Issue 02/2019

Building & Construction
PLA based
edgebanding
The patented, ecofriendly and
green alternative to PVC/ABS/PP
edgebanding
BioEdge ® is the trade name for the biopolymer
edgebanding product made with BioBest ® , a proprietary
PLA (Polylactic Acid) based bioplastic material sourced
from sugar cane, which has been grown supporting the
principles of sustainable agriculture. It is currently the only
biobased and biodegrabale edgeband option available today.
BioEdge is manufactured in the United States and has been
produced by Bio-Plastic Solutions, LLC of Blooming Prairie,
Minnesota since 2012. The material make-up is patented by
BioPlastic Solutions for use in the building and trade industry.
BioEdge edgebanding is a biobased an biodegradable
alternative and replacement for PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride),
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene styrene), and PP (Polypropylene)
edgebanding to give any building project a green story. This
edgebanding is price competitive with and performs as well
as PVC, ABS, or PP, plastics without containing the hazardous
chemicals of some of these petroleum-based materials.
Increasingly over the last few years, governments,
organizations, and businesses have publicly committed to
reducing the use of environmentally sensitive products and
processes. Paired with a multitude of available green building
certifications (LEED, WELL, BREEAM etc.), the demand for
eco-friendly building materials has never been greater.
BioEdge edgebanding is made from sustainably produced
PLA from annually renewable crops and is the clear
choice for environmentally-conscious architects, builders
millwork/casework producers and furniture manufacturers.
BioEdge contains as much as 90 % of non-hazardous PLA.
The remaining components are free from volatile organic
compounds (VOC’s) and any items on known red and black
lists of hazardous materials for building interiors.
PVC plastic contains vinyl chloride and other toxic and
carcinogenic plasticizers and additives. According to the
US Green Building Council (USGBC), ABS utilizes several
hazardous chemicals in its production. Standard plastic
hazard classifications show ABS is only slightly less
hazardous than PVC. PLA on the other hand does not include
any of these same hazardous materials.
BioEdge edgebanding does not emit toxic volatile
organic compounds (VOC’s), has a low smoke index, and
is mechanically and thermally stable. It is the sensible and
environmental replacement for PVC, ABS or PP edgebanding
and is an ideal fit for standard or green projects in health
sensitive facilities such as schools, hospitals, universities,
hotels, apartments/dorms, senior centers, and restaurants.
It is already in use in many of these facilities across the
United States and Canada.
BioPlastic Solutions has completed durability testing
for this product through a third party. The standard
BioEdge recipe was compared in abrasion testing with
PVC edgebanding. While both BioEdge and the basic PVC
edgebanding tested within one point of each other in average
shore D hardness, the PVC edgebanding degraded at over
four times the rate of BioEdge patented edgebanding on
average. This testing proves out yet another advantage of
BioEdge to PVC edgebanding.
On top of the environmental advantages of BioEdge over
traditional petroleum-based edgebanding on the market
today, BioEdge can be produced in small batches with a
minimum order of one spool (as little as ~75 m or 250 feet).
Most large producers require minimum orders of at least
1,500 m (5,000 ft) of edgebanding for large scale building
and renovation projects, providing another advantage with
purchasing BioEdge through BioPlastic Solutions.
The company currently offers its standard range of solid
colors along with industry standards they have previously
matched for other projects. Lead time for production can be
as low as two weeks for small batch orders (under 1,500 m)
of standard colors and colors previously matched to other
24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/19] Vol. 14