Prohibited Substances Policy

A significant component of the value of NatureWorks LLC’s PLA product and brands lies in NatureWorks® biopolymer’s more environmental friendly and sustainable feedstocks and processes. NatureWorks LLC acknowledges the use of  PLA blends in some instances for applications in which 100% PLA is not an option,  and views these as a “step towards sustainability” in their displacement of a percentage of fossil-fuel resource-based materials.  There are, however, very specific substances that could be used with NatureWorks biopolymer that could substantially diminish this value.  Because of this, NatureWorks LLC has a definitive policy regarding limitations on the materials that can be added to, blended with or used to further process NatureWorks biopolymer-based products.

NatureWorks LLC has established this list of prohibited substances to provide objective guidance to our licensees and to ensure continuing improvement in the sustainable nature of our technology, processes and products. On a yearly basis we review and modify our list to include additional substances that represent a significant risk. This list identifies a number of substances that may pose a significant global risk to human health or the environment. The science and understanding of human and environmental effects of chemicals is continuously improving, and responsible business practices require licensees to ensure that they are reasonably well-informed of the characteristics and potential global human and environmental impacts of materials used in the course of business.