Biopolymer Industry Moves from Field of Dreams to Reality: Cargill Dow Products Hitting Retail Shelves Across the Globe.Business Editors MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 18, 2003 Imagine if it was possible to create man-made fibers n. 1. A fiber created from natural materials or by chemical processes. Noun 1. man-made fiber - fiber created from natural materials or by chemical processes synthetic fiber and packaging material from a feedstock feed·stock n. Raw material required for an industrial process. Noun 1. feedstock - the raw material that is required for some industrial process raw material, staple - material suitable for manufacture or use or finishing that could be re-grown every year. Now, imagine if those fibers and packaging solutions performed as well as, if not better than, many petroleum-based materials. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Randy Howard, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Cargill Dow LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control , this dream is now a global reality. The rapid success of the company's bio-based technology is leading the way for a potential revolution in how polymer-based products are made and marketed. "A few years ago, the thought of penetrating the 150 million tons of man-made fibers and 140 million tons of plastic sold globally seemed like a fantasy," Howard said. "Today the potential of impacting and influencing those markets via renewable raw material sources is a reality that's rapidly taking shape. "Ingeo(TM) fibers now joins cotton, another successful and prominent annually renewable resource Noun 1. renewable resource - any natural resource (as wood or solar energy) that can be replenished naturally with the passage of time natural resource, natural resources - resources (actual and potential) supplied by nature , as a mainstream fiber," Howard continued. "And, we see tremendous potential for Ingeo as a stand-alone fiber as well as in blends with cotton. This one-two combination offers the textile industry a tremendous option to make more sustainable products - since both cotton and Ingeo are derived from annually renewable resources and both have a reduced environmental impact." Since last year's start-up of one of the world's largest bio-refineries capable of creating commercial-grade polymers from ordinary field corn, Howard and his company have been busy spreading the word about the virtues of a more sustainable way of doing business. Based on its success to date, it appears that the company is doing more than just generating sales for its products, it's truly ushering in Noun 1. ushering in - the introduction of something new; "it signalled the ushering in of a new era" first appearance, introduction, debut, entry, launching, unveiling - the act of beginning something new; "they looked forward to the debut of their new product line" a new industrial revolution where plant-based materials replace petroleum as the basis for many of the consumer goods consumer goods Any tangible commodity purchased by households to satisfy their wants and needs. Consumer goods may be durable or nondurable. Durable goods (e.g., autos, furniture, and appliances) have a significant life span, often defined as three years or more, and used in everyday life. "We have definitely moved beyond announcing that our technology works and that we think there is market for our product," Howard said. "Today, we have a manufacturing plant that is up and running, and on scale with traditional polymer plants. We have customers actively developing new applications, consumer products on retail shelves in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. , and strong sales in these areas. Around the globe, we are seeing strong interest and demand for biopolymer-based products and are proving that when humanity, nature and technology are in balance, everyone wins." A Fresh Business Concept The magic behind the Cargill Dow story is the company's ability to make commercial-quality polymer from the carbon found in simple plant sugars. Using a simple process of fermentation, distillation distillation, process used to separate the substances composing a mixture. It involves a change of state, as of liquid to gas, and subsequent condensation. The process was probably first used in the production of intoxicating beverages. and polymerization polymerization Any process in which monomers combine chemically to produce a polymer. The monomer molecules—which in the polymer usually number from at least 100 to many thousands—may or may not all be the same. , the company manufactures a polyactide (PLA (Programmable Logic Array) A type of programmable logic chip (PLD) that contained arrays of programmable AND and OR gates. PLAs are no longer used. See PLD. (language, music) Pla - A high-level music programming language, written in SAIL. ) resin called NatureWorks(TM) PLA. This resin can then be used to make a wide range of fiber and packaging products. Once products made from PLA are at the end of their useful life, under the right conditions, they can be turned back into naturally occurring soil nutrients. Pillows, comforters and apparel made from this revolutionary material are already being sold in Asia, Europe and North America. To date, more than 85 global brand owners, textile manufacturers and lifestyle partners have signed on to develop and market products under the lifestyle-belief brand Ingeo. Soon everything from carpeting to furnishings to baby wipes may be made from this natural-based fiber. Cargill Dow is also delivering an unprecedented alternative for packaging everything from food to compact discs. Marketed as NatureWorks PLA, innovative film and rigid packaging solutions are already on retail shelves in Europe and Asia. One of the unique aspects of packaging made from NatureWorks is the ability for grocers to offer consumers the option of buying fresh fruit and produce in a package made from 100 percent annually renewable resources. This "natural-in-natural" concept has proven to be a strong selling point selling point n. An aspect of a product or service that is stressed in advertising or marketing. Noun 1. selling point - a characteristic of something that is up for sale that makes it attractive to potential customers with consumers. The Vision of the Biopolymer bi·o·pol·y·mer n. A macromolecule, such as a protein or nucleic acid, that is formed in a living organism. biopolymer any protein or nucleic acid produced by a living organism. Revolution As a rapidly emerging technology, biopolymers have the potential to pave the way for additional bio-based developments. Researchers at Cargill Dow are actively exploring how to use the company's scientific expertise to make other highly desired consumer and industrial products. "Bioprocessing holds the potential to fundamentally change the face of industry," said Dr. Pat Gruber, vice president and chief technology officer of Cargill Dow. "Our research is actively identifying new opportunities to use our technology to produce a range of chemicals, intermediates, and possibly even fuels, from an annually renewable resource. "The United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. Federal Trade Commission has already recognized PLA as a generic fiber category," he continued. "We are now seeking government recognition as a natural fiber and are asking them to drop the tariffs imposed on products made from our fiber under current regulations. This action by the government will be critical in helping pave the way for additional bioprocessing developments and further stimulating the entire biomaterials industry." But, the biopolymer revolution is about more than simply finding annually renewable sources for making modern plastics and chemicals - it is about fundamentally changing the way business is done. In order to demonstrate transparency in its manufacturing process, Cargill Dow goes to extensive lengths in what it calls a lifecycle analysis. This process examines everything involved in the product's development, use and disposal. The intent is to constantly strive for improvements that will allow the company to continually lesson the impact of its business and products on the Earth. "It's important to realize this revolution is about more than one company," said Howard. "It is about changing the way our customers and our peers look at their businesses. It is our hope that Cargill Dow's success will inspire others to follow our lead and fundamentally change the way business is done." Founded in 1997, Cargill Dow LLC is a stand-alone company stand-alone company An independent operating firm. For example, a large diversified firm may consider spinning off a subsidiary because, as a stand-alone company, the subsidiary would command a higher price-earnings ratio than the parent. based in Minnetonka, Minn. It is the first company to offer its customers a family of polymers derived entirely from annually renewable resources with the cost and performance necessary to compete with packaging materials and traditional fibers. The company has achieved this breakthrough by applying its unique technology to the processing of natural plant sugars to create a proprietary polylactide polymer (PLA). For more company information, please visit the Cargill Dow Web site at http://www.cargilldow.com. (TM) Trademarks of Cargill Dow LLC |
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