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Chemical and Biological Recycling of PHA Packaging as End-of-Life Alternatives to Compostability for Bio-Based 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 fix major problems with PHA, a plant-and-bacteria-based plastic that's supposed to be an eco-friendly alternative to regular plastic food packaging. Right now PHA can only be composted (not recycled), is expensive, and often gets mixed with non-biodegradable plastics to make it easier to manufacture — which undercuts its environmental benefits. This project aims to create new recycling methods and better formulations so PHA packaging fully breaks down in soil and water without harmful additives, which matters because it could mean less plastic pollution (and fewer microplastics) ending up in our food, water,
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.