Houston, TX—Kaneka Americas Holding, Inc. has announced in a press release the creation of a Biopolymers Division based in Houston.

Kaneka’s PHBH is a plant-based product that offers both flexibility and heat resistance, produced via a bio-fermentation process which uses renewable plant oils as feed stock, the press release says. The product is bio-compostable, strongly resistant to heat, and can act as a barrier to water vapor.

The release notes that PHBH has been granted Food Contact Approval by the FDA and is suitable for food packaging products.

The release further states: “Kaneka hopes to find an alternative solution to the current single use plastic products as the company recognizes the need to bring to market a plant-based product that will help reduce the ocean and landfill pollution.” It notes that around 8 million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every year.