Environmental sustainability in plastic for agricultural and food use
Context
In agriculture, plastic mulch films are used to improve crop growth, save water, and reduce the need for chemicals. However, there is a risk of residual mulch film being left in the field during farming activities, especially when the film is too thin and hard to recover.
The agricultural plastics market accounts for 3.2% of the total plastic demand. As the world’s food supply is expected to increase by 50% by 2050, the demand for plastics, especially for mulch films (currently mostly made of non-biodegradable plastics like PE), will also rise significantly.
The project
The project aims to establish well-defined properties to enhance sustainability, utilizing non-toxic substances, reducing non-renewable resource consumption, and ensuring recyclability and biodegradability at the same time, both in home composting as well as in soil, freshwater and marine environments.
ReBIOlution strives to enhance functionality while ensuring the safety of products and processes. The project is dedicated to eliminating barriers to market penetration by offering a drop-in replacement that facilitates a smooth transition for the downstream value chain. This approach avoids the need for additional investments in plastic processing lines and reduces extra costs for consumers.
Objectives
1.
2.
Raw material sourcing from annually renewable sources
3.
To assess the behaviour of the polymer blends and final bioplastic-based products in different EOL scenarios
4.
Biodegradable in home and industrial composting, soil and aquatic environments
5.
Recyclable
6.
Enhancing circularity in applications where mechanical recycling is not possible – food paper packaging and agricultural films
7.
Safe to use
Who are we?
