Biopolymer industry moves from field of dreams to reality

Biopolymer industry moves from field of dreams to reality

Cargill Dow products hitting retail shelves across the globe
Imagine if it was possible to create man-made fibers and packaging material from a feedstock 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 Randy Howard, president and CEO of Cargill Dow LLC, 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, 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 a new industrial revolution where plant-based materials replace petroleum as the basis for many of the consumer goods 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, 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."