Bioplastic packaging

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Flower film made from PLA bioplastic

Bioplastic packaging is packaging that consists entirely or to a considerable extent of bio-based plastics or biodegradable plastics . Since the term bioplastic is not legally protected, it is not used uniformly. This designation includes materials that are biodegradable and / or consist of renewable raw materials . Bioplastic packaging is increasingly replacing packaging made from conventional plastics , but also from other materials such as paper or composite packaging . In terms of quantity, packaging is the most important application area for bioplastics.

history

Printed cellophane bag and clear cellophane packaging

Bioplastic products are among the oldest industrial plastic applications, e.g. B. Celluloid , which has been manufactured since 1869 and invented by John Wesley Hyatt . In 1923, the mass production of cellulose hydrate or cell glass began under the brand name cellophane , which was also made on the basis of cellulose and is still used today primarily for packaging and for use in envelopes. It was mainly used for the production of transparent foils, whereby the costs for the production were very high compared to later competitors and cell glass was thus displaced in many areas. However, due to its sensitivity to water, cellulose glass is coated with polyvinylidene chloride and is therefore no longer biodegradable.

The discovery of plastics based on mineral oils at the beginning of the 20th century resulted in competition in which the first bioplastics were largely displaced. From 1956 onwards, large-scale manufacturing processes for the plastics polyethylene and polypropylene, which are still dominant today, with different material properties were introduced and largely displaced bioplastics from the packaging sector.

It was not until after 1980 that there were innovations in the field of bioplastics, which can mainly be traced back to a changed ecological awareness. Renewable raw materials and closed material cycles were cited as arguments , later the substitution of crude oil as the main raw material came into play due to the rising oil prices and the likely end of resources and the increasing littering of the landscape and the oceans with plastic waste , as well as its consequences. Currently, the development of bioplastics is being driven primarily on the basis of sustainability and resource conservation. The new types of bioplastics that are also used in the packaging sector include mainly thermoplastic starch (TPS), cellulose acetate and polylactides (PLA; only in blends) during processes for the production of bio-based polyethylene (Bio-PE), polypropylene (Bio-PP) and other plastics are developed and established.

properties

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Bottle for shampoo made of PLA (prototype)

Just like conventional packaging, bioplastic packaging fulfills the task of protecting packaged goods and simplifying or even enabling their storage, loading, transport, sales, dosing and removal, as well as serving to present the product and provide information about the content. Bioplastic packaging has been increasingly used in recent years, primarily due to its favorable environmental balance or positive environmental image and the additional possible disposal route through composting in biowaste and the associated potential to significantly reduce the amount of waste generated by non-rotting plastics.

Biodegradability

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The property of many bioplastics to be biodegradable when composted opens up the possibility of recycling through composting ( bio-waste ) as an additional disposal route in addition to thermal and material recycling . Depending on the materials used, the packaging is only degradable at the higher temperatures guaranteed in industrial composting (e.g. polylactide - PLA) or at lower temperatures in private compost (e.g. thermoplastic starch , some PLA copolymers). The regulations on whether households may dispose of bioplastic packaging in the organic waste bin differ from one municipality to the next and range from a complete ban on disposal as organic waste to the recommendation to line the organic waste bin with bioplastic bags.

Legal framework

Biodegradable packaging (cellulose-based plastic)

Bioplastics in the packaging sector are primarily subject to the legal framework of the Packaging Ordinance (VerpackV), which was first passed in the German Bundestag in 1991 , as well as the Biowaste Ordinance (BioAbfV). The aim of the currently valid Packaging Ordinance of 1998 is to reduce the environmental pollution from packaging waste and to promote the reuse or recycling of packaging (§ 1 Waste Management Targets). With the third amendment to the Packaging Ordinance on May 27, 2005, a special exception rule for biodegradable materials (and thus also for the majority of bioplastics) was introduced:

  • Section 16, transitional provisions (2) Section 6 does not apply to plastic packaging made from biodegradable materials and all of the components of which are compostable according to manufacturer-independent certification according to recognized test standards until December 31, 2012. The manufacturers and distributors must ensure that the highest possible proportion of packaging is recycled.

This regulation is taken up and expanded in the fifth amendment of the Packaging Ordinance, which came into force on April 1, 2009:

  • Section 16, transitional provisions (2) Sections 6 and 7 do not apply to plastic packaging made from biodegradable materials and all of the components of which are compostable in accordance with manufacturer-independent certification according to recognized test standards until December 31, 2012. The manufacturers and distributors must ensure that the highest possible proportion of packaging is recycled. Section 9 does not apply until December 31, 2012 for one-way plastic beverage packaging that meets the requirements set out in sentence 1 and is made from at least 75 percent renewable raw materials, insofar as manufacturers and distributors use one or more systems in accordance with Section 6 Paragraph 3. The fulfillment of the condition mentioned in sentence 3, according to which the one-way beverage packaging must be made from at least 75 percent renewable raw materials, must be proven by an independent expert within the meaning of Annex I No. 2 Paragraph 4. Otherwise, Section 9 remains unaffected. In the case of sentence 3 and insofar as disposable beverage packaging made of biodegradable plastics according to sentence 1 according to § 9 paragraph 2 is not subject to a deposit, manufacturers and distributors have to participate in a system according to § 6 paragraph 3, in deviation from sentence 1, insofar as they participate it is about packaging that occurs at private end consumers.

With this exemption and the resulting competitive advantage through the exemption from license fees for the dual system as well as the obligation to take back packaging and the obligation to deposit one-way bottles up to 2012, the development of the market for bioplastics and biodegradable materials in Germany is to be stimulated.

The Biowaste Ordinance (BioAbfV) of 1998 (last version of February 2007) aims in 14 paragraphs and three annexes on the proper examination, treatment and recycling of biowaste and mixtures. It is aimed at waste disposal companies, producers, owners, handlers and manufacturers of biowaste and mixtures. In this ordinance, biodegradable plastics are regarded as bio-waste and disposal via the bio bin or compost is recommended. Of course, this does not apply to bioplastics that are not or only with difficulty biodegradable.

use

Packaging of short-lived goods

Bioplastics are often used for short-lived goods, which usually only take a few weeks from the production of the goods to be packaged to their consumption / use. Compostability as an alternative disposal method is an essential aspect for use here. In this way, spoiled organic goods can be disposed of together with the packaging, eliminating the need to unpack.

Bioplastics are more breathable than many conventional plastics. Therefore, goods such as salads and fresh vegetables, which rely on air exchange to keep them fresh, can be packed without perforation. On the other hand, breathability can mean that food items that cannot be exposed to oxygen (e.g. ketchup) or items that can dry out cannot be packed with bioplastics without restrictions.

Edible dishes and packaging

Edible dishes and packaging represent a further development of the packaging made of bioplastics, which is marketed with the slogan "edible". These have the advantage that, in addition to being compostable, they can also be disposed of simply by consumption. The packaging, which consists of starch and is coated with beeswax , is usually mixed with aromas in order to make the consumption of the packaging palatable for the consumer after he has consumed the actual product.

This variant of biodegradable packaging is not very popular with the population. Here, the hygienic and aesthetic aspects play a particularly important role, as nobody knows what the edible packaging has come into contact with before consumption. Criticism was also expressed about the taste of the packaging.

The situation is different with edible disposable tableware , which is often made from waffles (especially waffle bowls of different shapes and sizes). These are used in particular for serving and taking out ice cream and for ecologically ambitious events. Dumplings , pies and vol-au-vents (puff pastry pies ) , which are also used to hold food, but not as a substitute for dishes, but do not count as edible dishes because they do not replace dishes. There is also finger food that is consumed without dishes. Packaging made from edible algae is also being tried and tested, for example by the Nordsee restaurant chain .

Applications

Cellulose acetate cosmetic stick

Auxiliary packaging materials such as bubble bags and air cushions are also made from bioplastics. In addition, simply foamed thermoset packaging chips , which are produced on the basis of starch , are very widespread . Because of the higher air permeability of bioplastics, air cushions made from them lose air pressure more quickly than conventional plastics of the same film thickness.

With the further development of bioplastics in terms of process technology, it has been possible in recent years to increasingly use bioplastics for areas of application that were previously not possible due to the material properties. For example, one supplier produces bioplastic nets for fruit and vegetables, which are technically difficult to pack, and bags for frozen food, which have to be impact-resistant at temperatures down to −30 ° C in order to survive a fall, from mixtures of polylactides with others Polymers (PLA blends).

Bioplastic containers for liquid products, e.g. B. Milk or shampoos, which are produced in the blow molding process, have so far been particularly suitable for short-lived products. Coatings that increase the barrier effect of the packaging should in future also protect more durable products without loss of liquid. Presentation (look, feel) plays a special role in sales packaging for cosmetics; products made from cellulose acetate are in development.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ http://biowerkstoffe.fnr.de/biokunststoffe/
  2. ↑ Third ordinance amending the Packaging Ordinance of May 24, 2005  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.bmub.bund.de  
  3. ↑ Applicable packaging ordinance taking into account the 3rd and 4th amendment ordinances ( memento of the original of March 6, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 163 kB); Unofficial version of the Federal Ministry for Environmental Protection.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bmu.de
  4. ↑ Fifth ordinance amending the Packaging Ordinance April 2008 ( Memento of the original from April 8, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bmub.bund.de
  5. ↑ Packaging Ordinance taking into account the 5th Amendment Ordinance ( Memento of the original of December 9, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 198 kB); Unofficial version of the Federal Ministry for Environmental Protection.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.bmu.de
  6. ↑ Text of the Biowaste Ordinance
  7. ↑ Achim Pfeil (among others): Biodegradable plastics . Expert Verlag , Renningen-Malmsheim 1994, ISBN 3-8169-0963-9 .
  8. ↑ WORLD: Researchers develop edible packaging from algae . March 14, 2018 ( welt.de [accessed August 20, 2019]).
  9. ↑ Edible packaging: The Nordsee restaurant chain is working on take-away boxes made from algae! In: Future Trends. Retrieved on August 20, 2019 (German).

literature