GreenBiz.com - A New Life for Plastics: End-of-life Solutions in the Age of Greener Materials

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A New Life for Plastics: End-of-life Solutions in the Age of Greener Materials



October 5, 2010, 8:30 AM PDT / 11:30 AM EDT


Plastics in the waste stream have long been a concern, and companies have been finding new ways to address this challenge. After all, why must a polymer that has the potential to last thousands of years in the environment be used in single-use packaging applications? Many companies are now turning to biopolymers instead of traditional petrochemical-based plastics to address waste management challenges and create localized energy.

Biobased plastics can degrade in two ways: in oxygen-laden environments, and in environments that lack oxygen. Certain biopolymers have been shown to have characteristics that allow them to degrade in an industrial composting setting.


This free, one-hour webcast will shine a light on how global biotechnology and chemical firms are driving innovation to help find a solution to plastics in the waste stream. Join us as we explore recent trends in the plastics industry, including:


* Use and inclusion of biopolymers


* Innovative technologies linking plastics to energy generation


* End-of-life considerations from the design phase


* Standards development




You will learn:


* the benefits of using biopolymers over traditional plastics


* the differences among commonly-used biopolymers and their end-of-life solutions


* challenges faced by the plastic manufacturing, waste management and packaging industries


* how degradation of biopolymers can help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels




Join Joel Makower, Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com, in conversation with Robert Whitehouse, Director of Applications Development for Metabolix, Inc., a leading bioplastics company; Kelly Lehrmann, consultant with the German bioplastics firm FKuR; and William Hoffman, environmental scientist in green chemistry at UL Environment.






Panelists include:




Robert Whitehouse, Director of Applications Development for Metabolix, Inc.


Dr. Robert S. Whitehouse has been involved with the plastics industry for over 40 years with a number of organizations. He obtained his PhD in Polymer Chemistry – Heterogeneity in Adhesive Films at Wolverhampton University and has authored many publications, book chapters and over 50 patents in the polymer, surface chemistry and recycling fields. In 1999 Bob became involved with Metabolix Inc in the development of polyhydroxyalkanoate polymers for a range of applications. At this time he became involved in understanding the role of microbial organisms in controlling the biodegradation of plastics materials as an end of life scenario. He has taken an active role in ASTM D20-96 committee in the development of new biodegradable test specifications include ASTM D6400 and D7081 and more recently in new applications such as ambient soil degradation, Home Composting and anaerobic degradation.




Kelly Lehrmann, consultant with the German bioplastics firm FKuR


Kelly became interested in the biodegradable industry after working as a consultant for a landfill corporation and realizing the potential value of the industry. She attended UW-Eau Claire and Mankato State University to obtain a B.S. in Finance. Kelly has 21 years of sales, marketing and management experience with 14 years of that holding management and executive positions. Throughout her career she spent 7 years in retail management where she received hands on experience with inventory control, distribution channel management, purchasing, sales management, market research and public relations. She has been a part of FKuR’s family of companies since 2007 first as the agent for North America and now as a consultant for FKuR Plastics Corporation in the United States.




William Hoffman, environmental scientist in green chemistry at UL Environment


Bill is currently working on the development of standards and guidance for standards within UL Environment including the green chemistry and sustainable chemistry aspects of product environmental performance, validation of claims and product certification. The goal of this work is to provide a strong technical basis to product environmental performance by using a deep scientific analysis of the environmental impact of a product while also assuring companies producing the product are using environmentally progressive manufacturing methods.




Moderator:
Joel Makower, Executive Editor, GreenBiz.com


Joel is Executive Editor of GreenBiz.com and author of "Strategies for the Green Economy," among other books. For more than 20 years, he has been a well-respected voice on business, the environment, and the bottom line. The Associated Press has called Joel "the guru of green business practices."




Sponsored By:
UL Environment

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