plastic biodegradability News
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Standards for biodegradable, compostable and bio-based plastics: call for evidence
The government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs issued, on 22nd July, their Call for Evidence on Standards for Bio-based, Biodegradable and Compostable Plastics. The United Nations has predicted that plastic production will account for 20% of all the world's total oil consumption by 2050 if we continue to ...
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Home composting of biodegradable plastics
ASTM International Committee D20 on Plastics is currently developing a new standard, WK35342, Specification for Home Composting of Biodegradable Plastics. The proposed standard is under the jurisdiction of Subcommittee D20.96 on Environmentally Degradable Plastics and Biobased Products. According to Robert Whitehouse, Ph.D., senior customer applications development manager, Metabolix Inc., and a ...
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Biochemist studies oilseed plants for biofuel, industrial development
A Kansas State University biochemistry professor has reached a milestone in building a better biofuel: producing high levels of lipids with modified properties in oil seeds. Timothy Durrett, assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics in the College of Arts & Sciences, and collaborators at Michigan State University and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln have modified ...
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Composts that contain biodegradable plastics may hinder plant growth
Composts containing biodegradable plastics may hinder rather than help plant growth, according to a recent study by university scientists in Poland. These findings have implications for waste management practices within the EU. It is important to assess the quality and potential environmental risks associated with composts prepared from different wastes. Biodegradable plastics - known as ...
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Walki develops new biodegradable mulching paper
Walki has developed a new fibre-based soil mulching solution that is completely biodegradable. This organic mulch type, which is used for weed control and to optimise soil conditions and crop yield, is the first of its kind on the market. Walki, a leading global producer of technical laminates and protective packaging materials, has developed the first-ever organic mulching solution that is ...
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Plastics Composting at Home
As landfills continue to expand, many consumers continue to look for ways to recycle. A proposed new ASTM International standard, WK35342, Specification for Home Composting of Biodegradable Plastics, will educate consumers on the process of home composting these materials. The proposed standard will illustrate great potential for responsible home waste management. “The proposed standard is ...
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USDA reject compost that have compostable plastic
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organics Program (NOP) was created to ensure the credibility of the USDA Organics label by setting rules and regulations concerning the certification of organic products. One rule requires compost feedstock to be free of non NOP authorized synthetics in order to be classified as organic. However, third-party certifiers of compost as an organic input ...
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NNFCC joins 43 other signatories in open letter to UK government
This October, the British Standards Institute enacted a new specification, supporting the use of plastics containing additives to degradation. These plastics stand to exacerbate the global issue of microplastics and plastic pollution. As a result, NNFCC has jointly signed an open letter to the UK government calling for the immediate banning of these materials. 'From Blue Planet, to taxes on ...
By NNFCC Ltd.
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Lignocellulose has huge potential for the production of bioplastics
Chemical building blocks from lignocellulosic feedstock form a huge potential for the production of bioplastics. More specifically, they have potential for biodegradable plastic poly(lactic acid) (PLA). The building block for PLA - lactic acid - is currently produced mainly from starch originating from corn, or sugar from sugarcane. A sustainable and cost-effective production process for lactic ...
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Sugars from Hardwood: N.S. Mill Explores Sweet Opportunity
Extracting sugars from hardwood could help Port Hawkesbury Paper attract plant investment and new jobs and provide a new sustainable industry for rural Canada, a conference heard Friday. Tom Browne, program manager with FPInnovations, was speaking at the Atlantic Biorefinery Conference held at the Verschuren Centre at Cape Breton University. “There are lots of pathways from sugar to ...
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