Environmentally Intelligent Biocomposites Stephanie Weal 1,a , Sheree Anderson 2,b , Ross Anderson 1,c , Trevor Stuthridge 2,d and Alan Fernyhough 1,e 1 Biomaterials Engineering; Scion, 49 Sala St, Rotorua, New Zealand 2 Eco-Smart Technologies; Scion, 49 Sala St, Rotorua, New Zealand a stephanie.weal@scionresearch.com , b sheree.anderson@scionreseach.com , c ross.anderson@scionreseach.com , d trevor.stuthridge@scionresearch.com and e alan.fernyhough@scionresearch.com Keywords: Biopolymer, plastic, biocomposite, biomass, biodegradation, polylactic acid blends. Abstract Composites made from wood residues and biomasses, together with either conventional polymers such as polypropylene (PP) and their recyclate streams or with the new emerging biopolymers such as polylactic acid (PLA), were compounded and injection moulded. Mechanical properties and biodegradation analyses were undertaken. The addition of wood flour/sander dust (SD) and wood fibres (WF), to the PP, with suitable compatibilizer, increased the flexural and tensile modulus and strength, indicating a good bond between the fibres and matrix. The tensile and flexural strengths were decreased with the addition of wood fillers, additives and biomasses to a PLA biopolymer blend. Such biomasses and additives increased the biodegradation of the PLA blend, and some control over biodegradation rates was achievable. Introduction Increasingly, new materials are being developed with environmentally responsible approaches. This is due to increased awareness from both consumers and governments to the problems associated with waste disposal and greenhouse gas emissions from the formation of petrochemical products. The formation of composites, which combine two or more materials, provides convenient ways to reduce the amount of petrochemical products in materials [1]. Incorporation of WF or wood fillers such as SD into polymers is now standard technology to improve the mechanical properties of the polymer, such as stiffness and strength, while reducing cost [2]. Other advantages include the use of a renewable resource and aesthetic appeal of looking like wood, which is becoming important for consumers [1]. Although the composite with conventional polymers (PP, PS, etc) is not completely sustainable, the use of plastic recyclate streams will improve sustainability. This work has shown WF and SD, when correctly compatabilized, can enhance the properties of typical plastic recyclate streams, with the use of proprietary WF technologies providing the best properties. However, completely sustainable materials can be achieved by using a bio-based polymer with a wood based filler or fibre. Bio-based polymers, polymers which are derived from biological resources, have many attributes similar to petrochemical polymers. However, until recently, the use of bio-based polymers has been limited due to high production costs, long-term stability and limited mechanical properties of the final product [3]. The addition of fillers to bio-based polymers is widely researched and can be used to reduce the overall cost of the final product. However, 1