bioplasticsMAGAZINE_0905

End of Life
Finished
product
producers
PLA
pellets
Sales
Partners
-
PLA
producers
E nd users End users
Lactic
acid
CCollection
Loopla
Patented
technology
Partners
S
Sorting
orting &
recovery
recovery
entities
entities
Loopla
Shipment of
used PLA lot
A new Cradle-to-Cradle
Galactic is a Belgian company involved in the world of
green chemistry with its lactic acid being produced
by fermentation of a biomass such as beet or cane
sugar. Lactic acid is used in different applications such as
foodstuffs, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, as well as in industrial
applications.
Lactic acid is also used as the starting material for
the production of polylactic acid or PLA, an eco-friendly,
renewable biopolymer with attractive characteristics for
packaging and other convenience applications.
Introduction to LOOPLA ®
Although PLA is derived from renewable resources,
Galactic has conceived the LOOPLA process to provide the
best ‘end-of-life‘ option for PLA waste and contribute to the
development of a sustainable environment.
The LOOPLA concept is a closed loop where the used
PLA is recovered and recycled back into its original form:
lactic acid. This lactic acid can easily be polymerised again
to make PLA with exactly the same characteristics as the
original material.
Carbon footprint
The patented technology is a chemical recycling process
that goes back from PLA to lactic acid by depolymerisation
through hydrolysis. The process does not need harmful
chemicals and is optimised to create a minimum CO 2
footprint.
Currently there are several ‘end-of-life‘ options available:
mechanical recycling, incineration, composting, anaerobic
digestion and land filling.
All energy and raw materials invested in the original PLA
are recovered as the recycling rate with LOOPLA is close to
100% and provides a low carbon footprint.
Chemical Recycling vs. other ‘end-of-life‘ options
With this concept, GALACTIC is proud to contribute to a
more sustainable solution for the ‘end-of-life‘ management
of PLA waste:
• Less energy consumption
• Low chemicals needed
• Recycling rate close to 100%
• Recycling process is endless
• Less agricultural land needed
• shorter recycling loop means:
- lower CO 2 foot-print
- Cheaper process
End-users
The success of LOOPLA is related to the contribution of
the different parties involved in the recycling process.
The sorting and recovery of the used PLA is key in the
efficiency of the process:
PLA is used in a wide range of applications including food
packaging, beverage containers, cars, electronic, housing
etc. Two types of material are identified: the nearly 100%
PLA, and material combinations such as blends, compounds
and composites. LOOPLA not only recovers close to 100% of
the lactic acid used for the production of PLA, it also takes
care of possible contamination of the used PLA.
All PLA waste can be put into one of three different
categories:
• ‘Post-industrial‘ waste or production waste that consists
of out-of-specification material or objects produced
during trial runs, production start-up procedures or as
trimmings or runners and sprue in injection moulding.
30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/09] Vol. 4