Robinson Brothers is leading a consortium to commercialise a groundbreaking biodegradable polymer system for packaging applications. Others involved in the project include Aston University, GlaxoSmithKline, Euro Packaging and process equipment manufacturer ThermoPrism.
The new project builds on a previous RBL’s led pan-European collaboration, which attracted EU funding. Its outcome was the development of biodegradable additives, which not only gave the final polymer the same physical properties as conventional plastics packaging materials but enabled it to be processed on normal equipment and enhanced the biodegradability of the system.
“The aim of the new project is to develop and commercialise the materials identified in the previous collaboration with Aston University,” says RBL’s Robac business manager Trevor Stephens.
“We have now scaled up the new additive system in our pilot plant and anticipate that we will undertake a production run before the end of 2003, prior to full-scale commercialisation.”