Business to buy post-consumer PLA

BIOCOR LLC announced its launch as a new venture in the business of buying, aggregating and processing post-consumer Polylactic acid (PLA), the 100 percent plant based bioplastic, seeing broad and growing interest in a variety of plastics markets. BIOCOR will capitalize on the ease with which PLA can be converted back to its original lactic acid feedstock for subsequent use in a variety of existing end markets

Executive director Mike Centers explained that BIOCOR will pay recyclers an economically attractive price for PLA in any packaging format and work with recyclers to achieve efficient separation of post-consumer PLA from other plastics. BIOCOR provides recyclers with a market for any post-consumer PLA they process. BIOCOR will also collaborate on PLA recycling pilot projects and work with federal, state, and municipal entities, non-governmental organizations, consumer groups, and recycling organizations.

Unlike most petroleum-based plastics today, bioplastics such as PLA offer multiple end-of-life scenarios. For example, PLA offers a true “cradle-to-cradle” end-of-life option whereby PLA can be completely converted back into its fundamental building block, lactic acid, and then reformulated into a biopolymer. PLA can also be commercially composted and used for soil enrichment. BIOCORE’s primary focus is on supplying recycled PLA to those interested in lactic acid uses.

Located in Concord, California, BIOCOR is currently hiring staff and scaling up its infrastructure to address the North American market.