Category: Press releases

Lactips, a French company specialising in the production of natural polymers that are 100% biobased, water-soluble and biodegradable in various environments, and Walki, a leading Finnish packaging converting company, announce that they have entered into a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with the aim of creating fully biodegradable, plastics-free food packaging using natural polymers recyclable in the paper stream.

A partnership creating sustainable value for the packaging industry

The EU has taken the lead in addressing the growing plastic waste problem with the Single-Use Plastics (SUP) directive, pushing customers in the food packaging industry to find ways to replace traditional fossil-based plastics with biodegradable alternatives. This directive targets single-use plastics that are typically used once and then discarded such as yoghurt cups, single-use contents and snack pouches.

In this context, the packaging industry is innovating and partnering to support its sector in this transition. Lactips and Walki share this commitment to innovation for sustainable, environmentally friendly growth, and have decided to join forces through a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to develop a paper-based food packaging material with a natural polymer coating.

« We are proud to collaborate with Walki to create innovative, fully recyclable solutions in paper stream for the food packaging industry. This partnership combines our expertise in formulation and development of natural polymers with Walki’s state-of-the-art production capabilities, marking an important step towards reducing plastic waste and advancing circularity in packaging solutions. We are delighted to work with a partner who shares our values of sustainability and environmental responsibility, strengthening our shared commitment to a cleaner, plastic-free future. » – Bertrand Dupeyroux, VP Sales & Marketing at Lactips.

« This partnership is a win-win. We appreciate the speed and innovation that Lactips as a startup comes with and are happy to provide our expertise and state-of-the-art production lines for piloting the solutions », – Annika Sundell, Executive Vice President, Consumer Packaging and Innovation & Sustainability at Walki Group.

A successful partnership initiated in 2022

Since 2022, Lactips and Walki have been working together to develop a grade adapted to Walki’s transformation process in order to address the European and Asian flexible and solid packaging markets with a natural, recyclable in the paper stream and/or home compostable solution.

As part of this new agreement, Lactips will provide Walki with new, unique formulations of natural polymer, while Walki will ensure meeting market requirements in terms of properties and processability of the final packaging products. At the end of this final phase, the new products could be brought to market as early as 2025-2026.

“Since 2022, the date of our first tests, we have been working together with Walki’s teams to develop a high-performance solution from both a technical and economic point of view. Over the last two years, tests have been stepped up to make the solution processable on Walki’s processing line. This new stage in our collaboration is the culmination of an ambitious collaborative project that we at Lactips are particularly proud of” – Benoît Berny, Product Innovation Manager at Lactips.

“When you process milk, you end up with casein as a side stream. Lactips has developed this casein into a bio-based natural polymer that is 100% biodegradable. Finding the optimal material that protects the food from being spoilt while still being fully biodegradable is challenging. Casein ticks all the boxes when it comes the SUP regulation” – Mats Käldström, Manager, Development & Innovation at Walki Group.

About Lactips

Lactips is a leader in the world of natural polymers that develops, produces and sells plastic-free, 100% biobased plastic that is water-soluble and completely biodegradable in all environments. The unique properties of Lactips products make them an ideal response to environmental challenges in the packaging and labelling markets, as well as for all products related to agriculture and outdoor sports.

The company was founded in 2014 on the basis of research work carried out by Frédéric Prochazka, PhD, a research professor at Université de Saint-Etienne (UMR CNRS 5223). Lactips made a major transition to an industrial company in 2022 by opening its first production unit and welcoming Alexis von Tschammer as CEO and Bertrand Dupeyroux as Director of Sales & Marketing. Lactips now has 45 employees.

About Walki Group

Walki transforms materials for a circular future and towards a sustainable society by extending products life cycle and embracing resource efficiency. We are an industry leading advanced materials conversion specialist delivering transformative, sustainable solutions to solve the most demanding challenges in packaging and the built environment. Walki is a growing international group organized in three business areas: Consumer Packaging, Packaging Materials and Engineered Materials, with operations in eleven different countries, both in Europe and Asia. In 2023, the Group’s annual turnover was approx. 627 million euros employing around 1700 people.

Lactips, the French company specialized in the production of 100% biosourced, water-soluble, and biodegradable polymer, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a prize by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

WIPO, a global forum for policy, services, information, and cooperation in the field of intellectual property, annually organizes an awards ceremony honoring small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that cleverly use intellectual property rights to achieve their business objectives while leveraging their innovation and creativity for the benefit of society.

“We are thrilled to receive this award, which once again demonstrates the unique and disruptive nature of Lactips, its solutions, and its applications.”

Alexis von Tschammer, CEO

In the Environmental category, Lactips is one of the 7 awardees companies selected from 548 submissions amongst 58 different countries. Lactips is the only French company to receive this recognition.

According to WIPO :

« Lactips leverages its IP portfolio that includes seven patent families with European and worldwide extensions, to market its innovative natural protein-based polymers. Their plastic-free plastic technology is 100% bio-based, fully biodegradable, and water-soluble without leaving micro particles. With product patent filings and application patents in strategic areas, Lactips protects its formulations and demonstrates the pioneering nature of its materials and targeted applications. The IP strategy ensures avoidance of potential blocking by major marketers and world-class chemists, while trademarks further contribute to a coherent IP strategy. »

Lactips is assisted in intellectual property matters by the law firm Plasseraud IP, Lyon office. (Contact: Raphaël Fleurance).

About Lactips

Lactips is a leader in the world of natural polymers that develops, produces and sells plastic-free, 100% biobased plastic that is water-soluble and completely biodegradable in all environments. The unique properties of Lactips products make them an ideal response to environmental challenges in the packaging and labelling markets, as well as for all products related to agriculture and outdoor sports.

The company was founded in 2014 on the basis of research work carried out by Frédéric Prochazka, PhD, a research professor at Université de Saint-Etienne (UMR CNRS 5223). Lactips made a major transition to an industrial company in 2022 by opening its first production unit and welcoming Alexis von Tschammer as CEO and Bertrand Dupeyroux as Director of Sales & Marketing. Lactips now has 50 employees and a highly experienced management team.

Lactips – a French company specialised in producing 100% biobased natural polymers that are water-soluble and biodegradable in various environments – is pleased to announce the appointment of Pauline Defay, QSE Manager, to its Executive Committee.

Pauline Defay, who oversees Quality, Safety and Environment (QSE), has joined the Lactips Executive Committee, which now comprises seven people. The industrial SME wants to put quality, safety and the environment at the centre of its strategy during its growth phase.

“At Lactips, environmental issues are one of our foundations. We attach great importance to the quality and safety of our processes, technologies and products for all our stakeholders. Pauline’s arrival on the Executive Committee signals our desire to focus on these three vectors of sustainable performance, as a true guarantee of trust and reliability.” – Alexis von Tschammer, CEO

Pauline Defay has a degree in agronomy from AgroParisTech and put her multidisciplinary scientific vision to work at Eurofins as head of industrial and quality projects for seven years before taking up the position of Quality Manager at Tigex. This quest for quality is Pauline’s philosophy: she believes that QSE (Quality, Safety, Environment) management systems are key for companies’ long-term viability and competitiveness. As a result, Pauline joined Lactips in 2018, where she works to integrate and coordinate everyone’s needs for shared success, firstly by guaranteeing product quality, but also more broadly by instilling a cross-functional vision and facilitating the company’s operations and workflows.

About Lactips

Lactips is a leader in the world of natural polymers that develops, produces and sells plastic-free, 100% biobased plastic that is water-soluble and completely biodegradable in all environments. The unique properties of Lactips products make them an ideal response to environmental challenges in the packaging and labelling markets, as well as for all products related to agriculture and outdoor sports.

The company was founded in 2014 on the basis of research work carried out by Frédéric Prochazka, PhD, a research professor at Université de Saint-Etienne (UMR CNRS 5223). Lactips made a major transition to an industrial company in 2022 by opening its first production unit and welcoming Alexis von Tschammer as CEO and Bertrand Dupeyroux as Director of Sales & Marketing. Lactips now has 50 employees and a highly experienced management team.

Press release

Saint-Paul-en-Jarez, September 12, 2022 – Lactips, the French company specialising in the production of the only 100% biosourced polymer, water-soluble and biodegradable in various environments, inaugurated its first 4,200 m² industrial unit in Saint-Paul-en Jarez (42) on 7 September, bringing new life to an old industrial site that has been closed since 2018. On this occasion, Alexis von Tschammer, CEO, presented the company’s new roadmap, which is part of the continuity and development of a new industrial marketing approach.

VALUE, MISSION, AMBITION

“As a pioneer, our vision is to become a global benchmark for natural and biodegradable polymers without microplastics actively contributing to the reduction of waste and pollution of fossil-based plastics,” says Alexis von Tschammer, CEO of Lactips, who took up his position on 1 July 2022.

Industry and the environment can no longer be separated in the understanding of our current economy. Industry is reinventing itself through sustainability, innovation and performance. With this objective in mind, Lactips manufactures a water-soluble natural polymer, biodegradable in various environments, with barrier properties to gases, fats and mineral oils, which enables it to support plastics manufacturers and contractors in their ecological and regulatory transition.
The last 8 years have been marked by major milestones: 15 years of scientific expertise, 7 international patents, 50 employees, more than 30 recognitions and labels, proven applications on three platforms (paper, film, biodegradability accelerator) and the delivery of a functional and qualified 4,200m² industrial site. “Lactips is built on a strong heritage of French deeptech, whose DNA focused on sustainable development remains a strong motivation to deploy the future,” says Alexis von Tschammer. The Board of Directors and shareholders of Lactips continue to offer unwavering support to the company to ensure this future.
Lactips will now accelerate time to market by capturing the expectations of near-consumer customers, plastics processors and rapidly evolving regulations. This approach will be at the heart of Lactips’ development strategy, deployed by Bertrand Dupeyroux, VP Sales & Marketing.

THE FACTORY, THE FIRST STEP IN A LARGE-SCALE INDUSTRIAL PROJECT

The project to build the new factory in Saint-Paul-en-Jarez, supported by an SCI represented by Lactips, NOVIM and the Banques des Territoires, has brought together many industrial, financial and local players, illustrating the desire to strengthen France’s industrial fabric in the service of innovation.
The new site brings back to life a former France Crème whipped cream production unit, closed in 2018, and has added an extension. The Lactips site covers 12,000 m² of land, housing a production unit and a research centre (3,200 m²) as well as administrative premises (1,000 m²) for a total usable area of 4,200 m². The renovation and construction work meets standards that exceed current norms, particularly in terms of energy consumption, materials and equipment used. This new operational plant offers a current production capacity of 1,500 tonnes per year of pellets with the ambition of eventually reaching 10,000 tonnes per year. This site will gradually be able to accommodate 6 production lines and meet the specific standards of the food industry. Lactips will soon be recruiting around ten new employees for production line operators, technicians and operators from the plastics and food industries.

“All these measures are the means of our ambitions to write the future, i.e. the passage from a deeptech, greentech start-up to a high-growth industrial SME recognised on the market as a pioneer in the ecological transition of plastics,” concludes Alexis von Tschammer.

About Lactips

Because plastics are necessary for human activity, but controlling their end-of-life is essential, Lactips manufactures a natural biodegradable polymer with multiple technical properties and performance to support manufacturers in their ecological transition. Answering to the challenges of sustainable development in the packaging sector and adapted to the needs of manufacturers, Lactips’ CareTips pellets are used to manufacture 100% natural and biodegradable solutions in water and in home-composting. This new material is also suitable for food products.

Founded in 2014 by Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, a plasturgist and specialist in business strategy, and Frédéric Prochazka, PhD, a teacher-researcher at the University of Saint-Etienne, Lactips now employs more than 50 people at its new production site, which has a capacity of 3,000 tonnes per year. Lactips, a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, is one of the 20 leaders of the French Tech Green20 programme, has been awarded the GreenTech Innovation label and is one of the first companies to have received the “1000 Efficient Solutions” label from the Solar Impulse Foundation.

Press contacts :
LACTIPS
Charlène BÉAL-FERNANDES
beal-fernandes@lactips.com
Tel : +33 481 130490
Ou
CALYPTUS
Céline BRUGGEMAN
Tel : +33 1 53 65 68 68
Email: lactips@calyptus.net

Press release

Saint-Paul-en-Jarez, June 30, 2022 – Lactips, the French company specialised in the production of the only 100% bio-based, biodegradable in water and home-compostable polymer, has chosen a seasoned expert in the performance polymer industry to implement its next phase of growth. He succeeds Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, who has led the development of the start-up since its creation in 2014 with Frédéric Prochazka, growing from a French university patent to an industrial company with more than 50 people. Identified jointly by the Lactips Board of Directors and Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, Alexis von Tschammer joins Lactips on July 1, 2022.

Alexis von Tschammer graduated as a chemical engineer from the École Supérieure de Chimie Industrielle in Lyon. He started his career in 1996 in the United States with Multibase SA, a Dow Corning company, world leader in thermoplastic silicone materials and solutions. Back in 2000 at Multibase’s headquarters in Grenoble, he progressed from global manager of the automotive airbag business to Sales and Marketing Director and member of the Executive Committee.

In 2009, Alexis von Tschammer took over the general management of the Estour family group, which has very specific expertise in cardboard, bags, paper, packaging and materials for the industrial, food and catering sectors. In charge of steering the operational management committee, he planned the growth strategy, the management of the industrial tool and the commercial development with key accounts.

In 2015, he joined the Performance Polymers division of Mitsubishi Chemicals (MCPP), the world leader in elastomeric materials. He is in charge of the global business unit management and supports the transformation strategy towards solutions with reduced environmental impact.

Marie Hélène Gramatikoff, co-founder and shareholder of Lactips concludes: “From the creation of Lactips to the move to our new 4,200 m2 industrial site this year, I have supported and structured our ambitious deep tech project right up to its industrialization, and today I am very proud to hand over to Alexis von Tschammer.

For Lactips, in which I remain a shareholder with 20% of the capital, Alexis is an outstanding manager who will, I have no doubt, be able to make a smooth transition that will benefit Lactips’ development. Alexis shares Lactips’ values and will be able to rely on a close-knit team to implement this next step and confirm the potential of the only plastic-free, 100% bio-based and fully biodegradable industrial polymer in various environments.

These years have been very rich both professionally and on a human level and I would like to thank all the employees and the board of directors of Lactips, but also the many financial, industrial and commercial partners and the French and European institutions that have contributed to the success of Lactips.”

About Lactips

Because plastics are necessary for human activity, but controlling their end-of-life is essential, Lactips manufactures a natural biodegradable polymer with multiple technical properties and performance to support manufacturers in their ecological transition. Answering to the challenges of sustainable development in the packaging sector and adapted to the needs of manufacturers, Lactips’ CareTips pellets are used to manufacture 100% natural and biodegradable solutions in water and in home-composting. This new material is also suitable for food products.

Founded in 2014 by Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, a plasturgist and specialist in business strategy, and Frédéric Prochazka, PhD, a teacher-researcher at the University of Saint-Etienne, Lactips now employs more than 50 people at its new production site, which has a capacity of 3,000 tonnes per year. Lactips, a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, is one of the 20 leaders of the French Tech Green20 programme, has been awarded the GreenTech Innovation label and is one of the first companies to have received the “1000 Efficient Solutions” label from the Solar Impulse Foundation.

Press contacts :
LACTIPS
Charlène BÉAL-FERNANDES
beal-fernandes@lactips.com
Tel : +33 481 130490
Ou
CALYPTUS
Céline BRUGGEMAN
Tel : +33 1 53 65 68 68
Email: lactips@calyptus.net

Press release

Lactips launches Plastic Free Paper: the first paper packaging solution that is free from plastic or controversial substances and fully recyclable and compostable 

• Innovation developed in collaboration with the eco-organization CITEO to rethink the world of packaging, while ensuring full control over their end-of-life, food preservation and food safety

• Plastic Free Paper: the only coating solution to replace plastics and chemical treatments for sealable packaging papers, a barrier to oxygen, fats and mineral oils

• Plastic Free Paper is adapted for industrial use for food and non-food applications

Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds, October 11, 2021 – Lactips, the French company specialized in producing a 100% biosourced casein-based plastic material that is biodegradable in water and home compostable, has developed a solution for paper or cardboard packaging with a view to strengthening the protection and conservation of food products without impacting their recycling. Paper packaging solutions, which are increasingly popular with manufacturers, particularly due to their appeal with end consumers, often contain adjuvants which limit their recyclability or prevent their biodegradability. Lactips has developed a first-generation Plastic Free Paper to offer manufacturers an innovative solution for sustainable, high-performance paper or cardboard packaging.

Paper packaging solutions increasingly effective, but often at the expense of their recyclability  

With a recycling rate of around 74%[1] in 2020 in Europe, supported by efficient collection, sorting and recycling channels, paper is a material that is fully aligned with a circular economy strategy.

However, on its own, it cannot be used for food packaging as it is permeable to water, oxygen and even fats. As a result, paper is often used in conjunction with plastic materials, which are sometimes metalized to ensure that products are preserved.

These plastic coatings make the recycling of the paper more difficult and generate waste which is virtually impossible to sort and ends up being incinerated or sent to landfill.

Certain grease-proof food papers are treated with per- or poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), which, due to these compounds passing into food products, have been flagged as a health risk by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in a report published in 2020[2].

Denmark has already banned PFAS in paper and cardboard since 2020. In addition, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway have officially announced plans to submit a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) by July 19, 2022 to restrict PFAS.

[1] https://www.cepi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/WEB-PAGES_EPRC-Monitoring-Report-2020_20210716.pdf

[2] https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/pfas-food-efsa-assesses-risks-and-sets-tolerable-intake

Plastic Free Paper, a first generation of biodegradable and recyclable packaging

Lactips has developed, with support from the eco-organization CITEO, a new cellulose matrix coating solution that ensures the total recyclability of papers and cardboards. This first generation combines the paper with the thermoplastic developed by Lactips to meet the challenges relating to performance capabilities and sustainable development.

100% biosourced, home compostable and heat-sealed, the Plastic Free Paper solution provides the oxygen, fat and mineral oil barriers that are essential for preserving food products and is fully compliant with food contact standards.

Tests carried out with Centre Technique du Papier (CTP) in France and Papiertechnische Stiftung (PTS) in Germany have confirmed that there is no impact on the recyclability of the papers and cardboards for the first two applications available:

• Replacing the sealable plastic layer for non-food packaging, such as mailing films or food films for dry or fatty products (tea bags, confectionery, pet chews, etc.)
• Replacing per- or poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) for papers that need to be grease-proof (e.g. fast food packaging)

The Plastic Free Paper solution offers a real alternative for manufacturers (processors and/or brands) in the context of their environmental efforts and the application of the European directive restricting single-use plastics (Directive 2019/904/EC). The material developed by Lactips is not a plastic, but a natural polymer, in accordance with European Regulation no.1907/2006 (REACH), and is therefore exempt from the demands and restrictions set by this directive.

Laurent Lyannaz, Functional Products and Services Project Leader at the CTP, explains: “The CTP has carried out laboratory work on a natural polymer based on a protein developed by Lactips. The product was able to be applied and deposited with a conventional coating process (coating by wire wound bars) on various papers without any difficulties.  The features of the coated papers confirmed that this biosourced product can effectively develop oxygen and fat barrier properties. These products were then tested for their recyclability.” Alain Cochaux, Recycling Project Leader at CTP confirms: “The results showed that these new products are recyclable because they are compatible with industrial processes for standard recycling. The papers manufactured based on the recycling of these products are also visually attractive. The Lactips coating does not prevent the recycling of papers and cardboards in the packaging recycling sector, as defined by European Directive 2018/852/EU on packaging and packaging waste.”

“Our mission at Lactips is to rethink plastic packaging with a view to limiting its impacts. We wanted to offer manufacturers and brands a range of alternative solutions that are responsible and above all aligned with performance requirements and their industrial processes in order to help them with their ecological and regulatory transformation. Lactips’ Plastic Free Paper is a perfect response to these challenges, and we are very proud that we will be able to launch its sales within the next few months”, concludes Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, Lactips CEO and co-founder.

About Lactips

Because plastics are a necessity for human activities, but controlling their end-of-life is essential, Lactips manufactures a natural polymer with multiple technical and high-performance properties, biodegradable, to support manufacturers in their ecological transition. Meeting the challenges of sustainable development in the packaging sector and adapted to the needs of manufacturers, Lactips’ CareTips pellets are used to produce 100% natural and biodegradable in water and in home composting solutions. This new material is also suitable for food products.
Created in 2014 by Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, plastics engineer and business strategy specialist, and Frédéric Prochazka, PhD, lecturer-researcher at Saint-Etienne University, Lactips employs 60 people today and is working to deploy a 2,500 sq.m new production site to further increase its annual capacity to over 3,000 tons. Lactips, a signatory member of the United Nations Global Compact, is one of the 20 high potential companies in the French Tech Green20 program, has been awarded the GreenTech Innovation label and is one of the first companies to be awarded the “1000 Efficient Solutions” label by the Solar Impulse Foundation.

Press contacts :
LACTIPS
Charlène BÉAL-FERNANDES
beal-fernandes@lactips.com
Tel : +33 481 130490
Ou
CALYPTUS
Marie CALLEUX / Grégory BOSSON
Tel : +33 1 53 65 68 68
Email: lactips@calyptus.net

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Press release

Lactips is innovating for sustainable packaging

• Industrial and commercial partnership with Plastiques Venthenat to replace polluting plastics for consumer and commercial use
• Soluble and printable temporary labels
• Scented laundry pearls working with Givaudan for a matrix that will be fully biodegradable in water
• Compostable golf tees to protect the greens

Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds, June 3, 2021 – Lactips, the French company specialized in producing a soluble plastic with zero environmental trace, has developed new product applications to continue to address the issue of polluting plastics on multiple levels. Based on work by Lactips’ R&D and Project teams, these eco-solutions address different markets with a view to rapidly replacing their previous plastic materials. The manufacturing and marketing of the new products are moving forward in partnership with major players for these applications so that they can effectively reach their end markets, rapidly contributing to help stop the impact of plastic pollution on the environment.

Lactips and Plastiques Venthenat launch new consumer and commercial applications 

To further strengthen and extend its dedicated range of plastics for water-soluble packaging, Lactips has set up a partnership with Plastiques Venthenat, a French industrial firm specialized for over 40 years in the extrusion of highly technical plastic films, to transform its plastic pellets, based on a natural raw material, with multiple properties, into rolls of films, without any impact on the environment, for distribution to its clients.
Marketed under the BIOCYTER® brand (aiming to replace polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films), Plastiques Venthenat is directly addressing the single-dose monolayer packaging and detergent markets and laundry services, particularly in the medical sector (thanks to the applications for water-soluble ties and bags).
“I am delighted with the partnership agreement signed with Lactips, enabling us to combine our respective areas of know-how to industrially master the extrusion of our BIOCYTER® film based on the Lactips resin. The qualities of this biosourced, water-soluble and biodegradable film are fully aligned with the growing demand among our clients for environmentally-responsible packaging to replace many traditional plastic films”, confirms Michel Rauturier, CEO of Plastiques Venthenat.

Thanks to this industrial partnership, new applications have been able to be developed:

• Oopya, an ecological disinfectants manufacturer, is removing plastic from the packaging for its single-dose salt sticks thanks to Lactips

Focused on detergents, Oopya has developed an effective, safe and ecological cleaning solution, produced using water, salt contained in a natural, water-soluble plastic packaging, and electricity.
This innovation aims to reduce the use of chemical products and their plastic packaging. It was therefore a natural choice for Oopya to use the water-soluble films made with Lactips pellets to create the packaging for its “salt sticks”, replacing the previous generations of packaging. The products are sold in chains of organic stores or directly to consumers online.

• Soluble and printable temporary labels

Thanks to its “printable” property, the Lactips material, transformed into a film, makes it possible to create soluble temporary labels. Without any prior treatment, it is aligned with an innovative and ecological approach for temporary labels to provide information, promote or decorate a wide range of products.
The configurations for manufacturers and environmental tests are still being validated, with this new application expected to be launched in 2021.

Lactips links up with Givaudan for scented linen

Developed with a world-leading fragrance company, the “CareTips Natural Pearls^TM” are scented pearls that combine Lactips pellets with Givaudan fragrances. They illustrate both partners’ capacity for innovation and co-creation with a view to offering responsible products. Traditionally inserted in PVA or PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) based products, the laundry fragrances will now be packaged in Lactips’ 100% natural and plastic-free carrier material. Soon distributed directly to consumers and in organic store chains, the new scented pearls are placed directly in the washing machine drum, where they dissolve during the washing process, leaving a fresh and delicate fragrance on the clothes even after they have dried.

Transforming plastic in all its forms

Where Lactips tees biodegrade, they lead to healthier grass on the greens.
With its proprietary injectors and molds, Lactips has designed a plastic-free, compostable golf tee that can rapidly biodegrade in nature and the aquatic environment, offering an alternative to plastic, metal, wood or bamboo tees, which are all too often lost or left on golf courses.
In addition to zero ecological and visual impacts, the Lactips golf tees do not cause any damage to equipment used to maintain greens (mower blades and tires can be damaged by conventional tees). The grass even grows greener where the tees have biodegraded.

“Thanks to the partnerships set up and our capacity for innovation, led by our R&D team, Lactips is once again proving that its unique material can replace existing plastics by providing sustainable solutions that can easily be integrated by manufacturers and consumers, and are good for the planet. The various developments underway are focused on packaging solutions, as well as improving the recyclability of plastics for industrial clients”, explains Marion Vincent, Innovation Marketing Manager at Lactips. “Our partnership with Plastiques Venthenat will enable Lactips to sustainably position itself on the film sector with a structural model that will be duplicated across the other technical platforms”, concludes Pascal Chabance, Head of Business Development and Sales at Lactips.

About Lactips

Because plastic lasts for hundreds of years in our oceans, causing a major pollution issue, Lactips is manufacturing the first plastic with zero environmental impact, thanks to a pioneering technology enabling it to be produced using a natural raw material. Aligned with sustainable development challenges in the packaging sector and the needs of manufacturers, Lactips pellets are used to produce 100% natural packaging for detergent products. This new material is also suitable for food products.

Created in 2014 by Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, plastics engineer and business strategy specialist, and Frédéric Prochazka, PhD, lecturer-researcher at Saint-Etienne University, Lactips employs 60 people today and is working to deploy a 2,500 sq.m new production site to further increase its annual capacity to over 3,000 tons.

Press contacts :
LACTIPS
Charlène BÉAL-FERNANDES
beal-fernandes@lactips.com
Tel : +33 481 130490
Ou
CALYPTUS
Marie CALLEUX / Grégory BOSSON
Tel : +33 1 53 65 68 68
Email: lactips@calyptus.net

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Press release

• Gradual ramping up of production capacity and diversification of the markets served
• Redevelopment and extension of a former regional industrial site to bring it into line with ecological standards
• Recruitment of new skills across all operations

Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds, October 9, 2020 – Lactips, the French company specialized in producing a soluble plastic with zero environmental trace, is moving into a new industrial development phase with the launch of its project to build its new plant in Saint-Paul-en-Jarez (42), in the Gier Valley. This program, led by Lactips, brings together a number of industrial, financial and local stakeholders, highlighting the commitment to further strengthening France’s industrial fabric to serve innovation.

Launched in July 2018, this industrial project marks a major turning point for Lactips, which will now have increased production capacity, in line with its ambitions to serve multiple segments across the vast packaging market. The new site, located in Saint-Paul-en-Jarez, a former coal-production region, will bring back to life a former regional food processing plant, which was shut down in 2018, while adding an extension. Lactips’ new 12,000 sq.m site will include a 2,500 sq.m production building and 1,000 sq.m administrative building, with a total floor space of 4,200 sq.m. The renovation and construction work will exceed the standards in force, particularly in terms of materials and energy consumption, as well as the equipment used.

Lactips brings new life to a site closed in 2018 and creates green jobs

The new premises, acquired as part of a €6m real estate project through the creation of a dedicated SCI property investment company (Lactips, NOVIM and BPI Investissements), will house various teams focused on developing Lactips’ activities. From the construction phase, Lactips is planning a recruitment campaign for a dozen R&D, commercial operation and production positions in order to put everything in place for the site to be operational as soon as the work is completed. Moving forward, this new industrial site will require around 30 additional staff with diverse profiles to support the development of the first plastic with zero environmental impact.
At the heart of the Gier Valley, the future plant will make it possible to bring back to life France Crème’s former whipped cream production unit, closed in 2018 by a foreign industrial firm, and to capitalize on the existing assets and local resources, notably recruiting two of the site’s previous employees.

Gradual ramp-up of production capacity supported by major investments

This industrial regeneration, selected for the national “Territoires d’industrie” program, will require nearly €30m to be invested over several years. These investments, particularly in the production facilities, made possible by the recent round of fundraising with the SPI fund, managed by Bpifrance, and Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC), through Diamond Edge Ventures, entering the capital, will enable Lactips to accelerate the commercial development of its innovative technology.

From its launch, planned for 2021, this new plant will be able to produce 3,000 tons of pellets per year (compared with 1,500 currently), while ultimately targeting 10,000 tons per year. Lactips will be able to gradually install up to six production lines and develop its range of solutions for the sustainable soluble packaging and single-use plastic markets, while also ensuring compliance with the specific standards for food packaging. Alongside the administrative and sales offices, the R&D teams will benefit from a laboratory and new equipment, as well as a dedicated development and testing line.

“Lactips was founded with a view to proposing a new way of looking at plastic production, with respect for the environment, providing a solution that is aligned with the needs of both industrial firms and consumers. The steps that we have successfully taken since 2014 have led us to this major industrial turning point. Through our project to create this plant, we are establishing our natural plastic production, based on milk proteins, at a former whipped cream production site. This loop, which is closing, will give us the capabilities needed to develop our solutions for the food packaging market, and will enable us to support regional employment by creating green jobs. Once again, Lactips has united stakeholders from all sides around this program. Specifically, I would like to thank NOVIM and all its directors, Banque des Territoires (Caisse des Dépôts Group) and Bpifrance, as well as Saint-Etienne Métropole, the Loire department and the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region for their support. We, Lactips, an innovative industrial firm from the Loire region, are proud to launch this ambitious project and promote our unique know-how around the world”, confirms Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, Lactips CEO and co-founder.

About Lactips

Because plastic lasts for hundreds of years in our oceans, causing a major pollution issue, Lactips is manufacturing the first plastic with zero environmental impact, thanks to a pioneering technology enabling it to be produced using a natural raw material. Aligned with sustainable development challenges in the packaging sector and the needs of manufacturers, Lactips pellets are used to produce 100% natural packaging for detergent products. This new material is also suitable for food products.

Created in 2014 by Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, plastics engineer and business strategy specialist, and Frédéric Prochazka, PhD, lecturer-researcher at Saint-Etienne University, Lactips employs 45 people today and is working to deploy a 2,500 sq.m new production site to further increase its annual capacity to over 3,000 tons.

Learn more at: www.lactips.com

Press contacts :
LACTIPS
Charlène BÉAL-FERNANDES
beal-fernandes@lactips.com
Tel : +33 481 130490
Ou
CALYPTUS
Marie CALLEUX / Grégory BOSSON
Tel : +33 1 53 65 68 68
Email: lactips@calyptus.net

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Press release

Lactips has developed a water-soluble strip, during the health crisis, for hospital laundries enabling them to isolate contaminated linen.

• Fully bio-sourced and biodegradable soluble opening strip

• Solution rapidly deployed to protect professionals and the environment

• Fully dissolvable without any sticky residue

Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds (Loire), July 15, 2020 – Lactips, the French company specialized in producing a soluble plastic with zero environmental trace, has developed a solution to produce water-soluble strips for sealing hospital laundry bags, particularly those contaminated with COVID-19.

Faced with the need to safeguard everyone across the supply chain for laundry operations against all threats of infection through contact with potentially contaminated linen, Lactips has rapidly developed a new application: a water-soluble strip designed to seal and limit the handling of laundry bags used by healthcare operators (hospitals, care homes, etc.).

From the first week of the lockdown, following the influx of patients, Lactips was contacted by four regional hospital centers (13, 42, 43 and 94) and an internationally renowned university hospital center covering 39 hospitals across the Paris Region that had a shortage of water-soluble strips. The company responded immediately to the urgent health situation by shipping scored rolls then designing a specific product adapted for these healthcare requirements.

Approved by all the sector’s stakeholders, and released in Europe, this new product, developed in partnership with a French manufacturer, makes it possible to secure the handling of infected linen and limit the risk of infection within the laundry treatment circuit. Placed directly in the machine, the soluble strip disappears completely in contact with water (from 40° to 60°C in accordance with the standard applied), releasing the linen from the bag during the washing cycle without leaving behind any sticky residue.

Lactips is helping maintain the “clean circuit” chain for a range of stakeholders (senior housing, laundry facilities and transport providers). Through this solution, Lactips is once again supporting industrial operators by giving them the means to satisfy the expectations of customers looking for natural and fully biodegradable solutions in order to protect people and the environment.

Lactips responding to health and ecological challenges

During the health crisis, with a shortage of supplies of the strips normally used, the hospital sector has had to find alternatives. Thanks to Lactips, healthcare operators can now source supplies of sealed bags that integrate Lactips’ fully biosourced and biodegradable technology, replacing the existing solutions manufactured with petroleum-based products. To ensure a rapid response to their requirements, Lactips developed not only the technological solution, but also the finished product, in partnership with a leading firm from the bag packaging sector, supplying the bags.

« Initially, we were able to respond quickly to provide a temporary solution for healthcare stakeholders who were on the front line during the epidemic. Faced with growing demand, thanks to the unprecedented mobilization of our teams, supported by local industry, Lactips was able to develop, in record time, an effective and approved solution that is continuing to be used by the hospitals today », explains Pascal CHABANCE, Head of Sales at Lactips.

« In the context of the COVID-19 epidemic, our values of protecting people and the environment, which are core pillars for Lactips, drove us to support the hospital world in response to the health emergency. I would like to thank all of my teams, who successfully put them into practice by supporting the national collective effort », confirms Marie-Hélène GRAMATIKOFF, CEO et co-founder at Lactips.

***

About Lactips

Because plastic lasts for hundreds of years in our oceans, causing a major pollution issue, Lactips is manufacturing the first plastic with zero environmental impact, thanks to a pioneering technology enabling it to be produced using a natural raw material. Aligned with sustainable development challenges in the packaging sector and the needs of manufacturers, Lactips pellets are used to produce 100% natural packaging for detergent products. This new material is also suitable for food products. Created in 2014 by Marie-Hélène Gramatikoff, plastics engineer and business strategy specialist, and Frédéric Prochazka, PhD, lecturer-researcher at Saint-Etienne University, Lactips employs 45 people today and is working to deploy a 2,500 sq.m new production site to further increase its annual capacity to over 3,000 tons.

Press contacts :
LACTIPS
Charlène BÉAL-FERNANDES
beal-fernandes@lactips.com
Tel : +33 481 130490
Ou
CALYPTUS
Marie CALLEUX / Grégory BOSSON
Tel : +33 1 53 65 68 68
Email: lactips@calyptus.net

Read article