Dépêches

Green Cups Emphasize the Environment in the Skies over Japan and Asia

Dépèche transmise le 1 octobre 2009 par Business Wire

Green Cups Emphasize the Environment in the Skies over Japan and Asia

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--High technology lies behind a seemingly simple innovation led by All Nippon Airways (ANA), which aims to be the number one airline group in Asia and also to be a leader of environmental action in the aviation industry. ANA’s passengers will now enjoy their drinks in an Ingeo™ natural plastic cup. The cup was planned and developed jointly by NatureWorks and ANA for ANA’s fourth environmental flights campaign, “e-flight”, which starts October 1, 2009.

The drinking cups consist of NatureWorks’ Ingeo^™ biopolymer, made from plants, not oil. Not only is Ingeo^™ made from annually renewable resources, but its manufacturing process requires far less energy and emits significantly less CO2 compared to plastics made from oil*.

ANA held its first “e-flight” campaign in 2006. Under the catchphrase “Think about the earth and human beings”, the fourth “e-flight” promotes these public awareness initiatives that feature eco-friendly services and products like the Ingeo™ cup in addition to other steps, which include wine in PET bottles and an optional passenger carbon offset program. The programs will enable ANA to realize its environmental goals both on the ground and in flight.

Plans call for the Ingeo™ natural plastic cup to be used on all the domestic flights in Japan and for coach class passengers on the Narita-Singapore route as a part of “e-flight” programs.

ANA group is an innovator in environmental action. The company has set targets to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2011 with its domestic flights in Japan, and has been saving fuel during the flights to achieve this corporate goal. In addition, ANA is deeply involved in a number of forest and marine environment restoration projects. As a result of these activities, ANA was the first company in the aviation industry to be certified as an “Eco-First Company” by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment.

“The new ANA Ingeo™ plastic drinking cups will give airline passengers the opportunity to hold a product symbolic of greater sustainability through innovative thinking and technology,” said Marc Verbruggen, president and CEO, NatureWorks LLC. “We are proud to have Ingeo™ playing a role in the ANA e-flight program.”

BP Consulting (Japan, President: Takeyuki Yamamatsu, Phone: +81-3-6423-2712), an unwavering advocate for sustainability and sustainable products, also worked closely with both ANA and NatureWorks to develop, produce, and implement the Ingeo™ plastic cups concept.

* The process to manufacture Ingeo™ biopolymer for ANA’s cups in Japan emits over 90 percent less CO2 and requires about 60 percent less non-renewable energy compared to PET, a commonly used plastic in the packaging and food service industries.

About ANA’s “e-flight”

Note: Ingeo™ natural plastic cup will be in service with all the domestic flights in Japan, not only limited to the flights listed above A), as well as Narita-Singapore / Singapore-Narita flights

About NatureWorks

NatureWorks LLC is a company dedicated to meeting the world’s needs today without compromising the earth’s ability to meet the needs of tomorrow. NatureWorks LLC is the first company to offer a family of commercially available low carbon footprint Ingeo™ biopolymers derived from 100 percent annually renewable resources with performance and economics that compete with oil-based plastics and fibers. www.natureworksllc.com

Ingeo and the Ingeo logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NatureWorks LLC in the USA and other countries.