Closed-Loop Compostable Bio-based Packaging Materials

全球塑料污染问题的严重性不可否认。据估计，自20世纪50年代以来，已经生产了超过80亿吨的原始塑料（Geyer，Jambeck，Law\_2017）。到目前为止，在全球产生的塑料废物中，估计有10%被回收，14%被焚烧，其余76%最终进入垃圾填埋场，垃圾场或自然环境（Geyer 2020）。虽然正在努力提高回收率，但生产增长率和技术挑战超过了目前的废物管理能力。最近的一项研究发现，英国和美国公民每人每年产生的塑料废物最多，分别为99和105公斤（Law_et_al_2020）。这相当于每个英国公民每年使用10，000个塑料瓶，或每周使用近200个塑料瓶。Shellworks由三名帝国理工学院/皇家艺术学院毕业生于2019年7月成立，以解决这一问题。我们的目标是用我们的细菌衍生的可堆肥包装材料颠覆全球塑料市场，该材料利用农业废物，可再生和丰富的原料，作为关键原材料。我们的创新材料是真正可生物降解和家庭堆肥的。我们已经成功地与化妆品行业的主要目标客户实现了产品的中试规模，验证了性能和市场需求。然而，我们的工作尚未完成。我们现在明白，生产更可持续的材料并不能转化为更可持续的包装，除非我们能够确保适当的寿命终止。为了减轻回收设施对可堆肥材料和不可堆肥材料进行分类的负担，Shellworks提高了标准，现在专注于提供进一步的创新，以“闭合循环”并优化产品的报废阶段。在Innovate UK对该项目的支持下，并与新的合作伙伴Impact Solutions合作，我们将进一步改进我们的材料，以实现最佳降解，并开发可扩展的报废工艺。通过作为该项目一部分的研发，我们将能够指导消费者，并确保我们拥有强大的报废产品管理。该项目将为所有可堆肥材料进入英国市场打开一个关键障碍，确保该国现有的废物管理基础设施能够科普并提供环境最佳结果。该项目支持英国成为可持续包装世界领导者的雄心，应对全球塑料废物和气候危机，并与英国塑料公约的目标密切一致。

The severity of the plastic pollution problem world-wide is undeniable. It is estimated that more than 8bn tonnes of virgin plastic has been produced since the 1950s(Geyer,Jambeck,Law\_2017). Of the global plastic waste generated so far, an estimated 10% has been recycled, 14% incinerated and the remaining 76% has ended up in landfills, dumps or the natural environment(Geyer\_2020). While efforts to increase recycling rates are underway, the rate of production growth and technical challenges outstrip current waste management capacities and capabilities. A recent study found that UK and US citizens produce the most plastic waste per person, at 99 and 105 kg/person/year, respectively(Law\_et\_al\_2020). This is equivalent in weight to each UK citizen using 10,000 plastic bottles per year, or nearly 200 plastic bottles per week.Shellworks was founded in July 2019 by three Imperial College/Royal College of Art graduates to tackle this issue. Our ambition is to disrupt the global plastics market with our bacteria-derived compostable packaging material which leverages agricultural waste, a renewable and plentiful feedstock, as a key raw material. Our innovative material is truly biodegradable and home-compostable.We have already successfully reached pilot-scale of our products with key target customers in the cosmetics industry, validating both performance and market demand. However, our work is not complete. We now understand that producing a more sustainable material does not translate into more sustainable packaging unless we can ensure an appropriate end-of-life. In order to alleviate the burden on recycling facilities for sorting compostable versus non-compostable materials, Shellworks has raised the bar and is now focused on delivering further innovations to "close the loop" and optimise the products' end-of-life phase.With Innovate UK support for this project, and in collaboration with a new partner Impact Solutions, we will further improve our material to achieve optimal degradation and develop scalable end-of-life processes. Through the R&D developed as part of this project, we will be able to guide consumers and ensure we have a robust end-of-life product management. In doing so, we will unlock a key barrier for all compostable materials entering the UK market, ensuring that the country's existing waste management infrastructure can cope and deliver environmentally optimal outcomes.This project supports the UK's ambition to become a world leader in sustainable packaging, tackling global plastic waste and climate crises, and is in close alignment with the targets of the UK Plastic Pact.