Cereplast Inc, a manufacturer of proprietary bio-based, sustainable plastics, has announced it has received confirmation of the low carbon footprint of its trademarked bioplastics-based Biopropylene resin.
In conjunction with Ramani Narayan, a distinguished Professor of Michigan State University, and after several months of research by an independent testing laboratory, it is demonstrated that the intrinsic carbon dioxide emissions reduction in using Biopropylene in place off regular polypropylene is 42 per cent.
The study found that approximately 1.82 kg of carbon dioxide are produced for each kilogramme of Biopropylene used, compared to 3.14 kg of carbon dioxide emitted for the same amount of polypropylene.
“By using Biopropylene instead of polypropylene, converters generate 1.32 kg less carbon dioxide for each kilo of product they manufacture,” said Frederic Scheer, Cereplast’s chairman and CEO. “This is a very significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, especially when considering that the worldwide market for polypropylene is about 45 billion kg, or approximately 100 billion pounds.”
Professor Narayan commented: “This recent development offered by Cereplast is quite interesting. I see this family of resins providing an intrinsic reduced carbon footprint value.”
Besides dramatically reducing carbon dioxide emissions during conversion, Biopropylene also delivers the environmental advantage of replacing up to one-half of the petroleum content in traditional plastic with renewable, bio-based materials, said Scheer. “Furthermore, Biopropylene can be used in a variety of applications which so far were satisfied only with traditional polypropylene.”
Biopropylene is a patented compound manufactured by Cereplast using traditional polypropylene and up to 50 per cent starch content, making it the first real “hybrid” bioplastic. Since its introduction at the end of 2007, Biopropylene has been tested by more than 90 major corporations, with particular attention from companies in the automotive, consumer products and cosmetics industries. While the drivers vary by industry, significant interest in Biopropylene has been motivated by some of the new properties that it offers, such as better printability, softer touch, and other attributes.
Cereplast 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 moulding, thermoforming, blow moulding 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 trademarked 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 Hybrid Resins products combine the 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.
