Consumables
Cereplast Compostable 5001 to substitute Polystyrene foam
Tuesday 16. June 2009 - Cereplast, Inc. (OTC BB: CERP), developer of proprietary bio-based sustainable plastics, announced the launch of a new grade of resins, Cereplast Compostable 5001. The new resin will complement Cereplasts existing line of compostable resins, Cereplast Compostables, expanding market applications for Cereplast. Cereplast Compostables 5001 is perfectly suited to meet the needs of all converters, manufactures and brand owners interested in substituting Polystyrene foam with an environmentally sustainable plastic.
Cereplast Compostable 5001 is a compostable foam using Ingeo PLA and various biodegradable and compostable components. Compostables 5001 is ideally suited for thermo-forming application, like egg carton, meat trays, mushroom and berries boxes. This material can be used on conventional extrusion equipments with no screw changes or investment for the converters in their process. A foam density of 5 lb/cubic foot can be achieved using conventional equipment. Cereplast Compostables 5001 has higher thermal properties than traditional Compostables and is an ideal way for plastic manufactures to reduce their dependence to petroleum based plastics.
“The Launch of the Cereplast Compostables 5001 represents an outstanding opportunity for companies across the plastic supply chain used to foam plastic resins and are seeking to become more environmentally sustainable and reduce the industrys reliance on oil. Cereplast Compostable 5001 is the result of a successful research and development project which demonstrates Cereplast capability to listen to the growing demand for more sustainability from the plastic industry.” said Frederic Scheer, chairman and CEO of Cereplast.
In addition to this foamable resin, Cereplast is expanding the reach of his Hybrid resins offering with 2 new grades: Cereplast Hybrid 101 and Cereplast Hybrid 103, especially design for durable applications and targeting injection molding application. Hybrid 101 and 103 are proprietary blends of polypropylene and starch.
The third grade is an interesting development where Cereplast is using natural fibers like flax husk, rice hull, semolina, and wood flour. This new family of product offers a sustainable solution to application like kitchenware, gardening, and toys and offers a very attractive “natural look”.
“A significant breakthrough for Compostable 5001 is the fact we are able to reach a density of about 5 lb. cubic foot on a traditional screw while keeping acceptable heat deflection, modulus and impact strength” said Philippe Ravera Senior Vice-President, Sales and Marketing. “This is the first grade of foamable resins and we intend to introduce new grades in the months to come. The demand for our Hybrids has been growing and we are pleased to offer new solutions with these fiber bases Cereplast Hybrid resins”