At the Plastics Technology Center (AIMPLAS), research on bioplastics is advancing towards more efficient and sustainable solutions in packaging applications. Under the BIOPROCESS project, the organization has focused its efforts on the development of flexible films with improved mechanical and barrier properties, designed for industries such as food, cosmetics, personal hygiene and cleaning.
To this end, AIMPLAS has applied extrusion technologies such as machine direction orientation (MDO), using commercial biopolymers together with new formulations based on polysaccharides and vegetable and animal proteins. The objective is to obtain biodegradable and/or compostable films that maintain the quality of the packaged product without sacrificing sustainability.
Natural polymers to replace conventional packaging
The project explores materials from algae, corn and potato starch, or gelatins, many of them derived from industrial by-products. These resources make it possible to create compostable packaging suitable for replacing traditional plastics, especially in applications where organic residues remain that make mechanical recycling difficult.
AIMPLAS collaborates in this initiative with Potato Bioplastics and Gaviplas, which provide expertise in the manufacture of bioplastics and flexible films, respectively. The solutions are designed to be compatible with conventional processing technologies and comply with current sustainability and food safety regulations.
European support for the improvement of bioplastics
BIOPROCESS is part of the projects funded by IVACE+i and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the Valencian Community. This support allows AIMPLAS to advance in the transition to a circular economy through sustainable packaging that can be managed as organic waste, closing the product life cycle efficiently.
The commitment to non-chemically modified polymers responds to the need to comply with the SUP directive on single-use plastics. In this way, the BIOPROCESS project seeks to have a direct impact on the packaging market with environmentally friendly and industrially viable solutions.
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Source and photo: AIMPLAS
