EASTMAN
New “Tritan” plant in US / Co-polyester rides on anti-BPA wave / France bans BPA in baby bottles
Eastman (Kingsport, Tennessee / USA; www.eastman.com) has again upgraded capacity for “Tritan” copolyester at Kingsport, to meet increasing demand from the home/office delivery (HOD) bottled water market (water coolers, for example). The US group credits its “focus on markets, applications and customers that benefit from the attributes of Tritan” for the quadrupling of business over the past 12 months, indirectly acknowledging that demand for the reusable bottles characterised by clarity, toughness and heat- and chemical resistance is being enhanced by the running controversy over bisphenol A (BPA).
After launching Tritan in 2007, Eastman announced capacity expansion to commercial scale in 2008 – see Plasteurope.com of 19.03.2008. Output from the new state-of-the-art facility with a capacity of 30,000 t/y according to local media reports will be marketed to seven target markets, including medical, infant care, bulk water and signs. In January, Greif Packaging (Delaware, Ohio / USA; www.greif.com) launched three- and 5-gallon (11-19 litre) reusable HOD water bottles made of Tritan in the US, complementing its PC bottle range. Greif said it chose the Eastman copolyester because it is BPA-free, while the bottle offers the same visual characteristics as those made with BPA. Another reason was that the company could shorten conversion times by using existing equipment and moulds.
Eastman has released the result of independent tests that is says prove Tritan is “free of bisphenol A and estrogenic activity.” According to Dante Rutstrom, vice president and general manager of the group’s speciality plastics business, the tests went beyond the requirements needed for regulatory clearance and confirm that “Tritan does not demonstrate an affinity to bind to hormone receptors or have potential to induce endocrine disruptive effects.”
As the BPA controversy continues to rage, the French government’s bill banning importing, exporting and selling of baby bottles made of the chemical took its final parliamentary hurdle on 11 May 2010. The bottles already had been banned in major cities such as Paris, Toulouse and Nantes. Similar to legislation passed recently in Denmark (see Plasteurope.com Web of 09.04.2010) the bill bans products made with the chemical in food packaging aimed at children under three years of age.
After launching Tritan in 2007, Eastman announced capacity expansion to commercial scale in 2008 – see Plasteurope.com of 19.03.2008. Output from the new state-of-the-art facility with a capacity of 30,000 t/y according to local media reports will be marketed to seven target markets, including medical, infant care, bulk water and signs. In January, Greif Packaging (Delaware, Ohio / USA; www.greif.com) launched three- and 5-gallon (11-19 litre) reusable HOD water bottles made of Tritan in the US, complementing its PC bottle range. Greif said it chose the Eastman copolyester because it is BPA-free, while the bottle offers the same visual characteristics as those made with BPA. Another reason was that the company could shorten conversion times by using existing equipment and moulds.
Eastman has released the result of independent tests that is says prove Tritan is “free of bisphenol A and estrogenic activity.” According to Dante Rutstrom, vice president and general manager of the group’s speciality plastics business, the tests went beyond the requirements needed for regulatory clearance and confirm that “Tritan does not demonstrate an affinity to bind to hormone receptors or have potential to induce endocrine disruptive effects.”
As the BPA controversy continues to rage, the French government’s bill banning importing, exporting and selling of baby bottles made of the chemical took its final parliamentary hurdle on 11 May 2010. The bottles already had been banned in major cities such as Paris, Toulouse and Nantes. Similar to legislation passed recently in Denmark (see Plasteurope.com Web of 09.04.2010) the bill bans products made with the chemical in food packaging aimed at children under three years of age.
18.05.2010 Plasteurope.com [216261]
Published on 18.05.2010
German version of this article...