EarthFirst Films by PSI produces first PHA home compostable packaging film
EarthFirst Films by PSI, a global bioplastic film technology and manufacturing company, announced in an 18 May statement the successful completion of the first commercial run of PHA – polyhydroxyalkanoate – home compostable packaging film. Although the PHA materials have been certified, the film will go through biodegradation and home compostability screening prior to full certification. Made from Danimer Scientific’s Nodax PHA, the new film is designed for a wide range of applications across food, beverage, grocery retail, quick service restaurant, stadium foodservice, and many other consumer packaged goods (CPG) and industrial segments.
NatureWorks is planning PLA plant in Thailand
The Thailand Board of Investment (BOI) reported on 27 May that it has approved NatureWorks Asia Pacific Co. Ltd.’s application to invest more than 15 billion baht (around USD 490 million) in a project to produce polylactic acid (PLA), a low-carbon-footprint polymer derived from agricultural feedstocks, reflecting Thailand’s attraction to foreign investors as a bioplastics production base. NatureWorks’ plant will produce approximately 75,000 tons of PLA per year, according to the BOI. The PLA resin is used to produce biodegradable goods, ranging from compostable food containers to filament for 3D printing, hygiene masks, and household appliances.
TIPA to help reduce plastic waste on film and TV sets
Biodegradable packaging company TIPA has joined forces with compostable packaging supplier Simply Stem to provide compostable garment bags to costume departments on TV and film sets. The partnership will aim to reduce the amount of plastic waste on film sets, with major motion pictures currently generating an average of 2,840 tonnes of CO2 each. Simply Stem was set up in 2020 with the purpose of significantly reducing plastic waste produced on film sets especially focussing on disposable plastic polybags used to store and protect garments. These plastic polybags often end up in landfill or are incinerated once filming finishes. So far, Simply Stem and TIPA have supplied compostable garment bags to productions across the UK aired on the BBC, Netflix and Disney.