CJ Biomaterials signed a cooperation agreement with polylactic acid production giant NatureWorks

On November 15, CJ Biomaterials, a subsidiary of South Korea's CJ, signed a Master Collaboration Agreement (MCA) with NatureWorks to jointly develop solutions
for sustainable materials based on CJ Biomaterials' PHACTTM biodegradable polymers and NatureWorks' Ingeo™ biopolymer technology.

CJ Biomaterials is a major producer of PHA polyhydroxyalkates, and NatureWorks is a leading global producer
of advanced materials PLA polylactic acid.
The two companies aim to develop high-performance biopolymers that can replace fossil fuel-based plastics, covering applications ranging from compostable food packaging and food tableware to personal care products, films and other end products
.

Rich Altice, President and CEO of NatureWorks, and Seung Jin Lee, Head of CJ First Sugar's Biomaterials business, celebrated the successful signing of a master collaboration agreement between the two companies focused on the development of innovative products
based on Ingeo™ PLA and PHACT™ PHA technologies.

The initial focus of the agreement will be on the development of bio-based solutions to create new functional properties
for compostable hard and soft food packaging and food tableware.
The new solution will focus on accelerating biodegradability and bringing more "post-use" recycling options
in line with the circular economy model.

According to the World Bank, landfills are the world's third-largest source of
methane emissions.
Therefore, the use of compostable food packaging and food tableware will help to transfer food scraps to the composting site, so as to prevent more food scraps from being discarded in landfills to release methane and cause environmental pollution
.
Moreover, composting can make it part of a nutrient-rich soil amendment that improves soil health by increasing biodiversity and carbon sequestration, leading to more efficient waste treatment solutions
.

CJ Biomaterials and NatureWorks plans to extend its partnership beyond co-development of packaging products to the film and nonwovens markets
.
For the development of these innovative applications, the two companies will enter into a strategic supply agreement to support the smooth development process
.

NatureWorks is a pioneer in the development of bio-based materials that not only have a small carbon footprint, but will also provide more new post-consumer disposal options
through its proprietary technology.
As a company with long-term growth plans, it has developed many innovative and high-volume product applications
for PLA.
In recent years, Ingeo has seen significant growth
as a bio-based material in a wide range of end-product applications.

CJ Biomaterials is a business unit
of CJ BIO, a subsidiary of CJ Group.
Earlier this year, the company announced the inauguration of a production facility in Pasuruan, Indonesia, with PHA-scale production
.
Currently, CJ Biomaterials is the only company in the world that produces aPHA, including the first product under its new brand PHACT, PHACT A1000P
.