NatureWorks LLC Press Releases

Ingeo Biopolymer Becomes Cradle to Cradle Certified

Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 -0500

Safety to human and environmental health, design for future use cycles, and sustainable manufacturing processes among certification criteria

MINNETONKA, Minn., May 24, 2012 -- NatureWorks’ Ingeo™ biopolymer, made from plants, not oil, is the first product of its kind to become Cradle to Cradle Certified^CM Silver by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.

Cradle to Cradle Certified^CM is a multi-attribute program that assesses products for safety to human and environmental health, design for future use cycles, and sustainable manufacturing processes. The program provides guidelines to help businesses implement the Cradle to Cradle® framework, which focuses on using safe materials that can be disassembled and reused as technical nutrients or composted as biological nutrients.

The certification is recognized by environmental experts worldwide for honoring innovation in sustainability. In the U.S., for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) includes Cradle to Cradle Certified^CM products in its Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) database for federal agency procurement. These certified products also are eligible for points in the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification for green buildings.

"NatureWorks participated in the Cradle to Cradle Certified^CM Program process because we believe its holistic view of products is essential to understanding the true totality of sustainability," said Marc Verbruggen, president and CEO, NatureWorks. "We are proud that Ingeo is among the first products in the world to achieve this distinction."

Unlike single-attribute eco-labels, the certification program takes a comprehensive approach to evaluating the design of a product and the practices employed in manufacturing it. Each product is evaluated in five categories: Material Health, Material Reutilization, Renewable Energy Use, Water Stewardship, and Social Responsibility. Products can be Cradle to Cradle Certified^CM at one of four levels (Basic, Silver, Gold, or Platinum) based on achievement against criteria in all five categories.

NatureWorks worked closely with consulting firm McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) to collect data throughout the supply chain, assess all materials for impact to human and environmental health, and evaluate manufacturing processes for use of renewable energy, water stewardship, and social responsibility.

Products made from Ingeo span multiple industries and categories, including packaging, electronics, clothing, house wares, health and personal care, semi-durable products, and the foodservice industry. View this special edition Ingeo LookBook for a sampling of the latest innovations. The LookBook tells a compelling story of how far fibers and plastics made from plants, not oil, have come in the past decade. Follow NatureWorks on Twitter (@natureworksllc) for the latest updates.

About NatureWorks LLC
100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based plastics and fibers, and provide brand NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available, low-carbon-footprint Ingeo™ biopolymers derived from owners new cradle-to-cradle options after the use of their products. In October 2011, Thailand’s largest chemical producer, PTT Global Chemicals, entered into an agreement to make a $150 million equity investment in NatureWorks. The transaction remains subject to regulatory clearances. For more information on NatureWorks and Ingeo, visit www.natureworksllc.com.

About the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute was formed in March 2010 by William McDonough and Michael Braungart at the request of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to make available to a larger public the rigorous, multi-attribute product quality certification program originally developed by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC (MBDC) in 2005. As the new manager of the Cradle to Cradle Certified^CM program, the Institute works with leaders from academia, the NGO environmental community, government, and industry to further the comprehensive quality rating system for the assessment and continuous improvement of products. http://www.c2ccertified.org/

About McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry
MBDC is a consulting firm that regenerates economy, environment, and equity by helping organizations integrate the Cradle to Cradle® framework into their strategies, operations, and products. The Cradle to Cradle® design framework is outlined in the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. For more information, visit www.mbdc.com.

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Ingeo and the Ingeo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NatureWorks LLC in the USA and other countries.
Cradle to Cradle Certified^CM and Certified Cradle to Cradle^CM are certification marks licensed by the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.
Cradle to Cradle® and C2C® are registered trademarks of McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry, LLC.

NatureWorks and BioAmber Form Joint Venture to Commercialize New Bio-based Polymers

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

Two industry-leading companies join forces to expand the range of low carbon-footprint, high-performance, bio-based polymers

MINNETONKA and PLYMOUTH, Minn., February 16, 2012 -- NatureWorks, the bio-plastics market leader with its commercial range of Ingeo™ biopolymers, and BioAmber, a next-generation chemicals company and a market leader in the commercialization of bio-succinic acid, have announced the creation of AmberWorks, a joint venture to bring new performance bio-based polymer compositions to market.

The joint venture builds on the natural synergy that exists between NatureWorks and BioAmber. Beyond its Ingeo PLA technology platform, NatureWorks brings to the joint venture a global commercial presence, established customer relationships, developed applications across a breadth of industries and deep experience in commercializing new-to-the-world polymers. BioAmber owns PLA/PBS compounding intellectual property and applies award-winning biotechnology and chemical processing to produce renewable chemicals. These renewable chemicals deliver high-performance, low-carbon-footprint building blocks that are cost competitive with their petrochemical equivalents. The joint venture combines the best of both companies into an entity tasked with developing a new family of bio-based compounded polymer solutions.

With the formation of the joint venture, NatureWorks plans to commercialize a new family of compounded Ingeo resin grades, and is immediately offering samples of developmental grades aimed at thermoforming and injection-molding processes. This
new family of developmental Ingeo compounded resins is designed for food service ware applications, expanding the Ingeo property range in terms of flexibility, toughness, heat resistance, and drop-in processability on existing manufacturing equipment. Based on market interest, further formulated solutions optimized for a number of different applications beyond food service will be assessed over the coming 12 to 24 months.

Compounded PLA/PBS resin grades, developed and manufactured by AmberWorks, will be marketed exclusively through the NatureWorks global commercial organization as new and distinct solutions within the company’s Ingeo portfolio of products.

"The new product range being developed by the joint venture enables NatureWorks to broaden its existing product portfolio, allowing for bio-based product solutions in applications that were previously difficult to address," said Marc Verbruggen, president and chief executive officer, NatureWorks. "The properties of PLA and PBS are complementary and making Ingeo compounds using both materials will result in a broad and attractive property profile for a number of different applications."

"The AmberWorks JV builds on BioAmber’s core business: the production of cost competitive, renewable chemicals that include succinic acid and 1,4-butanediol," said Jean-Francois Huc, president and chief executive officer, BioAmber. "Our novel PBS compounding technology has enabled us to forward integrate into polymers and our partnership with NatureWorks, the global market leader in biopolymers, will strengthen and accelerate market access for our growing portfolio of renewable solutions."

In the USA, developmental samples of the new Ingeo injection molding and thermoforming solutions for the food service industry are available from NatureWorks, www.natureworksllc.com, or write to inquiry@natureworksllc.com. While an assessment of the European Union chemical regulation REACH status is underway, research and development samples are available in Europe at NatureWorks Europe, +31 (35) 694 5056. The regulatory status of these grades in other geographies is under review.

About NatureWorks LLC
NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available, low-carbon-footprint Ingeo biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based plastics and fibers. In October 2011, Thailand’s largest chemical producer, PTT Chemical Public Company Limited, entered into an agreement to make a $150 million equity investment in NatureWorks. The transaction remains subject to regulatory clearances. For more information on NatureWorks and Ingeo, visit www.natureworksllc.com.

About BioAmber
BioAmber is a next generation chemicals company. Its proprietary technology platform combines industrial biotechnology, an innovative purification process and chemical catalysis to convert renewable feedstocks into chemicals for use in a wide variety of everyday products, including plastics, food additives and personal care products. BioAmber produces bio-succinic acid in what it believes to be one of the world’s largest bio-based chemical fermenters. For more information visit the company’s web site at www.bio-amber.com.

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Ingeo and the Ingeo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NatureWorks LLC in the USA and other countries.

ネイチャーワークス社とバイオアンバー社、ジョイントベンチャー設立により新しいバイオベースポリマーを商品化

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0600

業界をリードする2 社が協調し、低カーボンフットプリントで高機能な植物由来ポリマーの開発を広げる

2012 年2 月16 日、ミネソタ州ミネトンカおよびプリマス発 -- Ingeo™（インジオ）バイオポリマー製品で植物由来プラスチック市場をリードするNatureWorks 社（ネイチャーワークス）と、次世代化学品メーカーで植物由来コハク酸の商品化で市場をリードするBioAmber 社（バイオアンバー）は、新しい高性能バイオポリマーを市場に投入するための合弁企業、AmberWorks（アンバーワークス）を設立することを発表しました。

この合弁企業は、ネイチャーワークスとバイオアンバーの間に期待される相乗効果を見込んで設立されるものです。インジオポリ乳酸の技術基盤に加えて、ネイチャーワークスはグローバルな販売プレゼンス、確立された顧客との関係、幅広い産業に渡って開発されたアプリケーション、そして世界初のポリマーを商業的に事業化してきた経験を、この合弁企業にもたらします。バイオアンバーはポリ乳酸・PBS コンパウンドに関する知的財産を所有し、受賞歴のあるバイオテクノロジーや化学的プロセスにより再生可能な化学品を製造しています。これらの再生可能な化学品からは、同等の石油化学品に対して価格競争力もあり、高性能で低カーボンフットプリントの材料が作られます。この合弁は、両社の長所を生かして、新しい植物由来ポリマーコンパウンド製品を開発する企業を創出するものです。

合弁企業の設立に伴い、ネイチャーワークスは新たなコンパウンド品をインジオ樹脂グレードとして商品化する計画で、熱成形および射出成形用の開発品のサンプルを提供していきます。開発品であるこの新しいインジオコンパウンド品は、柔軟性、耐久性、耐熱性、既存製造設備での加工対応性の面で、インジオの物性範囲を広げて、フードサービスの食器具向けに作られたものです。今後12～24ヶ月間の間に、市場の関心に応じて、フードサービス以外の様々なアプリケーション用に最適化した配合処方を評価していきます。

アンバーワークスが開発、製造するポリ乳酸・PBSコンパウンドは、新しい独特のソリューションとして、ネイチャーワークスのインジオ製品群の中で、同社のグローバルな営業組織を通じて独占的に販売されます。

「この合弁が開発する新しい製品群により、ネイチャーワークスは既存の製品ポートフォリオを拡大し、これまで対応の難しかったアプリケーションに対しても植物由来の製品ソリューションを提供できるようになります。」「ポリ乳酸とPBS の特性は相互補完的であり、両材料を使ったインジオコンパウンドは様々な用途に対応した、幅広い魅力的な特性プロファイルを備えることができます。」とネイチャーワークスの社長兼CEO、Marc Verbruggen（マーク･フェルブルーゲン）は述べています。

「バイオアンバーはコハク酸や1,4 ブタンジオールを含む、コスト競争力の高い再生可能な化学品の製造を中核事業としており、これを基盤にアンバーワークスという合弁は設立されるものです。」「当社の斬新なPBSコンパウンド技術はポリマーとの前方統合を可能にします。バイオポリマーで世界をリードするネイチャーワークスとの提携は、拡大を続ける当社の再生可能ソリューション・ポートフォリオの市場アクセスを強化、加速してくれるでしょう。」バイオアンバーの社長兼CEO、Jean-Francois Huc 氏はこのように述べています。

米国内では、フードサービス産業向け射出成形およびサーモフォーム用インジオの開発サンプルをネイチャーワークスwww.natureworksllc.com、800-664-6436、inquiry@natureworksllc.com から提供しています。欧州ではEU の化学製品に対する規制、REACH 認証取得のための評価が継続中ですが、研究開発用サンプルはネイチャーワークスヨーロッパ、+31 (35) 694 5056 から提供しています。その他の地域におけるこれらグレードの規制関連の状況は確認中です。

ネイチャーワークスについて
地球環境に妥協することなく、世界が求める今日的・将来的ニーズに応えていくネイチャーワークスLLC は、100%毎年再生可能な資源を使用し、石油由来のプラスチックや繊維に匹敵するパフォーマンスと経済性を持つ、低カーボンフットプリントのインジオバイオポリマーを商業的に製造した初めての企業です。2011 年10 月、タイ最大の化学メーカーPTT Chemical Public Company Limited はネイチャーワークスLLC に1 億5 千万US ドルを出資しました。この投資は規制関連の承認によります。ネイチャーワークスLLC 及びIngeo についての詳細はwww.natureworksllc.com をご覧ください。

バイオアンバーについて
バイオアンバーは次世代の化学品メーカーです。同社独自の技術プラットフォームは、産業的バイオ技術と画期的な精製プロセス、化学触媒を組み合わせ、プラスチック、食品添加物、パーソナルケア製品を含む幅広い日用品に使用可能な化学品を再生可能資源から製造します。バイオアンバーは植物由来コハク酸を、世界最大級のひとつとして知られるバイオベース化学品発酵設備で製造しています。詳細はバイオアンバーのウェブサイトwww.bio-amber.comをご覧ください。

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Ingeo™およびIngeo™ロゴは米国およびその他の国におけるNatureWorks LLC の商標または登録商標です。