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Metrics for quantifying the circularity of bioplastics: The case of bio-based and biodegradable mulch films
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Researchers developed a new way to measure how "circular" (reusable/recyclable) plant-based, biodegradable plastics really are, since these materials break down in soil rather than getting recycled the traditional way. Applying this method to biodegradable mulch films used in farming, they found a circularity score of only 0.37 out of 1, showing there's significant room to make these products more sustainable. This matters because farm plastics that fully break down (instead of fragmenting into microplastics) could reduce the amount of plastic pollution and microplastic contamination building up in soil, food, and eventually our bodies.
The concept of circularity and its quantification through the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI) is well established for traditional plastic products. In this paper a methodological approach for calculating the circularity of bio-based and biodegradable (BB) products is proposed and applied to BB mulch films. BB products are different from traditional products in as much as they are sourced and regenerated (recycled) not through technical cycles but the biological loop. The suggested method is an adaptation of the MCI where two major changes were made: (i) the mass of the bio-based component corresponds to the recycled material in input and (ii) the mass of the bio-based component leaving the system through composting or biodegradation in soil is accounted as recycled. The modified MCI supports the eco-design of innovative BB products and allows for the comparison of their circularity taking into account the biological source and the expected end of life process such as biodegradation. To demonstrate the adaptation, the method has been applied to BB mulch films. Results showed that the MCI of a biodegradable mulch film, characterized by an average bio-based feedstock content of 30% is 0.37 ± 0.04 in a 0–1 scale. For BB mulch film, the amount of bio-based feedstock is the most sensitive factor and controls linearly the value of the MCI.
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