The social and political pressures on industry to create and/or use materials that are environmentally-friendly, recyclable and/or sustainable are mounting. JER's thermoplastic biocomposite products make efficient use of materials that are currently viewed as waste or are recycled, and JER's biocomposite production technology supports the concept of sustainable development.

Environmentally Friendly Inputs

• JER's cellulose-based fiber inputs are sourced from byproducts, such as sawdust, scrap wood, rice husk, etc., ensuring no additional wood resources are depleted in the production of the company's biocomposites. These waste products, which are typically disposed of, are now an important resource.
• JER's thermoplastic matrix is comprised of a variety of polymers, olefins, styrenics and other polymers sourced from the plastics recycling industry. JER's biocomposite technology converts these polymers recovered from short life cycle applications (such as food and beverage containers) into materials used for long life cycle applications.
• Although they make up a small percentage of JER's overall biocomposite product, the company's patented coupling agents are also chemically stable, non-toxic and environmentally neutral upon completion of JER's manufacturing process.

An Environmentally Friendly Finished Product

• JER's thermoplastic biocomposites REDUCE GLOBAL DEPENDENCY on oil and gas. Plastics require between 1.5 and 2.0 times the volume of oil and natural gas to produce a unit of material. As JER's thermoplastic biocomposites are up to 60% filled with organic fibers, they require up to 60% less oil and gas to produce.
• JER's products can be produced using LESS ENERGY. JER's thermoplastic biocomposites can be manufactured using 100% recycled plastics. In addition to diverting waste destined for landfills, recycled plastics use a fraction of the energy to produce than virgin materials. JER manufacturing processes also use almost half the energy of traditional thermoplastic composite manufacturers because the Company does not need to consume energy to pre-dry or post-dry its fiber inputs.
• JER's products DO NOT LEACH TOXIC CHEMICALS. JER's thermoplastic biocomposites do not leach volatile organic compounds (VOC's). VOC's have been linked to various indoor air quality and health issues. JER also fully encapsulates its bio-fibers, preventing the natural out-gassing of carbon dioxide (CO2) that occurs with organic materials. CO2 has been identified as a major contributor to global warming.
• JER's products REDUCE THE NEGATIVE IMPACT on agricultural, forest and natural habitats. JER uses only waste, post-industrial and/or recycled bio-fibers. No additional crops need be planted. No forests need be cut.

Enabling Socially Responsible Industrial Manufacturing

In addition to the benefits above, extrusion or injecting molding manufacturing processes using JER's biocomposite compounds require relatively low processing temperatures (approx. 170°C), which enable high processing rates with low energy consumption and improved plant safety.

By using fibre by-products and reclaimed polymers, JER's biocomposites offer industrial manufacturers a building material that reduces their carbon footprint. A number of JER's customers are designing entire environmentally responsible product lines around the use of the Company's biocomposite compounds.