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Soy and Plant Protein-based Bio-plastics
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SOY WORKS CORPORATION
Business innovation is the hallmark of Illinois-based Soy Works Corporation and its president, Roy D. Taylor. With over 20 years experience in product/marketing management, sales, manufacturing and development, Taylor has turned his savvy to marketing a revolutionary soy-based plastic, SoyPlus®, that has wide ranging possibilities for thousands of businesses and millions of consumers.
Derived from soybeans and other plants, the new plastic can be as durable and functional as traditional plastic; after processing soy protein and other plant extracts with other ingredients, the resulting resins can be molded into a variety of products. Yet, the bio-based nature of the plastic means it is environmentally friendly, and can be economically and safely disposed of.
MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR CUSTOMERS ECONOMICALLY
Soy Works holds exclusive commercial rights to patents for soy and other plant protein-based plastics. Licensee customers will produce items with bio-based materials to fill many important niches in the marketplace. Soy Works customers have compelling strategic and economic reasons to replace non-degradable conventional plastic products with biodegradable and compostable plastics made from SoyPlus® resins.
Despite its innovative nature, soy-based plastic products can be manufactured using standard types of equipment common to the plastics industry. This means modest capital investment is required for customers to bring the technology in-house. Start-up costs for manufacturers are also reasonable. Unlike synthetic degradable products, SoyPlus® resins come from renewable resources, are more eco-friendly than petroleum-based plastics, and problematic waste disposal is eliminated.
VARIETY OF USES
The unique features of SoyPlus® plastics offer immediate marketing advantages for licensee customers; easy disposability and environmental advantages make SoyPlus® products ideal for consumers.
Total annual production and consumption of conventional plastics in the U.S. alone is over 100 billion pounds annually, perhaps as high as 250 billion pounds. SoyPlus® could eventually account for over to 5% of the plastics business. A few of the many potential products include:
· Home and garden supplies (seedling trays, planter pots, landscape stakes)
· Temporary signage (ID cards, tags and labels, highway reflector plates)
· Food service items (cutlery, trays, and similar products for institutional settings, cruise ships, resorts, and the armed forces)
· Industrial packaging (stretch wraps, nesting trays)
· Mulching/agricultural products
· Toys/novelties (golf tees, animal chew toys)
· Building materials
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Environmentalists believe that the recycling and disposal of plastic waste is one of the greatest challenges facing industrialized countries. Most plastic products are made from non-renewable sources, are hard to dispose of and have toxic by-products when incinerated. Only a small fraction of plastic is actually recycled.
SoyPlus® plastics can have a tremendous favorable impact on the environment. Whereas traditional plastics made from petroleum can take more than 100 years to degrade, SoyPlus® plastics can break down in composting in a few weeks or even a few days. SoyPlus® is from a renewable resource, and when it degrades in the soil it returns certain nutrients back to the earth.
The environmental benefits of making and using soy-based plastics include:
· Derivation from a renewable source
· Reduced generation of solid waste
· Lower energy consumption of manufacturing process
· Aerobic and anaerobic biodegradability/compostability simplifies disposal
· Animal edible formulas possible
· Degradation by-products non-toxic
· Safely biodegrades in sea and fresh water; harmless to marine life
· When NOT disposed of properly, SoyPlus® plastic litter simply disappears
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Original research into soy-derived plastics began over 10 years ago at Iowa State University under the direction of Dr. Jay-Lin Jane. Professor Jane and her team focused on developing a plastic that could be processed using traditional equipment, thus making the new plastic cost-effective.
The process for making the innovative plant protein plastic includes mixing extracts with water and a proprietary blend of other ingredients. The resulting resin is then processed into molded products.
Soy Works Corporation continues its research of soy-derived plastics and has a wide variety of new products in development. Early commercialization efforts were supported in part by grants from the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board, with contributions from the Nebraska Soybean Board.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Roy D. Taylor, president and chief executive officer, has worked in the agricultural and chemical industries for over 20 years. For the last eight years, Mr. Taylor has worked as an industry consultant with emphasis on new business development. While surveying investment opportunities in plastics, he uncovered the Iowa State University technology and established Soy Works to develop this significant advance in the field of biodegradable plastics. Mr. Taylor holds a BA in Russian Studies and an MBA in marketing from Columbia Graduate School of Business.
CONTACT US
For more information about Soy Works Corporation, licensee agreements, and other products in development, please contact Roy Taylor at (630) 853-4327, or E-mail soyworks@msn.com.
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