OFFER
Innovative packaging products
Polymer Technology Research Group
We are pleased to introduce a newly established initiative offering a comprehensive approach to obtaining innovative packaging products.
We offer the development of biodegradable or compostable materials and a full range of tests of their properties.
PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION TEASER
Novel biodegradable and/or compostable materials for the packaging industry
PROBLEM DESCRIPTION: Plastics have many advantages, the most important of which are their lightness, durability, ease of processing and high resistance to environmental factors. However, we should also forget about the disadvantages, which on the one hand we have managed to eliminate, e.g. in manufacturing processes, and on the other hand we are still learning to combat mainly by means of reprocessing. Many polymeric materials, after being used once, end up in landfills where, as a virtually non-degradable material that is resistant to environmental factors, they can linger for hundreds of years Furthermore, such materials often pose a threat to animals, both terrestrial and marine, which in a further step can have a significant impact on human organisms.
The use and manufacture of plastics involves the consumption of significant amounts of fossil fuels, thus slowly depleting the world’s reserves In addition, their production causes greenhouse gas emissions A second fundamental problem facing the world today is the significant increase in light waste and issues of food waste through rapid spoilage due to poor storage.
Facing all the drawbacks of plastics is a global problem, but also a challenge! A challenge to which the solution should be to get to the root of the problem It is possible that, thanks to cooperation between scientists and companies, it will be possible to fully exploit the potential of polymers for the economy, while at the same time reducing their negative impact on the environment For this to happen, however, it is necessary to change the approach to these raw materials and move towards a closed-loop economy (GOZ).
FFER: To meet the needs of the modern world, we would like to offer you to refine your existing or develop completely new recipes of biodegradable or compostable materials using by-products and waste products from the fruit and vegetable industry Innovative plastics will be obtained from natural ingredients and will additionally be distinguished by antimicrobial properties Active ingredients contained in packaging will not only extend the shelf life of active packaging, but can also inform about the freshness of the product in real time smart packaging.
The production of innovative materials will be possible at your production facility using existing apparatus with a jointly planned optimal budget. New types of eco-friendly materials, in addition to biodegradability and compostability, can be used as active and intelligent materials that, by releasing appropriate substances into the packaged food or its environment, extend shelf life and significantly improve the condition of packaged food.
WE OFFER: To perform testing of developed biomaterials in the field:
→ Sensory evaluation of the transmission of taste and smell
→ Mechanical strength
→ Biodegradability in soil, compost, water environments
→ Ecotoxicity (evaluation of the effect of material decomposition on the microbiological activity of the substrate)
→ Compostability under industrial or backyard conditions
Composition studies by instrumental methods (spectroscopic studies, thermal studies, SEM with EDS).
BENEFITS:
→ Implementation of the topic will affect the competitiveness and innovation of your production facility
→ Reintroducing waste into the material cycle is in line with the concept of “zero waste” and the closed-loop economy (GOZ)
→ Creation of new products will extend the life cycle of agricultural products, thus reducing the carbon footprint
→ Increasing the share of innovative products of the Polish economy in the international market.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS:
→ Economic: reintroduce waste into circulation in accordance with GOZ
→ Social: reduction of agricultural waste, production of new biodegradable products without negative environmental impact
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Contact
Piotr Jankowski, PhD Sc. Eng.
Area Leader Polymer Technology RESEARCH GROUP
phone +48 453 056 197
piotr.jankowski@ichp.lukasiewicz.gov.pl
Alicja Kaszuba
Pre-packaging research specialist
tel. +48 22 842 20 11 wew. 27
alicja.kaszuba@lit.lukasiewicz.gov.pl
