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Ingeo polymer emits fewer GHGs: Industrial Biotechnology

25 Jul '15
3 min read

An article has mentioned that the manufacture of Ingeo polymer, made from renewable resources, emits fewer greenhouse gasses (GHGs) than the comparable manufacture of all petrochemical-based plastics.

According to a Natureworks press release and the producer of Ingeo, the article was peer reviewed and approved for publication in Industrial Biotechnology by an independent panel of experts.

The article documents the energy and GHG inputs and outputs of the Ingeo production system, the revised 2014 Ingeo eco-profile, and the calculation and evaluation of a set of environmental indicators.

“The article also addresses other topics such as land use, land use change, and water use,” Natureworks added.

NatureWorks has made available an Environmental Benefits Calculator, which provides users with a powerful tool for comparing the net GHG emissions and the non-renewable energy use of products made with different plastic types.

“The online calculator provides an interface from which manufacturers and brands can input product data details and receive feedback on the environmental impact of the materials they are using,” it explained.

The revised eco-profile or the cradle-to-polymer life cycle inventory data, which is based on the latest version of Thinkstep's GaBi LCA software and database, follows the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards.

It reinforces the fact that the production of Ingeo polymer emits fewer greenhouse gases and consumes less non-renewable energy compared to commonly used plastics such as PS, PET and ABS.

The eco-profile of a polymer gives information such as the total energy and raw materials consumed, and the total emissions to air, water, and soil from the cradle to the finished polymer pellet.

“A life cycle inventory (LCI) is an essential input to any full life cycle assessment (LCA) conducted on consumer products made from that polymer,” the company informed.

NatureWorks said it works closely with brand owners, manufacturers, universities, and other research groups in using life cycle assessment to compare the impact of various material types on products.

"Our most recent eco-profile in 2010 was calculated using the methodology, the modeling software, and core database in place at the time," said Erwin Vink, environmental affairs manager at Natureworks.

“The same approach was used by such industry organizations as PlasticsEurope since the beginning of the 1990s to calculate the eco-profiles for the fossil-based polymers,” he too added.

“However, LCA tools and databases have progressed in the past four years, and we decided it was time to recalculate the eco-profile based on those advancements," Vink observed.

NatureWorks is a biopolymers supplier and innovator with its Ingeo portfolio of naturally advanced materials made from renewable, abundant feedstocks with performance and economics. (AR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk - India

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