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Lab-scale and full-scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging
Citation Link: https://doi.org/10.15480/882.13174
Publikationstyp
Journal Article
Publikationsdatum
2024-01-22
Sprache
English
Author
Enthalten in
Volume
2
Article Number
101
Citation
Open Research Europe 2: 101 (2024)
Publisher DOI
Scopus ID
Publisher
European Commission
Peer Reviewed
true
Background: The acceptance of compostable plastic packaging in industrial composting plants is not universal despite available certification due to the persistence of plastic residues after composting. To better understand this discrepancy, this study compared the disintegration rates of two blends designed for rigid packaging (polylactic acid based) and soft packaging (polybutylene succinate based) in lab-scale composting tests and in an industrial composting plant. Methods: A lab-scale composting test was conducted in triplicates according to ISO 20200 for 4, 8 and 12 weeks to check the disintegration potential of the blends. Duplicate test material were then exposed in the compost pile of an industrial composting plant for a duration of 3 weeks and compared with a supplementary lab-scale test of the same duration. Results: The rigid packaging samples (1 mm thickness) retained on average 76.4%, 59.0% and 55.7% of its mass after 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively in the lab-scale. In the plant, the average remaining mass was 98.3%, much higher compared to the average of 68.9% after 3 weeks in the supplementary lab-scale test. The soft packaging samples (109±9 µm sample thickness) retained on average 45.4%, 10.9% and 0.3% of its mass after 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively in the lab-scale. In the plant, a high average remaining mass was also observed (93.9%). The supplementary lab-scale test showed similar remaining mass but higher fragmentation after 3 weeks. Conclusions: The results show that the samples achieved significant disintegration in the lab-scale but not in the plant. The difference between the tests that might further contribute to the differing degradation rates is the composition and heterogeneity of the composting substrate. Therefore, the substrate composition and thermophilic composting duration of individual plants are important considerations to determine the suitability of treating compostable plastic in real-world conditions.
Schlagworte
Biodegradable plastic
compostable packaging
compostable plastic
industrial composting
polybutylene succinate
polylactic acid
DDC Class
624: Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering
Publication version
publishedVersion
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b2ecd608-c4fc-4c3c-a226-a969b71bf7ca_14893_-_zhi_kai_chong_v3.pdf
Type
main article
Size
2.32 MB
Format
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