Kaneka Corporation in Takasago completed the planned capacity expansion work of its Biodegradable Polymer PHBH. The completion ceremony was held on December 17th. With the investment amount about 2.5 billion yen and the production capacity about 5,000 tons / year, which is five times that of the past.
In recent years, the marine pollution caused by micro-plastic has become a worldwide social problem as it is affecting the ecosystem, PHBH is a bio-polymer derived from 100% plant that has been certified to biodegrade in seawater. It has obtained “OK Biodegradable MARINE” and is expected to contribute to reducing marine pollution. The degree of biodegradation in seawater (30°C) must be 90% or more within 6 months
In addition, it is listed on the US Food and Drug Administration, the Polyolefin Hygiene Council, and the European Commission positive list, and the number of countries and regions that can be used for food contact applications is expanding.
In Europe, various regulations have been tightened to reduce disposable plastics. In France, regulations are tightened from January 2020, and PHBH ® sales are expected to expand rapidly.
In addition, many brand holders operating globally are considering a wide range of applications such as straws, shopping bags, cutlery, and food packaging materials, and the 5,000 ton / year plant is expected to be fully operational soon.
In addition to this capacity expansion, it has decided to build a full-scale mass production plant as soon as possible in order to respond to the expanding demand on a global scale in a timely manner.
Kaneka says, it will continue to provide value globally as a solution provider based on the idea that “Kaneka will make the world healthy.”
Source: Kaneka press release
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