We are thrilled to announce that our colleague, Elisa Galeri, has been recognized as one of the three winners of the poster prize at this year’s Food Day hosted by the World Food System Centre, ETH Zurich. Elisa’s award-winning poster, titled “Towards Acceleration of Environmentally Relevant Screening Tests for Biodegradable Polymers,” showcases innovative approaches to speed up biodegradability and biodegradation testing while ensuring environmental relevance—an essential step for sustainable materials in agricultural applications.
As agriculture increasingly relies on plastics, such as mulch films that are often left in the field post-harvest, there is a pressing need for biodegradable alternatives that decompose safely in natural environments. Elisa’s research, conducted in collaboration with HYDRA Marine Sciences, investigates how to accelerate the degradation testing of these materials. Her work examines the effect of various treatments, such as nutrient enrichment and microbe concentration, on the biodegradation rate of polymers in freshwater environments.
The results are promising: four out of five treatments showed a significant increase in degradation speed, particularly in nutrient-enriched environments. This research lays the groundwork for more efficient testing methods, which are crucial for developing new biodegradable polymers that can contribute to a circular and sustainable agricultural sector.
Congratulations to Elisa on this well-deserved recognition! Her work not only advances the goals of the REBIOLUTION project but also contributes to a broader vision of reducing plastic waste and fostering a greener future.
