Perstorp boosts investments in bioplastics solutions

WORLD demand for bioplastics is expected to continue to grow at over 20% annually for the foreseeable future and in response, Perstorp said it is boosting its investment in the rapidly expanding market.

In addition to a pilot plant at Warrington, UK, which is already operational, the company is increasing technical resources and setting up a new laboratory at Perstorp, Sweden, which will be in place in January 2015. 

The superior compostability of Capa? improves the products useful end-of-life making bioplastic packaging, bags and film

These projects aim to help customers develop their business faster and reduce time-to-market, and develop new products and formulations for emerging bioplastic applications, , the world leader in ε-polycaprolactones (PCL) technology said.

The pilot plant will produce new Capa? grades for existing customers and for the expansion of the Capa Thermoplastics product line. The new lab will serve as a caprolactone innovation center for application development, making sure new formulations are developed and then tested to meet the requirements of emerging applications 

Perstorp spends more than 85% of its R&D on environmentally sound solutions. In alignment with this initiative and in anticipation of continuous growth in the global bioplastics market, the company sees it timely to invest significantly in the development of bioplastics and bio products. 

Linda Zellner, project bioplastics manager,  said the company hopes to take a leading position in the development of new bioplastic products, with the Capa Thermoplastics brand already providing a strong value to biopolymer performance and end-of-life solutions.

The firm’s investments highlight three key areas, namely paper coatings, bags and films, and packaging. Besides investing in the development of these three segments, the company wants to ensure the infrastructures are in place for emerging applications. The latest investments likewise aim to widen the sustainable options for bioplastics for producers and consumers alike.

The Capa, a performance enhancer and processing aid for renewable biopolymers whether for short-life, long-life or end-of-life solutions, improves the functional properties of bioplastics such as PLA, PHA and starch. It enhances their toughness and flexibility, thus making them more competitive in film and packaging applications. The Capa’s compostability features improve a product’s useful end-of-life to render bioplastic packaging, bags, and film environmentally attractive. 

World demand for bioplastics, increasingly seen as the plastic of choice because of its greater sustainability and better waste management options, is expected to continue climbing at more than 20 percent annually.  By developing its bioplastic application portfolio, the company hopes to provide a wider array of innovative and sustainable bioplastic options and respond faster to biopolymer formulators and producers, Zellner said. 

Perstorp will participate at the 9th European Bioplastics Conference, which will be held on December 2 to 3 in Brussels. Ms Zellner will give a keynote speech at the conference on the use of compostable plastics.