Technology to make ordinary plastic biodegradable
Symphony Environmental, developed a technology to make ordinary plastic biodegradable, and a range of other plastic technologies to protect against microbes, insects, and fire at PlastIndia 2023, held between 1 and 5 February 2023 at Pragati Maidan, Delhi.
10 Feb 2023 | By Disha Chakraborty
Symphony Environmental, a UK-based plastic-smart organisation developed a technology to make ordinary plastic biodegradable. The technology is sold, usually in the form of additives or masterbatches, in nearly 100 countries around the world to protect the environment, human health and safety.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) concluded that the best way to reduce the impact of plastic carrier bags is to re-use them more often, minimise transportation and energy input needed for recycling and make them with d2w biodegradable technology.
Bio-based plastic cannot be recycled with conventional plastic as part of a mixed, post-consumer waste stream without compromising the recycling process. The bio-based bag records the lowest performance in 10 of the 11 environmental impact categories.
The company supplies biodegradable plastic technology to reduce the problem of plastic pollution of the environment, by turning ordinary plastic, at the end of its service-life and in the presence of oxygen, into biodegradable materials. It is then no longer a plastic and can be bio-assimilated by bacteria and fungi on land or sea, which recycle it back into nature, leaving no microplastics or toxic residues.
Symphony has developed a range of additives, concentrates and masterbatches marketed under its d2p brand, which can be incorporated in a wide variety of plastic and non-plastic products to provide protection against different types of microbes, insects, odours, fouling and fire, and to reduce the wastage of food.
Stages of biodegradation:
1.d2w biodegradable masterbatch is added at the manufacturing stage.
2.Film containing d2w biodegradable masterbatch is extruded and then converted into bags or packaging.
3.The product behaves like conventional plastic during its intended service life.
4.After its service life, the bag or packaging may be recycled if collected, but :
5.If it ends up in the open environment the d2w additive takes effect and the product begins to degrade in the presence of oxygen.
6.The product will then biodegrade in a continuous, irreversible and unstoppable process leaving nothing more than carbon dioxide, water and biomass behind – no heavy metals or other toxic residues.