CJ Biomaterials Unveils Groundbreaking PHACT™ PHA Compounds for Sustainable Film Packaging

CJ Biomaterials, Inc., a subsidiary of South Korea's CJ CheilJedang and a leading manufacturer of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biopolymers, has unveiled two pioneering PHA-based compounds tailored for blown, cast, and machine direction orientation (MDO) film applications. These novel compounds, known as PHACT™ CA1270P (clear) and PHACT™ CA1240PF (opaque), represent a significant leap forward in sustainable flexible packaging, boasting exceptional performance and environmental advantages. Collaboration across the value chain has been instrumental in driving innovation, with NatureWorks, LLC., playing a pivotal role in combining the performance of Ingeo™ PLA with PHACT PHA to create these two groundbreaking compounds, which offer high performance at competitive prices.

Major brands, both large and small, are actively embracing PHA-based compound solutions to address the challenges posed by plastic waste and the climate crisis. CA1270P and CA1240PF are entirely biobased, offering a compostable alternative to traditional plastic films that facilitate the diversion of food waste away from landfills. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that food waste deposited in landfills is a major source of methane emissions. Landfilled food waste is estimated to contribute around 58 percent of fugitive methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills. The carbon footprint of both products is over 50% lower than that of conventional packaging materials such as low-density polyethylene, linear-low-density polyethylene, polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate (LDPE/PE/PP/PET).

Extensive testing has demonstrated the exceptional balance between stiffness, strength, tear resistance, and puncture resistance exhibited by both compounds, ensuring durability across various packaging applications. Additionally, both compounds are industrially compostable, with CA1240PF showing promise for home compostability (ongoing tests), aligning with consumers' increasing demand for eco-friendly packaging solutions. Moreover, these new compounds are competitively priced compared to other commercial biopolymer solutions.

Max Senechal, Chief Commercial Officer at CJ Biomaterials, expressed the significance of CA1270P and CA1240PF, stating, "The introduction of CA1270P and CA1240PF represents a major milestone in CJ Biomaterials' ongoing commitment to sustainable innovation. These biobased films offer a compelling combination of performance, versatility, and environmental responsibility, reducing the world's reliance on traditional plastic while supporting the transition to a more sustainable future."

Both CA1270P and CA1240PF are suitable for a wide range of applications, including snack food and produce packaging, frozen food bags, shopping bags, shrink-wrap and labels, hygiene backing films, organic waste diversion bags, and agricultural mulch films.

Both compounds have undergone successful blown-MDO processing, attaining a stretch of up to 4.0x and exhibiting orientation (birefringence) along with enhanced puncture toughness. This renders them an ideal choice for oriented films used in shrink wrap applications. Moreover, MDO films utilizing CA1240PF yield microporous films, opening up distinctive possibilities for a range of packaging applications.

Furthermore, CA1270P and CA1240PF offer several advantages over conventional materials. They outperform LDPE/LLDPE blown films in terms of modulus and strength and exhibit higher tear resistance compared to other biodegradable and compostable plastics, ensuring reliable performance in demanding applications. Crucially, both products have received qualification on industrial production lines from multiple prominent film converters. To witness the production of these films firsthand, visitors can head to the Collin Lab and Pilot Solutions booth W7261 at the NPE in Orlando (May 6-10), where CA1270P will be showcased on the show floor at select times.

In 2022, CJ Biomaterials initiated the production of its PHACT™-branded PHA biopolymers and has subsequently partnered with numerous organizations to create inventive solutions leveraging its PHA technology.