Imagine a plastic that works exactly like the wrap on your frozen dinner or the sheets used in farming, but it's made from plants instead of oil. When you're done with it, it doesn't just sit in a landfill for centuries; it can be composted at home or break down naturally in soil and water. It's designed to fit right into existing factory machines so companies don't have to buy new equipment to go green.
Current food packaging and agricultural films rely on polyethylene, which leads to high environmental leakage and low recycling rates (under 40% for packaging). Companies struggle to switch to bio-plastics because of the high cost of replacing existing industrial machinery.
Lab-scale bio-based polyester blends using 2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) and a set of validated recipes for industrial scale-up.
If you are a food producer dealing with the low recycling rate of packaging waste, which is less than 40% in the EU, this project developed a bio-based plastic coating that replaces polyethylene. It allows your trays to be home compostable and biodegradable while using existing production lines.
If you are a supplier dealing with the risk of plastic leakage into natural habitats from mulch films, this project developed FDCA-based polyester blends. These films are biodegradable in soil and aquatic environments, addressing the growing demand for plastics in a sector that represents 3.2% of plastic demand.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with the difficulty of recycling multilayer paper/plastic composites, this project developed a drop-in bio-based polymer replacement. This allows you to switch from polyethylene coatings to a sustainable alternative without additional investment in processing lines.
No. The project is designed as a drop-in replacement to avoid additional investment in processing industrial lines.
The project aims to provide a replacement that avoids extra-costs for consumers.
Based on available project data, the project has successfully produced key monomers and synthesized polyesters at the lab scale, with a selection of recipes now being prepared for scale-up.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not provided, but the project is coordinated by BASF SE with a consortium of 9 partners.
Yes, the materials are designed to be home compostable and biodegradable in both soil and aquatic environments.
The project is heavily industry-driven, with a 67% industry ratio consisting of 6 companies, including the coordinator BASF SE. With 9 partners across 7 countries and 3 SMEs involved, the consortium is structured for commercial translation, bridging the gap between university research (2 partners) and industrial application.
Contact BASF SE regarding the scale-up of FDCA-based polyester blends.
Contact us to find partners for the upcoming scale-up phase of bio-based polyesters.
