Corbion : and Kraton receive first European certification for biobased products

Corbion and Kraton receive first European certification for biobased products

12/15/2016

Corbion and Kraton received the first European certification for their biobased products - a key differentiator in the biobased product market. The certification system is based on the European standard EN 16785-1 which enables independent assessment of claims on the biobased content of products. With certification, suppliers can use biobased content labelling for their marketing efforts.

Corbion, the global market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives and lactides, offers high performance PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) resins for general purpose and high performance bioplastics. PLA is a biobased plastic with a low carbon footprint and is used in packaging, disposables, fibres, electronics and automotive markets.

Kraton, the world's leading biorefiner of pine chemicals, provides natural pine-based materials in diverse markets including adhesives, roads and construction, tires and rubber, lubricants, fuel additives, and mining, by refining and upgrading crude tall oil (CTO) and crude sulphate turpentine (CST).

The European system for biobased content certification was launched at the 11th Annual European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin, given that bioplastics are a certification area. Both Corbion and Kraton took part in the pilot projects to validate the certification system. DIN CERTCO and Vinçotte were the two certification bodies involved in the pilot projects. Their positive assessments demonstrated that the system is ready to be launched for uptake by other interested parties who wish for their products to become certified.

Floris Buijzen, Product Market Manager Bioplastics at Corbion comments on Corbion's participation in the pilot project: 'By participating in the pilot project, our Luminy portfolio of neat PLA bioplastic resins have been one of the first products to be certified 100 % biobased. The newly launched certification system grants the industry a means to demonstrate compliance to an independent European standard, providing transparent, reliable and responsible product communications on biobased content throughout the value chain.' Kraton also embraced bio-based content certification. 'The certification underscores Kraton's commitment to expanding our portfolio of sustainable solutions for our customers,' said Holger Jung, Kraton Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

Biobased products are gaining interest in the global market. Buyers can apply the European standard EN 16785-1, as well as other standards in the field of biobased products, to specify the required characteristics when purchasing their biobased products. Suppliers can use certificates and labels to demonstrate that they comply with these requirements.

Buyers can also require that the claim of biobased content is assessed by a certification body. Harmen Willemse, chairman of Committee of Experts that has developed the certification system, emphasizes that 'credible claims about the biobased content of products are key for the acceptance of biobased products and the transition towards the circular bio-economy.'

The Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN) manages the European system for biobased content certification. NEN also pioneered the process to develop the certification criteria. Visit www.biobasedcontent.eu for more information.

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