Development of foreign research and development of biodegradable plastic packaging materials

Recently, Cargill Dow of the United States produced a polylactic acid biodegradable plastic under the trade name "NatureWorks". At the end of last year, it built an annual capacity of 140,000 tons and became the world's largest producer of biodegradable plastics. The biodegradable plastics produced by Frathshell Co., Ltd. are raw materials for starch, regenerated cellulose, and biodegradable polymers. Dupoont produces polyester biodegradable plastic under the trade name "Biomax". MCDonald intends to use this biodegradable plastic as a surface coating for its containers and is currently under joint development. Enrironmental Product Company develops PVA water-soluble degradable plastic with a production capacity of 10,000 tons/year and is mainly used for packaging materials such as films, injection molding products and compost bags.

An Australian company develops starch/low molecular weight PVA biodegradable plastics and is currently in an intermediate trial.

Noramont, Italy, produces starch-based biodegradable plastics under the trade name “MaterBi”. Its main uses are packaging materials, compost bags, sanitary products, disposable tableware, agricultural plastic film, etc. It is predicted that the market size will be 24,000 tons from 2001. Increased to 120,000 tons in 2005. Raw starch was purchased from another company that supplied 75% of starch-based biodegradable plastic.

The copolyester biodegradable plastic (adipic acid/butylene glycol/terephthalic acid) under the trade name "Ecoflex" produced by Germany BASF Co., Ltd. is expanding its production capacity. Eastman Co., Ltd. produces copolyester biodegradable plastics under the trade name "Faster-Bio" and is used in Rcquett's starch-based food trays. Its products are being developed and applied in the German market. Polylactic acid biodegradable plastics developed by Fortum are being sold as non-core products. CibaSpicialty has developed a degradable plastic with a biodegradable additive in a versatile plastic, and jointly developed a polyolefin biodegradable plastic with a U.S. company. Millennium Plastics develops PVA-based degradable plastics under the trade name “Solplax” and has been industrialized in Europe.

Not long ago, at the biodegradable plastics exhibition held in the United Kingdom, production enterprises applied for requirements on the formulation of packaging materials and composting policies and preferential taxation measures. The source of biodegradable plastic raw materials will be transferred from petrochemical synthesis to renewable natural resources in the future. In the coming years, raw material composition is predicted to be 75/50 for starch, 15/40 for polylactic acid, and 10/10 for synthetic. The large petrochemical synthesis companies include BASF, DuPont, and Eastmam. The food super Samsbury environmental products of the two companies in the UK have been officially used in the packaging materials for fruits and vegetables.

Source: China Food News