NEWS


Research project will develop new bioplastics for packaging


A new pan-European research project aims to develop new types of bioplas- tics for food packaging. GRECO, which runs for four years, has 22 partners including TotalEner- gies Corbion and Aimplas. It aims to develop food packaging based on novel PLA copolymers, functional coatings, additives and catalysts. “GRECO aligns with the Packaging


and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) by developing bio-based, biodegradable, and recyclable PLA copolymers for food packaging,” said Dimitrios Bikiaris of Aristotle Univer- sity of Thessaloniki in Greece, who is the project coordinator.


Testing times for


PE film Borealis and Hosokawa Alpine have teamed up to test new machine direc- tion orientation (MDO) film structures. The tests centred on


Borealis’ BorShape polyethylene (PE) films – which have properties including consistent processability, thermal resistance and minimal gel levels, it says. One aim was to reduce MDO film thickness while maintaining process stability. In the tests, they made 15-micron film with stretching ratios close to 7: for comparison, MDO films are usually 23 microns thick. � www.borealisgroup.com � www.hosokawa-alpine.com


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The project aims to use modelling tools – and an iterative approach – to develop PLA copolymers with better biodegradability, performance, production rates, yield and quality. It will assess various end-of-life scenari- os, including testing the recyclability of the bio-based polymers and materials using mechanical and chemical recycling (in both open- and closed-loop systems). The biodegra- dability of the developed materials will be tested in marine, water, and soil environments. The materials will also be tested for industrial composting conditions and home composting.


Aimplas of Spain will use reactive


extrusion (Rex) to develop tailor-made PLA-based copolymers for food packaging.


“Developing PLA copolymers by


reactive extrusion – and producing additives by mechanochemistry – is groundbreaking,” said Belen Monje Martinez, a researcher at Aimplas. “This will help us achieve more sustainable, bio-based, recyclable and biodegradable PLA compounds and coatings.” GRECO has received €7.6 million funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research programme. � www.european-bioplastics.org


NatureWorks expands Ingeo with fast-composting grades


Biomaterials manufacturer NatureWorks has expanded its Ingeo product line with the Ingeo Extend platform, designed to enable faster rates of biodegradation and disintegration and achieve new levels of productivity. The new grades are


designed for compostability up to eight times faster than existing PLA grades and can also be blended with other Ingeo PLA grades to enhance their properties. The company says by replacing a fossil-based plastic, Ingeo reduces the carbon footprint of packag- ing by an average of 73%. “Brand owners and film


producers are increasingly asking for lower cost biaxial films for compostable food packaging and Ingeo


FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | May 2025 IMAGE: FLO GROUP


Extend 4950D biaxial films are ideal to replace small- format food packaging made from persistent polymers such as polypro- pylene,” said Roger Tambay, Chief Growth Officer for NatureWorks. Small-format packaging


films are more suited to composting than recycling, he said, and the Ingeo


Extend 4950D grade can meet this demand. NatureWorks has helped


Flo Group develop a compostable single-serve coffee pod from Ingeo PLA. The pod, called Keygea, “optimises water flow during extraction” and has high- barrier properties to protect against oxidation. � www.natureworksllc.com


www.filmandsheet.com


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