BIOPLASTICS | MATERIALS
may come from algae, corn or potato starch, gelatins or proteins, and are often industry by- products.
Quicker testing
Aimplas has also developed a new way of assess- ing plastic biodegradability that it says is three times faster than conventional methods. The Spanish research institute says conventional
biodegradation tests, as required by current regulations, are time-consuming and costly, which limits the ability to explore new formulations from the early stages of development. It says the new test will help companies speed up decision-making when developing compostable materials. The new test puts materials through simulated industrial composting conditions, to measure the conversion of polymeric carbon into CO2. This can obtain preliminary results in much shorter time- frames, allowing companies to identify the most promising formulations early on. Though it does not replace the standardised tests needed for product certification (as defined by UNE-EN 13432 and related standards), the test can be used as a ‘filter’ to identify the most promis-
ing samples. This reduces risk and accelerates the path to certification in line with international standards, says Aimplas.
Bioplastic packaging A new pan-European research project aims to develop new types of bioplastics for food packaging. Greco, which runs for four years, has 22 partners including TotalEnergies Corbion and Aimplas. It aims to develop food packaging based on novel
Above: Aimplas says its test for biodegradabil- ity is three times faster than existing methods
IMAGE: AIMPLAS
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