- Innovation Takes Root, NatureWorks’ biannual conference which gathers together people active in the PLA space, from ‘brand owners to engineers’, as NatureWorks CEO Rich Altice put it, ended this afternoon on a high note.

The conference, which was held this year on Sept 10, 11 and 12 in San Diego, took place for the sixth time and was an ‘awesome’ success, said Altice. With over 250 attendees from 27 countries, it was one of the most international editions of the event to date.
And that is not the only difference. What has become increasingly apparent over the years since the event was organised for the first time is the growing acceptance of PLA as a material, and the increasing number of applications it is being used in. PLA can be engineered to fulfil a diversity of requirements, with properties tailored to the desired purpose.
At this year’s conference, highlights included sessions on food serviceware, during one of which NatureWorks introduced its new extrusion coating grade Ingeo 1102E, which will be launched in the fall.
Another focus was 3D printing, and the role PLA is playing in that area; still another important topic that was addressed was the end of life, during which sessions a close look was taken at what biodegradability is. What conditions are needed for a material to biodegrade – is it biodegradable if it only degrades in soil? What about the marine environment?
The closing presentation was made by CEO Rich Altice, for whom this was the very first Innovation Takes Root event. With plastics “today in the news as never before”, he made the point that consumers today not only expected change but were demanding it. And brands are responding. NatureWorks, he said, can provide the tools and support needed to facilitate this change.
As this conference showed, the insights, the expertise and the technological knowhow is available. “It takes time to get it right,” said Altice. “But we’ve come a long way since 1989, when it all started, and we will continue to develop the sustainable solutions the world needs.”