EcoEndure™

Since its invention in the 1930s, plastic packaging has posed two challenges: its dependence on petroleum and the problem of waste disposal. By the 1990s, both problems were considered serious; however, biodegradable plastics made from polylactic-acid-based polymers (PLA) derived from plants could provide the solution. In manufacturing, PLAs consume much less energy than plastics using petroleum-based feedstocks, and they decompose much faster than do petroleum-based plastics. However, PLA products lacked resistance to higher temperatures; for example, a hot-beverage drinking cup would distort when filled with a hot liquid. In addition, PLA plastic parts were expensive to manufacture, partly due to the additives necessary to improve the hardening time and other properties of the plastic resin used to make the products.

Cargill, Inc. was an agriculture company that had been researching plant-derived plastics. They proposed to improve plastics made of corn-based PLA by making them easier to manufacture and more heat resistant. Their comprehensive research approach required advances in polymer blends, additives, and manufacturing techniques and involved high technical risk, so the company needed outside funding. In 1994, Cargill applied for and received Advanced Technology Program (ATP) funding for a three-year project that started in 1995.

With ATP funding, Cargill reduced the hardening time for products made from PLA. Dow Chemical provided expertise in plastics manufacturing. At the conclusion of the project, they were still working on ways to increase heat resistance for the highest temperature foods that would be served in PLA products. Cargill and Dow formed Cargill Dow Polymers LLC (CDP) in 1997 and continued the development of NatureWorks, a PLA made from corn. The new company opened a major PLA manufacturing plant based on this technology in 2002. In 2005, Dow made a strategic decision to withdraw from the partnership. Cargill bought Dow’s share and renamed the business “NatureWorks LLC,” continuing to enhance and sell PLA resin for renewable-resource-based plastics.

As of 2006, NatureWorks was selling resin to more than 100 manufacturing partners worldwide for products ranging from food containers to apparel fibers. NatureWorks markets its PLA resin as a way to conserve expensive petroleum resources and reduce feedstock cost. The strongest markets have been in Europe and China; U.S. markets have also been growing. The project received extensive press coverage, four patents, and five awards or industry citations. The researchers have written numerous articles in trade publications and peer-reviewed journals.