COMPOSTABLE STRAWS UNVEILED AS FIRST OUTCOME OF THE USABLE PACKAGING PROJECT
After unveiling compostable straws as the first outcome of the USABLE PACKAGING project, Spanish project partners Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) and stakeholders OCENIC RESINS, also based in Spain, have announced the production of compostable cutlery as the project’s second demonstrator in disposable packaging components made of Poly-Hydroxy-Alkanoates (PHA) polymer.
The USABLE PACKAGING project seeks to reduce the use of environmentally harmful fossil-fuel-based packaging by developing high-performance bio- alternatives derived from food industry by-products to cover packaging and product needs for the food, drinks, pharmaceutical and clothing industries.
It aims to develop bio-based and compostable materials that can be used for the production of the next generation of food packaging, creating a sustainable, circular value chain where the end-of-life processes of the products contribute towards the next cycle of manufacture, further reducing the impact of plastic waste on the environment as they biodegrade into compost.
“PHA is the only polymer that can be produced from feedstock sourced from a large range of agriculture and agro- industries such as food processing.” said Project Co-ordinator Prof. José Maria Lagarón, of CSIC. “It can be obtained at a substantially lower cost than the materials currently on the market and has clear environmental benefits. This compostable cutlery is another example of the value of the USABLE Project research in developing viable, sustainable alternatives to fossil-based, toxic, packaging materials.”
Valencia, 05 June 2020
For further information, please contact:
Jocelyne Bia, BBIA
jb@bbia.org.uk
tel: +44 (0)7910878510
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