Bio-plastics: A reality filled with opportunity

Bio Plastics is now commercialized in advanced country like Italy and this segment is growing with high export potential.  It can be moulded, blow moulded extruded in regular machines by little modifications.

Italy banned shopping thin walled bags below 50 Microns which are non-biodegradable (i.e. our HMHDPE and PE bags).  Italian Government issued a notification that bags must be bio-degradable i.e. made from natural resources, they are called agricultural raw materials.  This legislation was passed by Italian Government around 3-4 years ago.   It is right said ‘Necessity is mother of invention’, since the shopping bags are made out of Bio-degradable plastics only and commercially accepted, the market of the same is expected to grow. 

Bio-degradable bags are 2-3 times costlier than non-biodegradable bags but customers are buying and paying the higher price for shopping bags.  Novamont Italy, manufactures the same. Minimum 8 Micron Shopping bag can be produced from their bio-degradable polymers. 

The Bio-plastics Polymer Manufacturing Plant in Italy has an installed capacity of making Bio-plastics polymer of 200,000 tons per year and sell today 40 000 tons per year.  They export bio-polymers to Europe / USA / Canada / Australia etc. with PolyOne, Clariant as some of their customers.

This bio-degradable plastic is created using patented technologies developed in the fields of starches, cellulose, vegetable oils and of their combinations.  They make the products from raw materials that come from nature and return to the nature, thereby activating the whole sector of chemistry from renewable sources.

Agriculture: Clip, mulch film, nursery pots, ropes and ties, devices for controlled release of active ingredients in integrated pest management.

Bags: For separate waste collection, shopping or food.

Catering: Tableware, beakers, cups, straws, lids, containers.

Education: Children’s toys, rulers and pens.

Expanded packaging: Expanded sheets and blocks for protecting and containing a variety of objects, packaging filter.

Food Packaging: High value films for food packing, extruded and woven netting.

Hygiene: Cotton buds, films for nappies and sanitary towels, and a range of medical products, such as gloves and other PPE (personal protective equipment).

Motor Industry: Tyre additives

Pets: PET accessories and toys

Stationery and personal accessories: Pens, holders, combs

Wrapping: For household goods, personal hygiene products and magazine mailing film.

Mater-Bi® is a biodegradable and compostable product certified in accordance with international and Italian regulations (EN13432, UNI EN14995, ASTM D6400,) by officially recognised organisations, such as Vincotte (OK Compost), DIN-CERTCO (Kompostierbar), IIP – Istituto Italiano Plastici –(the Italian Institute of Plastics, UNI certificates), Certiquality (Compostabile CIC), BPI – Biodegradable Products Institute USA and JBPA – Japan Bioplastics Association.

The “OK Compost Home” certificate issued by Vincotte also guarantees that certain Mater-Bi® films biodegrade completely in lo-tech home composting bins while the “OK Biodegradable SOIL” certificate guarantees that the grades of Mater-Bi® for mulching biodegrade into the soil.

ICEA (Ethical and Environmental Certification Institute) has issued Mater-Bi® mulching film with the first certificate for the ecological quality of the technical resources for organic and sustainable agriculture, Bio-degradability into the soil of Mater-Bi® mulching films at environmental temperature is certified by IIP in accordance with UNI standard 11183.

The compostable bags made of Mater-Bi® bring about a progressive reduction in the weight of waste thanks to the loss of water vapour through transpiration, which is in accordance with the UNI standard 11185.