Biodegradable plastic production

When looking at the life cycle of biodegradable plastics, two aspects are of particular importance the end-of-life options and the use of renewable resources in the material production (the major part of the currently available biodegradable plastic products are made of blends of fossil-based polymers and polymers derived from biomass). 

Applications development to achieve higher production volumes will be crucial for continued market expansion. Production costs for biopolymers still remain high because of low volumes, and profitability of biodegradable plastics products is still too low. Hence, volumes must be increased if unit costs are to fall and profitability is to improve. 

Biodegradable materials are created specifically with recyclability or disposal in mind. Recycling techniques for post-consumer biodegradable plastic products have two important features, which distinguish them from conventional polymers their biodegradability or compostability and the use of renewable resources in their manufacture. 

Biodegradable plastic products must meet stringent quality criteria if they are to be composted. Dedicated standards and certification schemes/tests have been established for verifying the compostability of plastic products. 

Since the term compostable could not be protected by legal means and biodegradable plastic products cannot be distinguished from conventional polymers by their appearance, a certification and identification process was created with the support of the German Ministry for Consumer Protection, Agriculture and Forests. 

The certification programme for compostable biodegradable plastic products has been set up by experts responsible for waste recycling and compost quality assurance. The members are as follows ... 

IBEK s biodegradable plastic product range includes ... 

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