CJ BIO signs MOU with global hotel chain Accor to develop hotel amenities using PHA, an eco-friendly biodegradable material

• CJ BIO will develop solutions to replace single-use plastic amenities with products made with biodegradable PHA for Accor-affiliated hotels in Korea. The two companies will review future expansion to global chains
  

WOBURN, Mass., Aug. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CJ BIO, a division of South Korea-based CJ CheilJedang, announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the global hotel chain Accor to begin developing hotel amenities that are made with polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), an eco-friendly biodegradable material. Through this agreement, the two companies will work together to replace single-use plastic amenities that are provided to all Accor hotel guests, which will help the hotel chain to deliver on its commitment to phase out all single-use plastic items in guest experience from its hotels by the end of 2022.

Established in France in 1967, Accor operates more than 5,000 hotels in 110 countries around the world. Their catalog of brands includes Fairmont, Pullman, Novotel, the Delano, Swissotel, and other luxury hotel chains. Through the initial agreement, Accor and CJ BIO will replace plastic products used at Accor's hotel chains in Korea, including cups, plastic bags, combs, stationery, and various amenity containers with PHA-based products. The two organizations will then expand the agreement to hotels in the Asia-Pacific region, and if positive results are obtained, the intent is to expand the use of PHA globally.

In addition to eliminating all single-use plastic items in guest experience from its hotels by the end of 2022, Accor has committed to stop using all other industrial biodegradable materials that only decompose under certain conditions. The chain also added specific guidelines to encourage the use of materials that are biodegradable at home, in the soil or at sea, or that are recycled or derived from paper or wood. CJ BIO is a pioneer in the development of PHA, and is the world's first and only producer of amorphous PHA, which is TUV OK Certified for industrial and home compost, soil biodegradable, and marine biodegradable. It is considered 'home compostable,' meaning that it does not require specialized equipment or elevated temperatures to fully degrade.

"We are committed to a sustainable future, and we actively investigate and implement solutions that help to address the environmental challenges that we all face. We believe PHA is the right solution to help us achieve our goal," says Vincent Lelay, Vice President Operations AccorHotels Korea.

According to Seung Jin Lee, Head of the Biomaterials business for CJ BIO: "We are pleased to enter into this collaboration, which is mutually beneficial for Accor and CJ BIO. This will serve as an opportunity for CJ BIO to demonstrate that eco-friendly biodegradable materials, like our PHA, can replace the petroleum-based plastics that are deeply present in our lives, and offer the same level of performance. For Accor, this relationship will allow them to provide sustainable services to their customers and to meet their environmental commitments. We look forward to our continued collaboration."

CJ BIO has started producing amorphous PHA at its manufacturing facility in Pasuruan, Indonesia, and plans to increase production to meet expected demand. Branded as PHACT^® Marine Biodegradable Polymers, CJ BIO's amorphous PHA is a softer, more rubbery version of PHA that offers fundamentally different performance characteristics than the crystalline or semi-crystalline forms that currently dominate the PHA market. The first product of this new line is PHACT A1000P, which is now being used as a modifier to other compostable polymers and biopolymers to improve functional and processing characteristics, and for enabling these products to achieve faster rates of biodegradation or composting.

For more information, visit: https://www.cjbio.net/en/products/cjPha.do.

CJ BIO is a division of CJ CheilJedang, a core subsidiary in charge of the food and bioengineering business unit of South Korea-based CJ Group. CJ Group has developed its business portfolio into four core sectors: Food & Food Service, Bio & Pharma, Entertainment & Media, and Retail & Logistics.

CJ BIO is the world's leading supplier of fermentation-based bio-products for animal nutrition, human nutrition, and biomaterials at its thirteen manufacturing facilities worldwide. As a socially responsible company, CJ BIO strives toward practicing carbon-neutral manufacturing operations by utilizing renewable raw materials and developing value-added co-products to minimize environmental waste.

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SOURCE CJ BIO