In the era biodegradable

After five years of research, the Colombian group Phoenix Packaging started production of biodegradable plastic cups, with the guarantee of recycled and composted. Avianca is one of the first companies to use.

Phoenix Packaging, Environmental Control and Avianca became the first three companies to bet on one of the largest projects on environmental sustainability in Colombia: the use of biodegradable plastic cups, made from corn starch, and Tracking each of them so that, once they fulfill the life cycle are recycled and transformed into natural fertilizer for plants.

Initially, the vessels are produced with imported raw materials have a resistance of 40 ° C, ie, are only to serve cold drinks. However, Phoenix is conducting research to see the possibility of producing the raw material in the country and develop more resistance vessels.

"The difference is this project over other bioplastics initiatives in Latin America is first in the country, the manufacturer of plastic cups is involved in the final disposal of the product to make sure they actually return to nature, "says Giovanna Cruz Nieto, business project leader for Phoenix Packaging Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Latin America, dedicated to design and manufacture of plastic packaging and disposable products for industry and mass consumption.

The Phoenix Group was established in 1999 with integration of Colombian companies and Multidimensional Plasdecol, the Venezuelan Investment Selva, Vasos Venezolanos, Venco and Estireno del Zulia, and in 2003 joined the Group Containers Cuautitlan in Mexico. Currently based in over 30 countries and its turnover in Colombia amounted to $ 175.318 million annually.

Five years ago, the subsidiary of the conglomerate in the country took the decision to explore new business projects with the idea to innovate their products and find a spread over its competitors. "That was how, following international trends of thinking in products environmentally friendly, began a painstaking research to find materials that enable the development of biodegradable products," says Luis Fernando Mejia, sales manager Foodservice Group.

As a result of the investigation, found that they could replace polypropylene, polystyrene and PET, currently used for the production of disposable plastic cups for corn starches, which are extracted sugars to produce lactic acid and then made PLA (Ingeo) for production of biopolymers. Phoenix also found that in Colombia there is a composting plant that has the ability to incorporate the PLA in its processes to produce containing biofertilizer. Thus took on the task of implementing a business model that will allow their customers to expand their commitment to the environment and generate long term savings.

Although the cost of these vessels is 30% higher than traditional glasses, decided to acquire Avianca to offer cold drinks in the lounges and in-flight service, believing that the business model proposed by Phoenix will have significant impacts for both firms and for the country. On the business side, because the consumer is becoming more demanding with what they buy and preferences lean toward the use of products and services marks that look after the environment, and for the country because it guarantees the preservation of natural resources.

Gaining market

The book Ecological Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, refers to market research conducted by Procter & Gamble in revealing that 10% of consumers in the world would be willing to pay more for a superior product from the point of view environment and that 75% would buy products that promote sustainability.

This greater overlap of the values of consumers with their purchasing decisions will make the struggle for competitive advantage is most fierce and companies from all sectors to move towards the search for mechanisms that allow them to demonstrate their commitment to the environment environment, apart from the competition and gain market share.

In this regard, initiatives are emerging around the plastic inside the most appreciated by the consumer of the future because it is a clear example of a material whose biodegradation is increasingly necessary. International statistics indicate that the traditional cups and plastic bags can take between 400 and 1,000 years to biodegrade. The problem is greater if one considers that in the world yet there is no awareness about recycling, which means that many materials in contact with the environment represent a serious danger to the ecosystem.

According to the Technological Institute of Plastics (AIMPLAS), Spain consumed about five million tonnes of plastic a year, of which only 700,000 are recycled, the rest goes to landfills.

In Colombia there are statistics on the recycling of plastics. Clearly, the extent to grow the business interest to work on the topic, it is possible to protect the environment and, thus, generating savings.

David Apraex, commercial manager of the company Environmental Control in Colombia, says that for every tonne of waste sent to landfill companies must bear a cost, and if the decision is to incinerate some waste to reduce the volume going to the landfills, you also have to pay a value, which is estimated at $ 1,100 per kilo.

This means that if the companies are committed to developing biodegradable products and invest in programs that ensure the proper disposal of waste will be possible to generate long term savings and greater affinity with the consumer.