Biobased and Degradable Plastics

Bio-based Feedstocks, Production and the UK Market 

Bio-based plastics have been used in medicine for years and were also considered for automotive parts in the days of Henry Ford. However, with climate change on the minds of manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike, there is renewed interest in bio-based plastics.
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The Case for Bio-Based Plastics
By John Williams, National Non-Food Crops Centre
 

Bio-based polymers have been used in many applications for thousands of years, and there was resurgence in the development of artificial bio-based plastics from the mid 19th century until the early 1940’s. The main reason for the lack of commercial production was the discovery of crude oil and its large-scale use for plastics since the late 1940’s...
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Compostable Bags for Organic Waste Collection

By Tony Breton, Novamont

Driven by the Landfill Directive (EC/99/31/EC), recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the use of biological treatment waste processing across the UK.  From an almost standing start fifteen years ago, over 300 local authorities, all across the UK, now operate separate collection schemes for compostable materials (garden and food waste).  There are a number of different methods of collection including wheelie bins, reusable bags, compostable bags and non-compostable bags.  
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Additive Masterbatches to Promote Degradability in Plastics
By Andrew Barclay, Wells Plastics Ltd

Additives to promote degradability in polymers are not a new concept, but have been in the technological arena for at least 30 years following pioneering work in the field by, for example, Scott G. ,Griffin G, Gilead D., and Albertsson A. Currently available commercial products consist of polymeric based masterbatches containing a pro-oxidant (salts of transition metals) and reaction rate modifiers (generally but not exclusively antioxidants)...
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