Natural Plastics

South Korea’s petrochemical companies are rushing to enter into the biopolymer market as an effort to pioneer the new business sector and better prepare for depletion of petroleum.

Biopolymers are manufactured using raw materials extracted from corns, wheat, and sugar canes, while plastic is produced out of petroleum.

SK Chemicals has been taking the lead in developing and commercializing eco-friendly and high-quality plastic materials. SK Chemicals launched diverse biopolymer products such as ECOTRAN, PURATAN, ECOPLAN, and ECOZEN. SK Chemicals has been reaping visible outcomes since it started operation of processing raw materials and manufacturing in February this year. Notably, SK Chemicals’ ECOZEN passed Japans’ quality standards and was commercialized in Japan. ECOZEN is eco-friendly bioplastic, which is manufactured out of raw materials extracted from corns and wheat.

On April 26, Lotte Group’s affiliates Honam Petrochemical Corporation and KP Chemical have decided to cooperate with Japan-based Toyota Tsusho Corporation and produce PET (polyethylene terephthalate) using bio-materials, starting June. Toyota Tsusho Corporation will purchase and process bioethanol which is refined from sugar canes and supply bioethanol to Honam Petrochemical for three years. KP chemical will be taking charge in selling PET. “KP Chemical aims to generate 139.5 billion won ($123.31 million) in sales of PET by a year after the operation,” a KP Chemical official said.
Kumho Petrochemical is also eyeing on bioethanol-related business, which is a base material for biopolymers.

Source:  http://bioplastic-innovation.com

The Obama Administration announced its commitment to strengthening bioscience research as a major driver of American innovation and economic growth.  The National Bioeconomy Blueprint outlines steps that agencies will take to drive the bioeconomy—economic activity powered by research and innovation in the biosciences—and details ongoing efforts across the Federal government to realize this goal.

The bioeconomy emerged as an Administration priority because of its tremendous potential for growth and job creation as well as the many other societal benefits it offers. A more robust bioeconomy can enable Americans to live longer and healthier lives, develop new sources of bioenergy, address key environmental challenges, transform manufacturing processes, and increase the productivity and scope of the agricultural sector while generating new industries and occupational opportunities.

A growing U.S. population requires increased health services and more material resources including food, animal feed, fiber for clothing and housing, and sources of energy and chemicals for manufacturing. Recent advances in the biological sciences are allowing more and more of these needs to be met not with petroleum-based products and other non-renewable resources but with materials that are quite literally home-grown. Indeed, the convergence of biology with engineering and other sciences—including physics, chemistry, and computer sciences—is proving to have tremendous power to generate new scientific discoveries, new products,  new markets, and new high-skilled jobs. The benefits can be seen in every sector of the economy, from agriculture to healthcare and from energy production to environmental monitoring and stewardship. Biobased materials are also proving to be excellent and sustainable substitutes for hydrocarbon-based raw materials in a number of industrial and manufacturing processes.

Research is a key component, but it’s not enough to ensure a successful American bioeconomy. In the biomedical domain, public-private partnerships can help the Nation achieve the twin goals of improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Updated bioeconomy-related education and training efforts can better equip a 21^st century workforce with the skills needed to succeed in an increasingly competitive global arena.

And unnecessary or overly burdensome regulatory barriers must be removed to accelerate the advancement of bioinventions from laboratories to marketplaces while ensuring adequate attention to environmental and health concerns that may be raised by scientists’ new facility with biological systems. The Bioeconomy Blueprint outlines five strategic imperatives for a bioeconomy with the potential to generate new markets and economic growth:

1. Support R&D investments that will provide the foundation for the future bioeconomy.
2. Facilitate the transition of bioinventions from research lab to market, including an increased focus on translational and regulatory sciences.
3. Develop and reform regulations to reduce barriers, increase the speed and predictability of regulatory processes, and reduce costs while protecting human and environmental health.
4. Update training programs and align academic institution incentives with student training for national workforce needs.
5. Identify and support opportunities for the development of public-private partnerships and precompetitive collaborations—where competitors pool resources, knowledge, and expertise to learn from successes and failures.

Although progress is being made in all of these areas, the Blueprint calls upon Federal agencies to accelerate their efforts to harness the biological sciences for the benefit of the Nation.

Source:  http://www.whitehouse.gov

The interest in bioplastics has strongly increased over the last year, noted the association European Bioplastics. This trend was once more confirmed by the attendance record at the 6th European Bioplastics Conference. More than 400 visitors came to Berlin on 22 and 23 November to listen to the 29 exciting speeches from renowned industry experts. Furthermore, the accompanying exhibition and networking-formats met with high response.

With around 420 visitors from more than 250 companies and institutions from all over the world the European Bioplastics Conference once more established a record and remained the leading bioplastics industry event and the industry‘s information and networking platform number one. This year, more than 80 per cent of the participants came from Europe, 10 per cent from Asia, and the better part of the remaining 10 per cent from North and South America.

In his keynote speech Maurits van Tol, DSM Bio-based Products & Services, commented the worldwide potential of bioplastics: "Mass production of bioplastics is around the corner, and such large scale plants with their better cost structure will increase the chances of bioplastics in the relevant markets. The long awaited breakthrough of bioplastics in the worldwide market is near."

Another positive comment came from Werner Ressing, Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology who considers bioplastics an important pillar of economic growth: "Bioplastics offer numerous opportunities to increase the economic value added of the German and European economy."

The presentations showcased the potential of bioplastics from many different perspectives. A number of innovations were introduced - new materials, additives and end-of-life approaches. The session on 'bioplastics and sustainability' offered insights into environmental communications as well as into certification concepts.

A highlight of the 6th European Bioplastics Conference was the Bioplastics Magazine‘s 'Annual Global Bioplastics Award'. This year the panel of judges selected Danone GmbH (Germany) to be the winner. By using different bioplastics for the packaging of its brands Activia and Actimel, Danone made a significant contribution to moving bioplastics from a niche packaging product to a mass market product.

In view of the increased interest in bioplastics over the past year and with this successful event, Andy Sweetman, Chairman of European Bioplastics, offered a positive outlook for 2012: "The development of the bioplastics industry is picking up speed. We need clear framework conditions in Europe and a strong united voice to demand them. In 2012 the role and work of our industry association European Bioplastics, will become more and more important in order to support our young industry. Established and leading formats, such as the annual conference are of major importance to guarantee a rich and multi-facetted exchange of knowledge about bioplastics."

Dr John Williams, Head of Materials for Energy and Industry at the NNFCC, gave a presentation on "Feedstock Sustainability and Bioplastics: How other Bio-Markets Influence the Bioplastics Chain". To download his presentation click here.

 

Source:  www.nnfcc.co.uk

Cereplast, Inc. (NASDAQ: CERP), a leading manufacturer of proprietary bio-based, compostable and sustainable plastics, announced today that it has opened a European headquarters in Bönen, Germany to support the rapid expansion of its European operations.

Cereplast's new European headquarters will provide a complete suite of services to clients in the pan-European region and handle logistics between its U.S. and Germany-based offices. The office is located at Siemensstrasse 42, D-59199 in Bönen, Germany. Bönen is 10 miles east of Dortmund, the seventh largest city in Germany.

"In 2010, Cereplast entered into a number of multi-million dollar agreements with European manufacturers and distributors, including Sezersan Ambalaj and RI.ME. Masterbatch S.r.l., and the pipeline for new contracts for Cereplast resin across Europe continues to grow rapidly," said Frederic Scheer, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Inc. "Our new European headquarters will help provide European-based clients with regional support and provide Cereplast with an effective platform and capacity to grow our European operations. This marks the first step toward achieving our plan to open a manufacturing plant in Europe during 2012 that will handle at least 200MM pounds, a production capacity double the size of our U.S. factory."

In addition to increased consumer awareness concerning the environment, demand in Europe for Cereplast bioplastic resin continues to grow as a result of legislation banning the sale of plastic bags in countries across Europe, including the ban on plastic bags approved by the Italian Parliament on December 23, 2010.

European manufacturers are increasingly seeking out plastic alternatives to comply with legislation that go in to effect in 2011.

About Cereplast, Inc.

Cereplast, Inc. (NASDAQ: CERP) designs and manufactures proprietary bio-based, sustainable plastics which are used as substitutes for petroleum-based plastics in all major converting processes - such as injection molding, thermoforming, blow molding and extrusions - at a pricing structure that is competitive with petroleum-based plastics. On the cutting-edge of bio-based plastic material development, Cereplast now offers resins to meet a variety of customer demands. Cereplast Compostables® Resins are ideally suited for single use applications where high bio-based content and compostability are advantageous, especially in the food service industry. Cereplast Sustainables™ Resins combine high bio-based content with the durability and endurance of traditional plastic, making them ideal for applications in industries such as automotive, consumer electronics and packaging. Learn more at www.cereplast.com. You may also visit the Cereplast social networking pages at Facebook.com/Cereplast, Twitter.com/Cereplast and Youtube.com/Cereplastinc.

Source: www.cereplast.com

Today, Gov. Bobby Jindal joined Myriant Technologies LLC chairman Stephen Gatto and Port of Lake Providence Director Wyly Gilfoil to announce Myriant Technologies, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Myriant Lake Providence, Inc. will soon begin building a new 392,000 square-foot plant at the Port of Lake Providence that will be the world's largest bio-based succinic acid plant.
The project will create 176 new direct and indirect jobs in the area and represent a capital investment of approximately $80 million. This total includes 49 new direct jobs at an average annual salary of nearly $40,000 plus benefits, and an estimated 127 new indirect jobs. Additionally, the 18-month core construction period is scheduled to begin in early 2011, and will require at least 250 construction workers.
"Our commitment to making Louisiana the best place in the world for businesses to invest and succeed continues to create more opportunities for our workers to pursue their dreams right here at home," said Gov. Jindal. "Myriant's new, sustainable specialty chemical manufacturing plant is great news for Lake Providence and for Northeast Louisiana. Not only does this project create nearly 200 new jobs for the people of Northeast Louisiana, it also is a beacon to innovators everywhere by using cutting-edge technology to help reduce our dependence on foreign imported oil. This type of alternative energy manufacturing venture is one of our top target growth industries that helps to diversify the economy of our state, attract more businesses, and create more jobs. Our state's great low-cost manufacturing environment, well-established transportation and logistics networks, and skilled workforce trained in specialty chemicals provide several competitive advantages for companies like Myriant."
"This project puts Louisiana at the forefront of innovation to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," said U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, Secretary Steven Chu.
The world's largest bio-based succinic acid refinery was awarded funding in January 2010 from the DOE and will also benefit from funding provided by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, or DOTD, to the port via its Port Priority program. In addition, Louisiana Economic Development is providing an incentive package that includes turnkey workforce solutions from LED FastStart, a five percent to six percent rebate on payroll expenses and certain sales taxes through the Quality Jobs program, and property tax abatement for materials used in new manufacturing through the Industrial Tax Exemption program.
Once operational in 2012, the project will use sorghum and carbon dioxide to produce up to 30 million pounds per year of succinic acid. Succinic acid is traditionally produced from petroleum-based feedstocks and used in a wide variety of applications, including the production of polymers, fibers, surfactants, detergents and flavors. Bio-based succinic acid can directly substitute for the petroleum-based version, thus providing a renewable bio-based industrial chemical building block and reducing U.S. dependence on imported oil while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
"Myriant is thrilled to be on the verge of launching this breakthrough project," said Gatto. "We are extremely impressed by and grateful for the support and coordination from the state, from the Governor, LED, Louisiana DOTD, the Port of Lake Providence and Sen. Mary Landrieu. We are thankful for all of these constituents, as well as DOE, and their recognition of the vital role this technology will play in job creation, economic growth and environmental security."
Key site selection factors included the strategic location at the Port of Lake Providence, with its combination of rail, highway and barge access, as well as incentives offered by the state. The Lake Providence location provides a variety of feedstock options for the facility, as well as low-cost transportation options for both the inputs and products.
About Myriant Technologies

Headquartered in Quincy, Mass., Myriant Technologies LLC uses proprietary technology to advance the development of low-cost cellulosic sugars for the sustainable manufacturing of high-value specialty chemicals. The company's D(-) lactic acid started production at commercial scale in June 2008 for use in polylactic acid. Myriant's second commercial product, succinic acid, will begin commercial production in 2012.
Visit  Myriant Technologies website to learn more.

Cardia Bioplastics is working with Nestlé to help it reduce the environmental impact of its packaging. According to Cardia managing director, Dr Frank Glatz, the deal “presents an exciting opportunity to develop high performance packaging with lower environmental impact”.

“In addition to offering a product with beneficial environmental profile and full food-safety compliance, delivering superior packaging performance through the product life cycle is a key criterion for success,” he added.

“Our proprietary multi-layer flexible film and rigid packaging developments are important offerings in meeting demanding packaging performance requirements.”

 

Source: http://www.prw.com

Braskem and INEOS Technologies announced today at the closing of the APLA Meeting in Rio de Janeiro that they have entered into a strategic partnership for PE technologies. Under this partnership agreement Braskem can acquire licenses for Innovene S slurry and Innovene G gas phase technologies to produce high density PE and linear low density PE in Braskem’s future petrochemical projects. In addition, Braskem and INEOS Technologies will jointly conduct research and development programs for the slurry and gas-phase PE platforms.
The first petrochemical project to benefit from the partnership is the Etileno XXI project in Mexico. This project forms the basis for the newly established Braskem IDESA S.A.P.I joint venture between Braskem and GRUPO IDESA.
The two Innovene S plants that will form part of the Etileno XXI complex in Coatzacoalcos are scheduled to start-up in January 2015.
The plants will produce a full range of monomodal and bimodal high density and medium density polyethylene resins with a total name plate capacity of 750 KTA. Key product areas to be served by the new plants include pipe, blow molded containers, injection molding parts, film, and rotomolded tanks.
Dr. Peter Williams, CEO, INEOS Technologies stated : "INEOS is delighted to be entering into this strategic partnership with Braskem.  Under the agreements, INEOS Technologies will offer polyethylene licenses to Braskem’s future investments, and the two companies will work together on joint developments. The aim of the joint R&D is to help ensure that the combination of INEOS’ Innovene G and Innovene S technologies remains the leading offer to the market in Latin America and beyond, responding fully to the future needs of the polymer industry. For the Etileno XXI project, the Innovene S technology will provide high quality polyethylene resins for the much diversified high density PE market in Mexico. INEOS Technologies is proud that Innovene S technology is part of this major investment in the Latin American region".
Mr.Bernardo Gradin, President of Braskem, commented :"Our agreements with INEOS give us access  to state-of-the-art high density and linear low density polyethylene technologies also allowing Braskem to directly participate in joint developments of such. This will allow Braskem to use the Innovene S and Innovene G technologies in its expansion program, starting with the Etileno XXI project with our partners GRUPO IDESA in Mexico, as well as the intended projects in Peru and Bolivia. It is a very important step in the direction of assuring to Braskem clear access to existing leading polymerization technologies, allowing the company to concentrate its efforts on the internal development of bio based renewable technology, a fundamental move to fulfill its 2020 vision of being the world’s leading renewable chemistry company".

 

Source: http://www.braskem.com.br

Cereplast, Inc.  commented today that increased growth rates for plastic giants such as DuPont and Alcoa combined with higher costs for crude oil bode well for the bioplastics industry as science-based initiatives and green technologies begin to lead the way and the economic recovery takes hold.
On July 27, DuPont reported better-than-expected EPS for the second quarter of 2010 as profits nearly tripled, driven by strong emerging market demand and sales of specialty chemicals. The recovery in demand and cost reduction helped the company beat Wall Street estimates of $0.94 per share for the second quarter as the company reported profit of $1.2 billion, or $1.26 per share, versus $0.41 for the same period a year ago, and raised estimates for 2010. Sales to the automotive and industrial markets, which consume such materials as plastic components, rubber tires and hoses, increased during the quarter. Earlier this month on July 12, aluminum maker Alcoa, which also manufactures a wide selection of extruded plastics, reported better-than-expected earnings that topped analysts' estimates. Second quarter earnings came in at $136 million, or $0.13 per share compared to loss of $454 million, $0.47 per share, for the same period last year. Analysts had expected $0.12 a share for the quarter. Both DuPont and Alcoa are Dow components whose earnings are closely watched.
"The traditional plastics industry is very large and rebounding from a slump in global demand as reflected by better-than-expected earnings from DuPont and Alcoa, and this bodes well for our industry," said Frederic Scheer, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Inc. "Plastics are everywhere, on the clothes we wear, in the cars we drive as well as in countless industrial applications, consumer goods and electronics. The necessity of having alternatives, such as our bio-resins, is making sense to a lot of plastics manufacturers, driven both by consumer demand and awareness of sustainable alternatives and cleaner, environmentally-friendly solutions to petroleum-based plastics."
Industry production and sales for plastics in 2009 rose less than 1% for all major resins types, following a 12% decline in 2008, which was the lowest annual amount since 2001, according to data from Standard & Poor's. Monthly production and sales comparisons for the last four months of 2009 were positive against the same period in 2008, which experienced the downturn in consumer demand during late 2008. Year-over-year production and sales trends for the major resins in the first four months of 2010 have continued to recover, the data provider said, with total production up 7.4% and sales growing 5.8% from their reduced levels in the 2009 quarter.
"We have a solid outlook for 2010 and expect to ship approximately 16 million pounds of bio-resins to our customers this year, representing a 400% increased compared to 2009," added Mr. Scheer. "Bioplastics have the benefit of being fully compostable and are a compelling choice as the cost structure quickly becomes competitive with petrochemical plastics and consumers demand sustainable solutions that protect the environment. We believe the rebound in growth of the plastics industry at large will be a tremendous benefit to our bio-based resins as demand for our products grows."

Source:  Cereplast

Tetra Pak plans to offer 3.3 billion beverage cartons bearing the label of the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC) within one year to customers in Germany starting in June. This represents about 50 percent of the annual production of Tetra Pak cartons in Germany.

“As a leading producer of food packaging we set standards for sustainable raw material sourcing. FSC certification represents another step in Tetra Pak’s ongoing commitment to support responsible forest management and drive environmental performance – and a milestonein reliable and informative package labelling,” said Sven Weidemann, managing director of Tetra Pak Germany and Switzerland.
“Our ultimate goal is to have all supply certified to the highest standard, currently set by FSC. We are committed to increasing the number of Tetra Pak beverage cartons made from FSC-certified material as the availability of certified board increases,” he said.

On the raw material front, Tetra Pak works closely with its paperboard suppliers to ensure that all supply comes from known and acceptable sources. Currently, only 5% of the global forest stocks are FSC certified, and Tetra Pak is working with its partners to support an increase in supply. Since the introduction of the world’s first FSC-labelled liquid food cartons in the UK in 2007, Tetra Pak has introduced FSC-labelled cartons in several markets around the globe, with the total number exceeding 2.3 billion in 2009. Tetra Pak in Germany and Austria join the company’s operations in China, France, the UK and the Benelux in offering customers FSC certified packaging.

The FSC label guarantees that the wood fibres in the package are traceable all the way through the supply chain back to the forest and that the paperboard used in the package comes from FSC-certified forests and other controlled sources.

ABOUT THE FOREST STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the worlds forests. It provides standard setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services for companies and organizations interested in responsible forestry. Products carrying the FSC label are independently certified to assure consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations. Find more information available at www.fsc.org. The FSC license code for Tetra Pak is FSC-C014047

NatureWorks LLC and Morgan Impresores S.A. announced today that Morgan Impresores will begin distributing Ingeo biopolymer in Chile. Ingeo is an innovative plastic that is made from plants, not oil.
Since Morgan Impresores’ inception in 1987, it has been an innovator and leader in printing and packaging materials. This passion for innovation in addition to the company’s commitment to offer sustainable solutions to the Chilean market, moved the company to create Biologística, a business area focused on biopolymers.
“The broad distribution of Ingeo to Chilean manufacturers and brand owners will give companies new opportunities to develop more sustainable packaging, foodservice items, health and beauty aids, and semi-durable products,” say Biologística business managers Rodrigo Alfaro and Augusto Cubillos. “A number of these products will not only be for local consumption, but also for export to the United States, Mexico, the European Union, and China — major trading partners with Chile.

Biologística will be distributing the full Ingeo product family of resins. The company’s personnel will provide technical support to converters and enable them to seamlessly transition plastics made from non renewable petroleum to Ingeo.

The agreement with Morgan Impresores S.A. signals NatureWorks’ long-term commitment to supporting Latin American businesses as they move toward greater sustainability. Ingeo biopolymer made from renewable plant material, not oil, emits 60 percent less greenhouse gas and requires 48 percent less energy to manufacture into resin as compared to such plastics as PET.

To view numerous examples of how companies around the world have incorporated Ingeo into their products, visit NatureWorks’ most recent “LookBook.” For more information on Ingeo, visit www.natureworksllc.com and on Morgan Impresores www.biomorgan.cl.
Source: www.natureworksllc.com

NatureWorks LLC and Trevira GmbH jointly announced that Trevira of Bobingen, Germany, one of the world’s leading producers of high-quality branded polyester fibers and filament yarns, now holds a master license to manufacture Ingeo fibers. The rationale for this new partnership was first discussed at the EDANA International Nonwovens Symposium, held in Milan.

“Because of its technical expertise, exemplary reputation, capability to shorten time-to-market for custom products, and range of product offerings, Trevira is the ideal company to provide Ingeo fibers to a diverse base of European Union fabric producers, converters, and brand owners,” said Eamonn Tighe, NatureWorks European business manager for fibers and nonwovens.

“Expanding our portfolio of product offerings with a cost-competitive and versatile fiber like Ingeo is both a growth strategy and the next step in our company’s sustainability journey,” said Günter Wittmann, Trevira’s director of sales and marketing, staple fibers.

“The close cooperation with NatureWorks fits perfectly into our strategy of offering specialty and customized fibers. Leadership in quality and product development relies heavily on strong partnerships.”
Ingeo is made from renewable plant materials, not oil, emitting up to 85 percent less greenhouse gas and requiring up to 69 percent less energy to manufacture into resin when compared to traditional polymers. Ingeo biopolymer not only lowers the carbon footprint of products and components, but it also offers exceptional performance capabilities.

Tighe said that in the past 18 months, NatureWorks has seen significant interest among European Union converters, brand owners, and retailers in locally sourced, low-carbon footprint fibers and nonwovens for apparel, household, technical textiles, and personal care products. He said this new relationship with such a reputable company as Trevira further confirms NatureWorks’ commitment to the fibers and nonwovens sector within the European Union.
 
Source: www.natureworksllc.com

The European Commission should draft specific EU legislation to introduce compulsory recycling of biowaste, including garden residue and food waste from restaurants and food processing units, the European Parliament said yesterday (6 July).
"The rules on the management of biowaste are fragmented and the current legislative instruments are not sufficient to achieve the stated objectives of the effective management of bio-waste," the Parliament said in a resolution regarding the European Commission's 2008 Green Paper on the issue.
The resolution, which is not legally binding, was drawn up by Portuguese centre-right MEP José Manuel Fernandes (European People's Party) in the Parliament's environment committee.
In the resolution, the House argues that a specific directive would offer greater clarity, better monitoring and enforcement as well as legal certainty, which in turn would inspire long-term confidence in public and private investors.
MEPs therefore urge the Commission to review existing legislation and put forward a draft directive by the end of 2010.
According to the Parliament, the directive should establish a mandatory separate collection system to help member states reach their recycling and renewable energy targets and achieve the resource efficiency goals of the 'Europe 2020' strategy.
The House also asks for quality-based classification of compost types derived from biowaste and urges the Commission and member states to raise public awareness of waste prevention and recycling.
Commission sees no need for separate directive
Earlier this year, the Commission rejected calls for a stand-alone directive on biowaste, arguing that that there are no policy gaps at EU level that prevent member states from taking stronger action at present (EurActiv 19/05/10).
"Progress achieved in several member states shows that existing waste legislation is an excellent basis for advanced bio-waste management," the EU executive said in a communication.
It said the available tools simply need to be used more effectively and encouraged member states to choose the management options best suited to their national context.
However, a number of EU-level support initiatives, such as developing standards for compost, could be set up to accompany national action, the Commission added.
EU presidency trio priority
Biowaste is one of the stated priorities of the 'trio' of EU presidencies from 2010 to 2011 - Spain, Belgium and Hungary (EurActiv 11/06/09).
While the trio has been piling pressure on the Commission to table a separate directive, sources say the topic is considered "genuinely controversial" in the EU Council of Ministers, as local and regional differences are so great that it will be very difficult to legislate on the matter at EU level.
Meanwhile, sources believe that the Commission might propose a "loose" directive next year to at least reach agreement on compost quality in view of fostering an internal market for it.

IS GREEN chemistry ready for take-off? Delegates at a big conference on “industrial biotechnology” held near Washington, DC, this week by Bio, the industry’s umbrella organisation, seemed to think so. Industrial biotech uses agricultural feedstocks, rather than petroleum-based ones, to produce chemicals, plastics and fuels. McKinsey, a consultancy, says global industry revenues will grow from €116 billion ($170 billion) in 2008 to as much as €450 billion by 2020. The World Economic Forum reckons the coming boom in “biorefineries” will create new markets worth almost $300 billion by 2020.
Industrial biotech seems to have been relatively unscathed by the financial crisis. Codexis, an American start-up backed by Royal Dutch Shell, an Anglo-Dutch oil giant, pulled off a stockmarket flotation in April. Amyris, another American start-up, secured an investment of around $130m from Total, a French oil firm, this week and is likely to go public soon too.
In part, this is because big companies are embracing the technology. Frito-Lay, a maker of snacks controlled by PepsiCo, is adopting compostable crisp packets. Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, is expanding its use of bioplastics. Procter & Gamble, a consumer-products giant, recently agreed to use some biochemicals made by Amyris in its products. Craig Binetti of DuPont, a chemicals colossus, says his firm’s industrial-biotech sales soared from $50m in 2007 to $200m last year—and will grow to $1 billion by 2015.
Another reason industrial biotech is taking off, after several false starts, is that the technologies involved are now mature enough to be scaled up from laboratory curiosities to full commercialisation. “We’re not just dealing with vats any more,” insists Volkert Claassen of Royal DSM, a Dutch maker of food enzymes. This week the firm announced a joint venture with Roquette Frères, a French chemicals firm, to build a factory to produce a bio-based version of succinic acid, which is used in paints, textiles and coatings.
Similarly, Metabolix, an American firm, has set up a $300m facility in Iowa with Archer Daniels Midland, an agribusiness giant. DuPont has teamed up with Tate & Lyle, a British sugar firm, to build the first commercial factory to make propanediol (a chemical used in cosmetics, among other things) from corn instead of petroleum. And on June 28th Elevance, an American firm, announced a joint venture with Wilmar International, an Asian agribusiness giant, to build the world’s largest chemicals biorefinery in Indonesia by 2011.
Developing countries are emerging as major markets and sources of innovation for industrial biotech. Braskem, a Brazilian chemicals firm, has commercialised polyethylene—a commonly used plastic resin—made from sugarcane. It is now working with Novozymes, a pioneering Danish biotech firm, to repeat the trick for polypropylene, another common plastic. And Brazil’s ethanol industry, already the world’s biggest, wants to move from first-generation ethanol (made from sugarcane) to the next-generation cellulosic variety.
That Brazilian edge worries the American biofuels industry, and highlights the final factor now boosting industrial biotech: government support. At this week’s conference, for example, America’s Department of Energy announced $24m in funding for algae-based biofuels (on top of an existing $146m). But bureaucrats can bet on the wrong technologies. Brent Erickson of Bio observes that although governments are keenly promoting biofuels, most private investment in industrial biotech is going into other, less prominent areas.
And governments are too easily pushed into protectionism. An egregious example is America’s tariff ($0.54 per gallon) on imported ethanol, to protect domestic producers of corn-based ethanol. Marcos Jank, head of Brazil’s sugarcane association, took to the conference stage in a yellow, green and blue shirt. Asked if this was to show support for his country’s football team, he turned around to reveal the back of his shirt. It bore the number 54 and the message “cutthetariff.com”.

Source: The Economist

Cereplast, Inc. expects to produce and ship approximately 16 million pounds of their proprietary bio-plastic resins to customers in 2010, representing a 400% increase in shipments compared to 2009.

Cereplast recently entered into new global distribution agreements with a number of companies, including multi-billion dollar corporations Ashland Distribution, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) and Bunge Alimentaris, a Brazilian subsidiary of Bunge Limited, a contributing factor to the rise in shipment estimates. To support growing sales volume, the Company recently opened a new state-of-the-art production facility in Seymour, Indiana. The move to the new plant, which was relocated from Southern California, also has significantly reduced real estate and utility costs for the company.

"Distributors are increasingly utilizing bio-plastics as an alternative to petroleum-sourced materials in order to meet growing consumer and industrial demand for economically and ecologically sound, 'green' products," said Frederic Scheer, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast, Inc. "Our new advanced facility provides us with the capacity and scalability to handle climbing volume. We estimate that this facility, running at full capacity, will be able to produce approximately 80 million pounds of bioplastic resin per year."

Mr. Scheer added, "We estimate that the expected rise in volume will result in our 2010 revenues increasing by a minimum of 190 percent. The bulk of the shipments are expected to be delivered in the third and fourth quarter."





SOURCE: Cereplast, Inc.