Feedstock Recycling

Since 2004, NatureWorks has recycled more than 17 million pounds of off-grade Ingeo™ natural plastic at its Blair, Nebraska, processing facility by applying a chemical process commonly used in the plastics industry called hydrolysis.  During the hydrolysis process, Ingeo plastic is broken down into its primary foundation, lactic acid.  Following the hydrolysis process, the lactic acid is then converted back into Ingeo resin.

To assist recyclers and collect products for hydrolysis, in 2005 we established our North American "Buy Back" program.  This allowed recyclers to sell bales of collected Ingeo bottles back to NatureWorks until the market for recycled Ingeo has matured.

In a 2008 pilot study, NatureWorks applied hydrolysis techniques to Ingeo bottles — in this case milk bottles.  Researchers found that by using hydrolysis the Ingeo resin from the bottles can be recycled indefinitely with virtually no need to add virgin polymer.

FEEDSTOCK RECYCLING TODAY

The recycling of post consumer waste to the original Ingeo feedstock, lactic acid, will now become a commercial reality, with a world scale Belgian lactic acid producer Galactic announcing its intent as the first company to invest in the back to feedstock, 'chemical' recycling of Ingeo.  With its LOOPLA® recycling process, Galactic is building a 1,000 metric ton lactic acid plant based on PLA feedstocks, which neatly closes another part of the Ingeo circle of production.  Galactic is collaborating with NatureWorks to collect both post industrial and post consumer Ingeo intermediates and finished products to feed their processes.

In the long term, feedstock recycling allows for the recovery of any Ingeo-based packaging well beyond bottles.  This allows for nearly infinite recycling that prevents downcycling common in oil-based plastics & lowers the environmental impact of Ingeo overall.