In July 2021, Polyplastics began production of DURACON® bG-POM utilizing biomass. bG-POM contributes to meeting the market's growing needs for reduced CO2 emissions and fossil fuel usage across the entire product life cycle.
Responding to the growing demand for biomass-derived plastics
▲Biomass-derived POM logo mark
In recent years, efforts to reduce atmospheric CO2 emissions have been ramping up worldwide with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality.
In this trend, there has been a sharp increase in interest by society in switching over to products that utilize biomass. Compared with chemical
products manufactured from exhaustible resources, such as coal, oil and natural gas, biomass produces less atmospheric CO2 emissions across the entire product life cycle and is also not an exhaustible resource.
At Polyplastics, we have had an increasing number of customers demanding
plastic materials which contribute to reduced CO2 emissions across the entire product life cycle, and, in order to meet these needs, we have worked to enable customers to lighten and extend the lifespan of their products. In addition, since July 2021, we now offer our DURACON®
bG-POM which utilizes biomass (hereafter, “bG-POM”).
Reducing CO2 emissions while achieving the same level of quality as conventional POM
Conventional POM (DURACON® POM) is mainly made from methanol produced by natural gas; however, in line with ISCC Plus certification＊1, bG-POM is made from methanol produced by biomass raw materials. Using biomass raw materials to produce methanol results in fewer
CO2 emissions compared with natural gas, and total CO2 emissions from the production process - from resource extraction to POM production - are up to 60% lower than for conventional POM. The quality of both types of methanol satisfies the same international
standards, which means the quality of both types of POM is equivalent.
Furthermore, another benefit is that product supply can be sustained into the future by replacing the exhaustible resources like natural gas with biomass raw materials derived from plants that will renew in a matter of decades.
＊1 ISCC：International Sustainability & Carbon Certification
DURACON® bG-POM production process
ISCC Plus-certified
bG-POM uses a mass balanced method to secure ISCC Plus certification.(See the figure below)
This certification system, which is implemented by inspection bodies affiliated with the ISCC, involves regular traceability inspections across the entire production process - from resource extraction to raw material supply, manufacturing
and shipping - and the amount of POM corresponding to the amount of biomass used within a given period in the supply chain is certified by the ISCC as “bio-based POM.”
Certification by this widely recognized biomass certification system signifies sustainability across the entire value chain - from the raw material itself to the
shipping of the POM.
ISCC Plus certification using a mass balanced method
We produce a mixture of conventional fossil fuel-derived raw material and biomass-derived＊2 raw material, and third-party certification is used to deem the products at the same percentage of biomass-derived＊2 raw material as sustainable ones.
＊2 ISCC Plus-certified biomass raw material (mass balance)
Realizing a more sustainable society
Biomass-derived bG-POM contributes both to significant CO2 emissions reductions across the entire product production process as well as reduced consumption of fossil fuel resources, which are exhaustible and increasingly depleting resources.
As a company aiming to be an excellent engineering
plastics solutions provider, Polyplastics recognizes the importance of developing plastics that will contribute to carbon neutrality and the realization of a circular economy, and this is reflected in the corporate strategy of our Mid-Term Business Plan. Across our entire company, we will continue to focus on increasingly advanced
challenges that will contribute to the realization of an abundant future for society.
