The Tour de France meets Plastics ValleyThe Tour de France meets Plastics Valley
Only one cyclist will wear the coveted yellow jersey at the end of the 11th stage of the Tour de France in Oyonnax on July 16, 2014, but the crowd cheering on the peleton will be awash in yellow cups, thanks to a so-called plastics processing village that will be set up at the finish line.
July 14, 2014

Only one cyclist will wear the coveted yellow jersey at the end of the 11th stage of the Tour de France in Oyonnax on July 16, 2014, but the crowd cheering on the peleton will be awash in yellow cups, thanks to a so-called plastics processing village that will be set up at the finish line.
Seventeen suppliers of raw materials, plastics processing services, and injection molding equipment from the region have banded together to mold recyclable cups in the color of the world's most prestigious cycling event. Molded live at the finish line, approximately 12,000 Spido'cups will be produced at the event and distributed to onlookers.
Made of food-grade polystyrene wrapped around a wood-based bioplastic base, the cup will be molded on a Billion all-electric twin-shot injection molding machine. The Spido'cup packaging and plant-based ink are also recyclable. The demonstration is designed to showcase the capabilities of the region's plastics industry as well as its commitment to environmental principles, says regional industry association AEPV.
The Oyonnax basin, known as Plastics Valley, is located in the east of France, about 50 miles west of Geneva on the other side of the Jura mountains. It has the greatest concentration of plastics-related companies in France, according to AEPV.
Norbert Sparrow is Senior Editor at PlasticsToday. Follow him on twitter @norbertcsparrow and Google+.
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