The biodegradable Oliplast can be used to produce caps for packaging containers for cosmetic creams made with olive oil
Aimplas and OLIPE collaborated to offer sustainable plastic material for oil packaging items. (Credit: AIMPLAS)
Spanish research institute Aimplas has collaborated with Olivarera de los Pedroches (OLIPE) for the development of new sustainable plastic material for oil packaging items.
According to the company, Spain is the world’s major olive oil producer and hence produces significant waste during the stoning process. At present, the generated waste is incinerated for power generation.
AIMPLAS and OLIPE have announced the GO-OLIVA project to offer a value-added application for olive waste by developing a new sustainable packaging material for oil packaging items.
Oliplast is a new biodegradable, compostable and plastic compound material
The project has developed a new biodegradable, compostable and plastic compound material, dubbed Oliplast, by using materials from renewable sources such as filler or reinforcement from olive oil and thermoplastic material.
Extrusion and injection moulding technology will be used to process Oliplast for the manufacturing of new products such as trays and plates to hold bottles.
Oliplast can also be used for the production of caps for packaging containers for cosmetic creams made with olive oil.
According to Aimplas, work done to date includes selecting raw materials and developing an olive stone that can be used to produce the new material.
The partnership will conduct a behavioural study to validate the material for transformation processes. In addition, they will conduct an environmental study to determine the compostability of the material.
GO-OLIVE project, which has a total budget of €340,131.38, has secured a grant for €316,131.38, of which 80% is co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and 20% by the Spanish government.
In February 2018, Aimplas announced that it is supporting the REPESCA_PLAS project, which is designed to study the effect of plastic waste on marine fauna.