Biodegration

Fortis X supplies products made from plants. The plant-based raw materials are produced from bio-based polyesters.

Bio-based polyesters are organic resins which perform effectively as a plastic alternative. Derived 100% from plants,  rather than scarce fossil fuels, the bioplastic pellets perform superbly when extruded; foamed; thermoformed and spun into fibers or filaments.

Reducing your carbon footprint, these high performance polymer resins are also compliant with the most relevant regulations and international accreditation requirements.

More than being a product made 100% from plants, our polyesters are sourced from sustainable, annually renewable resources. This means, provision is made to ensure that the plantations are specifically chosen where sustainable farming is implemented, with a high rate of regrowth, but without any growth enhancement from artificial chemicals and hormones. This commitment by qualified farmers keeps the yield organic.

Genetically modified organisms, or GMO, is an organism with its DNA altered or modified in some way through genetic engineering. In recent years farmers were using GMO crops for bigger and larger yields. We do not support this. Please ask for our Declaration on the use of GMO-free raw materials

In addition to reducing the impact on the environment, our polyester products are better for human health than any other plastic derivative or petrochemical-based plastic.
Being 100% plant-based it is non-toxic.

Regulation 1907/2006/EC on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) was entered into force on 1 June 2007. REACH addresses the production and use of chemical substances and their potential impacts on both human health and the environment.

Our bio-based products are R.E.A.C.H. compliant.
After official evaluation it was also found to be suitable for use in food contact applications.

By far, the clearest advantage of replacing selected product lines with the bio-based alternative is its ability to biodegrade, making it an effective soil supplement.
From numerous laboratory testing, an article produced from these resins can biodegrade within 150 days under the correct conditions.

Here are various end-of-life options studied and available for our product:

Commercial Composting

Understand that the moisture and heat in the compost separates the polymer chains, forming tinier polymers, and lactic acid. Micro-organisms in soil and compost devour the small polymer remains and lactic acid for nutrition. The fact that lactic acid is extensively abundant in nature, many organisms metabolise lactic acid. The final result of composting is carbon dioxide, water and humus, a soil nutrient.

Laboratory testing has confirmed these findings, measuring CO2 production from the above process.

Home Compost Heaps

When correctly utilized, home-compost heaps function at a temperature of > 60o C and this means the product will biodegrade in a home-compost heap under such conditions.

However, there are a variety of other useful end-of-life options:

Recycling

They are compatible with existing recycling systems, and recycling these resins via lactic acid will lead to the advantage of a prolonged life-time before final breakdown to CO2. For a detailed study on the recycling of such packaging material, see the IFEU study (IFEU et al. 2006)

Incineration – Waste to Energy

It can be cleanly incinerated as the fumes are non-toxic and this is another end-of-life option used globally to produce energy.

Infra Red Sorting

Near-Infra-Red-sorting is a plastics sorting technology as it can accurately identity different polymers already in use today. Our product can be identified in the mixed waste plastics stream with very high accuracy.

From Start to Finish

It is important to understand that our eco-advantage is not just at the end, but it also occurs at the beginning of the product life-cycle. This product results in 75% less greenhouse gases than the processing of petrochemical-based plastics, without tapping into those scarce fossil-fuels.