EcoSynthetix Commissions 80 Million Pound Production Line in U.S. FacilityExpansion brings company-wide production capacity to 235 million pounds -
EcoSynthetix Inc. (TSX: ECO.TO - News), today announced that it has commissioned a new 80 million pound production line within its existing U.S. manufacturing facility, bringing the Company's annualized capacity to 235 million pounds.
"With over 200 million pounds of capacity, we are in a strong position to supply the new customers we are winning in the paper and paperboard market as well as in new markets," said John van Leeuwen, Chairman and CEO of EcoSynthetix. "The opportunity cost of not building enough capacity is high and our low capex model allows us to invest ahead of the demand curve. Our bio-based polymers are performance equivalent and lower cost than the products they replace. We feel it is only a matter of time before large-scale adoption takes place and we are now well positioned for it."
The state-of-the-art 80 million pound line is comprised of the latest process automation technology allowing for maximum efficiency with limited manual intervention. The line is also designed for flexibility, with the capability to accommodate multiple feedstocks. These attributes are expected to lead to higher throughput and result in improved margins at scale relative to the existing line in the Company's U.S. plant. The new line also includes a fully automated packaging system featuring stringent package weight control and ultrasonic bag sealing. This system allows EcoSynthetix to provide its customers with a complete range of packaging options at this facility, including 25 kg bags and super-sacks as well as bulk delivery via rail car or tank truck.
This additional capacity will support growth in the Company's North American business and follows the announcement in November 2011 that EcoSynthetix had installed an additional 80 million pounds of commercial capacity in its existing facility in The Netherlands .
Nathan Jones who is our co-op student here at the EcoSynthetix® Center Of Innovation is presenting a poster for his fourth year design project conducted at the University of Waterloo, Ontario. For the project they looked at using EcoSphere® biolatex as a way to deliver chemotherapy drugs specifically to cancer cells, and have some interesting and exciting results. They are presenting this poster to the OCE Discovery Board and could possibly be a breakthrough for Eco in the medial industry.
Here's the link to the video he showed us the other day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUAZ0-EjZjY&feature=youtu.be
EcoSynthetix represents an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional petroleum-based binders available today, and with our sustainable products we seek to position ourselves as the standard for the future of the bioproducts industry.
After relocating their headquarters and R&D to Ontario, Canada, EcoSynthetix began utilizing the province’s resources and incentives to accelerate to an international scale. Through a stable, competitive pricing model and product sustainability, we expanded our business partners and revenue streams, solidifying ourselves as the world’s only manufacturer of environmentally friendly binder products. What is your take on biolatex® binders? We would love to hear from you.
With the rapid growth of the paper and paperboard market in recent years, there is plenty of room for expansion and EcoSynthetix is always looking for opportunities to help companies reduce their environmental impact. To change the way our industry affects the environment, we have to change the way we research and manufacture the products involved, and at EcoSynthetix, we are leading the charge, creating sustainable polymers. We are very interested in how our technology can fit into your development efforts. Please contact us to let us know what EcoSynthetix® can do for you.
Ecosphere® Biolatex® Binders
Creating sustainable performance and value
We want to get the seal onto as many new products as we can. Let the market know you’re using the leading eco-friendly binder available in the industry by displaying the Ecosynthetix seal on your product. Many of the top publications are using coated paper containing EcoSphere® biolatex® binders- a truly sustainable breakthrough technology for the paper coating industry.
Ecosphere® biolatex® binders are the first legitimate alternative to petroleum-based latex binders used in paper coatings.
If you have other ideas about how we can get the Eco Seal out there, let us know.
Help us tell the world about EcoSphere.
Display the EcoSphere® seal.
EcoSynthetix® is proud to announce our participation during PaperCon, April, 22nd – 25th, 2012. PaperCon is a networking and trade fair for those working in the pulp and paper industry. Bringing together professionals from multiple countries, PaperCon is the largest pulp and paper program in the world. The focus of the 2012 conference is sustainability and "Growing the Future" with an emphasis on renewability, recyclability and long term sustainability. How incredibly fitting that EcoSynthetix is a major part of the conference. We have lined up speakers and will have our top people on hand to help you determine how EcoSynthetix can more efficiently replace SB and SA latex in your coating process.
EcoSynthetix® will be taking part in the upcoming PaperCon events at the Sheraton hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. More details about our participation will be announced as the date approaches. Log on to our site and fill in the brief contact form so we can keep you apprised of our schedule of events at the conference. Hope to see you there!
With the paper industry facing increasing global competitive pressures, it is paramount that manufacturers continue to address the evolving market needs and embrace new technologies that can combine both improved performance and economic benefits.
As a technology innovation leader in biomaterials, ECOSYNTHETIX® is poised with its biolatex® polymer offerings to meet the needs of this changing landscape. But these challenges cannot be successfully resolved without collaboration and teamwork between ECOSYNTHETIX® and the paper companies.
We also recognize the value of the developmental science community, frequently found in the University system worldwide. The company evolved from that community and continues to embrace interactions in the developmental theater.
For this new, sustainable technology to thrive, it will need to continue to evolve. As a primary driver of the platform, we are aggressively working to identify applications for our biolatex polymer within new markets.
Please let us know how our technology may be able to support you in your development efforts.
Today, sustainability is an important issue for many businesses, and many organizations are dedicated to reducing their carbon footprint. If your organization uses paper, and values environmentally sustainable products, then you may be interested in paper produced using biolatex® products.
EcoSynthetix Inc. is a biotechnology company that manufactures economically and environmentally sustainable products, including adhesives, and coating binders. EcoSynthetix' primary commercial product is a "binder" for paper and paper board. Binders tie the pigment particles to the fibrous paper surface and play a critical role in coated paper and paper board properties. Binders directly influence how the colorful graphics adhere to the coating surface and the degree of sharpness, snap and overall print quality of the image.
Our EcoSphere® biolatex®binder technology presents a unique opportunity for any business in the paper, packaging, or publishing industry to reduce its use of petroleum-based chemicals; chemicals that are not sustainable and will inevitably continue to rise in cost.
Biolatex® binders are created from starch via a patented continuous manufacturing process, using primarily natural agricultural and other food-approved biobased materials. Compared to the chemicals it replaces, biolatex® binders offer parallel performance in many aspects of paper coating while exceeding performance in others. EcoSphere® biolatex® binder also provides a cost saving relative to petroleum-based alternatives. It can replace SB and SA latex on a 1:1 basis and can be integrated into the paper mill production process with little or no modification to the plant.
We provide commercial level supply to several major paper producers (including 20 paper mills in 7 countries) globally. Three of the top five paper producers worldwide are currently using EcoSphere® biolatex® binder. These major manufacturers have replaced their traditional petroleum-based styrene butadiene (SB) latex coating binder with our new biolatex® binder technology on many of their paper grades with very favorable results. They have realized the numerous environmental, performance and process benefits that EcoSphere® biolatex® binder brings to their supply chain. These include lower shipping and transportation costs, eliminating the need for expensive coating additives, reduced paper drying times, and the ability to immediately recycle paper with biolatex® coating binder in-house, without adding the harmful re-processing chemicals that are commonly required to recycle typical SB latex coated paper.
Currently EcoSynthetix® is working with a carbon offset expert to quantify the extent of the carbon footprint reduction that our coating binder brings to the paper production process. We believe that there is substantial opportunity here, as shipping, drying and recycling are all major contributors to a paper mill's carbon footprint. We have performed a detailed life cycle analysis and calculated that our biolatex® coating binder has a significantly lower carbon footprint than the SB latex coatings currently in use. Due to its continuous manufacturing process, advantages in shipping weight, and non petroleum-based ingredients, EcoSynthetix’s biolatex® binder has a 67% lower carbon footprint by the time it is delivered to the mill; this cradle-to-gate analysis has been validated by a reputable third party.
We have calculated that for every 1000 square meters of paper produced, the kilograms-CO2 emissions equivalent for coatings is 237.8 kg for SB latex coated paper, whereas paper using our biolatex® coating generates only a 79.1 kg- CO2 emissions equivalent. Total emissions associated with production of synthetic Styrene Butadiene (SB) latex are estimated at 6.5 kilograms carbon dioxide per kilogram of SB latex product. This includes both embedded carbon of fossil-fuel origin (released into the atmosphere when the product decomposes) and emissions associated with manufacturing and transporting the product. This can be compared to total emissions of 2.1 kilograms carbon dioxide per kilogram of our EcoSphere® biolatex® binder. This represents a considerable reduction in CO2 emissions, and is harnessed simply by switching ingredients used in the paper coating from petroleum derivatives to EcoSphere® biolatex® binder.
Coatings have a significant impact on how the paper is processed and produced, and with over 4 billion pounds of petro-based binders consumed annually- a measurable environmental footprint. According to a study by the National Geographic Society, paper coating binders and chemicals alone contribute 13% of the total carbon footprint in the production of today’s magazines. We have calculated that an average coated paper mill could potentially reduce its annual carbon dioxide emissions by at least 10,000 tons, by replacing 40% of SB latex with our coating binder. These figures demonstrate meaningful reductions in the paper production industry where there are limited methods (other than ramping up recycled content) for reducing the carbon footprint.
Any user or manufacturer of paper can further reduce their carbon footprint simply by choosing a sustainable coating for their paper. To get started, paper users can ask their paper supplier for coated paper containing EcoSphere® biolatex® binder. Many paper mills are already customers so changing should be easy.
Chose EcoSphere® biolatex® binder and make your organization the next to convert to eco-friendly coated paper!
