| Packaging Made from Corn
Debuts at SAM's CLUB
Last month, NatureWorks LLC and SAM'S CLUB, a division of Wal-Mart
Stores, Inc., introduced NatureWorks PLA--a clear, thermoformed
packaging made from corn--at SAM'S CLUB and Wal-Mart Super Centers
nationwide. This initial launch involved NatureWorks PLA packaging for
fresh-cut fruit, herbs, strawberries and Brussels sprouts. According to the companies, replacing conventional packaging with NatureWorks PLA for just four items, will translate to more than 100 million containers per year for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. "With this change to packaging made from corn, we will save the equivalent of 800,000 gallons of gasoline and reduce more than 11 million pounds of green house gas emissions from polluting our environment," said Matt Kistler, vice president, product development and private brands, SAM'S CLUB. Made from Midwestern field corn, NatureWorks PLA is a bio-based plastic that can be used in a wide range of packaging applications from clear food containers to beverage bottles. The material provides the convenience, look, feel and performance of petroleum-based plastic packaging while being made from a 100 percent annually renewable natural resource, according to NatureWorks. "We have worked hand-in-hand with SAM'S CLUB and Wal-Mart to demonstrate NatureWorks PLA packaging is not only a more sustainable alternative that consumers desire, but also a sound financial move in this era of unpredictable oil prices," said Dennis McGrew, vice president and chief marketing officer, NatureWorks LLC. "The cost of our raw material, essentially corn, has remained stable for decades, while oil and natural gas, which is what the majority of existing plastics are made from, has been on a rollercoaster ride that has made it difficult for companies to forecast their packaging costs." The relationship between Wal-Mart and NatureWorks began in the fall of 2004 when the companies began a year of research and test marketing the product. Wal-Mart will be replacing existing packaging with NatureWorks PLA products in a series of phases through the supply chain. Phase One rolled out in November with four products in the fresh produce aisle. Phase Two includes approximately 8 million more packaging items with cut vegetable containers. Phase Three, just in time for the holidays, will be new NatureWorks PLA gift cards. The final phase scheduled for 2005 will include bread bags, donut boxes and select tomato packaging. The technology to produce NatureWorks PLA essentially harvests the starch stored in corn into natural plant sugars. The sugar is then fermented into lactic acid, which is used to create a clear plastic called polylactide (PLA) that can be shaped into a variety of bottles, containers, trays, film and other packaging. In addition to the appeal of its more sustainable source, NatureWorks PLA packaging has the flexibility to be disposed of in several manners, including recycling and industrial composting, and fits most local waste disposal schemes. The material has been successfully commercially composted in applications where that disposal method is desired and commercial composting infrastructure is in place, and it has been reviewed by the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) and is listed as positive for compostable materials, according to the company.
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