NatureWorks LLC Announces Post-Consumer Bale Specifications for PLA Bottles

26/10/06 NatureWorks LLC, has announced the next phase in the responsible integration of corn-based PLA bottles into the U.S. recycling stream, distributing detailed bale specifications for its bottle buyback program this week at the National Recycling Coalition Congress in Atlanta, GA.

The buyback program was initiated to create market-driven demand for post-consumer PLA bottles and encourage their separation in the plastics recycling stream at recycling facilities. This year’s announcement provides additional details to help the recycling industry sort and collect PLA bottles in returnable bales. The post-consumer PLA bale specifications are available upon request from NatureWorks and will be posted online as of December. The protocol for the bale type and condition that will be accepted is based on accepted and recognized industry specifications and guidelines for reclaiming and sorting plastic materials.

An affiliate member of the American Plastics Recyclers (APR) and the National Recycling Conference (NRC) through the Recycle Association of Minnesota (RAM), NatureWorks is working with the recycling community to provide “responsible innovation.” The company’s intent is to look at the local, curbside and total system impact of introducing a new bottle polymer to determine the best way to manage the change from resin manufacture all the way through to the recycling bin.

“This is a next step in our commercialization of NatureWorks PLA bottles and reinforces our company’s position that we are entering the market in a responsible, collaborative manner by working with brand owners and the recycling community,” said Brian Glasbrenner, business development manager bottles, NatureWorks LLC. “We have listened to and understand the concerns in accepting and working with new resins and are proactively addressing potential hurdles at the curbside or at the municipal recycling facility.”

NatureWorks PLA is made from an annually renewable resource--corn-- and is the first commercially available biopolymer for bottle applications. The resin’s current polymer performance profile is well suited for still water, cold-chain dairy and juice bottles, and is not for use in carbonated soft drinks. Given its renewable origins, NatureWorks PLA is a particularly attractive offering to brand owners looking to move away from petroleum-based bottles. To date, there have been several regional bottle launches of NatureWorks PLA, including Noble Juice, announced in September 2006.

At present volumes, recycling of PLA as a separate stream is not indicated and independent research has demonstrated that PLA will not be a contaminant in the PET stream for bottle-to-bottle recycling until it reaches a market size of millions of bottles. The presence of PLA in the recycling stream does not require recyclers to purchase or use any infrared or optical sorting equipment. This equipment can be calibrated to identify and efficiently sort PLA in a mixed stream.

“Even though there is a limited impact on the recycling infrastructure, we will continue to inform, educate and collaborate with all stakeholders on how to handle PLA,” added Glasbrenner. “We are committed to doing this the ‘right’ way by anticipating what could happen, helping build the market potential for recycled PLA and participating at all levels of the process in a thoughtful and responsible manner.”

Recycling rates in the United States have averaged approximately 22 percent the most commonly reclaimed materials – PET and HDPE. PET is the polymer most similar in appearance and use to PLA and has a collection rate for carbonated soft drinks of approximately 35.6 percent. This increase in rate is directly tied to the 11 states that have legislated bottle deposit laws. Most other PET bottles are used for non-carbonated soft drink applications and are categorized as “custom” bottles. This bottle category, under which PLA would fall at its current development stage, has a recycling rate of 14.1 percent.