Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites was founded in 2014 as a premier research center dedicated to biobased plastics and composites. It is a collaborative effort by the Biopolymers & Biocomposites Research Team at Iowa State University (director, David Grewell, professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering), the Composite Materials and Engineering Center at Washington State University and 23 other Industry Member companies.
As a founding member, companies serve as mentors on specific research topics that are both commercially viable and research worthy. Inland, along with Berry Plastics, are mentors on the starch films project. This project, titled Improving Thermoplastic Properties of Starch for Food and Non-food Packaging Applications, has a long-term goal of developing starch-based packaging materials for a wider range of applications.
The pay-off: a domestically available supply of renewable resources for materials and products (think less dependency on petroleum-based sources), a better grasp on environmental pollution and the reduction of packaging’s carbon footprint.
Tricia Sime, Inland’s Packaging Innovation Director who has been spearheading this partnership, knows it’s a value added project for Inland. “It’s exciting to have a place at the table with industry members, university facility and undergraduate and graduate level students who are really passionate about practical and sustainable packaging innovation” shared Tricia. “The more we can serve as the voice behind our customers and end-users, the better chance we have at creating viable and resourceful alternatives to the more common, unsustainable options used every day.”
For the original Inland Packaging post, click here.