Extrusion International 3-2024

21 Extrusion International 3/2024 US Compostability Certificate for Limestone Based Bioplastic Received  GAIA Biomaterials limestone-based bioplastic ma- terial Biodolomer has just been certified for composta - bility by BPI in the USA. Since before Biodolomer had a similar European certification by TÜV Austria. „Now we can show brands and customers that Biodolomer is certified by the two most respected authorities in the world,“ says CEO Peter Stenström. Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) has been the leading authority on compostable products and pack- aging in North America for over twenty years. BPI pro- vides third-party verification of whether an item meets ASTM’s compostability standards. It is also a method for ensuring that all claims of compostability are supported by scientific evidence, as requested by the FTC. The current BPI Certification mark covers Biodolomer for film applications. More certification processes are underway. "We have been producing Biodolomer for nine years", says CEO Peter Stenström. "Unlike many other bioplastics, it does not use materials grown on farm - land. It is based on limestone, one of the most common materials on the planet. Biodolomer does not result in any microplastics and reduces CO 2 emissions by up to 80 % compared to fossil plastics if burned." Biodolomer is used for a variety of film-based applica - tions, such as grocery bags, aprons, and various farming uses. Biodolomer granules can also be used in thermo- forming, blow molding, tube extrusion, extrusion coat - ing and 3D printing. Making it possible to use it for a large number of single-use products, from drinking straws to beer cups, bottles, and food containers. It can be used in the same production lines as traditional plas- tic with minimal adjustments. It is becoming increasingly clear that recycling alone can’t solve the world's plastic waste problem. Com- postable materials are an important part of the solution – especially regarding food packaging – and they do not need new infrastructure. "One main concern in recycling is packaging materials that end up in food waste and contaminate it so that it can’t be composted. With BPI-certified materials such as Biodolomer, this is not a concern," says Peter Stenström. GAIA Biomaterials www.gaiabiomaterials.com and repeatability using existing in- dustrial technology.” The positive results apply to mar- kets that are currently generating multi-layer mixed plastic waste containing PVDC, such as shrink films in consumer and food pack - aging. “One of the concerns in the re - cycling industry was the reliable identification of polymeric waste with PVDC content,” adds Marco Gregori, Area Sales Manager Italy at TOMRA Recycling Sorting. “By com - bining our advanced optical and near-infrared detection systems, we managed to achieve a selectivity rate of more than 80% when sort- ing from post-consumer plastic mix and more than 95% when sorting from LDPE monolayer stream. This is yet another example of what to- day's technology, in this case our AUTOSORT™, can already do.” Altogether, these results have extended the scope of mixed plas- tic waste suitable for recycling to a wide range of multi-layer structures containing PVDC. The joint project between Syensqo and TOMRA is also considered a role model of ad- vancing the circularity of the plas- tics industry through the dedicated research and development of in- dustry partners who share similar values. Syensqo www.syensqo.com TOMRA Recycling Sorting www.tomra.com Syensqo partners with TOMRA to advance the sorting of multilayer PVDC packaging waste (Photo: Syensqo)