Green Dot introduces designers to market’s first compostable thermoplastic elastomeric bioplastic at A Better World by Design Conference PDF
Green Dot, a new bioscience social enterprise, is a proud sponsor of the A Better World by Design Conference, helping young designers create sustainable products with the market’s first compostable elastomeric bioplastic. Green Dot is placing this pioneering material in the hands of millions, with innovative products that allow consumers to contribute to a more sustainable world.
Scientists create new materials. Designers introduce these materials to the world. That’s why Green Dot, a new bioscience social enterprise headquartered in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, is a sponsor at this year’s A Better World by Design Conference to be held at Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design in Providence Rhode Island, September 28-30. Students will have the opportunity to touch and feel the market’s first compostable bioplastic elastomer and discuss product design ideas with the company’s CEO, Mark Remmert, Industrial Product Designer, Evan Cloar and Sales Representative, Sarah Harbaugh.
Green Dot is a new type of plastics company. The plastic manufacturing experts at Green Dot work with designers and OEMs to provide cost-effective manufacturing solutions that are good for business and the environment. Green Dot’s in-house industrial designer assists companies with innovative ideas for stylish sustainable products that can be returned to the earth after their useful life has ended. This passion for sustainability extends beyond materials and products to a commitment to manufacturing in the United States.
“Our company is science-based, style-driven and socially conscious,” explained CEO, Mark Remmert. “New materials are a catalyst for sustainable innovation. That’s why we’re proud to be a sponsor of A Better World by Design.”
Green Dot’s pioneering new bioplastic offers cradle-to-cradle integrity with no compromise in quality. It’s a rubber-like material that’s strong, pliable and durable. It’s made from renewable plant-based ingredients and has been verified to meet both U.S. (ASTM D6400) and European (EN 13432) standards for compostability. The unique chemistry of the material offers a lower carbon footprint and reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional petroleum-based elastomers. GDH-B1 has also been tested and verified by NSF International to meet child product safety standards in the U.S Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
What can be made with a material that is not just greener, but offers unmatched physical attributes? The bioplastic material is ideal for durable goods from toys and pets to household goods, messenger bags and electronic cases. The combination of strength and compostability are well suited to industrial applications in agriculture and manufacturing. The characteristics of the bioplastic provide excellent performance in fabrication and can be used with existing manufacturing equipment in the majority of plastic processing applications including, injection molding, profile extrusion, blow molding, blown film and lamination.
Green Dot’s initial product success is the market’s first compostable soft plastic phone case. The BioCase™ is designed by Green Dot and manufactured in the U.S.A. The case is distributed by Nite Ize and sold in top tier retail stores. Product reviewers and consumers have lauded the BioCase™ for its soft touch and precise fit. Best of all, when it’s useful life has ended, the case can be placed in a backyard composting environment where it will gently biodegrade in a matter of months. The company has shipped nearly 100,000 units since its introduction in December 2011.
Green Dot is also supplying resin to Fort Collins, Colorado toymaker BeginAgain Toys. BeginAgain is introducing Green Dot’s compostable, toxin-free bioplastic to parents and children with two products featuring GDH-B1, ‘Scented Scoops,’ an imaginative ice cream playset and the Green Ring teether. BeginAgain’s Chris Clemmer described GDH-B1 as “the most innovative eco-material we’ve ever had our hands on.”
Green Dot Holdings LLC was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. The company serves both the plastics industry and style-conscious consumers with compostable bio-resins and stylish sustainable products made in the U.S.A. Green Dot aspires to improve the environment in which we live by building a more sustainable world through renewable bio-based resins and promoting their use through invention, creation and research.
