NatureWorks Announces World's First GHG-Neutral Polymer
NatureWorks LLC announced today that it will achieve a greenhouse gas (GHG) neutral position for NatureWorks PLA, making it the first commercially available GHG-neutral polymer in the industry.
NatureWorks LLC announced today that it will achieve a greenhouse gas (GHG) neutral position for NatureWorks PLA, making it the first commercially available GHG-neutral polymer in the industry.
NatureWorks will achieve the GHG-neutral position through the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs), which serve as an offset to cover all of the emissions from the energy used for the production of NatureWorks PLA. The certificates ensure the production of renewable energy in an amount equal to that of the non-renewable energy used by NatureWorks. The net result will be a 68% reduction in fossil fuel use compared to traditional plastics from the manufacture of NatureWorks PLA compared with traditional plastics.
"NatureWorks is committed to product and process innovations that deliver valuable solutions to our global customer base," said NatureWorks vice president and chief marketing officer, Dennis McGrew. "[T]his GHG-neutral position makes NatureWorks PLA an even more attractive option for retailers and brand owners seeking to reduce their environmental footprint -- specifically for packaging applications."
As a partner in the Green Power Market Development Group, NatureWorks researched a number of alternative energy sources that would allow it to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. RECs provide for affordable, pollution-free electricity that does not add to the depletion of natural resources such as coal, oil or gas, or cause environmental damage through resource extraction and transportation.
NatureWorks will be purchasing renewable energy certificates from a variety of U.S. Midwest projects -- including wind, hydro and solar -- in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The company will be purchasing enough certificates to cover projected 2006 production at its 300-million-pound (140,000-metric-ton) capacity manufacturing plant and the world's largest lactic acid plant (400-million-pound or 182,000-metric-ton capacity) in Blair, Neb., as well as at its corporate offices in Minnetonka, Minn. The amount of energy NatureWorks will be purchasing, 59,000 mega-watt hours per year, is equivalent to the amount needed to power 6,300 homes for one year. This purchase of RECs will make NatureWorks one of the top ten corporate buyers of renewable energy certificates in the United States.
"I commend NatureWorks for purchasing renewable energy certificates to make NatureWorks PLA polymer a greenhouse gas-neutral product," said Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute. "WRI encourages others to follow the company's lead in making their products and manufacturing processes more climate-friendly."
"Arriving at a greenhouse gas-neutral polymer is a significant milestone in the journey for NatureWorks, but this is not an endpoint," stated McGrew. "As a company, we will continue to research and invest in new technologies to create an even more responsible product and provide our customers with innovative solutions."
NatureWorks will achieve the GHG-neutral position through the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs), which serve as an offset to cover all of the emissions from the energy used for the production of NatureWorks PLA. The certificates ensure the production of renewable energy in an amount equal to that of the non-renewable energy used by NatureWorks. The net result will be a 68% reduction in fossil fuel use compared to traditional plastics from the manufacture of NatureWorks PLA compared with traditional plastics.
"NatureWorks is committed to product and process innovations that deliver valuable solutions to our global customer base," said NatureWorks vice president and chief marketing officer, Dennis McGrew. "[T]his GHG-neutral position makes NatureWorks PLA an even more attractive option for retailers and brand owners seeking to reduce their environmental footprint -- specifically for packaging applications."
As a partner in the Green Power Market Development Group, NatureWorks researched a number of alternative energy sources that would allow it to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. RECs provide for affordable, pollution-free electricity that does not add to the depletion of natural resources such as coal, oil or gas, or cause environmental damage through resource extraction and transportation.
NatureWorks will be purchasing renewable energy certificates from a variety of U.S. Midwest projects -- including wind, hydro and solar -- in Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The company will be purchasing enough certificates to cover projected 2006 production at its 300-million-pound (140,000-metric-ton) capacity manufacturing plant and the world's largest lactic acid plant (400-million-pound or 182,000-metric-ton capacity) in Blair, Neb., as well as at its corporate offices in Minnetonka, Minn. The amount of energy NatureWorks will be purchasing, 59,000 mega-watt hours per year, is equivalent to the amount needed to power 6,300 homes for one year. This purchase of RECs will make NatureWorks one of the top ten corporate buyers of renewable energy certificates in the United States.
"I commend NatureWorks for purchasing renewable energy certificates to make NatureWorks PLA polymer a greenhouse gas-neutral product," said Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute. "WRI encourages others to follow the company's lead in making their products and manufacturing processes more climate-friendly."
"Arriving at a greenhouse gas-neutral polymer is a significant milestone in the journey for NatureWorks, but this is not an endpoint," stated McGrew. "As a company, we will continue to research and invest in new technologies to create an even more responsible product and provide our customers with innovative solutions."
