Kaneka Americas Holding, Inc. announces the creation of a new Biopolymers Division headquartered in Houston, Texas to start selling plant-based degradable plastic compounds in the United States.

by Christiane Waldron | Apr 23, 2019

Kaneka Americas Holding, Inc. is proud to announce the creation of the new Biopolymers division based in Houston. Kaneka’s PHBH is a plant-based product that offers both flexibility and heat resistance. It is produced via a novel bio-fermentation process which uses renewable plant oils as feedstock. Our products are not only bio-based and bio-compostable in aerobic, anaerobic or marine environments, they are also strongly resistant to heat and can act as a barrier to water vapor.

Our grades are stable under everyday usage conditions. Given the right conditions, under either anaerobic, aerobic or marine conditions in the natural environment, the products will begin to biodegrade. 

PHBH has been granted Food Contact Approval by the FDA and is suitable for all food packaging products. PHBH can be formed into many products such as cups, cutlery, food trays, plates, etc.

Kaneka has been producing PHBH since 2011 and is currently expanding its facilities in Takasago, Japan. Kaneka hopes to find an alternative solution to the current single-use plastic products as the company recognizes the need to bring to market a plant-based product that will help reduce the Ocean and Landfill pollution. Currently, it is estimated that about 8 Million tons of plastic end up in the Ocean every year which has created a massive environmental issue in the world’s Oceans* 

For further information about Kaneka’s PHBH, please contact

Christiane Waldron
Director of Business Development
Kaneka Americas Holding, Inc.
Biopolymers Division
[email protected]

Reference Source
*https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/02/150212-ocean-debris-plastic-garbage-patches-science/