With the Bike Bottle Organic, the outdoor equipment manufacturer Vaude, based in Tettnang, Germany, has produced its first bicycle bottle developed entirely from biobased plastics. The TPE compounder Hexpol TPE supplies to Vaude a customised biobased TPE from its Dryflex Green series which is used on the bicycle bottle mouthpiece. The bottle is part of Vaude’s Green Shape portfolio of functional, eco-friendly products made from sustainable materials.
„For Vaude, the idea behind the bicycle bottle was to shift reliance from fossil to renewable resources. We want to support a biobased circular economy and improve the ecological footprint of an article that all frequent bikers need to have. Thanks to Dryflex Green TPEs, Vaude was able to manufacture a technical component, in this case a soft valve, from biobased material,” commented Clément Affholder, Manager Innovation – Materials and Plastic Engineering at Vaude. And he said: “It is an important step forward that helps minimise the environmental impact of consumer goods and at the same time shows that renewable resources can be used in high-performance products.”
The main challenge for Hexpol TPE was to develop a suitable compound that meets the mechanical properties and processability requirements.
“The Dryflex Green TPE compound, developed individually for Vaude, is based on >34 % biobased materials, it can be processed using conventional production methods, as a drop-in solution without the need for tool modification. The raw materials used meet requirements for food contact according to EU 10/2011 and FDA. The TPE can be coloured, it adheres to PP and PE and is fully recyclable, as well as being dimensionally stable and UV-resistant,” adds Kathrin Heilmann, sales at Hexpol TPE and responsible for Dryflex Green products on the German market.
These material properties in combination with the quick and easy cooperation with the TPE compounder, were ultimately the decisive factors for the outdoor equipment manufacturer to use the TPE material.