Designing Ingeo Biomaterials for the Circular Economy
At NatureWorks we believe in changing the world without changing it at all. From feedstock sourcing to after-use applications, we design Ingeo bioplastic with the wellbeing of the planet in mind.
How do Ingeo biomaterials support a circular economy?
We follow these circular principles in the creation and distribution of our Ingeo biopolymer, and we also work to bring these principles to the larger plastics industry. In 2018 we partnered with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to support the New Plastics Economy initiative, a comprehensive strategy for creating a global plastics system based on circular economy principles. Using the three primary ambitions, we partner with customers and brand owners to design biomaterials that source from renewable feedstocks and fit with multiple after-use options.
According to the model outlined in the New Plastics Economy, circularity will be accomplished through three primary efforts:
1. Decoupling plastics from fossil feedstocks
2. Reducing leakage of plastics into natural systems and associated negative externalities
3. Creating an effective after-use plastics economy
Read on to learn how Ingeo biopolymer achieves each of these ambitions and how NatureWorks is doing its part to create a more circular, sustainable, and renewable future for the plastics industry.
Ingeo biopolymer is decoupled from fossil feedstocks
Ingeo doesn’t require petroleum or other fossil fuels as feedstocks. It’s made entirely from plant sugars, meaning carbon captured from the atmosphere by plants during photosynthesis ends up as the building blocks for Ingeo biopolymer.
For NatureWorks, it's not enough to simply be 100% biobased. We’re committed to feedstock diversification—to using the most abundant, locally available, and sustainable source of biobased carbon wherever we produce. As a signatory of the New Plastics Economy Global Commitment, NatureWorks is committed to having 100% of our agricultural feedstocks certified as sustainably and responsibly managed via ISCC plus.
NatureWorks is committed to product safety and preventing leakage of plastics into natural systems
The best way to prevent leakage of plastics into natural systems and the associated negative externalities is to support the growth of robust waste infrastructure. We advocate for the development of composting and recycling infrastructure globally because we don't believe anything should be littered, and we want everything to be collected through the right channel.
In addition, we are committed to ensuring the inherent safety and non-toxicity of Ingeo biomaterials. We are always testing and certifying according to third party standards, like the Center for Environmental Health for the safety of our material.
Ingeo is supported by multiple after-use options, ensuring a circular product lifestyle
Because Ingeo is a biobased material, products made with Ingeo offer multiple end-of-life opportunities, depending on the application. We manufacture Ingeo with the entire lifecycle of Ingeo-based products in mind and partner with our customers in designing the best after-use options for Ingeo products. Composting is an ideal end-of-life option for some applications. Learn more about composting Ingeo products.
Using biobased materials, we can design products with new functionalities, like the Aries 40-hour face mask that has greater breathability, greater filtration, and can be reused for an entire work week. Read about the Aries face mask.
And, in the right applications, Ingeo biopolymer can be successfully sorted and mechanically recycled. Ingeo coated paper cups, for example, have been certified as repulpable and recyclable in addition to being compostable. Learn more about mechanically recycling Ingeo products.