GORICHEM, Netherlands – Xiamen Changsu Industrial Pte Ltd (Changsu Industrial) and TotalEnergies Corbion have announced a strategic cooperation agreement that will further advance the polylactic acid (PLA) industry. They will work together in the market promotion, product development, and research and development of new technologies and applications of biaxially oriented polylactic acid (BOPLA).

“The bioplastic industry in China has seen tremendous growth with new technological breakthroughs in biobased materials after the country issued its manufacturing sector development plan known as Made in China 2025. These innovations will contribute to the worldwide green transformation and help China reach its goal of being carbon-neutral by 2060,” said Mou Qingying, Changsu Industrial’s Vice President.

Changsu Industrial is a leading global player in high-performance specialty plastic films. Changsu Industrial focus on three major product segments: new energy, biodegradable, and functional film materials. The development of BOPLA is a good example of strong collaboration between different players in the value chain. BOPLA is made with biobased PLA using biaxial stretching technology, making Changsu Industrial's BOPLA product BiONLY® biodegradable and capable of significantly reducing the carbon footprint of packaging materials.

Changsu Industrial and TotalEnergies Corbion are already working closely to bring sustainable solutions to the Chinese market. One key example is the development of BOPLA-based adhesive tapes made of Changsu’s BiONLY® that will replace conventional fossil-based material and help provide a strong solution to the postal service in China. New regulations have already been announced to encourage the adoption of biodegradable materials in the country's postal service by 2025 with some cities aiming to achieve this earlier by the end of 2023. With the further tightening of the regulation, BOPLA-based adhesive tapes are expected to experience a wider adoption in the future and the strategic partnership between Changsu and TotalEnergies Corbion will undoubtedly inject further impetus into this development.

“With increasing needs for sustainable solutions globally, the partnership of Changsu and TotalEnergies Corbion is paving the way for the introduction of more PLA-based innovation to the world. It's a win-win-win for people, industry, and the environment,” said Thomas Philipon, CEO TotalEnergies Corbion.