{"id":113411,"date":"2022-05-10T07:22:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T05:22:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=113411"},"modified":"2022-07-25T13:07:00","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T11:07:00","slug":"plastic-packaging-material-that-is-both-sustainable-and-biodegrades","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/plastic-packaging-material-that-is-both-sustainable-and-biodegrades\/","title":{"rendered":"Plastic packaging material that is both sustainable and biodegrades"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Ideally plastic packaging should be both biodegradable and produced in a sustainable way, but this is rarely the case. Bio-PET is partially sustainable, but it is not biodegradable. PBAT is biodegradable but is made from petroleum-based feedstocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One material which is both is polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and, in this respect, it has few rivals besides the equal propertied polylactic acid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natural PHAs are produced by an extensive variety of microorganisms through bacterial fermentation. Due to its high performance, biocompatibility, biodegradability and green credentials, the PHA family has a large design space and accommodates a wide range of market applications, as a broad variety of different polymers can be produced and blended. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mimicking Nature \u2013 The PHA Industry Landscape Report<\/a> \u2013 a 2022 study <\/em>from nova-Institute and PHA coalition GO!PHA<\/a> \u2013 estimated installed PHA manufacturing capacity at under 50 ktpa as 2021 ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changing fortunes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The nova-Institute research team did however note \u2018momentum for this new polymer platform…rapidly changing for the better\u2019 and predicts that PHA manufacturing capacity will increase to 570 ktpa by 2027. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the last 20 years, natural PHAs have been intensively researched and a number of industrial scale plants have been built, though there have been some false starts along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next month, for example, will see the latest in a string of attempts to sell what is left of Italian PHA manufacturer Bio-on following bankruptcy. Its assets \u2013<\/em> including labs and warehouses, patent portfolio, shareholdings \u2013<\/em> were once valued over $100m\u00ad but several sale attempts have so far failed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the market<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Japan\u2019s Kaneka<\/a> however, is a PHA-based polymer success story with its Green Planet branded product available at a capacity of 20ktpa from February 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bacardi-PHA-Bottle-FTR-H\"
Bacardi-PHA-Bottle-FTR-H Source:<\/em>\u00a0Bacardi<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

US-based\u00a0Danimer Scientific\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0signature polymer Nodax uses canola oil as a primary feedstock. The\u00a0company has partnered with Swiss\u00a0food company\u00a0Nestl\u00e9\u00a0to develop biobased and biodegradable plastic bottles for the latter\u2019s water business using Nodax. The move is part of\u00a0Nestl\u00e9’s\u00a0vision to make its packaging recyclable or reusable with a particular focus on avoiding plastic waste. Between 2020 and 2025,\u00a0Nestl\u00e9\u00a0will phase out all plastics that are non-recyclable\u00a0\u2013\u00a0or hard to recycle\u00a0\u2013\u00a0for all its products worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Danimer is also collaborating with Bacardi on a new 100% biodegradable bottle for use across the spirits company’s portfolio of brands from 2023. The drinks manufacturer wants to replace 80 million plastic bottles per year, equivalent to 3ktpa of plastic, with a biobased alternative. The bottle, which is based on Danimer\u2019s Nodax PHA, is expected to biodegrade in 18 months with no microplastic residues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHA resin technology from Danimer is used in the compostable bag of PepsiCo\u2019s Frito-Lay\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Off\u00a0The Eaten Path\u00a0\u2013\u00a0snack brand. In collaboration with\u00a0 PrintPack<\/a>, Frito-Lay developed the product to include sound\/dampening technology. The move was to avoid the unprecedentedly loud crinkling noise that saw earlier attempts at compostable packets \u2013 for SunChips brand snack \u2013 pulled from retail a decade ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image
A packet of crisps Source:<\/em>\u00a0Frito-Lay<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pipeline PHA\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

PHA extraction technology owned by Bioextrax<\/a> \u2013 a biotech firm based in Sweden \u2013 has given the go-ahead for a scaled-up evaluation project to an as yet undisclosed EU-based PHA producer. The latter has a 12-month window to validate the tech \u2013 a process which could trigger a commercial agreement for use of Bioextract’s process within its own commercial production, and further licensing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bioextrax\u2019s patent-pending PHA from sucrose conversion method is 100% biobased, chemical and solvent-free and works with all PHA-producing bacteria and PHA types, the firm says. The technology leaves a nutrient-rich solubilised non-PHA bacterial biomass as a co-product (20-50% weight of cell biomass) and enables more than 50% cost reduction compared to other PHA-producing methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image
Venn diagram of which plastics are made from renewable feedstocks and which are biodegradable and which are both After<\/em>:\u00a0European Bioplastics<\/a>\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A thermoplastic resin suitable for injection moulding, thermoforming and extrusion, Enmat Y1000 PHBV from Chinese firm TianAn Biologic has been certified as biodegradable in seawater \u2013 and passed home composting testing \u2013 by Austria-based\u00a0certification body\u00a0T\u00dcV<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reportedly heat-resistant to 160\u00baC, it can be blended with biopolymers including PLA, starch-based polymers as well as synthetic biobased polyesters. Current output from TianAn Biologic\u2019s Ningbo City facility is 2 ktpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eco-friendly ambition <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

South Korea\u2019s Lotte Chemical<\/a> aims to commercialise a PHA-based bioplastic material it is developing in partnership with Chung-Ang University by 2023. The strategy complements its plans to invest $500 million in eco-friendly materials plants within a domestic petrochemical complex. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The moves coincide with Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Ministry of Environment support for increased use of recycled materials and biobased plastics. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The target is to replace 15% of industrial plastic use and 20% of those for non-industrial use with alternative materials by 2030 \u2013 targets that will likely increase in succession by 45% and then 100% by 2050. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In April 2022, South Korea\u2019s CJ CheilJedang shipped the first batches of its PHA-based material from its 5ktpa capacity facility in Pasuruan, Indonesia. As reported in Tecnon OrbiChem\u2019s May 2021 BioMaterials & Intermediates ChemFocus<\/em>, the company co-developed compounded PLA and PHA resins with chemical and film company SKC<\/a>. Intended as products both would market, CJ CheilJedang earmarked the product for its Happy Bean Tofu wrapping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image
Happy Tofu packaging which is made using a bioplastic material for its packaging Source:<\/em>\u00a0SKC<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In its\u00a0press release<\/a>\u00a0last week, CJ\u00a0CheilJedang\u00a0recognised that despite the product being a move in the right direction in terms of sustainability, \u2018the issue of full biodegradability \u2013 particularly in marine and home environments \u2013 has yet to be addressed\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future of packaging <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The remaining question over the biodegradability of their co-developed product distils much of the discussion around this relatively new packaging solution. For companies keen to explore the options around sustainable and eco-friendly packaging, GO!PHA and partner Netherlands-based biotech firm Helian Polymers<\/a> provides PHA samples for academic, research and development purposes at its PHA Sample Shop.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consumers are turning their backs on packaging that may increase plastic waste in our oceans and environment. Moving forward, they will support brands demonstrating Environmental, Social and (corporate) Governance principles that protect our world and future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This blog post was inspired by Tecnon OrbiChem Bio-materials & Intermediates consultant Doris de Guzman’s Green Chemicals Blog post PHA Sample Shop now open,<\/a> along with a<\/em>rchive material from the chemical industry chemical data intelligence platform OrbiChem360<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ideally plastic packaging should be both biodegradable and produced in a sustainable way, but this is rarely the case. Bio-PET is partially sustainable, but it is not biodegradable. PBAT is biodegradable but is made from petroleum-based feedstocks. One material which is both is polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and, in this respect, it has few rivals besides the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"GO!PHA and partner Netherlands-based biotech firm Helian Polymers provides PHA samples for academic, research and development purposes at its PHA Sample Shop","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572,17143],"tags":[11270,5796,10416,12518,7105,5885,11966,10453],"supplier":[17667,75,18913,4658,2979,1773,16068,7878,9324,6608,21310,4,11920,6996,19917,14040],"class_list":["post-113411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bio-based","category-recycling","tag-biodegradability","tag-biotechnology","tag-circulareconomy","tag-feedstocks","tag-packaging","tag-pla","tag-plastics","tag-recycling","supplier-bacardi","supplier-basf-se","supplier-bioextrax-ab","supplier-cj-cheiljedang","supplier-danimer-scientific","supplier-frito-lay","supplier-gopha","supplier-helian-polymers","supplier-kaneka-corporation","supplier-lotte-chemical-uk-ltd","supplier-nestle","supplier-nova-institut-gmbh","supplier-skc-films-inc","supplier-tecnon-orbichem","supplier-tianan-biologic-china","supplier-tuev-austria-group"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=113411"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/113411\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=113411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=113411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=113411"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=113411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}