The new packaging material completely decomposes in 10 years and is suitable for recycling. The new "green plastic" can be used in the production of pharmaceutical packaging, which in the near future can help radically reduce environmental pollution radically.
After initial testing scientists used a biodegradable plastic additive in order to create a new eco-friendly pharmaceutical packaging. In order to get "green plastic" they combined it with a sugar cane.
If sugar cane is properly processed, it can become a commercial material that is both CO2–neutral and recyclable. The strength of the material is not inferior to traditional plastic obtained from oil.
The additive used for the production of packaging increases its biodegradability without changing the physical properties of the material, without changing the shelf life of the final product and without increasing the amount of resin used. The work is based on the fact that microbes have the ability to secrete acids and consume plastic. Such approach transforms materials into Ch4, CO2, biomass and water in less than 10 years. The process is much faster than with conventional plastic, which can take hundreds of years to decompose.
Natupharma, the packaging company, has applied for a patent for the technology. It is currently under review.