July 2, 2007 - New Eco-Profile by NatureWorks LLC

To download an e-print of the new eco-profile for NatureWorks® biopolymer, click here.


New Eco-Profile by NatureWorks LLC Published in Industrial Biotechnology Journal

New Eco-profile shows 85% less CO2 emissions and 50% less fossil fuel use compared to the 2003 NatureWorks® Polymer eco-profile data

MINNETONKA, Minn., USA – June 2007 – The latest eco-profile of NatureWorks LLC’s corn-to-pellet polymer process shows 85 percent fewer actual carbon dioxide emissions and 50 percent less actual fossil fuel use in 2006, compared to a similar analysis based on mathematical calculations from three years earlier. The peer-reviewed research data, appearing in the March 2007 Industrial Biotechnology journal, promises a further shrinking of the company’s environmental footprint in the next three years as it implements new technologies to reduce energy use and create greater efficiencies in the overall production process.

This newly published paper, Eco-profiles for Current and Near-Future NatureWorks® polylactide (PLA) Production, provides the life cycle inventory data – or “eco-profile” – for the 2006 and near-future production of NatureWorks® Polymer. NatureWorks LLC uses life cycle assessment as a tool to identify and measure environmental performance objectives and to benchmark performance of NatureWorks® Polymer against traditional petroleum-based polymers.

“Our goal is to continuously improve our environmental performance and to use life cycle assessment to validate it,” said Dennis McGrew, CEO and president of NatureWorks LLC. “NatureWorks LLC is committed to reducing non-renewable energy use and the emissions of greenhouse-gases as well as reducing water use and providing environmentally responsible end-of-life options for materials made from our polymer. This newly published life cycle assessment validates that commitment.”

In late 2001, NatureWorks LLC began production of NatureWorks® Polymer in its nameplate 140,000-tonne-per-year manufacturing facility in Blair, Neb. The first life cycle analysis of NatureWorks® Polymer production, published in 2003, was based on plant design. With this latest publication, NatureWorks LLC is able to compliment the previous design-based information with actual facilities data.

New Eco-profile

The current production system achieves near greenhouse gas neutrality in part through the purchase of wind-based Renewable Energy Certificates through the Green Power Marketing Group to offset the fossil-fuel based electricity used in the production of NatureWorks® Polymer. NatureWorks will continue to work with local power authorities in the Midwest to explore ways to directly purchase green energy in the future. These efforts will have the effect of reducing purchases of renewable energy certificates as well as directly and positively impacting NatureWorks’ overall carbon footprint.

NatureWorks LLC scientists contributing to the newly released paper are E.T.H. Vink, MSc., Environmental Affairs Manager, NatureWorks BV; Dr. David A. Glassner, PhD., New Process Technology Director; Dr. Jeffrey J. Kolstad, PhD., Chief Scientist; and Dr. Ryan P. O’Connor, PhD, Research Engineer and Patent Agent. Dr. Robert J. Wooley, PhD., also contributed to the eco-profile. Wooley, previously with NatureWorks LLC, is currently Strategic Principal Engineer for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy facility

Both the intermediate and final reports were reviewed by Dr. Ian Bousted of Boustead Consulting and Professor Bruce Dale of Michigan State University. The greenhouse gas protocol and RECs were reviewed by the World Resource Institute Green House Gas Protocol team. During the publication process in Industrial Biotechnology the paper was also peer reviewed by reviewers from the journal. The full 24-page eco-profile as published in Industrial Biotechnology , as well as the reviews, are available on NatureWorks LLC’s web site at www.natureworksllc.com.

The charts set forth below illustrate the results of the new eco-profiles for NatureWorks® polymer. The first two charts compare three NatureWorks® Polymer eco-profiles (PLA1 for the year 2003, PLA5 for 2005 and PLA6 for 2006 using the indicators Gross Fossil Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas emissions (Climate Change). Improvements in the production process are part of a series of changes made in the LCA model for NatureWorks polymer production since 2003. Other changes include:

• More representative data for corn production since 2003.
• Improved data for corn wet milling and dextrose production.
• Improved data for lactic acid, lactide and polymer production. During the last couple of years, actual production data became available and a more accurate LCA model was developed for the three production steps.
• The Boustead core database has been updated since 2003 and new data became available for various inputs.
• Improved data became available for various inputs like sulfuric acid and calcium hydroxide production.
• The decision to purchase renewable energy certificates for the energy needs in the NatureWorks polymer production system.

As seen in the chart below, the changes indicated from PLA1 (2003) to PLA5 (2005) are primarily because of data achieved prior to the purchase of renewable energy certificates. The change in PLA6 (2006) reflects NatureWorks commitment to the purchases of renewable energy certificates.

Gross Fossil Energy Use from Cradle to Factory Gate

Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Cradle to Factory Gate

PLA1 (2003): Vink ETH, Rabago KR, Glassner DA, Gruber PR. Applications of life cycle assessment to NatureWorks™ polylactide (PLA) production. Polymer Degradation Stability 80, 403-419 (2003)

PLA5 (2005) & PLA6 (2006):  Vink ETH, Glassner DA, Kolstad JJ, Wooley RJ, O’Connor RP. The eco-profiles for current and near-future NatureWorks® polylactide (PLA) production. Industrial Biotechnology Volume, 3, Number 1, 58-81 (2007)

In the following two charts the three NatureWorks® Polymer eco-profiles, as described in the 2007 publication are benchmarked against a selection of traditional polymers using the indicators Gross Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas emissions. NatureWorks® PLA 2005 represents the company’s production system for the year 2005, NatureWorks® PLA 2006 represents the production system for 2006 and NatureWorks® PLA/NG represents the future or next generation (NG) production system. The data for the fossil based polymers has been developed by PlasticsEurope (www.lca.plasticseurope.org).

Gross Energy Use from cradle to polymer factory gate.

NatureWorks®PLA: Vink E.T.H. et all. The eco-profiles for current and near-future NatureWorks® polylactide (PLA) production. Industrial Biotechnology, Volume 3, Number 1, 2007, Page 58-81.  Fossil based polymers: PlasticsEurope; www.lca.plasticseurope.org

The crosshatched parts of the bars represent the non-renewable or fossil fuels used to build the polymer back-bone and to drive the processes. The dotted parts of the bars represent the renewable energy used to drive the processes (wind energy) and the renewable feedstock (corn) to build the polymer (PLA) back-bone. It is clear that fewer fossil resources were required in NatureWorks® PLA5 production system and that further reductions were achieved via NatureWorks® PLA6 and PLA/NG.

Greenhouse gas emissions from cradle to polymer factory gate

NatureWorks®PLA: Vink E.T.H. et all. The eco-profiles for current and near-future NatureWorks® polylactide (PLA) production. Industrial Biotechnology, Volume 3, Number 1, 2007, Page 58-81.  Fossil based polymers: PlasticsEurope; www.lca.plasticseurope.org

The net greenhouse gas emissions for NatureWorks® PLA5 were already competitive with the best performing traditional polymers such as PP and LDPE. Via the utilization of wind energy further reductions were achieved shown by NatureWorks® PLA6. In the near future NatureWorks® PLA/NG can even become a greenhouse gas sink by the implementation of new process technology combined with the use of green power to drive the production processes.

This recent publication compliments two additional life cycle assessments recently posted on the NatureWorks website and underscores NatureWorks ongoing commitment to providing reliable, accurate data to brand owners and retailers in effort enhance their material decision making processes. These reports are:

• “Comparative LCA of 4 types of drinking cups used at events” prepared by OVAM in Belgium. OVAM is the public waste agency for the Flemish region in Belgium and commissioned VITO, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research, to study the environmental impacts and costs related to existing systems for drinking cups at small-scale indoor and large-scale outdoor events in Flanders, Belgium.
• “Life cycle assessment of Polylactide (PLA). A comparison of food packaging made from NatureWorks® PLA and alternative materials” published by IFEU, the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, a German LCA consultancy. This publication provides a positive endorsement for the adoption of NatureWorks polymer-based food packaging by (i) comparing packaging applications made from PLA with those made from alternative polymers under German conditions, (ii) examining the potential effect of improved PLA production according to technology improvements as outlined in the new NatureWorks ‘eco-profile” and (iii) examining the potential effected of selected PLA waste treatment options.

About NatureWorks LLC

NatureWorks LLC is a stand-alone company, wholly owned by Cargill, and dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. The company produces a family of commercial polymers, utilizing the carbon found in simple plant sugars to create a proprietary polylactide polymer which is marketed under the brand names NatureWorks® and Ingeo™. In 2001, NatureWorks LLC opened its NatureWorks® polymer manufacturing facility in Blair, Nebraska, USA. The plant has a name-plate capacity of producing 300 million pounds of resin in a year. This is the first and largest PLA facility in the world and supplies NatureWorks® polymer to markets across the globe.

NatureWorks, Ingeo and the EcoPLA design are registered trademarks of NatureWorks LLC