(Plastics Today) -- Sustainable plastics manufacturer Cereplast (El Segundo, CA) will establish a 100 KTa bioplastics manufacturing plant in Italy, bringing production into the region that generates 85% of its business. The eventual 100 KT (220 million lb) of capacity will be built out in several phases, with 50 KT of initial production expected to start up in late-2012. The second 50 KT phase is planned to begin in mid-2013, based on market demand.
Cereplast said the plant will be developed near Assisi in Umbria at the site of an existing industrial plant and cover 125,000-ft2. The building is currently permitted as a chemical site, which allows Cereplast to utilize existing infrastructure.