Ingeo News: October 2022

NatureWorks Recognized as BioPreferred Program Champion by USDA

The USDA Biopreferred Program is celebrating their 20th anniversary and NatureWorks is proud to be recognized as a Biopreferred Program Champion! We were the first material company to receive the biobased certification when the program was expanded just over 10 years ago.

This recognition signifies our long-term commitment to renewable materials, reducing reliance on petroleum, and support of the bioeconomy.

Have your products been tested for biobased content? As more materials claiming biobased content come to market, it’s more important than ever to have a trusted certification like USDA Biopreferred, which uses laboratory testing to verify the presence of actual biobased carbon in products. Read up on the BioPreferred Program for businesses with biobased products AND understanding biobased content on their website below. Learn more.

Bioplastics Week 2022: Leveraging the power of sports to make an impact on zero waste and organics recycling

The eighth annual Bioplastics Week was held online the week of September 12th and was hosted by Plastics Industry Association with the intention of increasing visibility for bioplastics. Themes this year not only included uses for bioplastics, but addressing common misconceptions, policies that impact bioplastics, and items we encounter every day that you may not know are made from bioplastics.

NatureWorks Sr. Global Marketing & Communication Manager, Leah Ford, was interviewed by Plastics Industry Association on the Food Waste Diversion and Compostable Packaging Playbook we released with Green Sports Alliance for the occasion. She talked about how venue operators and sports stadiums can use this new resource as well as its applicability beyond the stadium. The wider organics recycling programs grow, the bigger impact we can have on mitigating the effects of climate change.

Search the #BioplasticsWeek hashtag across social media channels to see all the thoughtful posts generated over the week.

NatureWorks Goes to The Hill to Advocate for Composting Infrastructure

In September, Shannon Pinc, Sr. Circular Economy Manager and Biodegradable Products Institute BPI Board Member, participated in meetings on Capitol Hill advocating for support for the Recycling & Compost Accountability Act and composting infrastructure overall. This was BPI’s inaugural fly-in event, and board members, or a designated representative from their respective organizations, were invited to participate. The meetings were an opportunity to introduce BPI and board member organizations to a variety of congressional, committee, and caucus staff on Capitol Hill.

Successful Summer Internship Program

Recently, NatureWorks wrapped up the 2022 Summer Internship Program and it was a great success. This year interns were taken on for roles on the Technology team and, for the first time, on the Marketing & Communications team as well. The hardworking NatureWorks employee mentors this year were Andrea Auchter, Bill Coggio, Ian Pierson, Marie Olson from Technology and Virginia Thompson and Kevy Konynenbelt from MarComm.

This year’s interns and their projects included:

  • Govind Makaram (Technology) - studied the accuracy of the secondary rapid testing techniques for changes in sugar concentration in a Fermentation process.

  • Keon Beigzadeh (Technology) - studied the influence of PLA sheet molding compostitions on the ductility properties of molded coffee capsules and clear cups.

  • Brian Carrick (Technology) - studied the influence of PLA properties such as milecular weight and degree of crystallinity on adhesion to cellulosic substrates for paper packaging applications.

  • Julia Harvey (Marketing & Communications) - studied the use of social media monitoring tools, including social listening techniques, and the use of TikTok as a channel for complex topic storytelling and communications.

NatureWorks will be looking for interns to participate in the Summer Internship 2023 program soon. To see future opportunities, stay tuned to the Careers webpage and don’t forget to follow NatureWorks on social media.

NATUREWORKS & GLOBAL INDUSTRY NEWS

RECENT EVENTS

AMI Single-Serve Capsules, Europe | September 20 - 21, 2022 | Barcelona, Spain
NatureWorks exhibited and Flavio Di Marcotullio presented, “Recycling, composting, mass-balance: Hits and misses of the industry and the challenge of a one-size-fits-all approach.”



RISE Conference | September 27 - 28, 2022 | Raleigh, NC
Liz Johnson, NatureWorks VP of Technology, presented "Enhanced PLA Degradability, PLA-based Coatings, Interesting Biopolymer Combinations and Promising Blends" at this event.


UPCOMING EVENTS

Sustainability in Packaging Europe: Interactive Compostable Packaging Workshop | November 1, 2022 | Barcelona, Spain
NatureWorks’ Erwin Vink will join in presenting an Interactive Compostable Packaging Workshop at the Sustainability in Packaging Europe show. 

AFCC Global Biobased Economy | November 6 - 8, 2022 | Washington DC
NatureWorks President and CEO, Rich Altice will join the plenary panel “Vanguard Biobased Materials and their Applications”. And NatureWorks VP of Performance Packaging, Steve Davies, will join the breakout session, “New Biobased Materials on the Horizon from Internal Growth Strategies and Partnerships.”

14th Bioplastics Market | November 9 - 10, 2022 | Bangkok, Thailand
NatureWorks Business Development Manager, Watid Watanyupaisan, will present, “Challenges and Opportunities in Creating a Circular Bioeconomy.”



We're Growing!

Join a fast-growing, ever-evolving team of professionals. Join NatureWorks!

Available Job Opportunities:


Polymer Plant Process Engineer | Blair, NE
The Polymer Plant Process Engineer is responsible for assisting in day-to-day operational planning, trouble shooting, and execution of decided upon priorities, as well as long term production plant improvements in areas of yield, product quality, and costs of goods produced. The position is responsible for ensuring the linkages between plant operations and other functions are effective (i.e. maintenance, EH&S, Logistics, etc). Additionally, the position assumes aspects of site leadership, integration responsibilities, and other roles as appropriate to the local area or business.

Reliability Engineer | Blair, NE
The Reliability Engineer is responsible for driving plant reliability and defect elimination efforts through engineered solutions. They support the continued implementation and leadership of the Reliability Excellence process. This role supports the Technology / Plant Operations team by developing functional strategies, setting new standards and developing and implementing new processes that have a short to mid-term impact on the organization.


Keep up with ALL of our available job opportunities on our Careers page.