Ingeo News: August 2021

Success in Sustainability at the 2021 3M Open

The 3M Open PGA golf tournament in Blaine, MN was a great success this year. And, in our ongoing support of more sustainable sporting events, NatureWorks was proud to participate in being a Sustainability Partner. We helped the 3M Open meet their sustainability commitments in planning and execution, but also through volunteering to assist event-goers dispose of their waste in the correct receptacles, and we brought our very own flair in providing Ingeo-based cups, made by See Box, featuring the event as well as our new pro golf ambassador, Brendon Todd. Compost receptacles were placed in the cabins for proper collection of the compostable cups for diversion from landfill to local composter, Specialized Environmental Technologies (SET).

We look forward to an ongoing relationship with our local 3M Open golf tournament as well as other golf and sporting events as we continue one of our missions to make sustainability the real home team of any game.

2021 3M Open's Sustainability Commitments.

Assobioplastiche Elects Mariagiovanna Vetere Board Member and Vice Chair

NatureWorks is pleased to announce that Mariagiovanna Vetere, NatureWorks’ Global Public Affairs Director, has been elected as Board Member and Vice Chair of Assobioplastiche. Senior Digital Strategist, Virginia Thompson, interviewed Marigiovanna to discuss this new role.

Virginia Thompson: Congratulations on your new appointments within Assobioplastiche! Can you tell us more about the new roles?
Mariagiovanna Vetere: Yes; thank you. Assobioplastiche is the Italian association of bioplastics producers and converters. I’m proud to say I’ve been elected as Board Member representing the non-Italian bioplastics producers, and as Vice Chair, I will also support the Chair, Luca Bianconi, who has a background in the converting industry.

Virginia: Does Assobioplastiche play a role in the Italian EPR scheme?
Mariagiovanna: Yes, Assobioplatiche is a member of the Italian EPR scheme dedicated to compostable plastics called Biorepack. We will be in communication with consumers and local authorities about the benefits of compostable packaging.

Virginia: Great. What kind of specific contributions do you plan to bring to the Association?
Mariagiovanna: My experience on the European legislation will assist the Association in understanding and implementing the EU directives and participation in European consultations. I will also provide a liaison with the Italian Bioeconomy Cluster so we can better support the Italian policy makers in the transition toward a low-carbon economy and promoting the use of biobased and compostable materials.

Virginia: This all sounds amazing. So, are there any challenges you see ahead for Assobioplastiche?
Mariagiovanna: The Association will have to deal with the national implementation of the Single Use Plastic Directive; it seems that the Italian government will exempt compostable items and we will need to support this choice, providing information. Italy is also the first EU country implementing an EPR scheme dedicated to bioplastics and Assobioplastiche will provide expertise to support this young scheme.



Additive Manufacturing Goes Greener

Eight new companies, including NatureWorks, have now joined the Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA) - the industry’s first trade organization dedicated to promoting and educating on the benefits of sustainability within 3D printing. A main focus of the organization is the promotion of additive manufacturing as a more environmentally-conscious means of making than traditional technologies. Other benefits include redesigns which can lead to a reduction in energy usage and shorter supply chains that yield a smaller carbon footprint.

At less than two years old, AMGTA now features 28 members. [The members’] “collective pledge to support the AMGTA’s mission well-positions our trade group for accelerated growth and investment in new sustainability research projects in additive manufacturing…” said AMGTA Executive Director, Sherry Handel. Read the story.

PARTNER UPDATES

3D Printing

Polymaker’s Ingeo-based filament L3003 used for large-format public art
Spazio Z, a Chinese design studio, created the custom-built large-format extrusion 3D printed art piece in the above photo and it was made with more than 800kg of Polymaker’s Ingeo-based L3003 filament. The sculpture is one of 20 art installations featured in “Design Shanghai 2021”. PLA was selected after Spazio Z’s in-depth analysis of the physical force, overall load-bearing, and structural curvature of the material and as they found the material still suitable when backed with an aluminium armature and coated in polyester filler for protection from UV and heat radiation. Read more.

Food Serviceware

See Box opens new logistics center
See Box Corporation, one of Asia’s largest food container producers and NatureWorks partner, has commissioned a new logistics warehouse in 2021 for its growing logistics demands and high-speed production lines. The new space boasts 16 more container loading docks and 32,300 square feet of space for storage as well. The building is dedicated to supplying domestic and external large shipments in support of their annual output of more than one billion cups per year.


NATUREWORKS & INDUSTRY NEWS

UPCOMING EVENTS

Rapid + TCT | September 13 - 15, 2021 | Chicago, IL
NatureWorks will be exhibiting at this additive manufacturing conference. In the meantime, check out the last time we were there! 👇



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