Copenhagen Delegates Walk on an Eco2punch® Ingeo Carpet

At the Bella Center where the United Nations global conference on climate change was held, every one of the 15,000 dignitaries stood, walked, and rested their feet on an ultra low carbon footprint Eco2punch® carpet made with Ingeo fibers.

The 20,000 square meters (215,000 square feet) of carpet was enough to cover nearly five soccer fields. French carpet producer Sommer Needlepunch (part of the Belgian DS Textile Platform group and Ingeo licensee) estimated that by using the fiber made with Ingeo, it reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent compared to the fibers made from fossil-based polypropylene and reduced energy consumption by 50 percent. After the conference, the Eco2punch carpet was collected by Belgium-based Galactic SA for conversion back into virgin lactic acid, a value-added industrial feedstock and the building block for Ingeo bioresin. Read more.

Ingeo Featured at Copenhagen Fashion Summit

Creativity, Lifestyle, and Sustainable Synergy (CLASS), a unique organization that gathers and promotes creative and responsible materials and collections, demonstrated that sustainable fabrics are innovative and fashionable at the Nordic Initiative Clean and Ethical Fashion Summit that took place on December 9th at the Royal Opera House in Copenhagen. This event was organized to help raise awareness about sustainability within the fashion industry and to present a 10 year action plan. CLASS was appointed as the official supplier of all the eco-responsible textile developments at the fashion summit.

The winner of the Summit’s fashion competition was Saara Lepokorpi from Finland, who received an award of 50,000 DKK ($9,616.00).  The check was presented by Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. The winning design featured two outfits: A hand painted jacket made with an Ingeo nonwoven by Fama Jersey and a dress made with milk fiber by Olimpias.   

Caterers at the Summit utilized a comprehensive range of Ingeo food service ware, with cutlery by CDS, plates by I.L.P.A. Srl, and hot and cold cups by Hanchang Paper and Ecozema respectively. Meeting areas and the fashion runway were carpeted with Eco2punch by Sommer Needlepunch. After the event, the serviceware and carpet were collected by Galactic SA for conversion back into virgin lactic acid.

*Photo courtesy of Danish Fashion Institute

Conference Organizers Order 285,000 BioWare® Drinking Cups

Huhtamaki, headquartered in Espoo, Finland, estimated that use of 285,000 BioWare® cups and 12,000 deli containers by delegates at the Bella Center, site of the UN Conference, saved an equivalent in greenhouse gas reduction to eliminating driving 19,803 kilometers (12,305 miles) in an average European automobile. The savings come from substituting Ingeo for petroleum-based materials.

“There will not be one large step the world takes as it addresses lowering greenhouse gas emissions, but millions of small changes that gain momentum for positive improvement,” said Aino Hästö, Sales and Marketing Manager from Huhtamaki. “The significance of BioWare at the UN Conference on Climate Change is that this global spotlight will spur interest, create demand, and develop the awareness that renewably sourced plastics such as Ingeo have a part to play in lowering greenhouse gas emissions.” Read more.

Conference on Biotechnology and a Showcase of Sustainable Products

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and EuropaBio hosted a technology conference and showcase on December 17th in Copenhagen. The conference and showcase highlighted the role biotechnology plays in producing a growing range of environmentally conscious products. More than 25 users of NatureWorks' Ingeo participated in the showcase. These companies were:

There were iPhone covers from Bioserie, multifunction printers from Canon, computers from Fujitsu and NEC, a new fountain cup from Coca-Cola, fresh food deli containers from Target Corporation’s Archer Farms, and many more. See the Ingeo products on display at the conference showcase.

“The events in Copenhagen were a great opportunity to share the reality of the more responsible products now available. It brought us closer to our partners and reinforced to us the huge desire in the market to learn more about the greenhouse gas and energy savings potential of this performance material made from plants, not oil,” said Marc Verbruggen, president and CEO of NatureWorks.