Made in Washington: Western Polymer by Shawn Sullivan November/December 2004 - Washington Business Magazine Who would have imagined that potatoes could be used to make paper? That is the question that is most often asked of Lynn Townsend-White and Sheldon Townsend, owners of Western Polymer. This potato starch processing company in Moses Lake began refining potatoes into food grade potato starch around 1952. When larger companies began using the same potatoes to make french fries, Western Polymer almost closed its doors. Before going out of business, the company decided to reorganize its production process and begin to produce potato starch for paper manufacturers. When paper was first invented by the Chinese, they added starch to help bind the paper together and make it stronger. That is still the practice today. “The Europeans are still really big on using potato starch to make paper, and in the early 1970's, when we first started the process we are currently using, we had to license the technology from a European company,” Sheldon explained. This process has helped transform Western Polymer into one of the best starch processors in the country. “Our focus on high quality and technical service to our customers differentiates us from our competitors.” Lynn stated. Several paper production companies are currently using potato starch to produce paper. By using this process, they have limited some of the pollution that comes from their mills. Western Polymer gets its potato starch from french fry and potato chip producers. Starch is a by-product of the slicing or cutting stage of these production processes. It accumulates in the process water and is sent through a recovery system within the plant and picked up by Western Polymer. The starch is then transported to Polymer’s plant and physically cleaned through screens and cones to remove any remaining pulp, peel or dirt. After the cleaning technique is finished, the process of turning waste into gold begins. To begin the process, Western Polymer raises the pH to around 11. A chemical that places a cationic, or positive, charge on the starch is then added. After reacting in the mixture for approximately 20 hours, employees then neutralize the solution, use a vacuum filter to remove the water, and then run it through a flash dryer. When the product has approximately reached 15 percent moisture, it is sifted and bagged to fit the customer’s needs. The owners of Western Polymer pride themselves on their level of customer service. They custom tailor each order to the exact specifications of the customer, even to the size of individual packaging (bags range from 50 to 3,000 pounds or bulk truck or rail). They are leading the way in customer satisfaction and are currently developing a liquid form of their product for easier use. Western Polymer’s process is also beneficial to the environment. “We are taking what was once a waste by-product and turning it into a useful product,” Sheldon added. “Using the starch in the paper increases the ability of the paper manufacturer to increase the production of recycled paper.” Paper is made up of all different sizes of fibers, and the larger ones typically have trouble holding onto the smaller ones. The fibers in recycled paper are not as strong as the virgin fibers found in new paper and contain more of the smaller fibers. By adding potato starch, the recycled paper fibers are strengthened and more of the small fibers remain in the paper. The smaller amount of unused fibers equates to a reduced amount of pollution, which lowers the cost and burden of waste. The future looks bright for Western Polymer. The company is currently developing new innovative products that will reduce the cost of production for paper manufacturers and are always looking to improve their already high level of technical service. Western Polymer represents the type of entrepreneurship this state needs — innovative, profitable and always striving to be the best. The company is a symbol of what Washington will be in the future and is currently an icon within the industrial community. Resources: http://www.awb.org/cgi-bin/absolutenm/templates/?a=886&template=print-article.htm