Closing the loop: Purac promotes recyclability of biobased PLA
26 November 2012. Back
to overview
Purac - a leading company in lactic acid based bioplastics - has
sponsored the Perpetual Plastic Project to highlight how easily
Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) bioplastic can be recycled. PLA drinking
cups were provided by Purac; intended for use at events where
people can immediately recycle them into new products after use.
The project is designed to educate people on the recyclability of
bioplastic, in order to close the loop and promote a circular,
biobased economy for future generations.
The Perpetual Plastic Project has successfully created a
'do-it-yourself', interactive 'Machine', which provides users with
a small-scale demonstration of how easily PLA can be recycled:
following the steps of cleaning, drying, shredding, melting and
extrusion, before finally being remade into a new article. In this
case, a 3D printer was used to create jewelry and small toys from
the used PLA cups. The Machine is currently touring the Netherlands
at numerous events, including the Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven,
the Science Center NEMO in Amsterdam and the National
Sustainability Congress in Nieuwegein.
The Perpetual Plastic Project is an initiative created by former TU
Delft students. Purac, together with GroenBeker, provided the
PLA bioplastic drinking cups which accompanied the Machine.
François de Bie, Marketing Director Purac Bioplastics, is pleased
with the project: "This initiative demonstrates in a tangible,
understandable way just how easily PLA can be recycled. Although
PLA is still a relatively new material to the plastics industry, it
promises to become widely implemented throughout a broad range of
applications. It is therefore vital that we already start to think
about how best to recycle these valuable materials. Thanks to the
Perpetual Plastics Project, we can show people at events and
festivals what can ultimately be achieved on a much larger
scale'.
Purac has created a short video to highlight the project and the
recyclability of PLA. See
purac.com/recycle to view the film.
With thanks to Perpetual Plastic Project and
GroenBeker.
