A New Kind of Plastic That Biodegrades in Seawater
CJ CheilJedang will make a foray into the white biotechnology market based on its competitive fermentation technology. White biotechnology uses plants and other biological resources to produce materials such as industrial materials or bio-fuels. Its importance is rapidly growing as it produces materials that can replace petrochemical products.
CJ CheilJedang is planning to secure a production line for poly hydroxyl alkanoate (PHA), a material for 100 percent marine biodegradable and eco-friendly plastics, at its bio plant in Pasuruan, Indonesia. The line will have a production capacity of 5,000 tons per year in 2021. The company regards PHA as the main driver of its white biotechnology business. It expects synergies as microbial fermentation technology is commonly used for production of amino acids, the main product of the Indonesian plant, as well as PHA.
In particular, even though CJ CheilJedang has not yet begun full-scale production of PHA, leading global companies pre-ordered more than 5,000 tons of PHA, exceeding the plant’s initial mass production volume.
PHA is superior to polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable plastic currently widely used, as PLA can only be decomposed through a specific process. PHA is the only material in the world that biodegrades 100 percent even in seawater. Currently, only a small number of companies including CJ CheilJedang have the technology to produce 100 percent marine biodegradable plastics.