We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Chemical and biological recycling of PHA packaging as end-of-life alternatives to compostability for biobased packaging
Original title: Reciclado químico y biológico de envases de PHA como alternativas de fin de vida a la compostabilidadpara envases biobasados
Summary
Scientists are working to make PHA, a plant/bacteria-based plastic that fully breaks down in nature, a practical replacement for traditional plastics in food packaging. This project aims to make PHA cheaper, easier to recycle (not just compostable), and free of harmful additives, then test whether it truly biodegrades in soil and water. If successful, this could mean food packaging that doesn't linger as pollution or break down into microplastics that can end up in our food, water, and bodies—though this paper describes planned research, not final results yet.
The widespread use of conventional fossil-carbon plastics (e.g. PE, PP, PVC,…) pose a significant environmental challenge due to their high carbon footprint and poor biodegradability in natural environments. A substantial portion of plastic production is dedicated to food packaging, contributing heavily to global plastic pollution. PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), a biopolymer naturally produced by bacteria, presents a promising alternative as it is fully biodegradable and renewable. However, despite its environmental benefits, PHA currently faces significant barriers to widespread adoption: it is expensive, compostable but not recyclable, and hard to process and therefore commonly blended with non-biodegradable polymers to form plastics. The SATISPHACTION project will address these issues by developing innovative recycling processes for PHA, with computational assistance. Moreover, the consortium will develop new formulations with increased PHA content, no harmful additives, and thermostable enzymes for accelerated self-degradation. We will demonstrate the viability of these advances through three specific food packaging use cases. We will demonstrate the complete biodegradation of these plastics in natural soils, and fresh and marine water environments, and determine their complete lifecycle impacts.