Bio-based and recycled plastics lessen the ecological footprint of mobile phones
Demand for environment friendly materials has been increasing continuously in recent years. The need to reduce CO2 emissions has been a challenge also in the use of plastics. A few plastics based on bio and recycled materials are currently available for mass production, and more are on the way.
LITEONMOBILE has strong roots in plastics, so the company plays an active role in the development of new plastic materials.
– We have been researching and testing bio-based and recycled materials for several years now. The search for new materials for mass production is continuous, and at the moment we can offer a couple of raw materials for the purpose. Our close relations to suppliers guarantee us a unique opportunity to affect the product development of new materials, says Kimmo Turunen , Senior Manager, Plastics Innovations of LITEONMOBILE.
The most common raw material for bio-based plastics is the castor oil plant’s seed oil. The castor plant grows in tropical regions. It is not used as food or animal feed, so its cultivation does not compete with food crops. The plant is also grown in different areas from food crops, and can often be found on wasteland.
The raw material for recycled plastics is mainly water bottles. The recycled material content of plastic has risen with product development, but virgin material is still needed. Typically, the amount of recycled material that can be used without compromising the plastic’s good mechanical properties varies from 25% to 80% with existing technology.
– The challenge is to get a constant supply of recycled materials in large enough quantities for production. Recycled material can’t be just any plastics. For example, plastics with paints can create challenges for this kind of use, explains Kimmo Turunen.
According to extensive tests made by LOM, the processing qualities are equal to traditional raw materials. With bio-based plastics there is no difference in the colour range and the limitations with recycled materials are minor, depending on the original colour and amount of recycled material.
Additional information from Kimmo Turunen , Senior Manager, Plastics Innovations, email kimmo.turunen(at)liteonmobile.com