Developpp.de - Eco-friendly plastics from Brazil
Eco-friendly plastics from Brazil
Eco-friendly plastics from Brazil
Brazil is the largest sugar producer in the world. Some 60 percent of global production comes from Brazilian sugar cane. Every year this generates around 150 million metric tons of plant fibre pulp, also known as bagasse. Until now around one third has been burned to produce energy, a process that releases gases that are harmful to the climate.
The technology company TECNARO has developed a procedure to manufacture plastic granules from bagasse. This environmentally friendly resource can be used in standard plastic production, for example, to make car parts or household goods. To introduce this procedure in Brazil, TECNARO joined sequa to set up a pilot plant on site. Together with the Brazilian training organisation SENAI-CIMATEC, the partners trained six experts who are now pursuing product development on their own and passing on their know-how to students at the institute. The lessons learned have also been incorporated into a recently founded Master's Degree course in materials science.
To date, demand for this eco-friendly plastic resource has been strongest in Germany, but Brazil is now also marketing a series of household items made of bagasse. What is more,
the project gave TECNARO the chance to establish initial contacts with Brazilian suppliers and potential customers and thus to lay the foundations for a comprehensive market launch.
In the medium term, the company has started a second develoPPP.de project with sequa in a drive to further mainstream and expand the transfer of knowledge on the material use of regenerative resources in Brazil.
