coming to a close this week.  We received over 1,500 submissions for the contest, which was narrowed down to 200 by a public vote, and our renowned panel of judges took over from there. After great debate they successfully managed to narrow it down to the top three designs that we are very excited about.  Without further ado, we present you the top three:

 

Ryan Ford, Creative Director at deviantART in Huntington Beach, California

 

Silas Pandori, Graphic Designer at Iron Design in Ithaca, New York

 

Laura Howard, a graphic design student at the University of Louisville in Kentucky

The winning designer will receive a $25,000 grand prize.  What is your favorite design?  Please click on each designer’s symbol to join the discussion about each design.

The winning symbol will be announced on Earth Day Eve, April 21, 2011, at a gala event to be held at the Herman Miller Showroom in Los Angeles, California.  The Herman Miller Showroom is an 18,000 square-foot venue that was named the first LEED CI (Commercial Interiors) Platinum building in Los Angeles, as certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.

 

Source: http://cereplast.com/

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced today that NatureWorks is one of the first 11 companies approved to use USDA’s new product label on its certified bio-based Ingeo products under the department’s BioPreferred program. The announcement was made at a bio-based product meeting held in Glenwillow, Ohio.

NatureWorks’ Ingeo biopolymer – made from plants not oil – is the market-leading material among a new generation of fibers and plastics that provide low-carbon-footprint products. With the BioPreferred label, Ingeo resins are now USDA certified as containing 100 percent biobased carbon content. Ingeo is used in multiple industries and categories, including packaging, electronics, clothing, house wares, health and personal care, semi-durable products and the foodservice industry. More than 500 companies produce Ingeo based products, including such international brands as Avianca, Electrolux, Henkel, NEC, Shiseido, Stonyfield and Walmart. The production of Ingeo uses less fossil fuel and emits fewer greenhouse gases than conventional polymers.

"The USDA’s new product label serves as a critical and trusted signpost for consumers by identifying bio-based materials and products that have undergone a robust and rigorous third party certification,” said Steve Davies, director marketing and public affairs, NatureWorks. “NatureWorks is proud to be one of the first to have earned the BioPreferred distinction from the USDA."

NatureWorks is a Cargill-owned company and is one example of the company’s innovations in bio-based products. Cargill also manufactures soy-based BiOH® polyhols used in making flexible foam, which can be used to create upholstered furniture and bedding, carpet backing and automotive cushioning. Additional bio-based industrial products developed by Cargill include naturally sourced oils used to make paints, coatings, construction materials, lubricants and transformer fluids, among other products.

Biobased products are those composed wholly or significantly of agricultural ingredients – renewable plant, animal, marine or forestry materials. This new label indicates that the product has been independently certified to meet USDA BioPreferred program standards for bio-based content. Bio-based products can help increase U.S. energy independence by reducing the use of petroleum in manufactured products. They may also reduce the introduction of fossil carbon into the atmosphere, thus mitigating potential climate change impacts.

"These companies are proving that innovation and agriculture can grow together to build a foundation for future growth in rural America as we work to win the future," said Deputy Secretary Merrigan. "Consumer cleaning products, containers and the ‘intermediate materials’ used to manufacture them – made from agriculturally-sourced ingredients – help add value to commodities, create jobs in rural communities and can reduce our dependence on imported oil."

Through implementation of the pre-existing USDA BioPreferred program, the Secretary of Agriculture has designated 5,100 bio-based products for preferred purchasing by federal agencies. The new label makes identification of these products easier for Federal buyers and will increase awareness of these high-value products in the commercial and consumer markets. USDA estimates that there are 20,000 biobased products currently being manufactured in the United States.

To view numerous examples of how companies around the world have incorporated Ingeo into their products, visit NatureWorks most recent Ingeo LookBook, which illustrates the breadth and increasingly mainstream nature of low-carbon-footprint products now available to the consumer. For more information on Ingeo and NatureWorks, visit www.natureworksllc.com and sign up for the company’s newsletter. To learn more about BioPreferred, visit www.biopreferred.gov.

About NatureWorks LLC
NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available, low-carbon-footprint Ingeo biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based plastics and fibers. For more information, visit www.natureworksllc.com.
About USDA’s BioPreferred Program
USDA’s BioPreferred program was created by the 2002 Farm Bill to increase the purchase and use of biobased products within the Federal government. Congress reauthorized and strengthened the program in the 2008 Farm Bill to further promote the sale of biobased products. With the launch of this new biobased product label, USDA’s BioPreferred program is now comprised of two parts: a biobased product procurement preference program for Federal agencies, and a voluntary labeling initiative for the broad-scale marketing of biobased products. To learn more, please visit www.biopreferred.gov.

Source: http://www.natureworksllc.com

Renewable thermoformed produce packaging developed by Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. has earned the industry’s first U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Certified Biobased Product Label, part of a new voluntary labeling program to help purchasers choose products made with biobased commodities. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan unveiled the nation’s first products approved to display the new USDA product label at a biobased product meeting held near Cleveland, Ohio.

"These companies are proving that innovation and agriculture can grow together to build a foundation for future growth in rural America as we work to win the future," said Deputy Secretary Merrigan. "Consumer cleaning products, containers, and the ‘intermediate materials’ used to manufacture them – made from agriculturally-sourced ingredients – help add value to commodities, create jobs in rural communities, and can reduce our dependence on imported oil."

Biobased products are those composed wholly or significantly of agricultural ingredients – renewable plant, animal, marine or forestry materials. This new label indicates that the product has been independently certified to meet USDA BioPreferred program standards for biobased content. Clear Lam was among the first companies to submit applications for the USDA BioPreferred program, including five product lines in the packaging category.

"We’re proud to achieve this important distinction under USDA’s BioPreferred program as it will bring greater clarity to the marketplace and spur more leading product manufacturers and consumers to embrace materials that reduce adverse environmental impacts," said James Sanfilippo, President and CEO of Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. "Because many biobased packages look the same as petroleum-based products, the Biobased Product Label lets everyone know they can trust manufacturer’s biobased claims as they’ve been verified through a reliable, rigorous third-party certification process."

Clear Lam's renewable thermoformed produce containers are produced from over 93 percent plant-based bioplastics derived from Ingeo^™ PLA (polylactic acid) along with ingredients that add performance characteristics such as enhanced impact and temperature resistance. These materials are part of the company’s Project EarthClear™ program and replace petroleum-based plastics with biobased ingredients developed to reduce the introduction of fossil carbon into the atmosphere.

In addition to Clear Lam’s renewable thermoformed produce containers that will now carry the Biobased Product Label, the company has four other applications underway for its flexible and rigid packages. Currently, Clear Lam works with several leading retailers and consumer packaged goods companies to supply renewable packaging. Walmart has been a leader in introducing sustainable packaging into everyday use. The Walmart private label Marketside branded Organic Lettuce containers are one of the first packages certified under the USDA BioPreferred program. These renewable containers are also used to package fruits, meats, cheeses, candy and nuts. Additional packaging Clear Lam has submitted for the BioPreferred program includes packages for condiments, salty snacks and dairy based items such as yogurt and cottage cheese.

Over the past seven years Clear Lam has implemented a process of continuous improvement to produce biobased plastics that perform as well as petroleum-based plastics. Developing innovative technologies that help protect the perishable product being packaged while using materials that have a minimal impact on the environment has been the key challenge to overcome.

Through implementation of the pre-existing USDA BioPreferred program, the Secretary of Agriculture has designated 5,100 biobased products for preferred purchasing by Federal agencies. The new label makes identification of these products easier for Federal buyers and will increase awareness of these high-value products in commercial and consumer markets. USDA estimates that there are 20,000 biobased products currently being manufactured in the United States.

USDA's BioPreferred program was created by the 2002 Farm Bill to increase the purchase and use of biobased products within the Federal government. Congress reauthorized and strengthened the program in the 2008 Farm Bill to further promote the sale of biobased products. With the launch of this new Biobased Product Label, USDA's BioPreferred program is now comprised of two parts: a biobased product procurement preference program for Federal agencies, and a voluntary labeling initiative for the broad-scale marketing of biobased products. To learn more, please visit  www.biopreferred.gov.

For nearly a decade, Clear Lam has invested extensively in research and development to commercialize new packaging technologies that minimize the impact on the environment. These efforts include three product lines developed for Clear Lam’s Project EarthClear™ program: Flexible and Rigid Packaging made from renewable raw materials, bioplastics, cellophane and paper (not petroleum-based feedstocks); Flexible and Rigid Packaging made with recycled plastic or paper; and Lightweighting Materials to eliminate heavy cans, bottles and jars. Today Clear Lam is one of the world’s largest extruders and thermoformers of plant-based Ingeo™ PLA.

           To learn more about Clear Lam and the Project EarthClear™ program, please visit www.projectearthclear.com.

About Clear Lam Packaging:

Founded in 1969, Clear Lam Packaging, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging materials for thousands of food, personal health care and other consumer products. With seven manufacturing facilities (four in the U.S. and three in China), Clear Lam employs over 700 people. Vertically integrated from design to manufacturing, Clear Lam has the largest thermoforming platforms in the world.

Ingeo™ is a registered trademark of NatureWorks LLC

EarthClear™ is a trademark of Clear Lam Packaging, Inc.

Source: www.clearlam.com

For the fourth time, the nova-Institute (Huerth, Germany) awarded the "Biomaterial of the Year 2011” at the International Congress on Bio-based Plastics and Composites in Cologne on March 15th 2011. As in the previous year, the company Coperion GmbH (Stuttgart), a leading manufacturer of twin screw extruders, sponsored the Innovation Award.

 

Before the congress, the five most interesting biomaterials had been nominated by an expert jury out of 14 applications. These ones were presented at the conference in front of an audience of 150 participants. The clear winner of the voting was the Biomaterial Zelfo®, which consists of specially treated micro-and nano-fibrillated cellulose fibers (MFC / NFC) and does not require any binder. The material can be used for a variety of applications such as musical instruments, furniture and, above all, boards. Producer is the German company OMODO® GmbH.

Selected for the second place was the material EcoCradle^TM produced by the U.S. company Ecovative Design LLC, a foam-like material whose structure is formed by a fungus mycelium.

The 3rd place received a new family of starch polymers (GAÏALENE®) from the French company Roquette. From this material mainly durable packaging for food and cleaning products are produced.

All nominated and winning materials are available on the market since 2010 - a prerequisite for the award. More information is available on www.biowerkstoff-kongress.de.

The winners are as follows:
1) OMODO® GmbH, Germany: Zelfo®
The "Cellulose Optimization Resource Efficient (CORE)"-technology up-cycles cellulosic and ligno-cellulosic waste without the addition of any chemicals, catalysts or binders to create Zelfo®, a micro and nano-fibrillated cellulose fibre (MFC/NFC). Zelfo® can be formed into finished objects (bio-composites), or used as a bio-additive to improve plastic or paper material characteristics.
Biomass: Cellulose and ligno-cellulose biomass
PDF:www.biowerkstoff-kongress.de/bwk2011/data/uploads/File/11AwardZelfoTechnology.pdf
URL: www.omodo.org / www.zelfo-technology.com

2) Ecovative Design LLC, USA: EcoCradle^TM
EcoCradle is a low embodied-energy, compostable, protective packaging material that is literally grown into any custom shape and competes with petrochemical foams in terms of both performance and cost. The self-assembling bonds formed by mycelium (mushroom "roots”) produce this material as it grows around a substrate of regionally sourced agricultural byproducts.
Biomass: Agricultural byproducts, fungus mycelium
PDF:www.biowerkstoff-kongress.de/bwk2011/data/uploads/File/11AwardEcovativeEcoCradle.pdf
URL: www.ecovativedesign.com

3) ROQUETTE, France: GAÏALENE®
GAÏALENE® is a new "high-performance" range of bio-based plastics for packaging, which can compete in performance terms (mechanical, thermal, soft touch, etc.) with fossil-based plastics. GAÏALENE® resin is for lasting applications that usually use polyolefins, ABS and more technical polymers - with an excellent cost/efficiency profile.
Biomass: Starch
PDF:www.biowerkstoff-kongress.de/bwk2011/data/uploads/File/11AwardRoquetteGaialene.pdf
URL: www.gaialene.com

Source: www.nachwachsende-rohstoffe.info

This year the prestigious Bioplastics Award was given to EconCore. The Bioplastics Award is organized by two trade publications: bioplastics MAGAZINE and European Plastics News. From a total of more than 20 high class proposals our product PLA honeycomb sandwich structure was selected by the judging panel. The winner of the Bioplastics award was announced during the 5th European Bioplastics Conference on December 1st, 2010 in Düsseldorf (Germany).
The jury based its decision on the innovative approach to use intelligent design in order to increase the mechanical properties of a PLA product and explained “This innovation offers the potential to considerably reduce weight and materials needed in construction as a result of the consistently applied sandwich. The products of EconCore would contribute decisively to more sustainable construction.”

A leaflet on our bio-renewable honeycomb panels can be downloaded here.

Source: www.econcore.com/

The two researchers behind the Arboform “liquid wood” bioplastic this week took first place in the SME Research category of the 2010 European Inventor Award, organised by the European Patent Office and the European Commission.

Jürgen Pfitzer and Helmut Nägele, both German nationals, received the award at a ceremony in Madrid, Spain, on Wednesday this week. The judges described the Arboform material as “a breakthrough in the sustainable use of renewable resources.”

Arboform bioplastic was developed by Pfitzer and Nägele while working at the Fraunhofer ICT research organisation in Germany. It takes lignin - the rigid component in wood and a by-product of pulp and paper-making - and combines it with resins, flax and other natural fibres to create a compound that can be processed as a thermoplastic by injection moulding.

The Arboform material can be used to produce durable moulded components which can, at the end of their life, be biodegraded. It also makes use of a raw material – lignin – which would otherwise be burnt or used in low value animal feeds.
Pfitzer and Nägele established a technology spin-off company – Tecnaro, which is based at Ilsfeld in Germany – to market the Arboform resins in 1998. It now employs14 staff and last year produced 275 tonnes of Arboform and a range of other biodegradable and renewable plastic compounds.
Arboform, which costs from around €2.5/kg, has drawn considerable interest from the automotive industry for its ability to replicate the finish and feel of wood in three-dimensional parts. It has also been used to produce designer loudspeaker casings and golf tees.

The European Inventor Award was established in 2006 to recognise the achievment of outstanding inventors from across the world. Other winners at the 2010 event included:
Lifetime Achievement: Wolfgang Krätschmer of Germany for his work in production of fullerenes (a new class of carbon molecules).

Industry Category: Albert Markendorf of Switzerland and Raimund Loser of Germany for development of a new high precision 3D scanning and measuring system for industrial measurement.
Non European Category: Sanjai Kohli and Steven Chen from the US for development of some of the technologies enabling the commercialisation of low cost GPS navigation tools and Ben Wiens and Danny Epps of Canada for their activities in the electrochemical fuel cell sector.

Opportunities for commercialisation of renewably-sourced plastics will be on the agenda at the European Plastics News Renewable Plastics which takes place in July in Belgium.


Source: http://www.europeanplasticsnews.com