Cargill Brings Performance "Green Plastics" to Brazil

Ingeo biopolymers are derived from sugar, a renewable raw material, and offer a more responsible material replacement for a breadth of conventional plastic applications.

08/07/09 Cargill is introducing to Brazil its Ingeo bioplastics from NatureWorks, an innovation that replaces petroleum-based plastics with a performance material made from plants, not oil. The product line will be sold in Brazil through Cargill's Starches and Sweeteners business unit.

"The introduction of Ingeo plastics and fibers adds a sustainable product to our portfolio and delivers an innovation to our customers that allows them to help the environment in two ways," said Marcelo de Andrade, director of Cargill's Starches and Sweeteners Brazil. "Ingeo not only has the lowest carbon footprint of any commercially available plastic, but also offers entirely new options for recovery after its useful life."

Ingeo biopolymers are derived from sugar, a renewable raw material, and offer a more responsible material replacement for a breadth of conventional plastic applications. The production process for Ingeo products generates 60 percent less green house gas and requires 50 percent less fossil fuel compared to production of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). In addition to these front end benefits, Ingeo products fit all existing disposal systems and offer entirely new options for composting and feedstock recovery.

"Conventional plastics available today in the market require years to degrade in nature," Andrade explained. "The biodegradable nature of Ingeo enables it to degrade in only three to four months in industrial composting conditions (80 percent humidity and a constant temperature of 60°C)."

Applications for the new product include tableware, cosmetic packaging, food and beverage packaging, pillows, fabrics, toothbrushes, disposable diapers, and others. Ingeo product grades have been tailored to suit each particular application.

Ingeo biopolymers are manufactured in Blair, Nebraska, USA, by NatureWorks, the first company to produce polylactide and still the only world scale producer with a capacity of 140,000 metric tons per year "Cargill will be the exclusive seller and distributors in Brazil. Other Latin American countries, such as Argentina and Chile, are also potential customers," says Andrade.

The product will be imported through the port of Santos, SP, and stored in Cargill's distribution center, based in São Bernardo do Campo, in the São Paulo Metropolitan Region. "The product's sales have started locally and Cargill is ready to help NatureWorks meet demand from customers looking for sustainable product or packaging solutions that are also environmentally friendly," adds Marcelo de Andrade.