09.20.06
Sustainable packaging…will it take hold this time?
I have been in this business for almost 23 years. Sustainable and degradable products have been around for most of my career. There have been additives that gave the film a reddish hue to the claim that calcium carbonate was the answer.
What is the real driver this time? Is it the oil prices that are waking people up the idea again or is it the wish to hug a tree again? I see the government is finally taking a look at these items and are, in some cases, mandating their use for certain government agencies. This initiative is coming from the Agricultural side trying to help out the farmers.
I have been testing and experimenting with most all of the additives that break down the ethylene and now with PLA and PLA/polyester blends. Most are ready for market but the price is still too high for it to get into wide distribution. Supply and demand dictate pricing at this point and until there is more emphasis put on the supply side it probably will still be a number of years before we see it replacing your t-shirt bag at Wal-Mart®. The focus to date has been in the rigid container market, leaving us flexible guys to wonder when we get our chance. There are a few producers of film but again their supply is limited and the price is out of reach of the mass users of our products. Again, what is the driver? I see that there is a new report our that can be purchased to look at market dynamics, which if anyone has this your comments would be appreciated. I am excited about the possibilities but fear that if fossil fuel prices continue to dip the interest will decline.
