MonoSol, part of the Japanese specialty chemical company Kuraray, has announced plans to build a new production facility in Poland for manufacturing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) water-soluble films.
The company said the decision to move into mainland Europe was driven by strong customer demand for its water-soluble, biodegradable films used in unit-dose applications for the laundry and dish detergent categories.
The company also operates a plant in Hartlebury, England. Moreover, the application areas for the films are expanding fast.
"When it comes to water-soluble technology applications, we're just scratching the surface," according to MonoSol, who has seen its packaging used in everything from unit-dose cosmetics and foods to agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and embroidery. PVOH is colorless, odorless, biodegradable and non-toxic. Once dissolved, it is consumed by microorganisms, which means it does not persist in the environment, nor contribute to microplastic pollution.
The new manufacturing plant in Poland will be located in Zimna Wódka, Ujazd Commune, located in the Katowice Special Economic Zone. When completed, it is expected to create approximately 90 jobs.
The project timeline calls for site preparation to begin in April this year with commercial production in late 2021.
MonoSol additionally announced the beginning of commercial production at its recently completed factory in Lebanon, Indiana, outside Indianapolis.
Monosol LLC was ranked No. 64 in Plastics News' recent film and sheet listing with an estimated $100 million in sales in 2018.