Danimer Scientific and Columbia Packaging Group Partner to Create Home Compostable Produce Bags

BAINBRIDGE, Ga., Jan. 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Danimer Scientific, a leading developer and manufacturer of biodegradable materials, and Columbia Packaging Group (CPG), a manufacturer of custom plastic bags and flexible packaging, today announced a new partnership to create compostable bags, film and roll-stock for the flexible packaging market. Danimer Scientific will supply a home compostable film resin that CPG will convert into made-to-order bags for packaging needs spanning the produce, agriculture, bakery and medical industries.

The film resin will contain Danimer Scientific's proprietary biopolymer, Nodax™ polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). This renewable material was verified by University of Georgia (UGA) researchers and the UGA New Materials Institute as a truly biodegradable alternative to petrochemical plastics in 2018. The materials will enable Columbia Packaging Group to manufacture produce bags that will reliably biodegrade in home compost units and industrial composting facilities.

"CPG will be among the first companies to receive resins made with PHA from our newly opened manufacturing plant in Kentucky," said Stephen Croskrey, CEO of Danimer Scientific. "Our new plant is the world's first commercial production facility for PHA, and we could not ask for a better partner to integrate this biodegradable material into produce bags. Demand for plastic alternatives that have a minimal impact on the environment is continuing to rise, and PHA is a sustainable material that consumers can rely on to transport their favorite fruits and vegetables."

The new produce bags are an expansion of CPG's suite of sustainable packaging options, which includes Lindamar Industries' Compostable Bags, a line of compostable bags made of 100-percent renewable starch and biodegradable polymers. The company is ISO 9001-2018 compliant and certified by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI). 

"Danimer Scientific is a true innovator in this market and CPG is fortunate to be in partnership with such an industry-leading company," said William F. Preston, President & CEO of CPG. "The CPG-Danimer partnership is a critical component of CPG's product strategy and sustainability initiatives, driven to create a cleaner and more environmentally responsible packaging industry. We sought out to engage with a company that wanted to lead eco-initiatives from the front line – and a partner that offered the best product in the market in terms of quality and ecological life story. We found that in Danimer."

Danimer Scientific's Nodax™ PHA possesses seven TUV AUSTRIA certifications and statements of industrial and home compostability, is biodegradable in anaerobic soil, freshwater and marine environments and is 100% bio based. All of Danimer Scientific's biopolymers, including its Nodax™ PHA, are FDA approved for food contact.

For more information on Danimer Scientific, visit www.DanimerScientific.com.

For more information on Columbia Packaging Group, visit www.ColumbiaPKG.com.

About Danimer Scientific

Danimer Scientific is a pioneer in creating more sustainable, more natural ways to make plastic products. For more than a decade, our renewable and sustainable biopolymers have helped create plastic products that are biodegradable and compostable. They return to nature instead of polluting our lands and waters. Our technology can be found in a vast array of plastic end products that people use every day. Applications for our biopolymers include additives, aqueous coatings, fibers, filaments, films, hot-melt adhesives and injection-molded articles, among others. We now hold 125 patents in nearly 20 countries for a range of manufacturing processes and biopolymer formulations. For more information, visit www.DanimerScientific.com.

About Columbia Packaging Group

Columbia Packaging Group (CPG) is an extruder, printer, and converter of biopolymer and polyethylene bags, films, and roll stock. CPG has locations in Missouri, California, and Ohio, and offers  its customers customized products and programs, high levels of customer service, and production flexibility. CPG will continue its eco-initiatives in the spirit of creating a better and cleaner packaging environment. For more information, visit www.ColumbiaPKG.com.

SOURCE Danimer Scientific