ADM to mass produce polyester bioplastic
Canadian Plastics
Canadian PlasticsArcher Daniels Midland Company (ADM) will be the first to produce commercial quantities of resins based on Metaboli...
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) will be the first to produce commercial quantities of resins based on Metabolix’s PHA, a natural plastic made from sustainable, renewable resources.
ADM, one of the largest agricultural processors in the world, joined in a strategic merger with Metabolix in 2004 to commercialize PHA technology. ADM also manufactures its own reactive coalescents, plasticizers and solvents for the plastics industry.
ADM has not yet announced where it will produce the PHA, but has said the plant’s initial annual capacity will amount to about 50,000 tons. All products will be made from the Cambridge-Mass.-based Metabolix’s biologically derived polyesters, called PHAs, which are produced through the fermentation of plant sugars and oils.
Touted as an alternative to petrochemical-based plastics, PHA have a wide variety of applications including coated paper, film and molded goods. PHAs are biodegradable in fresh water, marine, soil and composting environments.
“As the world’s demand for petroleum continues to increase, ADM believes that this facility is a positive step towards producing renewable plastics that offer the marketplace an alternative to traditional petroleum-derived plastics”, said G. Allen Andreas, chairman, chief executive and president of the Decatur-Ill.-based ADM.