Venvirotech, ENPLAST and AIMPLAS develop new bioplastics for cosmetics, food and agricultural packaging
Venvirotech, ENPLAST and AIMPLAS work on the COM4PHA project to develop new biodegradable bioplastics for cosmetics, food and agricultural packaging.
The COM4PHA project aims to develop bioplastics for different packaging.
In particular, the project is working on formulations based on the PHBV copolymer for applications in the packaging and agriculture sector, using innovative processing technologies for this type of polymer.
These technologies include hollow-body blown extrusion for bottles and the application of the copolymer as a coating on paper substrates and agricultural mulch films.
The biotechnology company Venvirotech, which specializes in the transformation of organic waste through a proprietary technology that uses bacteria to produce PHA bioplastics, is coordinating this project.
The company ENPLAST, a specialist in the creation and manufacture of all types of plastic packaging, is also participating in the project and will be responsible for validating the materials developed.
As a link between the two companies, AIMPLAS is in charge of the new PHA formulations, both for the production of packaging and for the formulation of coatings.
The overall objective of the project is also to optimize the synthesis of the material and favor the scaling up of larger quantities to be able to offer PHBV at an industrial level and reach certain applications that are currently occupied by conventional materials.
The new formulations for cosmetic packaging will be biodegradable and compostable and will comply with the established requirements, which will reduce their environmental impact. This innovation may also be applied to other processors and end-users in the food and beverage sector, in addition to cosmetics.
For coating formulations in the paper and agricultural sectors, developments will improve product quality and extend shelf life. The results can be exploited in the packaging sector, and applied to those where barrier properties are required, such as the food and cosmetics sectors. In the agricultural sector, they will be applied in mulch films to maintain crop quality based on the barrier and antimicrobial properties of the coating.
