Sunar NP's Biodegradable Products Will Be Used at COP31

Sunar NP, which states that it is the first company to carry out bioplastic production in Türkiye and the only firm with raw material integration, will support COP31 as an In-Kind Service Provider. The company, which will contribute to the conference's waste management processes with biodegradable products developed from corn starch, will provide waste and food carrier bags within the scope of the event. This contribution by Sunar NP will ensure that domestic bioplastic technology developed from agricultural resources is used on an internationally significant climate platform.

The 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be hosted by Türkiye in Antalya, will bring the fight against climate change, resource efficiency and sustainable production to the center of the global agenda. The conference, where concrete and applicable steps in climate action will come to the fore, is aimed at going beyond commitments in line with Türkiye's "COP of the Future" vision and giving momentum to verifiable, measurable and sustainable practices in the field.

Sunar NP, which supports the conference as an In-Kind Service Provider, will present one of the concrete examples of this approach. The company, which aims to make visible the potential of biodegradable materials in real-world use areas, will also draw attention to its production capacity, which brings together Türkiye's agricultural resources with advanced technology.

"We are transforming our agricultural resources into value-added production with advanced technology"

Mustafa Nuri Çomu, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Sunar Yatırım, who stated that COP31 being held in Türkiye offers an important opportunity to demonstrate the country's production and technology development capacity on an international scale, made the following assessment:

"We find it valuable that Türkiye is hosting such an important climate conference, as it allows us to showcase our production and technology development capacity on an international scale. As Sunar NP, we are the first company to carry out bioplastic production in Türkiye. With our production structure based on raw material integration and our R&D competence, we transform corn starch into high value-added bioplastic raw materials for the needs of different sectors. The fact that our biodegradable products will be used directly at COP31 is significant in that the technology we have developed finds a concrete application area. We aim to strengthen our domestic production capacity by bringing our agricultural resources together with industry and technology, and to contribute to Türkiye's international competitiveness in the field of bioplastics."

Starch-based bioplastics biodegrade naturally in the environment

Sunar NP, operating under Sunar Yatırım, produces thermoplastic starch and starch-based bioplastic raw materials by processing corn starch. Thanks to its production model based on raw material integration, the company is involved in the process from the basic inputs of bioplastic production onward.

The raw materials produced by Sunar NP can be used in the production of a wide range of products, from shopping and cargo bags to waste bags, from food packaging to single-use forks and spoons, from straws to agricultural mulch films and 3D printer filaments. Starch-based bioplastics obtained from renewable sources enable the development of alternative materials to traditional petroleum-based plastics.

The company's biodegradable products can biodegrade within 180 days when relevant certification and test conditions are met. It is stated that these products do not lead to microplastic formation after the degradation process, and compliance with the EN 13432 standard is based on biodegradation, disintegration and other criteria set by the standard. These features are important for evaluating biodegradable materials in suitable application areas and for considering usage conditions together with environmental properties when making product choices.

Six years of R&D work has turned into industrial production

Sunar NP's work in the field of bioplastics is based on an R&D process that began in 2014. The studies carried out within the company as part of a TÜBİTAK-supported thermoplastic starch and compound development project moved to the industrial production stage in 2020 with the commissioning of the bioplastic production line.

Thus, the company's R&D accumulation in the field of corn starch-based bioplastics came together with its production infrastructure. This process also formed the basis for raw material development efforts geared toward the needs of different sectors.

About Sunar Yatırım

Sunar Yatırım, which has a deep-rooted history of more than half a century in agriculture, food and bioindustry, carries out production of corn starch-based industrial raw materials, vegetable liquid oil, flour, feed and biodegradable plastic. The company, which delivers its products to more than 110 countries on 6 continents, forms a wide value chain with its more than 1,400 employees, as well as farmers, consumers, business partners, local administrations and other stakeholders. It focuses on agriculture-based and environmentally friendly sustainable production through R&D and advanced technology investments.