Canon to Add Bio-Based Plastic to Office Products

Published October 15, 2008

Tags: Design

TOKYO, Japan — Starting early next year some parts of Canon's multifunction office products will include bioplastic, thanks to research that has developed the most flame retardant bio-based plastic.

Toray Industries has been producing its corn-based polylactic acid material, Ecodear, as fiber, resin and film products. For office products, Toray developed a form of Ecodear with increased flame retardance, heat resistance, impact resistance and moldability. The bioplastic is the first of its kind to meet Underwriter Laboratories' highest level of flame retardance for plastics, UL 94-5V.

Different countries follow different safety standards, but all manufacturing enclosures, structural parts and insulators in consumer products weighing about 40 pounds or more must have a 5V classification, according to Canon.

Twenty-five percent of the bioplastic, by weight, is plant-derived, and Canon plans to first use it for exterior parts of multifunction office products. Canon plans to initially use about 100 tons of the plastic a year and expects it will reduce manufacturing-related emissions by 20 percent.

Because bio-based plastic must be handed differently than other plastics when it is disposed of, Canon plans to identify which parts contain Ecodear.

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Canon to Add Bio-Based Plastic to Office Products