Plastics have many properties that make them indispensable in numerous areas. However, the problem remains their production from fossil resources, and especially what happens to them at the end of their life cycle. Slovak biotechnologists are now coming up with an alternative: a bioplastic produced using algae and other biological resources. The material is biodegradable and, with a suitable composition, can even be edible. They have recently presented their solution in Denmark as part of a European project focused on biological solutions for the circular economy.
“In my opinion, plastics do not necessarily have to be the bogeyman they are sometimes made out to be. They have many great properties: they are lightweight, durable, and practically irreplaceable in many industries. The problem arises mainly with single-use plastics, and also because we cannot recycle them indefinitely. That is why we are looking for materials with similar properties that will not come from oil, but from renewable sources, while also being biodegradable. Ideally, their final destination would not be a landfill or an incinerator, but soil from which something can grow again,” explains Ema Ondrejková from BioX Technologies.
The end of the life cycle is one of the most interesting properties of the new material. While with conventional plastic we have to consider how to collect, sort, and further process it, the new material developed by BioX Technologies is designed to be biodegradable. With some formulations, it can even be edible. Such a material opens up possibilities particularly in areas where single-use plastics or packaging with a very short lifespan are currently used. Instead of a material that serves its purpose for several minutes but may persist in the environment for a very long time, an alternative based on renewable biological resources could be used. However, creating a bioplastic does not simply mean replacing oil with a plant-based or other biological raw material. The material must be sufficiently strong, stable, and processable, and it must meet the requirements of a specific application.
“If a more environmentally friendly material is to replace conventional plastic in practice, it is not enough for it to be made from a renewable raw material. It must have the properties required for a particular application. Our goal is therefore to combine functionality with an approach that allows us to know from the very beginning what will happen to the material at the end of its life cycle. If it can biodegrade instead of becoming waste, we are changing the whole way we think about plastics,” says Oliver Pukalík from BioX Technologies.
The bioplastic developed by BioX Technologies has taken another successful step forward. The company presented it in Denmark as part of a European project focused on biotechnological innovations and solutions applicable to the circular economy. The Slovak biotechnologists thus had a valuable opportunity to present the material to international experts and seek further opportunities for its development. The circular cycle is one of the main ideas that BioX Technologies has been working on throughout the development process. The aim is to gradually use not only renewable raw materials, but, where possible, also materials that are currently considered waste, returning them to the production cycle. The possibility of creating biodegradable or even edible materials is particularly interesting for products with a short period of use. It is precisely for these products that the disparity between several minutes or hours of use and the long lifespan of the resulting waste is most pronounced. BioX Technologies therefore sees potential for its solution, for example, in packaging materials and other products where the properties of the bioplastic can be adapted to a specific application. “We do not want to claim that bioplastic should replace all conventional plastics tomorrow. The point is to use new materials where they can provide a genuine benefit. If we can use a renewable raw material for a single-use product while also ensuring that it does not remain long-term waste after use, that is exactly the direction we want to pursue,” concludes Oliver Pukalík.
The Slovak development thus shows that the future of plastics does not necessarily lie only in more comprehensive recycling. Another possibility is materials designed so that, after fulfilling their purpose, they can return to the natural cycle. And in some cases, they may not even have to end up in the bin.
Source: TS BioX Technologies
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