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After collaborating with Samsung on its new eco-friendly mobile phone Samsung Reclaim which debuted in the US last August, Sprint now redesigned its wireless accessory packaging line with environment-friendly alternatives.

Beginning this month, Sprint is selling in their retail stores various accessories packaged with recyclable polyethylene terapthalate or PET instead of polyvinyl chloride or PVC. They will also be 20-40% smaller than previous packaging to reduce waste.

The packaging will also use soy and vegetable-based inks while the paperboard used in the packaging will be certified under the Forest Stewardship Council. Less resin will also be used in shipping the accessories, according to Sprint.

The company recently established its own green design criteria for future devices and accessories, and has committed to reduce paper usage by 30% during the next five years.

Specialty chemicals company Clariant has been very enthusiastic last month in launching new greener products and formulation concepts.

To start, the company launched its new EcoTain label (promoting Ecological, Economic, Sustainable products) for cosmetics and personal care, detergents, industrial cleaning products, coatings and deicings.

Examples of their EcoTain labeled product offerings include sunflower oil-based emulsifiers; and vegetable-based cationic detergent surfactant that is biodegradable, has low VOC, and is free of alkylphenoethoxylates (APEOS). All of the personal care products with this label are said to be natural-based and free of ethylene oxides as well.

Clariant also launched under this label their deicer recycling system. It covers the collection of deicer fluid from aircraft run-off, which is then recycled, cleaned and stored for future use. Reutilization rates of the deicing fluid is said to be up to 60%.

The company also introduced in October a new bio-based amine oxide under the trade name Genaminox® CHE for hard surface cleaning application. The surfactant cuts active ingredient use by up to 66% enabling manufacturers to reduce material purchasing, storage and transportation costs.

Clariant assures that the chemical delivers 50% better soil removal in an anti-bacterial formulation and a 44% improvement in a green all-purpose cleaner formulation. Genaminox CHE is said to be made from a plant-based hydrophobe, with 60% of the chemicals used originating from bio sources.

This week, Clariant announced its new silicone-free concepts that include rheology modifiers, emulsifiers and active ingredients for cosmetics and personal care formulations that don't need to add silicones. Clariant noted that the non-biodegradable nature of silicone restricts its use in natural/eco-labeled cosmetics.

Here are last month's launch of new green chemicals in no particular order. This list is definitely a record-breaker compared to previous months. I also noticed more new products this month targeting the cleaning market.

1. ELM's biobased lubricants - Environmental Lubricants Manufacturing (ELM) introduced an array of biobased consumer lubricants and greases, which are said to be the first of their kind as they are packaged in an environmental friendly kit for use in and around the household.

2. Genencor's detergent enzyme - Genencor launched PuraFast™ HS protease, a performance ingredient for laundry detergents to improve cleaning performance in shorter cycle and lower temperature washes.

3. Axion's recycled polymers - Axion Polymers has launched Axfoil® - its first new 100% recycled extruded sheet product that can be used in applications ranging from horticultural pots to in-store POS displays and collation trays that can eventually be recycled again.

4. Itaconix's green SAPs - Bio-itaconic acid producer Itaconix introduced its Itaconix™ Super Absorbent and Itaconix™ Dispersant. The company's polymers are made from itaconic acid that is currently fermented with corn glucose as the feedstock.

5. Colonial's green surfactant - Colonial Chemical has added its new Poly SugaCarb and Poly SugaPearl to the company's "green" line of personal care products. Poly SugaCarb can be substituted for traditional surfactants such as sodium laurel sulfate, sodium laureth-2 sulfate and alpha olefin sulfonate, while Poly SugaPearl is a concentrated dispersion of pearlizing compounds designed to be free of sulfates and ethylene oxide.

6. Cognis' biopolymer cleaning additive - Cognis has launched Polyquart Ecoclean, a starch-based polymer additive for formulating environmentally sound hard surface cleaners. Polyquart Ecoclean is said to be compatible with anionic, cationic and nonionic surfactants.

7. Spartech's eco-packaging - Spartech rolled out its EnviroSeal™ and UltrosRenu™ for PVC packaging replacements. EnviroSeal™ is said to be available with pre- or post-consumer content, while UltrosRenu™ is produced with high quality recycled PETG materials.

8. Celanese's eco paint emulsifiers - Celanese is offering EcoVAE 408, a vinyl acetate/ethylene base emulsion for coatings manufacturers. The emulsion is APE-free, has a low residual monomer level and can be formulated into low VOC coatings to achieve green certifications.

9. LATI's PLA resin compounds - Italy-based LATI launched its new family of of polylactic acid-based compounds under the brand name LATIGEA. The compounds are reinforced with natural and traditional fibres, and blended with polycarbonates and polyesters.

Pine chemical company Arizona Chemical is complaining about the possibility of losing their black liquor-based feedstock because of the federal tax credit that are being given to pulp mills who mix black liquor with diesel and burn them as fuel for their operations.

Black liquor, by the way, is a liquid byproduct you get at a paper mill when wood is turned into pulp. Pine chemical companies rely on these byproducts such as black liquor soap/crude tall oil and crude sulphate turpentine as feedstocks to make renewable-based chemicals.

Arizona Chemicals noted that burning black liquor for biofuels could lead to plant closings across the pine chemicals industry and increased imports of replacement products, which are primarily made of non-renewable petroleum sources.

Pulp and paper mills have long used black liquor as an occasional fuel source, according to the paper industry. But with the 2007 biofuel tax credit legislation, Kraft paper mills who were already using the natural black liquor could now add as little as 0.1 percent of diesel to the fuel mixture and they could qualify for a tax credit.

Recent earnings report from major pulp and paper companies such as International Paper (IP), Weyerhaeuser, and Domtar revealed big federal tax credit gains from these operations.

In the third quarter this year, IP reported a $525 million pre-tax credit ($320 million after taxes) for alternative fuel mixture credits in addition to the $482 million pre-tax credit ($294 million after taxes) gained in the second quarter.

IP received its first biofuel tax credit check from the Internal Revenue Service in March this year with an amount of $71.6 million. The company produced (and used) the alternative fuel mixture at 15 of its mills for the period of November 14 to December 14, 2008.

Third quarter earnings also saw biofuel tax credit profits for Weyerhaeuser amounting to $74 million while Canada-based Domtar's profits impressively jumped in the third quarter mostly thanks to a $159-million federal biofuel tax credit (which came to $116-million after tax).

Domtar was able to earn (before tax) $131m in the second quarter and $46m in the first quarter from the tax credits alone.

I found this intriguing blog called "Dead Tree Edition" talking about this issue and the author of blog estimated that US kraft pulp mills could could generate $50 billion in tax credits before it expires at the end of 2012.

That is one heck of a big tax credit although it makes sense seeing that International Paper alone is on track to earn nearly $2 billion in alternative fuel mixture credits this year. The company paid less than $200 million in U.S. income taxes last year and had less than $400 million in earnings during the first half of this year, according to the blog's author.

Even paper company Marcal is calling on Congress to eliminate the credit stating potential further deforestation "under the guise of alternative fuel production." Marcal's paper products are mostly recycled-based, the company assures.

"Organizations across industries are scrambling for bailouts for survival, yet many paper manufacturers are taking advantage of taxpayers' dollars and are being rewarded with a bonus for pillaging our forests." - Marcal

My inbox was flooded this week with green news from Honeywell, which manufactures high-performance specialty materials.

First stop, the company announced that its Genetron® R-245fa refrigerant in an equipment called the 35Z Micro Power Plant, manufactured by Germany-based Turbolina GmbH & Co. KG. The equipment, which is sold to homeowners uses water heated by thermal solar panels to evaporate the refrigerant, which in turn drives a turbine to generate electricity.

The unit does not produce any carbon dioxide emissions and the remaining heat from the 35Z can be used to supply heating and hot water. (Cool! - I wonder how much this cost though?). Honeywell said the refrigerant is non-flammable, non-ozone-depleting and has low toxicity.

In Europe, Honeywell said it has partnered with Toyota Motors in a project to further improve the environmental leadership of the car manufacturer's operations across Europe. Toyota will implement Honeywell's HC900 Hybrid Controller platform and Profit® Controller in up to three of its European assembly plants by the end of 2010, reducing energy requirements and boosting environmental performance at each site.

Another European announcement was the use of Honeywell's Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS) by Valorly, a division of the French utility Suez Environnement, in its Rillieux-la-Pape production plant. The PKS system will be used to control Valorly's incineration system, which transforms waste into both thermal and electrical energy.

With the installation of Experion, Honeywell noted that Valorly can turn waste into a valuable commodity and use it to produce electricity, heat and transportation fuels.

Finally, Honeywell's automation system was also chosen by Flambeau River Biofuels (FRB) to supply and integrate all of FRB's automation equipment for the largest second-generation "green diesel" plant they're building in the US.

The plant - located in Park Falls, Wis., and expected to be operational by 2012 - will produce energy, transportation fuels and chemicals from renewable biomass resources. The plant will process 1,000 dry tons per day of woody biomass from bark, sawdust and residue typically burned after forest harvesting.

Here's a Friday treat that I've been compiling for several months now. If you're really into eco-products, you might want to try these newly launched stuff and let us know if you consider them really green or if they're just pure greenwash.

COUNTERTOP

• Cosentino launched in April its ECO by Cosentino, a new line of countertop and surfacing material composed of 75% recycled material. Using the materials can get points toward LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The countertops are GREENGUARD certified for low chemical emissions.

• Baumgartens introduced in July a range of new waterless cleaners under its environmentally-friendly brand CONSERVE that is sold in tablet form with consumers adding water once ready to use. Conserve Cleaners products consists of cleaners for glass and window,multi-surface, bathroom, and odor eliminator.

• Adco Cleaning Products LLC launched in June its new line of ecologically friendly detergent and softener under the brand AdcoEco to be sold by dry cleaners directly to consumers. The highly concentrated AdcoEco products are biodegradable and free of all harmful dyes and perfumes.

• Chemstar Corporation developed its Chemstar Liquid Fruit and Vegetable Wash that is safer to store, handle, and use than products that contain peroxyacetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, or chlorine. The product is based on citric acid formulation.

• Green Bay Converting introduced last month its Ever-Green bathroom tissue made from 100% recycled fiber (and packaged in a 100% recyclable carton).

• In July, Terminix introduced its Terminix SafeShield, a new, natural pest control product that is made primarily from plant extracts. Terminix SafeShield, which is EPA-exempt, was developed in partnership with TyraTech, an independent pesticide company and uses TyraTech's Nature's Technology formula.

• In April, Safety Kleen introduced its recycled motor oil EcoPower to consumers. EcoPower motor oil is available in 5W-20, 5W-30, 10W-30 and 15W-40 viscosity grades.

• In August, Samsung launched Reclaim™, the first phone in the U.S. constructed from eco-friendly bio-plastic materials made from corn. The bioplastic makes up 40% of Reclaim's outer casing and is said to be free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, and nearly free of brominated flame retardants (BFR).

• CalSprings introduced its biodegradable plastic water bottle BioGreen Bottles. The water bottles are reusable, recyclable, top shelf dishwasher safe, and BPA, DEHA and DEHP free.

• PlastiPure and Hydrapak created Purebot water bottle. The companies said the bottles are certified free of all estrogenic activity not just those caused by BPA and phthalates.

• Repurpose Compostables debut their brand new line of PLA cold cups and PLA cutlery. The products can withstand heats of up to 220 degrees and are able to biodegrade in 90 days.

Ethanol producer POET is entering the industrial green chemicals sector with their new ethanol co-product called "Inviz", which the company said can replace petroleum-based ingredients in household products ranging from pill coatings to plastic packaging.

Inviz is made from a biodegradable, low-nutrient prolamine protein called zein found in corn. It can be used as a gum base or in films, packaging, adhesives, coatings and glazes, according to the company.

"Inviz can be used to make biodegradable plastics, time-release capsules for pills and other substances, varnish, there are just so many possibilities," said Poet senior scientist John Lawton. "It has been the focus of much of my research throughout my career, and I'm excited to see this product brought to market."

A recent interview* with Dow Chemical (by ICB editor Joe Chang) reveals that the company estimates sales potential for its new solar shingles of around $5bn by 2015 and $10-11bn by 2020.

The company unveiled yesterday its line of DOW™ POWERHOUSE™ Solar Shingle, said to be a revolutionary photovoltaic solar panels in the form of solar shingles that can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingle materials. The solar panels are made of low-cost, thin-film CIGS (copper indium gallium deselenide) photovoltaic cells.

The solar shingle systems will be available in limited quantities by mid-2010 and projected to be more widely available in 2011.

In the interview, Jane Palmieri, managing director of Dow Solar Solutions (DSS), said that that their solar shingle system will cost on average 10% less than applied solar panels - those that are bolted onto rooftops, and 40% less than similar building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems.

The use of Dow's solar shingles in a home would typically offset between 40-80% of power usage, or 2-4 kilowatts (KWs), said Palmieri.

*ICIS news link is subscription only.

We will soon see a 100% renewable-based content on thermoplastic elastomers being used in automotive parts, electronics and sports equipment.

Arkema said today that it has developed a 100% renewable-based high performance thermoplastic elastomer range using the company's combined castor oil chemistry and bio-based polyol technology.

Arkema's new Pebax® Rnew100 is said to have outstanding mechanical properties, excellent resistance to thermal and ultra-violet ageing. The company's Pebax® Rnew range before was limited to up to 95% plant-based content.

Read my green sports equipment article for more about Arkema's Pebax Rnew in sports equipments. More on castor chemical development in an article I wrote in March!

The beauties might get their bioplastic (see last post on Miss USA) but the brawns are commending the use of recycled plastic in their military bridges.

According to an email from Axion International, they have just completed construction of two 100% recycled plastic bridges for the US Army stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The bridges are specifically engineered to allow for the crossing of armored military vehicles.

Axion said its patented structural-grade reinforced plastic building materials are
an emerging technology for use in load-bearing construction as alternative to treated wood, steel or concrete bridges and other infrastructure such as railroad crossties, bridge infrastructure, marine pilings and bulk heading.

The plastic bridges at Fort Bragg used 84,828 pounds of recycled plastic including the equivalent 508,968 one gallon milk jugs and juice containers, according to the company. A third bridge at Fort Bragg is being planned because of the cost-savings benefit according to the US Army.

Axion's technology, by the way, was developed in conjunction with scientists at Rutgers University.