Green Dot Introduces New Terratek® WC Wood-Plastic Biocomposite Pellets Optimized for Injection Molding and Sheet Extrusion

Green Dot’s Terratek® WC wood-plastic composites now come in a smaller pellet size ideal for injection molding and sheet extrusion. The innovation allows for the use of wood-plastic composites in a wider range of plastics applications from toys to furniture and architecture to housewares.

Better pellets make better parts. Green Dot, a bioscience social enterprise serving plastics manufacturers and style-conscious consumers, is introducing new Terratek® WC wood-plastic biocomposite pellets, ideal for injection molding and sheet extrusion. The smaller more uniform pellet size is optimized to ensure superior processing compared to other wood-plastic composites, allowing designers and OEMs to create more sustainable high-quality parts on existing equipment without extensive mold modifications.

Terratek® WC wood-plastic composites combine fine wood particles with reclaimed, recycled or virgin plastic to create materials with the aesthetics of wood and the processability of plastic. Parts created with the wood-plastic composites have increased stiffness and strength compared to plastic alone. Molded parts have less shrinkage and warpage compared to traditional plastics. Terratek® WC wood-plastic composites can also reduce production costs with lower melt temperatures and shortened cycle times.

Terratek® WC can contain up to 60% wood content. The wood particles are obtained from waste materials generated by lumber manufacturers and processed to produce a consistent reinforcing material. The use of these materials promotes the reclamation of wood waste that would otherwise be sent to landfills and ensures that no new trees are cut down to make the product. The wood-plastic biocomposite pellets can be produced from a variety of wood types, including maple, oak and pine. The mesh size of the wood particles may also be selected to achieve the desired look of the finished part.

Green Dot’s Terratek® WC wood-plastic composites open a wide array of product possibilities allowing designers and OEMs to create beautiful high-quality parts with superior physical properties and a lower environmental footprint.

About Green Dot Holdings LLC – Green Dot is a bioscience social enterprise headquartered in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. The company serves the plastics industry and style-conscious consumers with a full line of biobased and compostable plastics sold under the Terratek® brand name. Green Dot aspires to improve the environment in which we live by building a more sustainable world with renewable biobased resins and promoting their use through invention, creation and research.

The bioplastics handbook for injection molders

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As USDA Biopreferred Program Resumes Certifications, Green Dot Demonstrates Support of the Program with its Terratek SC Starch Composites

Green Dot’s Terratek SC starch composites can replace up to 65% of the nonrenewable feedstocks for everyday plastics. Terratek SC starch composites have been certified as biobased as defined by the USDA’s BioPreferred Program. Products made with Terratek SC may qualify for preferential purchasing by Federal procurement programs.

USDA Certified Biobased Product seal logoGreen Dot, a bioscience social enterprise, manufacturing biobased and compostable plastics, offers USDA certified biobased starch composites. Terratek SC starch composites can reduce the amount of plastic by up to 65%. The biocomposites are free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and use nonfood grade wheat starch combined with recycled, reclaimed or virgin polypropylene to create a more sustainable high-quality plastic that looks and performs like traditional petroleum-based plastics. Terratek SC starch composites can be used for a wide range of products made with plastic.

Green Dot’s Terratek SC50 and SC65 products are certified as biobased materials under the USDA’s BioPreferred Program. Products made with these resins may also qualify under this program and be given preferential treatment in Federal government purchasing contracts.

Terratek SC starch composites can be injection molded or extruded using standard processing machinery. These starch composites generally have lower processing temperatures and reduced cycle times. This translates to reduced energy use and improved process economics for manufacturers. Production of high-quality parts, capable of withstanding temperatures beyond boiling is easily achieved with these materials.

Terratek SC starch composites provide cost-effective solutions to meet the growing demand for eco-friendly biobased goods. Some grades may be used in applications requiring food contact, such as food service ware and utensils. Because these biobased composites can be processed into a variety of shapes and sizes, they make it possible for numerous applications to realize the benefits of a biobased plastic without the limitations that many biopolymers have had in the past.

Additional information about Green Dot’s full line of biobased and compostable plastics is available at www.GreenDotPure.com.

About Green Dot Holdings LLC –  Green Dot Holdings LLC is a bioscience social enterprise headquartered in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. The company serves the plastics industry and style conscious consumers with a full line of biobased and compostable materials sold under the Terratek® brand name. Green Dot aspires to improve the environment in which we live by building a more sustainable world with renewable biobased resins and promoting their use through invention, creation and research. Learn more at http://www.GreenDotPure.com

Green Dot Holdings LLC CEO, Mark Remmert, Joins Industry Thought Leaders to Discuss Holistic Sustainable Design at A Better World by Design Conference

Green Dot CEO, Mark Remmert; Dan Rocconi, president and CEO of Bixby International; and Eric Chan, internationally recognized designer will form a panel to discuss sustainable product design from material selection to manufacturing at A Better World by Design 2013 Conference hosted by Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University on September 27-29, 2013 in Providence, Rhode Island.

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Green Dot Holdings LLC manufacturing high-performance bioplastic resin compounds for MCG BioComposites LLC

Green Dot Holdings LLC is manufacturing high-performance bioplastic resin compounds for MCG BioComposites LLC.  The bioplastic compounds combine corncob and reprocessed or recycled polyethylene or polypropylene to create a strong durable material ideal for outdoor applications.

Green Dot Holdings LLC (Green Dot), a full-service bioplastic company headquartered in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, is manufacturing bioplastic resins made from MCG BioComposites’ proprietary blend of corncob fiber and PCR (post-consumer recycled) or PIR (post-industrial recycled) plastic.  MCG BioComposites sells the material under the Duramaze™ brand.  It is available in several grades with up to 30% renewable material.

MCG’s Duramaze™ biocomposites lower the amount of non-renewable petroleum-based materials used to make plastic, allowing customers to make more sustainable products for a wide range of agricultural, lawn and garden and industrial applications.   Duramaze™ biocomposites also create additional markets for agricultural bioproducts and promote the reclamation and reuse of plastic materials.

MCG BioComposites introduced Duramaze™ by creating the BioMarker™ plant marker for a garden club in Des Moines, Iowa.  In 2012 the BioMarker™ received a Green Thumb Award in the new hard goods category from the Direct Gardening Association.  MCG recently announced the completion of a newly designed Biomarker™ that features a taller stem and a wider angled faceplate for ease of view.

Green Dot produces the Duramaze™ corncob biocomposite material at its manufacturing facility in Onaga, Kansas.   The plant is uniquely equipped to combine biobased materials to create high-quality bioplastic resin pellets that can be easily processed by plastics manufacturers.  Green Dot also manufactures its own line of biobased and compostable bioplastic resin pellets at the Onaga plant.  The materials include starch biocomposites, wood-plastic composites and compostable elastomers sold under the Terratek® brand name.

About Green Dot

Green Dot Holdings LLC is a bioscience social enterprise headquartered in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. The company serves the plastics industry and style-conscious consumers with a full line of biobased and compostable materials. Green Dot aspires to improve the environment in which we live by building a more sustainable world with renewable biobased resins and promoting their use through invention, creation and research. Learn more at http://www.GreenDotPure.com

About MCGBioComposites LLC

MCG BioComposites, LLC, provides innovative biocomposite solutions for a wide range of agricultural, lawn and garden and industrial applications.  Its expertise in blending biomass and plastics for various molding applications results in quality formulations tailored to your specifications.  MCG BioComposites certifies the moisture level of bioresin compounds.  By incorporating these materials in your products, you conserve resources and promote sustainable operations while meeting government compliance and USDA certification requirements.

Green Dot Terratek® bioplastic to be featured by Material ConneXion at Luxe Pack and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair

Material ConneXion will feature Green Dot’s full line of Terratek® biobased and compostable bioplastics at Luxe Pack (May 15-16) and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (May 18-21).  Both shows will be held in New York, NY.

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Green Dot Holdings LLC Acquires MGP’s Bioplastic Division

Green Dot has acquired the bioplastics division of MGP. Green Dot will become a full service bioplastics company offering a complete line of bio-based and compostable materials customized to customer needs.

Green Dot has acquired the bioplastics division of Atchison, Kansas-based MGP Ingredients, Inc. (Nasdaq/MGPI). The acquisition includes a manufacturing facility in Onaga, Kansas and certain assets at the company’s research and development facility in Atchison. Also, included are three lines of bioplastic materials currently sold by MGP under the Terratek® brand-name. The addition of these lines will allow Green Dot to meet a wide range of consumer needs with both bio-based and compostable bioplastic materials.

Green Dot now offers a complete line of materials using renewable natural ingredients suitable for a wide range of applications. The Terratek® line includes wood-based bioplastics, starch composites and biodegradable starch-based resins. These materials will be sold alongside Green Dot’s pioneering compostable elastomeric bioplastic.

In addition to these lines, Green Dot can develop customized client formulations using starch, wood and other biomass materials. The company’s extensive knowledge of polymer grades and additives can provide resins with a wide range of properties. The state-of-the-art compounding lab can quickly develop and test formulas for specific applications. Green Dot’s high quality and efficient operations can reduce the time spent in formula development

“This agreement presents wonderful opportunities for all parties involved,” said MGP President and CEO Tim Newkirk. “MGP is selling this business to a company firmly established in the plastics industry. With their experience, market knowledge and capabilities, Green Dot is well-positioned for success in the arena of eco-friendly product solutions. For MGP, this transaction aligns with our focus on supporting growth in our core business areas – food ingredients and alcohol products.”

“This acquisition will enable Green Dot to better serve our customers with a broad range of materials, along with the expertise and facilities to quickly develop new formulations tailored to their unique specifications,” stated company CEO Mark Remmert. “The synergy of the two companies’ assets will be leveraged to capitalize on the rapid growth predicted in the U.S. bioplastics market.”

Green Dot elastomer finalist for International Bioplastics Award

The Germany-based Bioplastics Magazine nominated our compostable thermoplastic elastomer as a finalist for their annual bioplastics award in 2012.

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Green Dot offers toy companies a safer more sustainable alternative to petroleum based soft plastic PDF

Cottonwood Falls, Kansas: Green Dot is introducing the market’s first rubber-like compostable plastic to the toy industry at the ABC Kids Expo to be held in Louisville Kentucky on October 14-17, 2012.

Scented Scoops ice cream toyToy industry leaders are seeking safer, more sustainable materials for their products. Responding to growing concerns from parents, these companies are seeking alternatives to the petroleum-based soft plastic used in everything from baby dolls to bath toys.

Green Dot’s new compostable plastic is ideal for safe sustainable soft plastic toys. It’s made from non-toxic plant-based material, free from phthalates, bisphenol A, lead and cadmium. The bioplastic has been tested and verified by NSF International to meet child product safety standards in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

The material is durable, strong and pliable, perfect for toys that are made to last. However, when their useful life is over, toys made with Green Dot’s bioplastic can be returned to nature. Green Dot’s bioplastic has been independently tested and verified to meet composting standards in the U.S. (ASTM D6400) and E.U. (EN 13432). The material may also be disposed of in a home composting environment where it will gently biodegrade in a matter of months to return to plant nourishing soil.

The characteristics of the bioplastic provide excellent performance in fabrication. It has a lower melt temperature compared to petroleum-based elastomers, reducing energy cost and shortening cycle times. It has superior compatibility with other thermoplastic elastomers and better printability. The plant-based material is superior for scenting as well.

BeginAgain Toys from Fort Collins Colorado has developed an imaginative ice cream playset using Green Dot’s new compostable elastomeric bioplastic. ‘Scented Scoops’ is an ice cream party playset that smells good enough to eat. Each beechwood cone can be topped with one or more of the six, deliciously scented two-inch ‘scoops’ made from Green Dot’s bioplastic (two vanilla, two chocolate and two strawberry). “This corn starch bio-resin is the most innovative eco-material we’ve ever had our hands on – it’s the new rubber,” says Chris Clemmer, president of BeginAgain. “It’s safe, soft and can be molded like rubber. It’s even dishwasher safe, yet transforms into compost at the end of its useful life. We also love that Green Dot’s bio-resins are made in the U.S.A.”

Green Dot serves both the plastics industry and style-conscious consumers who want to protect the Earth, not pollute it with enduring waste. The company creates compostable bio-resin 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 so everyone can contribute to a more sustainable world.

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.

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Green Dot Selected Among Top 25 Social Entrepreneurs of 2012 by Bloomberg Businessweek

Green Dot has been selected by Bloomberg Businessweek as one of America’s Top 25 Social Entrepreneurs of 2012. The company was selected as a finalist from among a field of over 300 applicants. Bloomberg’s criteria for the selections were: scope, impact, and economic sustainability.

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