Finnish Innovation Decreases Plastic Packaging Emissions

05.12.2012

Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) has developed a new method that makes possible to radically reduce the carbon footprint of plastic packaging. The method is based on a replacement of oil used to produce plastic with renewable raw materials. A reduction of up to 70 per cent can be achieved in the carbon emission levels for bio-based plastics when compared to oil-based plastics.

Plastic packaging based on renewable raw materials is also more durable than traditional plastic packaging. The bio-based PGA polymer biodegrades faster than the most common bio plastic PLA.

Approximately five per cent of the world’s oil consumption account for plastics. 40 per cent of all plastics are used in packaging meaning that the packaging industry is facing significant pressure to reduce its oil-dependency. At the moment circa one per cent of all plastic is bio-based.

Ali Harlin, Research Professor at VTT says that bioplastics represent a concrete step towards bioeconomy. (Source: www.goodnewsfinland.com, 26.11.2012)

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