Structures designed to biodegrade under specific conditions. These address a major concern in the packaging industry: materials remaining in ecosystems for many years.
Characteristics
Raw materials: Unlike traditional plastics derived from fossil fuels, biodegradable materials are made using renewable resources such as:
- Starch: corn or potato
- Pulp: wood
- Biopolymers: produced by microorganisms
Additives: During the extrusion process, special additives are used (microorganisms: bacteria and enzymes) that accelerate the biodegradation of the structure under optimal conditions. Biodegradation process: requires specific environments for effective decomposition, such as compost (domestic or industrial).
Other important points
Not all biodegradable packaging is the same: biodegradation rates and environmental requirements can vary significantly depending on the packaging materials and the additives used.
Infrastructure: Even if the structure is biodegradable, the infrastructure for collection, treatment, and recycling is not fully developed in some parts of the world.
Misunderstandings about biodegradation: biodegradable structures do not biodegrade out in the open. Leaving them outdoors does not activate the biodegradation mechanisms.
High cost: Today, biodegradable structures are often more expensive than conventional structures.
Limited applications: biodegradable films do not always have the same strength, clarity, or barrier characteristics as traditional plastics, limiting their use to the packaging of certain products.
The consumer’s role: the end user must know how to dispose of biodegradable materials. This is essential for completing the cycle.
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