VATIS UPDATE Article

Plastics research institute Aimplas, Spain, has developed a new type of sustainable packaging that significantly extends the shelf-life of cheese and fresh pasta. Conducted within the framework of the European project Bio4Map, the result of the research has been a new generation of barrier, multi-layer and transparent packages with a cost 25% lower than conventional pack types, and with an environmental impact and carbon footprint reduced by up to 29%.

The material uses PLA, an easily recyclable material with excellent mechanical properties, as well as PVOH, which provides barrier to gases and is water-soluble so it disappears in the washing process. Both layers are joined by innovative biodegradable adhesives, while a wax coating made from olive leaves provides water vapour barrier. This coating, Aimplas said, which does not disappear in the washing process, acts like a plasticiser for PLA, thus improving its flexibility.

They are materials that, together, have a carbon footprint 57% lower than the footprint of materials traditionally used in packaging manufacturing to contain this kind of food. The packaging innovation has been developed as part of a €1.5 million research project, funded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme and managed by the European Commission’s Research Executive Agency, based in Brussels.