Biodegradable waste containers water

The bet is clear: contribute sustainable solutions to the problematic environingingmental of the industries of juices, splitting of the principle to find him value to the wastes, transforming them in new materials of use, with new functionalities. The project PHBottle, funded by the VII Program Marco, pretends to obtain in 42 months a new container for juices, biodegradable and with antioxidant properties (that it lengthen the useful life of the food that contain); a container manufactured from the sugars and of another rich waste in carbon, nitrogen and existent oxygen in the waste water of the own industries of juices.

Supposes the application of the last advances in microencapsulación, biotechnology and technologies of the container.

The project splits of a reality: the industries of juices consume a big quantity of water, so much in the cleaning of his equipment and installations, as in the wash of fruit. The waste water, that have to manage, that contain big quantities of organic waste, in shape of sugars, that to his time are a numerous prime matter and of big value for the production of bioplásticos (plastics generated from organic rests and, therefore, degradables). The industries of juice of fruit in Europe exert an important paper in the waste management water, due to the fact that this type of industry arrives to generate until 129.275 million litres of residual water to the year.

PHBottle, that finds in his initial phase, is identifying able microorganisms to transform the organic rests of the waste water in a polymeric material (plastic) biodegradable, the PHB (polihidroxibutirato). Once obtained this material, the properties of the same will be improved, in a second phase of the project, with the incorporation of fibres of cellulose and ingredients encapsulados with antioxidant properties, so that this material, when it contain a food, was able to lengthen the useful life of the same and therefore his days of commercialisation and consumption.

In a third phase, this material reinforced and improved in his properties, moldeará and will be used to manufacture bottles of juice. Finally, these bottles will be validated and testadas, packing in them the juice of fruit of the same industry generadora of the waste water. Like this it closes the cycle: The generator of the residue turns into the beneficiario of the new container, adapted to the need of his product.

Another of the environingingmental aims of the project bases in an analysis in all the phases of the project of the Cycle of Life (ACV) of the new container. It supposes to determine the impact in the environingingment of the material generated during all the life of the same, from the raw materials with which produces , until the moment in which the final container refuses , of face to achieve a container 100% biodegradable, with the minimum environingingmental impact.

According to Ecoembes, the Spaniards recycled 7 of each 10 domestic containers in 2011. The minimum tax of recycling established by the European Commission situates in 55%, Spain has surpassed the average reaching the 68,3%. The new material also will apply to containers no alimentary, fundamentally in packagings of droguería and cleaning and plastics for automotive sector.

International cooperation

In the development of the project PHBottle is working, coordinated by Ainia technological centre, an international consortium formed by 8 companies and 4 organisms of investigation.

• In Spain: Ainia technological centre, Technological Institute of the plastic (Aimplas) and Citrus fruit and Refrescantes, S.A.
• In Belgium: European Association of Juices of Fruit (AIJN) and Omniform, S.A.
• In Holland: Technological Centre TNO
• In Bulgaria: Silvel Limited
• In Portugal: LOgoplaste Innovation Lab Lda.
• In Argentina: National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI)
• In Mexico: Mega Empack S.A.
• In Brazil: Logoplaste do Brazil Ltda.
• In Honduras: Avant-garde SD of RL