Corn sugar-based bioplastic resin conforms to European fresh water, soil biodegradability certification

13-Nov-08

American company, Metabolix, Inc. have announced that Mirel™ bioplastic resins produced by Telles™-its JV with Archer Daniels Midland Company, have received the European conformity certification of "OK Biodegradable Soil" for natural soil biodegradability and "OK Biodegradable Water" for fresh water biodegradability from Vinçotte. The OK Biodegradable Soil mark verifies that certified materials will biodegrade in a natural soil environment while the OK Biodegradable Water mark verifies that certified materials will biodegrade in a natural fresh water environment such as rivers, lakes or any natural fresh water. Belgium-based Vinçotte is the recognized European authority on materials inspection, certification, assessments and technical training. The Vinçotte label communicates a cradle to grave concept that is highly desirable for brand owners and OEMs wishing to reduce environmental impact by specifying materials that integrate biodegradability with disposal methods or infrastructure. The development is a significant milestone for the marketing of its Mirel into significant markets worldwide including agricultural, horticultural and marine markets. Mirel is the second biobased resin worldwide, starch-based being the first, to obtain both the soil and fresh water product certifications. However, unlike starch-based biopolymers, Mirel has performance properties resembling traditional, petroleum-based plastics. Metabolix and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) are commercializing Mirel through a JV called Telles.