Project Information Sheet

PLA OPTICAL DISC: A green optical storage medium for a greener Europe

Programme area: / Green Business
Coordinator: / Dr. Dirk Fuhrmann
kdg mediatech AG, Austria
E-mail:
Tel: +43-5634 500 372
Partners: / German Bioplastic GmbH, Germany
Website: / www.letsgreenup.at
Benefits : / Biopolymer based optical media products will support the changeover from petroleum based polymers to biopolymers made out of renewable ressources.
Keywords: / Optical media, renewable resources, biopolymers
Sector: / Green Business
Type of solution / Optical media produced out of renewable ressources
Duration: / 1/11/2010 – 30/10/2012
Budget: / € 1 330 490 (EU contribution: 50 %)
Contract number: / ECO/09/256040/SI2.574849

Summary

The main goal of this project is to have a European Green Product with an associated trademark available as the first successful green optical data storage product under market conditions in a 24 month time frame. The current petroleum based industry standard for optical media polycarbonate will be replaced by the environmentally compatible alternative polylactide acid (PLA). This is a biodegradable polymer produced out of EU overproduction sugar beets. Currently available PLA material lacks to fulfil the specification for heat stability. The project partner German Bioplastics GmbH has a pilot plant under development which can produce a much more heat resistant PLA polymer using a new technology. With this new PLA material available, a ready to market optical disc will be produced and then introduced on the market. The project also includes a life cycle assessment study and a biodegradable certification of the product.

Expected and/or achieved results

Expected results of this project are:

(1) A ready to market optical disc made out of the biopolymer polylactid acid (PLA).

(2) An initiation of change of optical disc production from petroleum based polycarbonate to the biopolymer PLA within the next years (20% of own production will be adapted during the project) and the establishment of a market share for green optical storage media

(3) The production and sale of the green product at or near current market prices

(4)  The establishment of a trademark for biopolymer based optical storage media

(5)  A viable, biodegradable alternative to polycarbonate discs would reduce CO2 generation by up to 43% and would also reduce waste processing

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