A New Life for Plastics

GreenBiz.com is hosting another interesting webinar on plastics and bioplastics. Below is a brief summary. CLICK here to register. 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