APLA ’18: Littering concerns present opportunity for bioplastics

CANCUN, Mexico (ICIS)–Concerns on littering and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions coupled with modest progress in plastics recycling efforts may support growth of the bioplastics sector, industry participants said on Monday on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Latin American Petrochemical Association (APLA).

Traditionally, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) has been the only plastic used to produce food and drink containers. However, recycling post-consumer resin has been a problem, particularly in the US, where the infrastructure for collection and separation of the different recycling items is lacking, making the final price of recycled PET high. Sometimes higher than that of the virgin bottle grade resin.

A new environmentally friendly alternative to be considered is polyethylenefuranoate (PEF) derived from the furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) monomer whose raw material is fermented sugar. This new technology replaces oil-based feedstock terephthalic acid (PTA) with FDCA.

“Applications for PEF include packaging for food and beverages, among others,” the source said, “while reducing the amount of waste”.

PEF is a 100% biobased plastic that can also be recycled. “PEF is a cleaner alternative,” that will reduce CO2 emissions, the source added and was confident that PEF would one day replace PET.

Construction was finished at a new polylactide (PLA) bioplastics polymerisation plant at the Corbion facility in Rayong, Thailand. The plant started running in October 2018 and has a nameplate capacity of 75,000 tonnes/year.

Global bioplastics producers include Novamont, Arkema, Matrica, Solvay, Bioamber, Total Corbion, Genomatica and Lanzatech.

The APLA annual meeting runs through Tuesday.