In the era of sustainability and the search for more eco-friendly plastic alternatives, bioplastics are emerging as a promising solution in food packaging.
The lifecycle of bioplastics should not end with their initial use; with some care, it is possible to ensure their recyclability.
Recycling bioplastics is an important action to reduce the environmental impact of this material, reducing the amount of waste and preserving natural resources. Food packaging companies can contribute to the recycling of bioplastics by taking certain measures, which we will explore in more detail in this article.
But let's start in order.
Food packaging companies are increasingly recognising the importance of recycling bioplastics and are taking concrete measures to support environmental sustainability.
Bioplastics are plastic materials made from renewable resources, such as plants or algae. They are biodegradable, i.e. they can be decomposed by microorganisms into compost or other organic materials.
Bioplastics can be used for packaging such as bags, cups, plates and cutlery and containers such as tubs, jars and bottles.
Recycling industrial bioplastic waste is an important step for companies in the food packaging sector to be more sustainable.
How to ensure the recyclability of a bioplastic waste?
We can summarise this process in three steps:
1.Separation: it is essential to ensure the integrity and processability of a bioplastic waste that it is separated from other waste materials;
2.Storage: leaving bioplastic production waste at the mercy of the elements is one of the worst things you can do. If the waste material is not well stored, it is very likely that it is no longer recyclable.
3.Once the waste has been separated and collected, the next step depends on the type of production company and its structure.
Scenario 1: the company has in-house regrinding facilities and can proceed independently to regrind the waste and subsequently reuse it in production;
Scenario 2: The company does not have in-house regrinding facilities and could outsource the regrinding process to a contractor and then reuse the waste in production;
Scenario 3: Even if companies manage to regrind and/or have their waste regrinded, they do not manage to use the entire amount of waste in their production. What often happens is that companies manage to integrate a percentage - usually 20% - of recycled bioplastics into their production.
Therefore, the company could either resell the waste that cannot be used in production or, if it fails to do so, it would have to worry about disposal and thus budget a variable fixed cost.
It is increasingly strategic for food packaging companies to collaborate with companies specializing in bioplastic recycling - such as Gianeco - to recover bioplastic production waste. But let us go into the specifics of the types of recycling applicable to bioplastic waste.
Bioplastic waste can be regenerated through two types of recycling: mechanical recycling and chemical recycling. Mechanical recycling is carried out by collecting, sortingand regranulating the waste. It is the simplest and most economical way to recycle bioplastics.
Chemical recycling consists of breaking down the molecules of bioplastics to recover the basic components of the polymer and repolymerise it again. This process allows the quality of the virgin polymer to be reproduced but is more costly and demanding.
Recycling bioplastics presents some different challenges compared to recycling traditional plastics. Although bioplastics are often considered more sustainable and less polluting than petroleum oil, there are still obstacles to overcome in order to maximise their life cycle effectiveness.
Some of the main challenges in recycling bioplastics are listed below:
Contamination of materials:
One of the main challenges in recycling bioplastics is material contamination. As bioplastics can be used for a wide range of applications, they can come into contact with different types of food and chemical substances.
This can lead to the presence of contaminants in the recycled material, making it more difficult to reuse bioplastics for some purposes, such as food packaging. Addressing contamination requires strict control of supply chains and careful separation of materials during collection and recycling.
Adequate recycling infrastructure:
Another challenge is the need for adequate recycling infrastructure for bioplastics. Existing recycling facilities for plastics may not be fully compatible with bioplastics. The latter often require specific recycling processes, such as industrial composting or anaerobic digestion, to be fully degraded or reused effectively.
The implementation of dedicated recycling infrastructures for bioplastics requires investment and collaboration between public and private sectors.
Regulations and standardization
The lack of regulations and standardization for bioplastics poses a significant challenge for their recycling. While there are standards and regulations governing the recycling of traditional plastics, bioplastics are a broader and more complex category with different types. This can create uncertainty for companies seeking to recycle bioplastics and can slow down the adoption of standardized and consistent recycling practices.
Compatibility with existing recycling processes:
Some bioplastics may not be fully compatible with existing recycling processes used for traditional plastics. For example, some bioplastics may require higher recycling temperatures or longer degradation times, which may require modifications to the existing recycling infrastructure. This compatibility may vary depending on the type of bioplastic and the recycling processes used, and requires careful evaluation by companies involved in recycling.
Education and awareness:
A further challenge is the need to educate consumers, companies and institutions about the importance of recycling bioplastics and best practices for their management.
Education and awareness-raising are crucial to ensure proper separate collection and effective recycling of bioplastics.
Overcoming these challenges requires an integrated approach involving the efforts of manufacturers, recyclers, governments, consumers and environmental organizations. More research, investment in dedicated recycling infrastructure and a clear regulatory approach can help facilitate the recycling of bioplastics and maximise their contribution to environmental sustainability.
Danone, a leading dairy and beverage company, has committed to reducing the environmental impact of its packaging. The company has started using bioplastics such as PLA and PBAT for the bottles of some of its water and beverage products.
The company has also partnered with companies specializing in recycling bioplastics to ensure that these bottles are collected and recycled properly.
Smaller companies and many start-ups are also starting up with the idea of adopting and reusing recycled bioplastics in their production.
Renewal Partners (USA) is a company that recycles bioplastics from food waste. The company has developed a new recycling process that turns food waste into recycled bioplastics.
These are just a few examples of companies that have started to manage the recycling of bioplastics and have benefited from it.
Biogeo is a range of recycled bioplastics produced by Gianeco. Biogeo bioplastics are made from food packaging production waste such as trays, bags, disposable plates and others, which through mechanical recycling are transformed into recycled granules to produce biodegradable and compostable items.
Biogeo bioplastics are a more sustainable alternative to traditional plastics or virgin bioplastics because they have a lower environmental impact. Biogeo bioplastics are biodegradable, meaning they can be decomposed by microorganisms into compost or other organic materials. This means that they do not end up in landfills, where they can pollute the environment.
Schedule an initial consultation call with Gianeco today.
email: info@gianeco.com
phone: +39 0119370420In the era of sustainability and the search for more eco-friendly plastic alternatives, bioplastics are emerging as a promising solution in food packaging.
The lifecycle of bioplastics should not end with their initial use; with some care, it is possible to ensure their recyclability.
Recycling bioplastics is an important action to reduce the environmental impact of this material, reducing the amount of waste and preserving natural resources. Food packaging companies can contribute to the recycling of bioplastics by taking certain measures, which we will explore in more detail in this article.
But let's start in order.
Food packaging companies are increasingly recognising the importance of recycling bioplastics and are taking concrete measures to support environmental sustainability.
Bioplastics are plastic materials made from renewable resources, such as plants or algae. They are biodegradable, i.e. they can be decomposed by microorganisms into compost or other organic materials.
Bioplastics can be used for packaging such as bags, cups, plates and cutlery and containers such as tubs, jars and bottles.
Recycling industrial bioplastic waste is an important step for companies in the food packaging sector to be more sustainable.
How to ensure the recyclability of a bioplastic waste?
We can summarise this process in three steps:
1.Separation: it is essential to ensure the integrity and processability of a bioplastic waste that it is separated from other waste materials;
2.Storage: leaving bioplastic production waste at the mercy of the elements is one of the worst things you can do. If the waste material is not well stored, it is very likely that it is no longer recyclable.
3.Once the waste has been separated and collected, the next step depends on the type of production company and its structure.
Scenario 1: the company has in-house regrinding facilities and can proceed independently to regrind the waste and subsequently reuse it in production;
Scenario 2: The company does not have in-house regrinding facilities and could outsource the regrinding process to a contractor and then reuse the waste in production;
Scenario 3: Even if companies manage to regrind and/or have their waste regrinded, they do not manage to use the entire amount of waste in their production. What often happens is that companies manage to integrate a percentage - usually 20% - of recycled bioplastics into their production.
Therefore, the company could either resell the waste that cannot be used in production or, if it fails to do so, it would have to worry about disposal and thus budget a variable fixed cost.
It is increasingly strategic for food packaging companies to collaborate with companies specializing in bioplastic recycling - such as Gianeco - to recover bioplastic production waste. But let us go into the specifics of the types of recycling applicable to bioplastic waste.
Bioplastic waste can be regenerated through two types of recycling: mechanical recycling and chemical recycling. Mechanical recycling is carried out by collecting, sortingand regranulating the waste. It is the simplest and most economical way to recycle bioplastics.
Chemical recycling consists of breaking down the molecules of bioplastics to recover the basic components of the polymer and repolymerise it again. This process allows the quality of the virgin polymer to be reproduced but is more costly and demanding.
Recycling bioplastics presents some different challenges compared to recycling traditional plastics. Although bioplastics are often considered more sustainable and less polluting than petroleum oil, there are still obstacles to overcome in order to maximise their life cycle effectiveness.
Some of the main challenges in recycling bioplastics are listed below:
Contamination of materials:
One of the main challenges in recycling bioplastics is material contamination. As bioplastics can be used for a wide range of applications, they can come into contact with different types of food and chemical substances.
This can lead to the presence of contaminants in the recycled material, making it more difficult to reuse bioplastics for some purposes, such as food packaging. Addressing contamination requires strict control of supply chains and careful separation of materials during collection and recycling.
Adequate recycling infrastructure:
Another challenge is the need for adequate recycling infrastructure for bioplastics. Existing recycling facilities for plastics may not be fully compatible with bioplastics. The latter often require specific recycling processes, such as industrial composting or anaerobic digestion, to be fully degraded or reused effectively.
The implementation of dedicated recycling infrastructures for bioplastics requires investment and collaboration between public and private sectors.
Regulations and standardization
The lack of regulations and standardization for bioplastics poses a significant challenge for their recycling. While there are standards and regulations governing the recycling of traditional plastics, bioplastics are a broader and more complex category with different types. This can create uncertainty for companies seeking to recycle bioplastics and can slow down the adoption of standardized and consistent recycling practices.
Compatibility with existing recycling processes:
Some bioplastics may not be fully compatible with existing recycling processes used for traditional plastics. For example, some bioplastics may require higher recycling temperatures or longer degradation times, which may require modifications to the existing recycling infrastructure. This compatibility may vary depending on the type of bioplastic and the recycling processes used, and requires careful evaluation by companies involved in recycling.
Education and awareness:
A further challenge is the need to educate consumers, companies and institutions about the importance of recycling bioplastics and best practices for their management.
Education and awareness-raising are crucial to ensure proper separate collection and effective recycling of bioplastics.
Overcoming these challenges requires an integrated approach involving the efforts of manufacturers, recyclers, governments, consumers and environmental organizations. More research, investment in dedicated recycling infrastructure and a clear regulatory approach can help facilitate the recycling of bioplastics and maximise their contribution to environmental sustainability.
Danone, a leading dairy and beverage company, has committed to reducing the environmental impact of its packaging. The company has started using bioplastics such as PLA and PBAT for the bottles of some of its water and beverage products.
The company has also partnered with companies specializing in recycling bioplastics to ensure that these bottles are collected and recycled properly.
Smaller companies and many start-ups are also starting up with the idea of adopting and reusing recycled bioplastics in their production.
Renewal Partners (USA) is a company that recycles bioplastics from food waste. The company has developed a new recycling process that turns food waste into recycled bioplastics.
These are just a few examples of companies that have started to manage the recycling of bioplastics and have benefited from it.
Biogeo is a range of recycled bioplastics produced by Gianeco. Biogeo bioplastics are made from food packaging production waste such as trays, bags, disposable plates and others, which through mechanical recycling are transformed into recycled granules to produce biodegradable and compostable items.
Biogeo bioplastics are a more sustainable alternative to traditional plastics or virgin bioplastics because they have a lower environmental impact. Biogeo bioplastics are biodegradable, meaning they can be decomposed by microorganisms into compost or other organic materials. This means that they do not end up in landfills, where they can pollute the environment.
Schedule an initial consultation call with Gianeco today.
email: info@gianeco.com
phone: +39 0119370420
