A new type of biodegradable container has been developed for products containing liquid or solid fat which prolongs the shelf life of the food.
From a statement issued by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promotion Office (Procomer):
Biomat research group at the University of the Basque Country, has developed a new biodegradable packaging for fatty products, both liquid and solid, made from agro-industrial by-products, thereby contributing to sustainable consumption of raw materials and by-product recovery. The container is transparent and at the same time, an excellent barrier to ultraviolet light and gases such as oxygen. Multilayer laminates are usually used as a barrier to gases, however, the product developed by Biomat group is monolayer, thus greatly reducing its cost. Furthermore, it can be heat sealed and is printable.
Flour made from plantains can be used to produce biodegradable plastic products with high capacity.
From an article by the Costa Rica Foreign Trade Promotion Office (PROCOMER):
Biodegradable plastic made from plantain flour
Experts from the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico (IPN) have created a flour made from plantain, which can be used to produce biodegradable plastic products with high capacity.
A report by the British Government reignited the controversy surrounding the effectiveness and validity of oxo-degradable plastics.
Oxo-degradable plastics decompose faster than others, by incorporating chemical additives which trigger the degradation process.
Such technology was born in the 1980’s, together with controversy regarding their usage, whether they really are bio-degradable and the eventual toxicity of their waste.