Bioplastics, we studied them 10 years ago

Plastic materials, since they were discovered, have objectively changed and simplified our way of life. If you look around at this very moment, you will likely be surrounded by products made from plastic.

Plastic, a curiosity at the beginning of the century, has spread everywhere, becoming as essential to our life as the air we breathe.
(Jeremy Rifkin)

We are all aware of the usefulness of plastic but also of its impact on the environment: this is why our generation is looking for solutions to replace these plastic materials with materials that are technically similar but derive from renewable sources.

We are living in a historical period that will be remembered for its attention to respect for the environment, for what is used and consumed. In this context of maximum sensitivity to environmental issues, the mass media are giving space and importance to bioplastics.

Ten years ago, when Powerplast Italia was born, we understood that we were already in a transitory moment of global change. From the beginning, we have therefore invested the time and resources necessary to test plastic materials in order to acquire that fundamental know-how to support our customers, according to all the developments that the market requires.

We looked far.

THE RIGHT COMPARISON BETWEEN BIOPLASTICS AND ELECTRIC CARS

Let’s compare bioplastics to electric cars. The world of motors is changing in parallel, almost at the same speed. At the moment we are still (almost) all running on petrol, which in polymeric words we can define as a polypropylene, a material of fossil origin. Today on the market there is the possibility to buy hybrid cars, so you can choose whether to continue driving your car or switch to a new model that respects the environment. For us, the automotive hybrid corresponds to polymers: there is a range of recycled materials on the market, that is, of fossil origin but not virgin.

This could be defined as a transitory moment, as we believe that the future of cars will be completely electric and therefore, in the plastic sector, the materials will be of non-fossil origin: they are bioplastics.

CAN BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS REPLACE COMMON PLASTIC MATERIALS?

Not all common polymers are the same, so even bio-based plastics are not interchangeable.

There is a difference on a technical level between materials of fossil origin and materials of bio origin, therefore also the systems of production, design and study of the product will have to adapt to the characteristics of the bio materials.

The transition from fossil to bio in polymers will not be a clean break, but a progressive change over the years. In the meantime and in the future, even the design will have to take into account the new technical, chemical and aesthetic characteristics of organic materials, which will be increasingly present in our lives.

To date, all that is needed to make a durable plastic good involves materials of fossil origin, but it is essential to start a test phase with the organic material to give customers who are interested in taking this path right now the opportunity to start to carry out samples / pre-series with organic materials, in order to perform all the necessary tests over time to guarantee their duration. The path is long but the result is certain.

Instead, if the customer intends to make a disposable or single-use product, biodegradable and bio-compostable materials are already a valid alternative today.

Powerplast Italia started its research and development in the bio plastics sector 10 years ago. Thanks to our experience and to the curiosity that always pushes us further, we have already made concrete and organic solutions available to our customers. If you are looking for a technical partner who produces and processes plastics with an innovative and original approach, contact us.