
βThe grand opening signals an exponential increase in the amount of product we can deliver to the market,β says Cargill Dowβs commercial director for packaging Jim Hobbs. βIt is a clear sign to the packaging industry that we are a serious player and have the capacity to be more than just an innovator.β According to Hobbs, the announcement also supports a significant increase in the commercial availability of its NatureWorksβ’ polylactide (PLA) resin. Cargill Dow says PLA is the plastics industryβs first commercially viable polymer derived entirely from annually renewable resources such as corn rather than the limited fossil resources used to make most conventional plastics today. Cargill Dow has been pursuing a range of packaging applications and has successfully test marketed and launched products in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America. Prior to the completion of the Blair, Neb., facility, the company was producing a limited amount of PLA at its semi-works facility outside of Minneapolis. While the semi-works facility was, at that time, the PLA plant in existence, it lacked the size and scope to meet the true global demand for Cargill Dowβs breakthrough material. Encompassing more than 16 acres of Missouri River bottomland in Blair, Cargill Dowβs new facility stands on a site that was once, itself, a cornfield. The plant is capable of producing more than 300 million pounds (140κ― metric tons) of NatureWorks PLA per year and uses up to 40κ― bushels of locally grown corn per day as the raw material for the manufacturing process. "While the environmental and sustainability aspect of NatureWorks PLA is a significant driver of interest in Cargill Dowβs products, what really closes the sale is the polymerβs unique range of performance attributes," Hobbs said. "Weβre offering a range of film, rigid and bottle applications that have physical properties equal to or better than incumbent materials. Brand owners can also experience significant market differentiation by packaging items in our material," he continued. "For example, grocery and food retailers can now introduce concepts such as βnatural in naturalβ where they can sell products, like produce, in a natural-based package that performs as well as existing materials." For more information, see Cargill Dowβs Web site at http://www.cargilldow.com.