Ingeo News: Volume 10, Issue 1

The first zero-landfill-waste Olympics

The 2012 Olympics in London not only offered memorable games, last year’s summer Olympics also were the first to be zero waste with an estimated 8,500 tons of packaging and food service items diverted from landfills and into a composting facility or recycling centers. Within that total, an estimated 14.3 million Ingeo lined paper cups and 7.5 million Ingeo cup lids were composted. London Bio Packaging, the company responsible for the closed loop effort, put together a whimsical, yet highly informative video detailing the overall waste disposal strategy. Watch more.

3D printing with Ingeo

NatureWorks and 3Dom Filament Limited, a new technology startup with extensive Ingeo technical experience, are supporting the rapidly growing 3D printing industry by combining the latest NatureWorks’ Ingeo resins with 3Dom’s state-of-the-art filament manufacturing processes. Ireland-based 3DOM Filament Limited is an independent company newly formed to supply Ingeo filament to the additive manufacturing (3D printing) market. Read more.

Ingeo blended fabrics for environmentally conscious Chinese consumers

Jiaxing Runzhi Wenhua Chuangxiang Company recently developed a series of Ingeo-based products, including underwear, camisoles, t-shirts, and infants' wear.

All are destined for the Chinese domestic market and sold under the YUSIRUN brand. The new fabric is a blend of Ingeo, Tencel, nylon, and spandex. According to the company, "The outstanding features of this garment collection include sensational touch, good drape, easy care, quick drying, excellent wicking performance, and low odor retention. These garments are comfortable and hypoallergenic."

Sunny sales prospects for these new sunshades

M+N Projecten in Delfgauw, The Netherlands, manufactures internal sunshade systems for commercial applications. The company recently developed an Ingeo based sunshade system to meet the "green" buildings trend in architecture.

M+N took its new Ingeo-based sunshades to the largest electric supplier in The Netherlands, Eneco NV in Rotterdam, which was constructing a new headquarters facility. Armed with environmental benefits calculations prepared by NatureWorks, M+N presented its case for the new product. Agreeing that the fabric would significantly contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable environment, Eneco NV purchased the Ingeo-based sunshade system for its new headquarters. This marquee account gave M+N a sunny start for its new Ingeo line.

Ingeo generating "buzz" in Japan

With a grant from the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, manufacturer Kunimune of Osaka, Japan, has developed a plastic Ingeo honeycomb for beehives. The prefab honeycombs are expected to help increase yield because bees will be able to put more energy into honey production rather than molding honey comb.

Kunimune’s unique, ultra-thin injection molding technology made it possible to produce the 1/64th inch (0.2mm) wall thickness, which re-creates natural honeycomb structure. The company is no stranger to Ingeo; it currently produces Ingeo injected molded trays for its line of housewares sold in major department stores in Osaka.

Bioplastics on the rise in Europe

According to government and industry leaders speaking at the 7th European Bioplastics Conference held on November 6 and 7 in Berlin, the significance of bioplastics is undisputed in terms of its being a central component of the European bioeconomy.

Coming to this consensus were plenary speakers Alfredo Aguilar Romanillos, European Commission; Clemens Neumann, Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection, Germany; and John Williams, NNFCC, an industry consulting company. Read more.