biodegradable

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has developed an environment-friendly biodegradable substitute for single-use plastics packaging by using plant-based material called polysaccharides which is fully biodegradable within a week. IIT Roorkee researchers claim that the material is non-toxic and has been made without using chemicals that are usually used in the production of synthetic plastics.

Given all these drawbacks, reducing the use of fossil fuels to produce plastic is the target of a great deal of research around the world. Many scientists are working on the development of biodegradable packaging materials that also prevent contamination by microorganisms and extend shelf life so as to reduce losses.

Grass fibres can replace plastic as a 100% biodegradable and disposable material for packaging for take-away food. This is the goal of the new innovative project SinProPack, which aims to develop a sustainable alternative to the disposable plastics currently used for packaging.

The project is bringing together industry, consumers and knowledge institutions to develop, demonstrate, test and evaluate fibre-based packaging for to-go food via proof-of-concept, pilot-scale trials and industrial upscaling.

The launch is part of Delivery Hero’s (talabat’s parent company) global rollout of the programme, across eight markets.
talabat’s new packaging, which will be available for selected restaurant partners and vendors to adopt, is 100% plant-based and contains no perfluoroalkoxy-alkanes (PFA), which are commonly known as forever chemicals, and cannot be broken down by nature. The packaging has also been rigorously tested to meet food safety, quality assurance, sustainability and ethical supply standards, talabat has said in a statement.

Hinchey notes hemp is biodegradable and therefore would save the environment from further pollution if cannabis produces are packaged in it.

“What we have done is directed the state’s new cannabis control board to develop a plan so that industrialized hemp can be used as a packaging material. That way we won’t use plastics, will be using something that is biodegradable, that will support our farmers, specifically New York State farmers – small- and mid-sized family farms with a new product and create the demand,” she said.

Designed primarily for drinks, these boxes are plastic and tape free and made from recyclable, compostable and  biodegradable FSC-certified paper, while the sleeves are made from 85% recycled paper pulp. Compact to store and lightweight for shipping, the Fold Top Box is easy to use and can be customised with company branding.

A new kind of compostable carrier bag that is made from the same material as egg shells and has a much lower carbon footprint than plastic, paper and other “biodegradable” bags has been launched in the UK.

Known as the Happy Dolphin, the bag is the result of a £4m EU commission to invent a new kind of plastic substitute to help solve the waste crisis.

Its developers are in discussions with UK supermarkets about using their bag and have signed a deal in Vietnam to supply four billion of them to Seven-11 outlets in the country.

BIOLO offers an alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics through its use of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a renewable plastic alternative that is certified by TÜV (formerly Vinçotte) for biodegradation in soil and marine environments as well as home and industrial composts. "PHA is made from plants, turns into feedstock for microorganisms, and leaves nothing behind. Simple as that," says Will Preston, CEO of BIOLO.

The pulp – from a supplier in France – is made from office waste paper, archives and shredded books and has a post-consumer paper percentage of over 90 per cent.

Fibrepak is thin-walled and smooth-sided, as well as scratch-proof, and can be recycled in traditional waste streams along with paper, compostable and biodegradable materials.

The packaging natural and renewable, and customers benefit from a precisely moulded pulp product.

Baker Perkins has specialised in the extrusion of starch-based foods such as snacks and ready-to-eat cereals for over 50 years, and is applying its depth of process know-how and experience to the production of biodegradable alternatives to polystyrene and plastic packaging.

This expertise is relevant because the process of mixing, hydrating, expanding, shaping and cutting starches into chips has more in common with food extrusion than plastics or other industrial processes.