Nature Works set to build US$600M biopolymer plant in Thailand as Asia boosts plastic alternatives

12 Aug 2021 --- International biopolymer manufacturer Nature Works is building a US$600 million polylactic acid (PLA) complex in Thailand. The plant, which will produce lactic acid, lactide, and polymers, will also be the world’s first PLA facility designed to be fully integrated, according to the company. 

Nature Works belongs to GC International Corporation Company, a PTT Global Chemical Public Company (GC) and Cargill subsidiary. 

“Thanks to the ongoing support of our parent companies, our plans for a second Ingeo PLA manufacturing location continue to progress,” says Rich Altice, president and CEO of NatureWorks. 

Ingeo is the trademarked brand for all Nature Works’ PLA biopolymers, created primarily from carbon found in plant sugars such as corn starch. Ingeo materials are an option for packaging manufacturers seeking plastic alternatives as an alternative to fossil fuel sources. 

The expanded global production of Ingeo biopolymers will support growth in markets including 3D printing and hygiene and compostable coffee capsules, tea bags, flexible packaging, and food serviceware that demand low-carbon materials, says the company. 

“This authorization was an important milestone that ensures we will be ready to begin construction in 2022. The integrated manufacturing complex will help us address the increasing global market demand for sustainable materials,” says Altice. 

Ingeo biopolymers can be used to replace plastic in a range of packaging applications.Ingeo in Thailand 
Dr. Kongkrapan Intarajang, CEO of GC, asserts the company is committed to operating in accordance with sustainability guidelines and circular economy principles. 

Construction of the new manufacturing complex to be located at the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex (NBC) in Nakhon Sawan Province of Thailand will begin in the second quarter of 2022. 

With an expected opening in 2024, the facility will have an annual capacity of 75,000 metric tons of Ingeo biopolymer and produce the full portfolio of Ingeo materials.

Nature Works on the rise 
In 2002, NatureWorks became the first company to produce PLA biopolymers at a commercial scale. In 2013, the company expanded its flagship facility in Blair, Nebraska, US to an annual total capacity of 150,000 metric tons, making it the largest PLA manufacturing plant globally. 

NatureWorks also announced a capacity expansion in 2020 at its Blair facility to further increase the availability of Ingeo biopolymers.

Recently, PackagingInsights spoke with Leah Ford, global marketing communications manager at NatureWorks, about the company’s strategic partnership with IMA Coffee to accelerate the North American market for compostable single-serve coffee pods. 

Thailand’s environmental awakening 
The inauguration of Nature Works’ plant in Thailand marks another step in the country’s growing environmentally sustainable materials scene. 

Recently, Thai recycling company EcoBlue invested US$25 million in a new facility, using Starlinger machinery, to boost its country’s PET and polyolefin recycling rates. 

PackagingInsights spoke with Starlinger’s regional sales manager, who described an Asian “awakening” to environmental issues. 

According to the Thailand Environment Institute, plastic waste has risen from roughly 5,500 metric tons per day pre-pandemic to 6,300 metric tons per day currently. This is despite the drop in general waste resulting from a ban on tourism. 

World Bank research shows Thailand recycled just 17.6 percent of key plastic resins in 2018, falling short of the National Plastic Waste Management Roadmap 2018-2030 target of 22 percent.

Edited by Louis Gore-Langton 

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