BASF and Lactips have announced that both companies have signed an exclusive contract to market Lactips’ water-soluble, 100% biobased and fully biodegradable material prepared from natural ingredients.
Lactips offers what the company describes as the first water-soluble, fully biodegradable plastic-free plastic. Created in 2014 by MarieHélène Gramatikoff, plastics and business strategy specialist, and Frédéric Prochazka, PhD, researcher at Saint-Etienne University, LACTIPS designs, develops and markets a groundbreaking water-soluble, biodegradable plastic-free plastic material based on milk protein. Completely industrially applicable on all plastic processes, the LACTIPS pellet is currently being rolled out on the market for fully biosourced unit packaging for detergent products. This new material is also food contact and edible and aligned with a sustainable development for the food processing sector. LACTIPS plans to set up a 2,500 sq.m plant in its region in middle term to rise up its capacity to 3,000 tons a year and beyond.
BASF and Lactips will bring in their respective expertise to offer this innovative technology to the home care as well as industrial and institutional (I&I) market. While Lactips focuses on the development of the film material technology based on technical casein obtained from excess of milk protein production, BASF will bring in its expertise in network and supply chain to market the product. The solution of Lactips aims on the replacement of polyvinyl alcohol films in home care and I&I applications, such as dishwasher tabs.
“Sustainability plays a major role in all of BASF’s business processes,” states Robert Parker, Director, New Business Development at Care Chemicals, BASF. “Lactips’ solution for films for dishwasher tabs supplements our existing portfolio of sustainable offerings. It allows us to provide our customers with a broad portfolio of bio-degradable products for the home care industry.”
“Lactips is proud to have its technology marketed by a leading global partner with a strong network,” said Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, CEO Lactips. “We will benefit from BASF’s experience and latest developments in the home care industry.”
