MATERIALS | BIOPLASTICS
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Novamont says its mulch films have helped to improve rooting systems in many plants
dropped off, the report says that capacities for bio-based building blocks are rising faster. Be- tween 2017 and 2022, the estimated CAGR of 5-6% is around twice that of bio-based polymers (3 to 4%) as a whole. There are two main reasons for this: bio-based building blocks usually lead to dedi- cated bio-based polymers, which already show a higher growth rate; and the building blocks can be used in structural polymers, functional polymers and many other applications.
Bioplastic shift
Despite the continuing capacity growth of conven- tional polymers, there is an increasing focus on replacing them. UN Environment has published a report assessing the potential of replacing conven- tional plastics with alternative materials – such as bioplastics – in certain applications. While the report says it is “neither possible nor
desirable” to remove all plastics from society, consumers and policymakers know that alternative materials could reduce the worst effects of plastics pollution – and help to “reduce our dependence” on them.
“Making the switch from disposable plastic to sustainable alternatives is an investment in the long-term future of our environment,” said Erik Solheim, head of UN Environment. “The world needs to embrace solutions other than single-use, throwaway plastic.” The report highlights a range of frequently used plastics products – including plastic food contain- ers – and identifies them as among the ‘main culprits’ of marine plastic litter. It outlines a range of alternative materials – including plant-based polymers, such as those derived from cellulose – that can replace single-use plastics where possible. However, it says there are situations – especially in the medical field – where plastics provide an “essential use”. “But often, natural materials and alternative technologies can be used to break humanity’s addition to disposable plastic,” said the report. “This is particularly true for consumer products, as these represent a large amount of the plastic pollution contributing to marine litter.” Peter Kershaw, lead author of the report, said:
“The report is intended to encourage society to question our current use of plastics and consider the adoption of alternative approaches – especially for those items which can be characterised as designed for single use, such as packaging.” The report, Exploring the potential for adopting
alternative materials to reduce more plastic litter, is available HERE.
16 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | July/August 2018
Degradable advantage At last year’s Agricultural Films conference (organ- ised by AMI), Novamont of Italy said that its biodegradable mulch film has helped to boost crop yields while reducing the job of collecting film at the end of the growing season. Agricultural waste accounts for around 5% of all plastic waste, said the company – and mulch films are generally difficult to recycle because of their high level of impurities. For this reason, degradable films can help to
overcome this. The company says that its Mater-Bi mulch film has helped to boost the growth of a variety of crops, including tomato, asparagus, rice and grapes. “For some crops, like rice and grapes, mulch film is impossible to remove at the end of the crop cycle,” said Novamont’s Sara Guerrini. Tomatoes, for instance, had better-developed
root systems and higher yields when using Nova- mont mulch film, while it cut the need for weed control in asparagus. In vineyards, the film had the effect of boosting
rooting systems compared with conventional PE film (or bare soil), while vines under Mater-Bi mulch were harvested 17 months after planting – around one year faster than those planted on bare soil, said Novamont. Repsol of Spain has also developed a biode-
gradable mulch film – in this case, by incorporating an enzyme into the material. Under specific condi- tions of moisture, bacteria and temperature, the enzyme triggers the break-up of the polymer chains. “These serve as a source of carbon and energy for bacteria already in the environment,” said Roberto Gómez Bernardo, polyolefins advisor at Repsol.
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