Page 51 - Plastics News Issue November - 2024
P. 51
BUSINESS NEWS
Rehn, head of the INGA development team at “INGA means nothing or none in Swedish. The
Fortum Recycling & Waste. name refers to the fact that nothing new needs
to be used to make the plastic. Products made
“In October 2024, we announced that we have of INGA will be aimed at environmentally con-
succeeded in producing the first sample of INGA scious forerunners who want to make an impact
the world’s first biodegradable plastic born en- but are not willing to compromise on the quality
tirely from CO2. This breakthrough was a major or aesthetics of the products they use,” Rehn
milestone, and we are now looking for partners explains.
on our journey towards commercialising INGA.
Our goal is to have the first products made of Carbon recycling complements mechanical re-
INGA plastics on the market within this decade,” cycling and bio-based plastics
Rehn continues.
The global demand for plastics is expected to
Unmatched combination of sustainability, grow threefold by 2050 while the recycling of
safety and a broad property window plastic is increasing at an unfortunately slow
rate: only 9% of annual plastic waste was re-
INGA is a PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) material, cycled globally in 2023, according to both the
which means that it is biodegradable. The me- European Environment Agency and the United
chanical properties of PHAs can be modified in Nations. Furthermore, some of the plastic can-
many ways, making them a versatile material. not be mechanically recycled into a new materi-
al. Bio-based plastic production is limited by the
INGA plastic meets the needs and requirements availability of raw materials such as wood, sugar
of various applications. INGA's inherent rigidity beet, sugar cane and vegetable oils.
and durability make it suitable for electronic ap-
pliances, toys and cosmetics packaging. With Therefore, new solutions must be developed
excellent barrier properties, including low water for sustainable plastic production.
and oxygen transmission rates and high grease
resistance, INGA provides a safe and sustainable “We want to promote the circulation of materi-
solution for food packaging. als comprehensively. We believe that INGA will
break the ground for a whole new category of
The CO2-based production of INGA continues responsible plastics, though mechanical recy-
the long line of innovative PHA development. cling of plastics and bio-based solutions are still
Combining PHA polymers with additives and fill- needed," Rehn clarifies.
ers enables creating a polyester plastic that is
The biodegradable, CO2-based INGA plastic is
hydrophobic, which means it has water bar- an upcoming novelty in the company’s product
rier resistance and does not dissolve in wa- portfolio. INGA can be recycled just like many
ter other plastics, closing the carbon cycle. An ad-
ditional advantage of biodegradable plastic is
thermoplastic, which means it can be melted that even if it ends up in nature by accident, it
and reshaped, making it recyclable decomposes and does not leave harmful micro-
plastics in the environment. INGA will be avail-
biodegradable in all tested environments: able to wider audiences in the coming years.
marine, fresh water, soil, home composting, The industrial production of INGA is expected to
landfill, anaerobic digestion and industrial start by the end of the decade.
composting
Source – Plastics Technology
malleable and suitable for different process-
ing methods like extrusion, injection mould-
ing and dispersion coating.
November 2024 PLASTICS NEWS 51
