A prosperous future for environmentally biodegradable plastics in Central Europe

A ROADMAP FOR ACTION – FROM SCIENCE TO INNOVATION IN THE VALUE CHAIN

This project is implemented through the CENTRAL EUROPE Programme co-financed by the ERDF

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. PLASTICE PROJECT

4

2. MAIN CHALLENGES FOR CENTRAL EUROPE

5

3. VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT

7

4. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

11

4.1. Characterization of the solid-state physical properties of polymers available on the market

11

4.2. Characterization of the compositions and molecular structures of polymer materials available on the market

12

4.3. Modification of polymer properties using chemical routes

12

4.4. Modification of polymer properties using physical routes

13

4.5. Optimization of the processing of environmental biodegradable polymers

13

4.6. Development support in industrial production processes

14

4.7. Research on functional properties

15

4.8. Biodegradation and compostability testing

16

5. CONTACTS

17

6. GLOSSARY

18

APPENDIX – CASE STUDIES

23

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1. PLASTICE PROJECT The PLASTICE project began in April 2011 under the Central Europe Program. In total, 13 partners – including companies, business support organizations and research institutions – from Italy, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia joined forces to identify barriers and to promote value chain development for sustainable plastics, specifically environmentally biodegradable plastics.

The general project objective is “creating framework conditions for enhancing the development of the biodegradable plastics market in Central Europe as an innovative test bed for new product applications in selected industries”. The industry sector with the greatest immediate potential for biodegradable plastics is the packaging sector (food containers, wraps, nets and foams). This sector includes the production of plastic bags for the collection and composting of green waste and supermarket carrier bags that are increasingly subjected to environmental scrutiny. Biodegradable plastics can also be used in a number of other disposable or single-use applications intended for general use (disposable plates and bowls, cold drink cups, cutlery, etc.) or specialized applications (sporting accessories, agriculture, etc.), although the applications are not exclusively limited to these sectors.

The roadmap presented herein aims to support application-oriented cooperation between research institutions and companies in Central Europe in the field of environmentally biodegradable plastics. By bringing together knowledge and competencies available in the respective institutions, this roadmap helps to guide producers through the process from research to commercialization of new environmentally biodegradable plastics and their applications. A set of case studies illustrates important issues to be considered when starting the production of environmentally biodegradable plastics and their applications.

This document was prepared within the Work Package 3 of the project Innovative Value Chain Development for Sustainable Plastics in Central Europe (PLASTiCE), co-financed under the Central Europe Programme by the European Regional Development Fund.

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2. MAIN CHALLENGES FOR CENTRAL EUROPE The plastics industry in the European Union is represented by more than 59,000 companies – most of which are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) - and is generating a turnover of approximately 300 billion euros per year1. Although the economic downturn between 2008 and 2012 in the European Union has negatively influenced sales figures in many industrial sectors, the plastics market in Central Europe is dynamically growing again after going through a two-year depression. We have witnessed several mergers and acquisitions in the plastics industry during the last three years, as well as growing market opportunities for new applications in the automotive, aviation, medical, electronics and white goods sectors.

However, from the environmental perspective, the disposal of plastics is still of major concern among European policy makers. Plastics are being applied almost everywhere, and the demand for plastics increases every year. This creates severe challenges for waste management and has a great impact on the environment because only a small fraction of plastic waste is being recycled.

In March 2013, the European Commission launched the “Green Paper on a European Strategy on Plastic Waste in the Environment”2 as part of a broader review of the European waste legislation. Prior to this report, plastic waste was only addressed in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive 94/62/EC, which included specific recycling targets for household waste. The European Commission took an important step towards producer responsibility in the waste management process in the Directive on Waste 2008/98/EC (article 8). In 2011, the European plastics industry launched the idea of a zero plastics to

landfill principle by 2020. If the European Commission and the national governments follow this recommendation, it would cause a severe challenge for Central Europe, where a major portion of plastic waste still ends up in landfills.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development foresees that the world will need a 4- to 10-fold increase in resource efficiency by 2050 to meet the demand for final products and applications3. Presently, cheap plastic gadgets, fun articles, short life toys, plastic carrier bags and other single-use products are often available at prices that do not reflect their full environmental costs4. A system reflecting the true environmental costs, from the extraction of raw materials to production, distribution and disposal, would help to consider other solutions, for example, the introduction of environmentally biodegradable plastics.

1 Plastics – the Facts 2012, An analysis of European plastics production, demand and waste data for 2011, PlasticsEurope, 2012, page 3 2 Green Paper “On a European Strategy on Plastic Waste in the Environment”, Brussels, 7.3.2013, COM(2013) 123 final 3 Communication from the Commission to the European parliament, the council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, Brussels, 20.9.2011, COM(2011) 571 final, page 2 4 Green Paper “On a European Strategy on Plastic Waste in the Environment”, Brussels, 7.3.2013, COM(2013) 123 final, page 15

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Although Europe as a whole has been a global leader in biodegradable plastics during the past decade, the United States of America and Asian countries are dynamically developing new applications. Central Europe is still lagging behind in its concern of the production and consumption of biodegradable plastics applications. Industrial pioneers in this area involved in the PLASTICE project noted the following barriers to overcome: 

Functional properties of biodegradable plastics have to be improved;



Know-how on ways to increase the shelf life of biodegradable packaging should be gained;



The implementation of the transformation process from traditional plastics to biodegradable plastics should be better managed in close cooperation with external partners, including material suppliers and research institutes;



The waste treatment systems should be provided with infrastructure to better segregate biodegradable plastics from conventional plastics.

According to estimations from Global Industry Analysts Inc., the global market for biodegradable polymers could achieve a volume of 1.1 million tons by 20175. To support the development process of biodegradable plastics, the European Commission has set an important milestone in its Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe: “By 2020, scientific

breakthroughs and sustained innovation efforts have dramatically improved how we understand, manage, reduce the use, reuse, recycle, substitute and safeguard and value resources. This has been made possible by substantial increases in investment, coherence in addressing the societal challenge of resource efficiency, climate change and resilience, and in gains from smart specialization and cooperation within the European research area .”6 More specifically, between 2014 and 2020, the European Commission will focus research funding, among others, on supporting innovative solutions for biodegradable plastics.

Taking the above statement into account, increasing demand in packaging and single-use product applications, growing awareness among end-users, pressuring landfill policies to ban plastics, unpredictable petroleum costs in the next decade and technological progress in biodegradable polymers are among the main drivers for developing the biodegradable plastics value chain in Central Europe.

The roadmap for value chain development is focused on environmentally biodegradable plastics, specifically compostable polymers (according to EN 13432, EN 14995, ASTM D6400, ASTM D6868, ISO 17088, AS 4736, AS 5810 and ISO 18606), designed to be disposed of in municipal and industrial aerobic composting facilities; based on renewable and non-renewable resources; applied in packaging, catering or agriculture; and available on the European market on a medium to large scale.

5 Biodegradable polymers. A global strategic business report, 2012 (www.strategyr.com) 6 Communication from the Commission to the European parliament, the council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, Brussels, 20.9.2011, COM(2011) 571 final, page 9

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3. VALUE CHAIN DEVELOPMENT The value chain structure for environmentally biodegradable plastics is comparable to the value chain for traditional plastics. However, in the case of traditional plastics, more attention is focused on the recycling and reuse processes, whereas the degradation and composting processes are taken into account with respect to environmentally biodegradable plastics.

European Directives on waste management National laws on waste management Certification systems

Rigid or flexible plastic converters

Producers and compounders of environ. biodegradable plastics

ers of products in

cosmetics,

biodegradable

pharmaceutics,‌)

packaging

Composting

Distributors, retail-

(food packaging,

Distributors, retailers of biodegradable packaging

Reuse and recycling

Downstream industries

Consumers

Raw materials suppliers

Research institutions

Public and non-profit organizations responsible for awareness raising campaigns, training and advice

In each stage of the value chain, there are specific research and development hurdles to overcome.

Characteriza-

Modification of

tion of polymers

polymer proper-

Processing

available on the market

Designing

Application

Biodegradation

effective

properties of

and

ties using chemi-

of

industrial

environmentally

compostability

cal and physical

polymers

production

biodegradable

testing

conditions

plastic products

routes

Companies willing to set up a biodegradable plastics production facility or planning to modify existing processes for new biodegradable plastics applications will likely face one of the following questions, for which this roadmap delivers a first set of answers. For more information, contact the national information point of contact in your country.

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Question 1: What type of biodegradable polymer material for your applications and polymers will fit best with my current ensure that each polymer material lot processing technology? delivered by your supplier meets the You should consider characterizing the solid -state

physical

properties

of

polymers

expected quality standards. You will also obtain insight on the specific storage (humidity, sunlight and temperature) and

available on the market.

processing

conditions

for

the

selected

Such activities include assessment of the

polymer materials, as well as on the shelf life

thermal stability, softening temperature and

conditions for products based on these ma-

mechanical properties.

terials.

This will allow you to select the most

information on the non-recyclable fractions

promising polymer on the market for the

of your product.

current processing technology as well as the

You can find more information on page 12.

You

will

be

able

to

obtain

foreseen application.

You can find more information on page 11.

You might also consider characterizing the compositions and molecular structures of polymers for specific applications.

Question 3: How can I chemically adjust the properties of available polymer materials to my specific production needs?

You should consider modifying the polymer properties using chemical routes.

Question 2: How can I make sure that the selected biodegradable polymer material has the appropriate properties for my applications? Which parameters should I take into account to guarantee product quality and biodegradability at the end of the product life cycle? How can I verify reproducibility of the polymer material I am supplied with?

You should consider characterizing the

Such activities include the application of chain extenders, introduction of functional groups and surface modification of the product (e.g., foil for better printing).

This will allow you to tailor the properties of the material to your specific requirements.

You can find more information on page 12.

You might also consider a research project that could result in a patentable process.

compositions and molecular structures of polymer materials available on the market.

Such activities include an assessment of the properties of final products, determination of impurities

affecting

processing

of

the

Question 4: How can I adjust the properties of commercially available polymer materials by physical means to meet my special needs?

material as well as the content and type of filler.

You should consider modifying the polymer properties using physical routes.

This will allow you to select the proper 8

Such activities include the formation of

including the application of stabilizers,

multicomponent

the

chain extenders, plasticizers or other routes

addition of plasticizers, compatibilizers,

that result in a decrease of the detrimental

fillers

effects of degradation.

materials

(preferably

blending

with

through

biodegradable)

another

or

biodegradable

polymer.

This will allow you to use your equipment in its

current

condition

or

with

small

This will allow you to tailor the properties of

modifications to the technology procedure

the material to your specific requirements,

without the need to invest in an entirely new

one of them being a decrease in the price of

production line.

the material.

You can find more information on page 13.

You can find more information on page 13.

You might also consider applied research

You might also consider specific research

leading

aimed

the

appropriate procedure for processing a

processing parameters, ultimate properties

particular biodegradable material with the

and

chosen equipment and conditions.

at

substantially

application

improving

performance

of

the

to

the

development

of

an

material.

Question 5: What should I do when problems occur during processing on my production line?

You

should

consider

optimizing

the

Question 6: How should I conform or adapt the production parameters of my technology process?

You should consider development support for the industrial production processes of

processing of biodegradable polymers.

your product.

Such activities include identifying the most

Such

appropriate temperature conditions in each

biodegradable

of the production stages. In most cases,

laboratory

processing problems arise from the low

testing for new products and on-the-spot

thermal stability of biodegradable plastics.

adaptation of the technical parameters of

If the processing temperature is higher than

the technology process.

the critical temperature, the material may undergo

degradation,

leading

to

a

decrease in molecular weight and a drop in viscosity. You could consider lowering the processing temperature or decreasing the residence time in the processing equipment.

If this is impossible (e.g., the melting temperature of the material is too high), applied

research

is

recommended, 9

activities

include

testing

plastic

material

under

conditions,

pilot

production

of

the

This will allow you to reduce the risk of failure and minimize the costs of the product start-up stage.

You can find more information on page 14.

Question 7: How can I obtain insight into the functional properties of my biodegradable product?

You should consider analyzing the functional properties of your product in concrete

This will allow you to obtain information on whether

your

product

is

eligible

for

certification and for receiving respective symbols or marks. You will be able to inform final consumers about the compostability of the product.

application areas.

Such activities include the determination of

You can find more information on page 16.

the aging properties of polymer materials, barrier properties of polymer materials (gas permeation), thermo-mechanical properties of

polymer

materials,

durability

and

shelf-life properties.

This will allow you to offer a product on the market that meets the specific transport, storage,

shelf-life

and

composting

Question 9: How can I determine the percentage of renewable/biogenic carbon in my product?

You

should

consider

determining

the

biobased content according to the ASTM D6866 standard.

Such activities include the determination of

requirements.

organic carbon content and determination

You can find more information on page 15.

of

renewable/biogenic

carbon content

using one of the methods described in the

Question 8: How can I confirm that my product is really compostable according to industrial or home composting standards?

ASTM

D6866

for

isotope

activity

determination.

This will allow you to obtain information on

You should consider biodegradation and

the percentage of biobased contents in your

compostability testing.

material, which is important for certification

Such activities include the determination of heavy

metal

disintegration eco-toxicity

contents, and

testing

testing

fragmentation (plant

growth

of

and marketing activities on promoting the sustainability of your products.

and on

compost).

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4. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT Here, you will find an overview of the research and development activities to be taken into account

when

considering

the

development

and

production

of

environmentally

biodegradable polymers, the production of environmentally biodegradable plastics products or when planning to use environmentally biodegradable packaging for your products.

4.1. Characterization of the solid-state physical properties of polymers available on the market … to obtain more information on…

If you want to…

…consider the following research activity

Select a polymer with appropriate thermal stability features

Analysis of the thermal stability (degradation temperature) of single- or multi-component materials (by thermogravimetric analysis, from RT to 900°C in an inert atmosphere or air)

The temperature range in which the polymer can be safely processed

Obtain insight on the thermal degradation behavior of a polymer

Analysis of the thermal stability and mass spectrometry of volatiles (by TGA-MS, from RT to 900°C) and changes in molecular weight (GPC)

The degradation fractions released by the polymer during thermal treatment

Assess the specific softening temperature of a polymer

Verify the mechanical properties of the polymer material Verify the thermomechanical behavior of the polymer material in specific conditions Determine if a fraction of the polymer is crystalline

Analysis of thermal transitions (glass, crystallization and melting transitions by determination of the transition temperatures and of the respective specific heat increments; crystallization and melting enthalpies by differential scanning calorimetry in the temperature range of -100°C to 250°C with liquid nitrogen cooling), 2 scans per sample Evaluation of mechanical properties at room temperature (elastic modulus, stress and strain at yield and break by tensile testing with statistical analysis of the results for a minimum of 8 specimens)

Estimated delivery time 3 days (single sample) 7-14 days (up to 10 samples) 3 days (single sample) 7-14 days (up to 10 samples)

The processing temperature window, the setup of processing parameters and the temperature range of use of a processed item

14-30 days (depending on the number of samples)

Material performance in terms of strength, rigidity and deformability

14-35 days (depending on the number of samples)

Determination of the viscoelastic relaxations (by dynamic mechanical analysis in singleor multi-frequency modes in the temperature range of -150°C to 250°C)

Long-term behavior of the material (potential aging); material response to vibrational strain.

21-30 days

Structural analysis of the crystal phase (by wide angle X-ray powder diffraction)

Dependence of the solidstate material behavior on the amount of crystallinity

14 days

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4.2. Characterization of the compositions and molecular structures of polymer materials available on the market If you want to…

Obtain insight on the composition of insoluble or cross-linked materials Determine if there is any filler in the material Obtain insight on the composition of the soluble fraction of the material Determine if your polymer material has suitable molecular weight for the specific application Identify which organic additives your plastic contains Determine whether your PHA is a physical blend or copolymer

…consider the following research activity

… to obtain more information on…

Estimated delivery time

Determination of the solid-state properties using infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer)

The type of polymer and functional groups present in the polymeric material

7-14 days

Characterization of the material solubility and determination of the polymer percentage in the plastic

The content and type of insoluble filler

7-21 days

Characterization of the polymer in the plastic by NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy

The chemical structure of the selected polymer (statistical content of particular units)

7-21 days

Evaluation of the polymer molecular weight using the GPC technique (gel permeation chromatography)

The molar mass, molar mass dispersity as well as branching degree

7-21 days

Analysis of the additives using mass spectrometry (LCMS-IT-TOF, hybrid mass spectrometer)

The chemical structures of the organic additives

7-21 days

Sequence analysis of PHA using NMR and mass spectrometry techniques

The chemical homogeneity of the PHA samples

7-21 days

4.3. Modification of polymer properties using chemical routes If you want to…

Obtain insight on the ultimate properties and processing parameters Identify how to change properties of the commercially available material Understand how to achieve special surface properties

…consider the following research activity

… to obtain more information on…

Estimated delivery time

Determination of the physical properties of polymeric materials

The mechanical properties, viscosity, flow curves, gas permeation and flammability of the material

3-14 days

Modification of polymers to achieve specific properties, i.e., crosslinking of polymers for better solvent resistance

The development of tailored material according to specific requirements

30 days (up to 2 years in the case of tailored applied research)

Modification of polymers to achieve specific properties, i.e., increased polymer surface polarity for better printability, adhesion and thermal and oxidative stability

The development of tailored surface material properties to specific requirements

30 days (up to 2 years in the case of tailored applied research)

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4.4. Modification of polymer properties using physical routes If you want to…

…consider the following research activity

… to obtain more information on…

Estimated delivery time

Change properties by adding low–molecular weight additives

Modification of the properties of a particular polymer by adding low-molecular weight additives, e.g., plasticizers, chain extenders, stabilizers, or by blending with small quantities of another polymer to achieve the desired properties

The development of a tailored material according to specific requirements

30 days (up to 2 years in the case of tailored applied research)

Change properties by blending with other polymers

Blending two polymers over their full concentration range to give the desired properties, achieved by modification of the interface and compatibility of the components

Development of tailored material according to your requirements

30 days (up to 2 years in the case of tailored applied research)

Preparation of composites based on a polymeric matrix with tailored properties via modification of the interface

The possibilities to lower overall material costs by adding low-cost additives with marginal or no changes in required properties

30 days (up to 2 years in the case of tailored applied research)

Change properties by adding fillers

4.5. Optimization of the processing of environmentaly biodegradable polymers If you want to …

Optimize the processing route for a particular polymer material

…consider the following research activity

… to obtain more information on…

Estimated delivery time

Determination of the processing parameters of selected polymer materials

The parameters of the new production line to be installed or the technology procedure manual for your current production line

7-30 days

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4.6. Development support in industrial production processes If you want to…

Determine whether your production line will be capable of processing the selected polymer material for film production Determine whether your production line will be capable of processing the selected polymer material for flexible packaging production Identify the most appropriate processing parameters Obtain insight on possible changes that might occur in the physical properties of the material after processing Verify whether the material molecular properties change during processing

…consider the following research activity

… to obtain more information on…

Estimated delivery time

Laboratory scale production of films, including research on processing and blending, production of master batches combined with injection molding, production of specimens for material testing and recording of the rheological properties

The pilot conditions for material processing

7-14 days

Laboratory scale production of flexible packaging

The behavior of the melting and film blowing processing properties of the product you intend to form

7-14 days

Support of pilot production on-site

Controlling the mechanical properties of the product during the production process, i.e., mechanical property measurements (Instron model 4204 tensile tester)

Controlling the molecular weight of the product after the production process

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The processing parameters that allow you to minimize quality and cost risks The probability of degradation and crystallization in the processing and product storage stage as well as the additives you should consider The degree of degradation of the material during processing

1-45 days

7-14 days

7-21 days

4.7. Research on functional properties If you want to…

Obtain insight on product durability under specific storage and usage conditions Obtain insight on the ecological impact of the material Understand how gases are transmitted through the product Identify possible applications for selected materials and products based on them Understand more about closure and sealing opportunities of your material or product Obtain insight on the physical-chemical properties of the product Determine whether your product is appropriate for food applications Verify the presence of dangerous impurities

…consider the following research activity

… to obtain more information on…

Estimated delivery time

Xenotest method used to determine the material behavior in natural conditions

Product shelf life and lifetime

120 days*

Determination of the total organic carbon and bio-based content of the polymer materials

How much renewable carbon is in your material

30 days*

Testing the permeability of water vapor, oxygen and carbon dioxide

Possible applications of the product in downstream industries (fresh food, frozen food)

14 days*

Mechanical properties for specific applications, such as durability

14 days*

How and under which conditions your material seals

14 days*

Determination of tensile properties (stress at break, elongation at break, modulus of elasticity, etc.)

Determination of tear resistance Determination of impact resistance using the free-falling dart method Sealing properties (max load at break, sealing resistance, etc.)

Hot-tack seal testing

DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) and FT-IR (infrared spectroscopy)

Sensory analysis Overall and specific migration testing of low -molecular substances into foodstuffs

Testing of the monomer content in plastic materials and of the emission of volatile substances

The application temperature range of your product and its suitability for specific applications How taste and smell are transferred from the material to the food product

7 days*

30-60 days*

What substances travel from the material to the food product The processing risks leading to difficulties in certification

30 days*

*Average delivery time, including preparation, testing and reporting. Times can vary based on the actual laboratory queue

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4.8. Biodegradation and compostability testing If you want to…

…consider the following research activity

… to obtain more information on…

Estimated delivery time

Verify how quickly your material disintegrates in compost

Disintegration testing under laboratory c o nd i ti o ns: p re li m i na ry t es t s of biodegradation on the packaging material using simulated composting conditions in a laboratory-scale test according to EN 14806: 2010

The compostability potential of your material

120 days

Understand how well your material biodegrades

Degradation under laboratory conditions: hydrolytic degradation test in water or a buffer solution (degradation tests of biodegradable polymers in simple aging media to predict the behavior of the polymers)

The degradation potential of your material in specific media

Up to 180 days (depending on the type of materials and the standard)

Understand how well your material biodegrades

Degradation and compostability testing under laboratory conditions: laboratory degradation in compost using a respirometry test (Respirometer Micro-Oxymax S/N 110315, Columbus Instruments, for measuring CO2 under laboratory conditions according to EN ISO 14855-1:2009 - Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide - Part 2: Gravimetric measurement of carbon dioxide evolved in a laboratory-scale test)

The compostability potential of your material

Up to 180 days (depending on the type of materials and the standard)

Obtain feedback on whether your product might receive the necessary certification and labels

(Bio)degradation and compostability testing at composting facilities (tests of biodegradable material in an industrial composting pile or a KNEER container composting system)

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The conditions for getting your product certified and obtaining the right to mark it with a compostability label

Up to 180 days (depending on the type of materials and the standard)

5. CONTACTS For more information contact your national information point.

For Italy, Austria

University of Bologna, Department of Chemistry ‘G. Ciamician’ Mariastella Scandola, Professor, head of the Polymer Science Group Tel./Fax: +39 0512099577/+39 0512099456 E-mail: mariastella.scandola@unibo.it

For Czech Republic, Slovak Republic

Polymer Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences Ivan Chodak, Senior scientist, Professor Tel./Fax: +421 2 3229 4340 / +421 2 5477 5923 E-mail: upolchiv@savba.sk Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava Dušan Bakoš, Professor Tel./Fax: +421 903 238191, +421 2 59325439, fax +421 2 52495381 E-mail: dusan.bakos@stuba.sk

For Slovenia, Balkan States

National Institute of Chemistry, Laboratory for Polymer Chemistry and Technology Andrej Kržan, Senior research associate Tel./Fax: +386 1 47 60 296 E-mail: andrej.krzan@ki.si Center of Excellence Polymer Materials and Technologies (CO PoliMaT) Urska Kropf, Researcher Tel./Fax: +386 3 42 58 400 E-mail: urska.kropf@polieko.si

For Poland, Baltic States

Polish Academy of Sciences, Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials Marek Kowalczuk, Head of the Biodegradable Materials Department Tel./Fax: +48 32 271 60 77/+48 32 271 29 69 E-mail: cchpmk@poczta.ck.gliwice.pl COBRO—Packaging Research Institute Hanna Żakowska, Deputy Director for Research Tel./Fax: +48 22 842 20 11 ext. 18 E-mail: ekopack@cobro.org.pl

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6. GLOSSARY Polymer - macromolecule composed of many repeating units.

A polymer (poly-mer from Greek: poly - many, meros - parts) is normally considered to be an organic compound, although inorganic polymers are also known. Polymers can contain thousands of repeating units (monomers) arranged in a linear or branched fashion and can reach molecular weights greater than one million Daltons (Dalton = g/mol).

Polymers are found in nature or are man-made (artificial, synthetic). Natural polymers (= biopolymers) are specific and crucial constituents of living organisms. Polymers are mainly polysaccharides (e.g., cellulose, starch and glycogen) and proteins (e.g., gluten, collagen and enzymes), although many other forms are also known, such as lignin and polyesters. Man -made polymers are a large and diverse group of compounds not known in nature. They are synthesized through chemical or biochemical methods. The global annual production of man-made polymers was estimated to be 230 million tons in 2009 (Plastics – The Facts 2010).

The main use of man-made polymers is in the production of plastics. Polymers are distinguished from plastics in that they are pure compounds, whereas plastics are formulated materials ready for use.

Biopolymer – polymer formed by living organisms.* Biopolymers (= natural polymers) are crucial constituents of living organisms, including proteins, nucleic acids and polysaccharides. They are mainly polysaccharides (e.g., cellulose, starch and glycogen) and proteins (e.g., gluten, collagen and enzymes), although many other forms are also known, such as lignin, polyesters, etc. Alternative 1: fully or partially bio-based polymer (CEN/TR 15932:2009) * Adapted based on PAC, 1992, 64, 143 (Glossary for chemists of terms used in biotechnology (IUPAC Recommendations 1992)), definition on page 148

Plastics – polymer-based materials that are characterized by their plasticity.

The main component of plastics (from Greek: plastikos - fit for molding, plastos - molded) is polymers, which are “formulated” by the addition of additives and fillers to yield the technological material – plastics. Plastics are defined by their plasticity – a state of a viscous fluid at some point during its processing.

According to EN ISO 472: Plastics - Material that contains a high polymer as an essential ingredient and that can be shaped by flow at some stage in its processing into finished products.

Biodegradation – breakdown of a substance by biological activity.

Biodegradation must involve the action of living organisms in the degradation process; however, it can be combined with other abiotic processes. Biodegradation occurs through the action of enzymes applied either as digestive systems in living organisms and/or as isolated or excreted enzymes. Organisms carry out biodegradation on substrates that are 18

recognized as food and serve as a source of nutrients. The end products of biodegradation are common products of digestion, such as carbon dioxide, water, biomass or methane. This final step is known as ultimate biodegradability or biological mineralization. For practical purposes, the rate of biodegradation and the final products of biodegradation should be known.

Biodegradable plastics (Environmentally biodegradable plastics) – plastics susceptible to biodegradation.

The degradation process of biodegradable plastics can include different parallel or subsequent abiotic and biotic steps; however, it must include the step of biological mineralization. Biodegradation of plastics occurs if the organic material of plastics is used as a source of nutrients by the biological system (organism).

Biodegradable plastics can be based on a renewable-biomass (i.e., starch) or nonrenewable-fossil (i.e., oil) feedstocks processed in a chemical or biotechnological process. The source or process by which biodegradable plastics are produced does not influence the classification as biodegradable plastic. The biodegradation rate of a plastic item depends, in addition to the specific plastics formulation, also on the surface-to-volume ratio, thickness, etc.

Compostable plastics – plastics that biodegrade under the conditions, and in the timeframe, of the composting cycle.

Composting is a method of organic waste treatment conducted under aerobic conditions (presence of oxygen) where the organic material is converted by naturally occurring microorganisms. During industrial composting, the temperature in the composting heap can reach temperatures up to 70 °C. Composting is conducted in moist conditions. The composting process takes place over months. It is important to understand that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily compostable plastics (they can biodegrade over a longer time period or under different conditions), whereas compostable plastics are always biodegradable. The definition of criteria for compostable plastics is important because materials not compatible with composting can decrease the final quality of compost.

Compostable plastics are defined by a series of national and international standards (i.e., EN13432 and ASTM D6900), which refer to industrial composting. EN13432 defines the characteristics of a packaging material to be recognized as compostable and acceptable to be recycled through composting of organic solid waste. EN 14995 broadens the scope to plastics used in non-packaging applications. These standards are the basis for a number of certification systems.

According to EN 13432, a compostable material must possess the following characteristics: 

Biodegradability: capability of the compostable material to be converted into CO2 under the action of microorganisms. This property is measured through the standard EN 14046 (also published as ISO 14855 - biodegradability under controlled composting conditions). To demonstrate complete biodegradability, a biodegradation level of at least 90 % must be reached in less than 6 months.



Disintegrability: physical fragmentation and loss of visibility in the final compost measured in a pilot-scale composting test (EN 14045).

19



Absence of negative effects on the composting process



Low levels of heavy metals and absence of negative effect on the final compost

Home composting differs from industrial composting by the lower temperature in the composting heap. A plastic material must be specially tested to prove compostability under home composting conditions.

Bioplastics – a plastic material that is biodegradable, bio-based or both.* The term in the primary definition is widely used in the plastics industry and less in the scientific community.

Alternative use 1: may also mean biocompatible plastics (CEN/TR 15932).

Alternative use 2: natural plastic material. There are very few known bioplastics. A leading example is polyhydroxyalkanoates – natural thermoplastic polyesters. * European Bioplastics

Bio-based plastics – plastics based on biomass (excluding fossilized biomass).

Plastics can be fully or partially based on biomass (= renewable resources). The use of renewable resources should lead to a higher sustainability of plastics. Although fossil sources are natural, they are not renewable and are not considered a basis for biobased plastics. For defining the extent to which plastics are bio-based, see Biobased carbon content. Biobased materials are often referred to as biomaterials, although, in professional use the terms are not synonyms (see Biomaterial). The use of this term as a synonym to the term biobased plastics is inappropriate and should thus be discouraged.

Biomass – material of biological origin, excluding fossilized and geologic materials (= renewable resources) The terms biomass and renewable resources describe the same materials from the aspect of source and time of replenishment. Renewable resource is a resource that is replenished at a rate comparable to its exploitation rate. Biomass can be of animal, vegetal or microbial origin.

Biobased – derived from biomass.

Biobased carbon content – content of biomass-derived carbon as mass fraction of total organic carbon in a material.

Biobased carbon content is precisely determined by measurement of the 14C isotope content.

(14C in renewable resources is much higher than in fossil sources and the half-life is 5730 years). This method is the basis for the ASTM D6866 standard: Standard Test Methods for

Determining the Biobased Content of Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using Radiocarbon Analysis. More standards on this basis are currently under development. Certificates and certification logos based on ASTM D6866 are available for materials of different biobased content. “Biobased content” has the same meaning according to ASTM D6866. Closely related “biomass content” is defined as the mass fraction of biomass sourced material (CEN/TR 15932:2009).

20

Biomaterial – material for biomedical applications See definitions issued by the http://www.biomaterials.org/index.cfm

international

Society

for

Biomaterials:

Sustainability – a general term that describes the resource burden of a process or product.

There are two main scopes in which sustainability is presented. The narrower focuses exclusively on the use of material and energy resources. The broader takes account of wider social aspects and considers sustainability to be composed of economic, social and resource sustainability. The latter definition is seen as less well-defined because of the arbitrary nature of parameters and criteria used, while the former has a more technical aspect.

Sustainability is most commonly described by the definition that arose at the Rio conference on climate change: The use of resources without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to do so as well. A different definition focusing on material and energy renewability was coined by R. Baum, Sun based in real-time. The point of both definitions is that sustainability is not compatible with terminal and exhaustive consumption of resources. The second definition acknowledges the sun as the sole source of energy (also needed for biomass creation).

Key tools identified to evaluate sustainability can be grouped into four main categories: 1.

Tools for Sustainable Governance (e.g., GGP); 2.

Methods and tools for assessing environmental, economic and social impacts (e.g., LCA); 3.

Tools for environmental management and certification (e.g., EMAS); 4.

Tools for sustainable design (e.g., ecodesign).

Sustainability is commonly measured by the use of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a systematic and objective method for evaluating and quantifying the energy and environmental consequences and potential impacts associated with a product/process/activity throughout its entire life cycle from the acquisition of raw materials until its end of life (“from cradle to grave”). In this technique, all phases of a production process are considered as related and interdependent, making it possible to evaluate the cumulative environmental impacts. At an international level, LCA is governed by the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. LCA is the main tool for implementing ‘Life Cycle Thinking’ (LCT). LCT is fundamental as a cultural approach because it involves considering the entire product chain and identifying which improvements and innovations can be made to it.

LCA is also known as life-cycle analysis, ecobalance, and cradle-to-grave analysis.

21

Sources: 1.

Plastics – The Facts 2010, European Plastics, 2010 http://www.plasticseurope.org/ documents/document/20101006091310-final_plasticsthefacts_28092010_lr.pdf

2.

IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled

by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997).

XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins.

3.

EN ISO 472 Plastics - Vocabulary

4.

Technical report CEN/TR 15932: 2010 Plastics - Recommendation for terminology and characterisation of biopolymers and bioplastics, European Committee for Standardization, Brussels, March 24, 2010.

5.

ASTM D883 - 11 Standard Terminology Relating to Plastics (including literature related to plastics terminology in Appendix X1)

6.

EN 13193:2000 Packaging – Packaging and the environment – Terminology

7.

EN 13432:2000 Packaging - Requirements for packaging recoverable through composting and biodegradation

8.

EN 14995:2006 Plastics: Evaluation of compostability

9.

Council of the European Union, Improving environmental policy instruments. Council conclusions, Brussels, 21 December 2010.

22

APPENDIX—CASE STUDIES Posters, presented at 3rd International PLASTiCE Conference THE FUTURE OF BIOPLASTICS CS 1A

— Testing of markers for easy identification of biodegradable plastics in the

CS 1B

waste stream — Testing of markers for easy identification of biodegradable plastics in the

CS 2B

waste stream — Systematic approach for sustainable production for bioplastics - Composting

CS 3

— Sustainable plastics materials in hygiene products

CS 4&5

— Production of packaging for eggs made from BDPs

CS 6A

— Introduction of biodegradable plastics into drinking straw production

CS 6B

— Introduction of biodegradable materials into production of twines for agriculture

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Innovative value chain developement for sustainable plastics in Central Europe

CS 1A—Testing of markers for easy identification of biodegradable plastics in the waste stream U. Kropf1, S. Gorenc2, P. Horvat3, A. Kržan3 1

Centre of excellence Polymer Materials and Technologies PoliMaT, Tehnoloski park 24, 100 Ljubljana Plasta production and trade, Kamnje 41, 8232 Šentrupert 3 National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana 2

INTRODUCTION Biodegradable plastics when properly disposed with organic waste are in appearance indistinguishable from non-degradable plastics. In some processes they are excluded from the organic waste stream and are incinerated or landfilled. This completely annihilates the potential of biodegradable plastics to be integrated in the natural material cycles. A solution is the introduction of a labelling method that is simple for application to different compostable materials, simple for use in the waste management system and should be as specific as possible to avoid counterfeit products were tested.

PROCESS IR DYES IR dyes are an attractive option since the IR spectral range is less occupied than the UV spectral range. No commercial IR dye was directly available.

An IR pigment (100 g in total) that was turned into dye which was modified several times in order to achieve the most suitable texture and adhesive properties to be applied on the selected plastic materials—Bio PE and PLA. As printing substrate two bioplastic materials (bioPE and PLA) in form of a 40 μm thick film on a roll were used. Both materials were treated with corona on the surface to achieve better printing results.

PRINTING and DETECTION Laboratory IGT printing was used to simulate flexography.

Printing on paper NO problems

UV DYES A commercially available UV dye was tested.

SELECTION OF THE MATERIALS and PRODUCTION OF FILMS Two materials certified as biodegradable were selected: Ecovio F FILM EXP (supplier BASF AG) and Prismabio 91319 (supplier FIPLAST srl). The total quantity of material used for testing, was approx.

600 kg. The transformation of materials was made from LDPE MFI 2 to biodegradable material – without problems – only correction was reduction of temperature profile to 150 °C. Prior to processing it was very important to dry materials (3 hours at 55 °C to 60 °C). Films used for production of UV marked biodegradable bags were prepared by the blown film extrusion process on a mono-layer KUHNE line:

Printing on plastics

Type of extruder

Φ70 mm with 30D

Very thin film—extension and twisting

Balloon diameter

Max. 1600 mm

Bad adhesion of the dye—issue solved with modification of the dye

Type of screw

low temperature screw

Die head

Φ 250 mm with GAP 1,2 mm

Capacity

up to 260 kg/h

Winder

2x Kolb 1800 mm

Thickness

7 - 40 μm

Figure 1 From top: 1) paper with normal dye 2) paper with IR dye 3) PLA with IR dye 4) PLA with normal dye 5) PE with normal dye 6) PE with IR dye (paper behind)

PRINTING and DETECTION

Under visible light different materials printed with different dyes have the same appearance. Trouble with adhesiveness can be observed in Figure 1.

With an IR detector normal black dye is invisible and the IR black dye is visible as black. Detection is possible with an IR camera.

IR spectrum of the print without IR dye and with IR dye on paper and PLA film Figure 2 IR reflection spectrums of the paper samples. Through the entire UV the sample is black (very low reflection), VIS and NIR if the dye does not contain IR pigment. With the addition of the pigment one can observe no changes in UV or VIS but a significant difference in IR where the reflection increases.

Figure 3: Blown film extrusion

Figure 4: Blown film extrusion

Flexogr aphy U V pr inting w as performed on Kleine 2+2 equipment.

For UV printing it is possible to use solvent or water based printing inks.

For the purposes of this study (part of detection with UV ink) we have decided to use solvent based printing ink Termosac Rivelatore UV 012465, manufacturer Colorprint srl. Printing did not cause any additional problems.

Figure 5: Left: Control of print during flexoprinting.

Right: UV photo of the Ecovio bag printed with UV marker.

CONCLUSION  Printing on biodegradable materials is feasible both in laboratory and industrial scale  The main risk is verification of the separation of biodegradable bags marked with markers from nonbiodegradable due to the to small amounts of printed material to be tested in real situation of waste management.  When using dyes for marking biodegradable materials/products it is feasible to use existing technology and materials that are already available on the market. This way we can solve the identification problem of biodegradable plastics in the waste management system and make sure that compostable plastics do not end up in the landfills but are properly disposed.  UV marker printing should be no more than 48 hours after extrusion process for better print quality.

This project is immplemented through the Central Europe Programme co-financed by the ERDF

Innovative value chain developement for sustainable plastics in Central Europe

CS 1B—Testing of markers for easy identification of biodegradable plastics in the waste stream M. Musioł, W. Sikorska, G. Adamus, M. Kowalczuk, J. Rydz, M. Sobota Polish Academy of Sciences, Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials 34. M. C. Sklodowska St., 41-800 Zabrze, Poland INTRODUCTION The case study concerned the testing of markers for biodegradable plastic products to improve the identification of biodegradable materials in the municipal waste stream. A producer of biodegradable bags and a composting facility for biodegradable waste were involved. After selection of commercially available markers, printing and identification tests were performed on plastic bags. The participants in the case study focused on the development process of biodegradable plastic products with markers with the aim to verify viable solutions for future application. Cooperation between the Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials on the one hand and the Institute of Low Temperature and Structural Research Polish Academy of Sciences and the Faculty of Environmental Engineering of the Wrocław University of Technology on the other hand, allowed to verify available solutions on the market and to prepare masterbatches containing different types of markers. With the selected markers the company Bioerg performed coloration of granulate for the preparation of labeled bags (MaterBi with 10% masterbatches, final content of marker 1%).

PROCESS

Three kinds of plastic bags (GP2, BP2, GP1) with different types of masterbatches—exposition tests

In the next stage Bioerg produced labeled bags and delivered them to the Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials for composting tests under laboratory scale.

The laboratory degradation test of labeled bags no. B-P2 was performed in Micro-Oxymax respirometer (COLUMBUS INSTRUMENTS S/N 110315), to see the behaviour of the bags in laboratory compost. During the incubation, the samples gradually disintegrated, however the particles were still able to emit light. This is an important finding in case this kind of bags end up in regular waste streams:

Respirometer Micro-Oxymax COLUMBUS INSTRUMENTS S/ N 110315 and composting tests at the laboratory scale

CONCLUSION Testing of the segregation effectiveness was conducted at the Sorting and Composting Plant in Zabrze. The labeled bags after UV irradiation were placed on the moving belt. After turning off the lights, the waste stream was observed. The test showed that acceptable results could only be reached under full dark room conditions, what is difficult to achieve in existing waste selection plants.

The case study showed that these kinds of markers do not fit for manual selection of biodegradable bags in traditional waste streams. However they could be applied in full automated selection systems.

25 This project is immplemented through the Central Europe Programme co-financed by the ERDF

Innovative value chain developement for sustainable plastics in Central Europe

CS 2B—Systemic approach for sustainable production for bioplastics - Composting M. Musioł, W. Sikorska, G. Adamus, M. Kowalczuk, J. Rydz, M. Sobota Polish Academy of Sciences, Centre of Polymer and Carbon Materials 34. M. C. Sklodowska St., 41-800 Zabrze, Poland

INTRODUCTION The international project PLASTiCE is devoted to the promotion of new environmentally friendly and sustainable plastic solutions. The main goal of this Project is elaboration a transnational roadmap for technology transfer from science to biodegradable plastics industry based on a joint R&D scheme. A roadmap for a transnational R&D scheme will allow companies to enter much quicker into a technology transfer process in the future and to relay on the expertise from a transnational team of researchers.

Waste bins with biodegradable bags in Społem shops and schematic diagram of the organic recycling of packaging materials

The communication present the results one of the case study 2B „Systemic approach for sustainable production for bioplastics - Composting“, which concerns mainly the selective organic waste collection and studies of the biodegradation process of plastic packaging.

PROCESS

The idea behind the case study 2B is to set up a separate waste stream process by way of delivering grocery shops and super markets biodegradable waste bags (from Bioerg company) to select organic waste at the source. The Społem chose two shops as a place for implementation of this case study. Waste bins with the bags were installed near fruit and vegetable departments. The super market staff disposed organic waste to the bins. Waste was collected in the period 01.08 - 30.09.2012 with a frequency of once a week. The total amount of collected waste was 1280 kg, this means an average of 640 kg of organic waste per month from two stores. Next, the composting facility in Zabrze (A.S.A company) received organic waste from the selected stores in order to perform composting process.

The containers consisted approximately of 40% kitchen organic waste, 20% leaves, 20% branches and 20% grass. The conditions in container were computer-controlled, which allowed to read the current temperature of the process. [M. Musiol M; J. Rydz; W. Sikorska; P. Rychter; M. Kowalczuk Pol. J. Chem. Tech. 2011, 13, 55]

CONCLUSION The experiences in the case studies showed that the joint R&D scheme is necessary to initiate a wide cooperation process between all partners in the biodegradable plastics value chain in Central Europe.

Additionally one of the critical success factors is the full cooperation of the staff of company.

Some cooperation initiatives highlighted new issues and framework conditions for successful production of biodegradable packaging, implementation of these kinds of packaging under market conditions and selection and final composting of such packaging.

26 This project is immplemented through the Central Europe Programme co-financed by the ERDF

Innovative value chain developement for sustainable plastics in Central Europe

CS 3—Sustainable plastic materials in hygiene products 1

2

A. Zabret , U. Kropf , P. Horvat3, A. Kržan3, 1 Tosama, Vir, Šaranovičeva cesta 35, 1230 Domžale, Slovenia 2 Centre of excellence Polymer Materials and Technologies PoliMat, Tehnoloski park 24, 100 Ljubljana, Slovenia 3 National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

INTRODUCTION Hygiene products are mostly single use/disposable products and are therefore contributing to large amounts of plastic waste. A short market research identified compostable tampon applicator, biodegradable surgical tweezers, blisters, diapers for children and elderly and also pet products as possible bioplastics applications. According to market demand we have selected to perform test production of biodegradable tampon applicators and single use surgical tweezers.

PROCESS MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS The most important requirements for those products is their safety. A product that comes in contact with human body must not have any negative effects.

Within the EU tampons have to follow the European General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC on general product safety. The directive holds manufacturers responsible for providing products that are safe to use. Article 2 of the directive sets requirements that need to be fulfilled for a product to be recognized as safe (safe product). Technical and processing requirements: only few processing changes can be made.

SELECTION OF THE CS APPLICATIONS AND TEST PRODUCTIONS Based on the market demand, material properties and molding requirements we have selected the following two applications: tampon applicator and surgical tweezers.

TAMPON APPLICATORS Tampon applicator is a simple tool for inserting a tampon into the human body. A tampon applicator consists of two tubes, one bigger and one smaller and is presented in the picture below. At the moment tampon applicators are made from PE. The current market demand for tampons in the EU is approximately 15-20 billion tampons per year.

TEST PRODUCTION OF TAMPON APPLICATORS Tampon applicators are produced by injection molding. Technical requirements are given according to processing limitations of the existing production technique.

6 materials were tested: 3 starch based materials and 3 PHA materials.

SURGICAL TWEEZERS Tweezers are a useful and simple tool, used in medicine. We decided to produce tweezers from a PHA-based material because they are resistant to higher temperatures and would likely be suitable for steam sterilization.

TEST PRODUCTION OF TWEEZERS Tweezers are produced with injection molding. One injection cycle produces 16 tweezers and each cycle uses cca.

100 g of the material although the mass of each tweezer is only 4.7 g; 25g of the material goes for a massive sprue.

An acceptable prototype on which artificial ageing is currently carried out.

Processing temperature of PHA was lower than the temperature for conventional plastics. Also the overpressure at the end of the extruder was lower (5X) and the pressure profile in the extruder is lower. The obtained tweezers were well formed and had acceptable performance.

SIMULATED COMPOSTING

ADDITIONAL PROCESSING OF THE TWEEZERS Because tweezers used in medical applications need to be sterile we tested how the water steam sterilization influences the products. Steam sterilization negatively affected closing and torsion of the forceps and the brittleness of the material increased. Other methods of sterilization might be better suited for this material.

Project partner 11 established a method for simulated composting of plastic materials described according to the standard EN 14806 “Packaging Preliminary evaluation of the disintegration of packaging materials under simulated composting conditions in a laboratory scale test.

Figure: Left: Glass reactors for determination of disintegration (one is full, three are empty – photo taken in the middle of the preparation) Reactors are placed into large thermostatic chamber kept at 58 oC ± 2 oC. Total capacity of the box is up to 15 reactors (more if smaller reactors are used). The box itself was custom made for the intention of determination of disintegration within the PLASTiCE project. Right: Thermostatic chamber for determination of disintegration of plastic materials in controlled laboratory conditions.

CONCLUSION The production of biodegradable tampon applicators and biodegradable tweezers was not fully successful, however is developed further. It is time consuming to find the right material for production of specific hygiene/medical device products and the process must be taken case by case. Because bioplastics have different processing properties some adjustments in the production process are necessary (time, pressure, molds, etc.).

With adjustments processing of bioplastics is possible with conventional equipment. Introduction of bioplastics into production of hygiene products is time consuming but feasible.

27 This project is immplemented through the Central Europe Programme co-financed by the ERDF

Innovative value chain developement for sustainable plastics in Central Europe

CS 4 & 5— Production og packaging for eggs made from BDPs Polymer Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Slovakia) University of Technology in Bratislava,(Slovakia) INTRODUCTION This case study concerned the preparation of compostable material suitable for processing by blistering technology possessing the required mechanical properties and acceptable price. The aim was to develop fully compostable packaging for eggs, serving as an example of successful application for other companies that are not sure about benefits of these kind of applications.

PROCESS The material made from biodegradable plastics was adjusted on laboratory scale for packaging for eggs, especially regarding ultimate properties, price and processing parameters. Pellets made from a new biodegradable blend (based on PLA and PHB) was prepared in four slightly different alternatives mainly differing in processing details, with the aim to various processing parameters to be able to adjust the blend for fixed conditions in the pilot experiment.

The four compositions were tested under laboratory conditions regarding foil extrusion and consequent vacuum thermoforming. All compositions showed good processability both in extrusion and in thermoforming of 6-pack egg packaging, similar to reference materials, namely polystyrene (used nowadays) and polylactic acid (standard biodegradable material supposed to be easily processed).

In the meanwhile an external company made a thorough economic analysis (feasibility) of the production for three different kinds of packaging.

Twin-screw extruder for pellets preparation

Thermoforming process study

CONCLUSIONS

Product prototypes

Biodegradable material suitable for vacuum thermoforming was tested and packaging for eggs has been produced under laboratory conditions. This case study confirmed that industry and the research sector can overcome specific challenges in the production process and that it is possible to develop new biodegradable blends in a relative short period of time.

28 This project is immplemented through the Central Europe Programme co-financed by the ERDF

Innovative value chain developement for sustainable plastics in Central Europe

CS 6A—Introduction of biodegradable plastics into drinking straw production P. Horvat1, A. Kržan1, U. Kropf2, M. Erzar3 1 National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1000 Ljubljana 2 Centre of excellence Polymer Materials and Technologies PoliMaT, Tehnoloski park 24, 100 Ljubljana 3 Pepiplast d.o.o., Cesta goriške fronte 46, 5290 Šempeter pri Gorici

INTRODUCTION

Drinking straws are disposable single-use products with a long history and although straws are small they result in a substantial amount of plastic waste that is often dispersed in nature. Biodegradable plastic straws offer the same convenience as classic drinking straws with no or limited downside of the plastic waste issue. With this CS we could ease the transition of drinking straw production from conventional materials to bioplastics.

PROCESS FOOD CONTACT TESTING

PRODUCTION OF STRAWS

Drinking straws are a product that is intended to come in contact with foodstuff. Due to lack of information regarding overall migration from bioplastics we tested several products made of bioplastics to see if they are suitable for use in food contact applications.

Conventional straws are made from PP and the plan was to replace PP with a bio-based and biodegradable material which was already prepared to be used for production of this specific product. The used material was PLA based blend MaterBi CE01B.

We analyzed the overall migration of non-volatile substances from bioplastic items such as packaging and utensils into aqueous food simulants. The tested samples were commercially available products made of polylactide (PLA) and thermoplastic starch (TPS). For all 7 tested items and/or materials it can be expected that they may come in contact with foodstuffs. Testing was performed according to the standard EN 1186 in a laboratory accredited according to EN ISO/IEC 17025. Test methods for overall migration into aqueous food simulants a) by article filling, b) by total immersion, and c) by cell were used. The materials were exposed to aqueous solutions simulating actual use conditions and up to three migration cycles were performed. FT-IR spectroscopy was used for sample characterization and for identification of migrated substances. Total migration was quantified using the evaporation method.

In the conventional production the set-up of the system was well optimized and the system was very stable. This is crucial since a very high throughput (900 pcs/min) must be reached in order to have a sustainable production.

When switching to the bioplastics optimizing the new set-up of the system was quite complicated. A number of times the system collapsed only one step before it was set up. After suitable conditions were found the system was stable.

The production temperatures were lower than for PP. The biggest difference when comparing PP straws and straws made from bioplastics is in mass (biodegradable is approx. 50 % heavier) but this could still be improved. We also tested production of straws with hinges (knees) and observed no problems.

Figure 2: Introduction of melt through the cooling system and into the haul-off.

Figure 1: Migration cell, dismantled (left) and during the migration (right) The migration of non-volatile substances from bioplastics was determined by evaporation method. Overall migrations from all PLA samples and most TPS samples was below the level of detection, only one overall migration from TPS foil was above the legal limit but the product was not intended to come in contact with foodstuff (bags).

Figure 3: Left: The production line from the extruder to the haul-off (first part) and the rotary cutter (second part) Middle: System for collection of straws, Right: PepiPlast/PLASTiCE biodegradable straws

CONCLUSION From food contact testing results we can conclude that bioplastics can be used for food contact, important is that we take into consideration actual use conditions and do not use all materials for all purposes.

Although the material was intended for production of straws some processing adjustments e.g. temperature, pressure, screw rotation, production speed, etc. were necessary. Because production of straws from biodegradable materials is already well established elsewhere the producer of the material could offer us the right material.

The implementation of biodegradable plastics into straw production was fast and simple because we had a partner with long history of production of biodegradable straws. The company is also producing their own equipment for production of straws and knows how the machines are working and their wealth of experiences was also one of the main reasons why this case study was concluded so quick.

We conclude that there is a significant benefit when the operator has long time experiences with production of similar or the same products, knows the equipment and if we have the material intended for exactly this product.

The main advantage is the existence of the material intended for specific use, which allowed CS 6A to proceed with relative ease.

29 This project is immplemented through the Central Europe Programme co-financed by the ERDF

Innovative value chain developement for sustainable plastics in Central Europe

CS 6B—Introduction of biodegradable materials into production of twines for agriculture M. Scandola, I. Voevodina University of Bologna, Chemistry Department “G. Ciamician”, Selmi 2, 40126 Bologna, Italy

The company involved in the Case Study produces polypropylene twines for agricultural use and joined the Case Study with the intention to substitute the polyolefin used for production with a biodegradable polymer.

Material change over time for twine production Advantages of twines from biodegradable polymers for agricultural applications:  Ploughing-in of soil-biodegradable twines after use instead of collecting them from the field and disposing as waste  Improving the quality of the soil by using twines with added fertilizers to be released in soil in a controlled manner

Steps of the Case study:  analysis and selection of biodegradable polymers available in the market  characterization of physico-chemical properties of selected polymers  twine processing trials  characterization of the product

Main parameters considered in selection of biodegradable polymers for their use in twine production:  biodegradation in soil  appropriate mechanical properties  acceptable price

Simplified scheme of production line for twines at the company site

Selection of the polymer All materials taken into account as potential candidates were thoroughly characterized using a range of techniques (DSC, DMTA, TGA, TGA-MS, XRD, SEM, FTIR, mechanical properties etc.), in order to allow final selection of the materials to be processed at the company’s plant. Only two potential candidates were selected for twine production, based on proven soil biodegradability and commercial availability:  Polyester (A)  Polyester Blend (B) Twine processing trials and characterisation of the product After some trials with Polymer A at the factory’s production line, where problems with polymer film stretching after extrusion were experienced, laboratory trials on a small-size extrusion machine (fig. 1) were carried out.

The results using Polymer A were encouraging and a demonstration twine was produced (fig. 2). Mechanical properties of the thread were in the range expected for the twine application.

Polyester B didn’t provide good results.

Figure 1

Figure 2

CONCLUSION Important points to be taken into consideration for potential substitution of the presently used polyolefins with biodegradable polymers for twine production are:

   

Biodegradability in soil is a fundamental requirement The material must stand the applied high draw ratio after the extrusion The twine mechanical properties (strenght) must comply with application requirement Price of new polymer is a crucial factor

30 This project is immplemented through the Central Europe Programme co-financed by the ERDF

31

Better plastics produce less waste Plastics are a fellow traveller of modern life with whom we have an ambivalent relationship: we love the convenience of plastics but hate them for polluting our environment. Newly developed "bioplastics" are biodegradable or made from renewable resources, to make use of plastics more sustainable. PLASTiCE promotes a joint research scheme that exposes producers to the possibilities of the new plastics while also creating a roadmap for actions that will lead to commercialization of new types of plastics. www.plastice.org

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