Archer Daniels Midland is to build the first commercial plant to produce a new generation of high performance natural plastics that are "eco-friendly and based on sustainable, renewable resources". With an initial annual capacity of 50,000t/year, it will be located at a major ADM North American site and serve the joint venture being established by ADM and Metabolix.
In 2004, ADM and Metabolix announced a strategic alliance to commercialize the Metabolix patented proprietary PHA technology.
The plant will produce PHA natural plastics said to have a wide variety of applications in products currently made from petrochemical plastics, including coated paper and film. They are produced using a fully biological fermentation process that converts agricultural raw materials such as corn sugar into a range of plastics said to have excellent durability in use, but that are compostable and biodegradeable.
"The plastics created from PHA polymers are natural, biodegradable and renewable, and we are pleased to begin their commercial production," states ADM chairman, chief executive and president G Allen Andreas. "We believe this facility is a positive step towards producing renewable plastics that offer the global marketplace an alternative to traditional petroleum derived plastics."
Jim Barber, president and ceo of Metabolix, adds: "Consumers and users concerned by the negative impacts of persistent petrochemical plastics on the environment and their dependence on volatile, non renewable resources from unstable regions will now have a practical alternative."
| Contacts |
| ADM Tel: +1 217 424 5413 Metabolix Tel: +1 617 492 0505 |
