Paper or plastic?

Paper or plastic?

By Billy Pringle  February 15th, 2018

An award-winning innovation in bioplastic design could replace cling wrap with a biodegradable product made from cellulose.

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An award-winning innovation in bioplastic design could replace cling wrap with a biodegradable product made from cellulose. New Plastics Economy launched their $2m Innovation Prize in May 2017 to address the 30% of plastic packaging items that are either too small or too complex to be recycled with current technology.
Among the winners was VTT Technical Research Institute of Finland. VTT's design uses plant-based cellulose from wood, recycled fibres, textile waste and agricultural residue to make a renewable, recyclable and biodegradable product that could replace cling wrap. VTT's material is made from two different types of cellulose which together look and perform like plastic. Despite being made from the same material as paper, it can be used to package anything from cereal and nuts to meat or cheese, and even some liquids. Products like VTT's could replace up to 15% of the current plastic wrap market.

Positive Actions
Where possible, avoid single-use plastic items and non-recyclable plastic packaging Recycle soft plastics at your nearest REDcycle drop off point

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Positive Environment News has been compiled using publicly available information. Planet Ark does not take responsibility for the accuracy of the original information and encourages readers to check the references before using this information for their own purposes.

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By Billy Pringle

Billy has completed a Masters in Discourse and Social Theory and is a frequent volunteer and supporter of Planet Ark.

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