Synaptic Connections Newsletter 2019 Week#20

May 13, 2019 www.Synapticpackaging.com Image - Tropical Waterfall, Hawaii

Week#20 of 2019 Good morning and I hope you had a nice weekend.  For those new joining us, we are currently focusing on advancing Sustainability though novel innovations using Natural/ Renewable Materials.  

This week, let’s have a look at starch technologies.  Starches are an interesting raw material with market potential for innovation, growth, and commercial scale.  Have you ever seen those packaging peanuts that look like foam, however completely dissolve in water?  That’s an extruded starch.  Starch technologies are hyper-degradable.  They also offer some very useful functional characteristics.  To start with, they can be made reasonably rigid.  This makes them suitable to provide containment or protection for many applications.  They can also be custom formed and shaped into different geometries, another nice benefit.  Economically, they are a cost competitive raw material.  Generally speaking, they can be processor friendly and suitable for scale into high volume manufacturing.  One of the biggest challenges (read opportunity) with starch is that it decomposes too fast.  In most applications starches have difficulty holding up to any moisture exposure.  This is an area for innovation and we see compelling technologies on the horizon that can enable broader market uses for starches as a packaging alternative for rigid plastics and foams.

So, next time you eat your corn chips, reflect back on this Newsletter and give us a call!  Have a great week, and enjoy the news articles below.  We hope they stimulate engaging dialogue with your colleagues.

Packaging Sustainability//

• Possible breakthrough in PEF technology development - new low cost catalyst found

• Qantas airlines switching to full compostable foodservice on flights to advance zero waste goals

• Henkel and Ampacet develop black plastic bottle that can be IR scanned and sorted by recyclers

• NOAA study in Hawaii finds extensive micro-plastics in the stomach of baby fish - full food chain exposure

ReThink Waste//

• Agilyx (Pyrolysis Operators) form joint partnership with American Styrenics (EPS foam producers)

• NYC testing urban composting within 200 feet of local apartments

• California cheese company to convert bio-methane from anaerobic digesters into vehicle fuel powering 10 to 20 trucks/ day

• Brands using recycled ocean plastic in consumer products

Sustainability & Investing//

• Bank of America commits $300 billion investments to its Environmental Business Initiative

• RWDC Industries, PHA producer, announces $22MM Series A3 fund raising

• Morgan Stanley seeks to finance plastic waste recovery

• More companies starting to disclose sustainability metrics

Upcoming Trade Events//

May 13-19 May, ISTA Forum, Denver, CO

15-16 May, LuxPack, NY, NY 21-22 May, Private Label Manufacturers Association, Amsterdam

June

3-6 June, SustBrands, Detroit, MI

11-13 June, Global Pouch Forum, Chicago, IL

17 June, SPC Engage, Minneapolis, MN

17-27 June, UN Climate Change Conference, Bonn, Germany

18-20 June, GreenBiz Circularity, Minneapolis, MN

19-20 June, Green Sports Alliance, Philadelphia, PA

25-26 June, Great Lakes Circular Economy, Toronto, Canada

The purpose of this newsletter is to stimulate innovative thoughts and constructive dialogue through the lens of sustainability.  New subscribers can send an e-mail to the link below to sign-up. 

Contact Us

gary.robinson@synapticpackaging.com