Our renewable line of containers and films are engineered to be made from plant based plastics instead of traditional petroleum based raw materials.  These materials lessen the reliance on our planet’s finite resources while maintaining similar performance properties to traditional packaging materials. They offer the necessary barrier properties to keep perishable goods fresh and they machine like traditional plastics. Many of our renewable materials are made primarily from Ingeo PLA (poly lactic acid). Ingeo ™ PLA is produced by a company called NatureWorks, LLC from the most abundant source of plant sugars in North America - corn starch.  The sugar is fermented in a process similar to making yogurt.  Then the fermented products are transformed into a material called Ingeo™ PLA that can be used to replace all kinds of oil based plastics and fibers.   The Ingeo ™ PLA is sent to Clear Lam where it is extruded into a film or formed into a container, printed with various graphics, and then it is sent to companies that make consumer packaged goods.

In the future, Ingeo™ PLA will be made available using other sugars such as sugar cane and hopefully some day soon from cellulosic. To learn more about Ingeo and NatureWorks LLC, visit www.natureworksllc.com.  Ingeo™ PLA uses less energy and generates less green house gases in its manufacturing process as compared to traditional petroleum based plastics. Greenhouse gases are the chief contributor to global climate change.  Please click here to reference the supporting document GHG/Energy Plastics Comparison Chart in the Additional Data and Specs section. 

Today, each of us in the United States produces approximately 760 lbs. of waste annually. Most of this waste ends up in landfills. Our communities and municipalities are being challenged to improve their ability to recycle and to compost a lot of the waste. However, we’ve got a long way to go. You’ll be happy to know that when the time comes that commercial composting facilities become readily available to our population, our containers and bags will be ready. The Ingeo™ PLA used to make our bags and containers is certified compostable according to ASTM-D6400 standards.