A novel additive-based technology to biotransform polypropylene packaging to be compostable

“一个一次性社会已经在全球范围内传播塑料包装废物，污染了我们星球的每个角落。每年有超过2亿吨的塑料被生产用于“一次性”，其中35%被送往回收，由于未食用的食物或液体残留物的“污染”而被拒绝。令人惊讶的是，只有不到10%的塑料最终被回收利用。随着最近的“Latte Levy”促进了对可堆肥塑料的科学研究/兴趣，公众对食品包装废物的认识大大提高。这项研究的一个关键重点是基于添加剂的可堆肥塑料，该塑料寻求在其整个使用寿命期间保持传统塑料的物理特性，同时在工业堆肥条件下提供加速堆肥，完全转化为二氧化碳，水和生物质。这提供了替代的碳捕获，因为食品污染是不可避免的，保护环境免受塑料废物的积累。然而，目前的可堆肥塑料解决方案主要是生物基/水力生物降解塑料，这增加了土地竞争（有限的原料），比石油基塑料贵6倍以上，需要不同的制造基础设施。目前同类最佳的聚烯烃添加剂（聚乙烯（PE），聚丙烯（PP））在开放环境中提供加速生物降解需要至少2年，没有可用的解决方案在工业堆肥条件下在6个月内实现相同的生物降解-因此作为可堆肥产品销售。Polymateria旨在开发一系列先进的添加剂配方，用于制造可堆肥，可生物降解，具有成本效益的塑料。该项目与Chemex的生态毒理学测试专家合作，旨在开发第一种用于可堆肥PP包装的基于添加剂的生物转化技术，该技术将在Chemex的设施中进行测试和认证，作为第一家能够满足EN 13432标准的英国中小企业。这将为塑料包装行业提供突破性的技术，同时为英国提供独特的可堆肥性测试专业知识。双方合作伙伴都处于有利地位，可以利用这一机会：Polymateria已经在开放环境中商业化了PP和PE的定制生物转化配方，Chemex拥有最先进的测试设备和陆地和水生生态毒理学测试专家。在InnovateUK的支持下，需要一项为期两年的工业研究方案，以设计和测试聚合物理化特性和可堆肥性的配方。项目的成功将支持与PP Converters的联合开发协议，并在2022年实现商业化，以建立：- Polymateria处于塑料市场可堆肥添加剂的最前沿，有望实现显着增长，以及- Chemex作为英国唯一能够进行特定认证的测试实验室堆肥测试，以及他们的整个生态毒理学测试套件，以及陆地和水生生物降解测试。"

"A throwaway society has spread plastic packaging waste worldwide, polluting every corner of our planet. Each year \>200M tonnes of plastic is produced for 'single-use' with 35% of that sent to recycling rejected due to 'contamination' by remnants of unconsumed food or liquid. Astonishingly, less than 10% of plastic ends up being recycled.Public awareness of on-the-go food packaging waste has increased significantly following the recent ""Latte Levy"" promoting scientific research/interest into compostable plastic. A key focus of this research has been on additive-based compostable plastic which seeks to retain physical characteristics of conventional plastic throughout its useful life whilst offering accelerated composting under industrial composting conditions, transforming entirely to CO2, water and biomass. This provides alternative capture carbon, as food contamination is inevitable, protecting the environment from accumulating plastic waste.However, current compostable plastic solutions are predominantly biobased/hydro-biodegradable plastics which increase land competition(limited feedstock), are \>6x more expensive and require different manufacturing infrastructure compared to petroleum-based plastics. Current best-in-class additives for polyolefins (polyethylene(PE), polypropylene(PP)) which offer accelerated biodegradation in the open environment require a minimum of 2-years with no solution available to achieve the same within 6-months under industrial composting conditions -- and therefore marketed as compostable.Addressing this gap, Polymateria aim to develop a portfolio of advanced drop-in additive formulations for the manufacture of compostable, biodegradable, cost-effective plastics. In collaboration with ecotoxicology testing experts at Chemex, this project aims to develop the first additive-based biotransforming technology for compostable PP packaging, which will be tested and certified at Chemex's facilities, as the first UK SME with capabilities to meet EN13432 Standard. This will offer a breakthrough technology for the plastic packaging sector, simultaneously providing unique expertise to the UK in compostability testing.Both partners are well placed to exploit this opportunity: Polymateria has already commercialised bespoke biotransforming formulations for PP&PE in the open environment, and Chemex have state-of-the-art testing equipment and experts in terrestrial & aquatic ecotoxicology testing.With InnovateUK support, a 2-year programme of industrial research is required to design and test formulations for physiochemical polymer properties and compostability. Project success will support a co-development deal with PP Converters with commercialisation by 2022, to establish:- Polymateria at the forefront of compostable additives for a plastics market, poised for significant growth and- Chemex as the only UK testing laboratory capable of specific accredited composting testing, alongside their entire ecotoxology testing suite, plus terrestrial and aquatic biodegradation testing."