In Massachusetts, bioplastics producer CJ Bio says it has signed a memorandum of understanding with hospitality giant Accor—owner of such brands as ibis, Sofitel, and Novotel—to develop biodegradable packaging material based on polyhydroxyalkanoates for hotel amenities that use single-use plastics.
The MOU will help Accor deliver on its commitment to phase out all single-use plastic items from its hotels by the end of 2022. Headquartered in France, Accor operates more than 5,000 hotels in 100 countries. The first products will be trialed at its Korea hotels and eventually expanded throughout Asia-Pacific and globally.
“We are committed to a sustainable future, and we actively investigate and implement solutions that help to address the environmental challenges that we all face. We believe PHA is the right solution to help us achieve our goal,” says Vincent Lelay, Vice President Operations AccorHotels Korea.
CJ BIO has started producing amorphous PHA at its manufacturing facility in Pasuruan, Indonesia, and plans to increase production to meet expected demand.