PLA bioplastics from Bonsucro certified sugarcane now available from Total Corbion PLA

First Bonsucro certified sugar delivery arriving at the Corbion site in Rayong, Thailand. Image: Total Corbion PLA.

Total Corbion PLA, global technology leader and producer of PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) bioplastics and lactide monomers, announced last week that PLA resins from Bonsucro certified sugarcane are now available for commercial order. Converters and brand owners can now use a certified PLA bioplastic that has been produced from sugarcane grown supporting the principles of sustainable agriculture.

For François de Bie, Senior Marketing Director at Total Corbion PLA, sugarcane-derived bioplastics offer sustainability credentials that other plastics cannot: “A reduced carbon footprint and the multiple end-of-life solutions that PLA offers are key reasons why many brand owners convert from traditional plastics to PLA bioplastics”.

Renewable feedstocks like sugarcane are used to produce lactic acid, which in turn is converted into PLA bioplastics. These bioplastic resins can then be used for a broad range of applications, such as packaging, consumer goods and automotive components. Mitr Phol, a local Thai sugar supplier, has been the first sugar producer in Thailand to achieve Bonsucro certification in July 2016. Following this milestone, Total Corbion PLA is now Bonsucro Chain of Custody certified and will offer a range of PLA resins in accordance with the certification scheme. These resins will be promoted within the existing commercial Luminy® PLA resin portfolio.

Total Corbion PLA’s position on feedstock sourcing for bioplastics is outlined in their whitepaper, published together with Corbion, which also includes the company stance on feedstock selection, land use, feedstock efficiency and food security. In conclusion, Total Corbion PLA states that ‘the concerns of using biobased feedstocks for plastics can be successfully identified and managed, and that the many benefits of these biobased, renewable feedstocks far outweigh their challenges’. The paper is available for free download at www.total-corbion.com/downloads.