Lab-scale and full-scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging [version 3; peer review: 2 approved]
Background The acceptance of compostable plastic packaging in industrial composting plants is not universal despite available certification due to the persistence of plastic residues after composting. To better understand this discrepancy, this study compared the disintegration rates of two blends d...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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F1000 Research Ltd
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Open Research Europe |
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| Online Access: | https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/2-101/v3 |
| _version_ | 1797293235360497664 |
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| author | Kerstin Kuchta Ihsanullah Sohoo Ayah Alassali Alexander Hofmann Zhi Kai Chong Sharon Wilson Marie Haye |
| author_facet | Kerstin Kuchta Ihsanullah Sohoo Ayah Alassali Alexander Hofmann Zhi Kai Chong Sharon Wilson Marie Haye |
| author_sort | Kerstin Kuchta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background The acceptance of compostable plastic packaging in industrial composting plants is not universal despite available certification due to the persistence of plastic residues after composting. To better understand this discrepancy, this study compared the disintegration rates of two blends designed for rigid packaging (polylactic acid based) and soft packaging (polybutylene succinate based) in lab-scale composting tests and in an industrial composting plant. Methods A lab-scale composting test was conducted in triplicates according to ISO 20200 for 4, 8 and 12 weeks to check the disintegration potential of the blends. Duplicate test material were then exposed in the compost pile of an industrial composting plant for a duration of 3 weeks and compared with a supplementary lab-scale test of the same duration. Results The rigid packaging samples (1 mm thickness) retained on average 76.4%, 59.0% and 55.7% of its mass after 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively in the lab-scale. In the plant, the average remaining mass was 98.3%, much higher compared to the average of 68.9% after 3 weeks in the supplementary lab-scale test. The soft packaging samples (109±9 µm sample thickness) retained on average 45.4%, 10.9% and 0.3% of its mass after 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively in the lab-scale. In the plant, a high average remaining mass was also observed (93.9%). The supplementary lab-scale test showed similar remaining mass but higher fragmentation after 3 weeks. Conclusions The results show that the samples achieved significant disintegration in the lab-scale but not in the plant. The difference between the tests that might further contribute to the differing degradation rates is the composition and heterogeneity of the composting substrate. Therefore, the substrate composition and thermophilic composting duration of individual plants are important considerations to determine the suitability of treating compostable plastic in real-world conditions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T20:09:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6be9ac162101481f8af8b1c889c8dbb0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2732-5121 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T20:09:55Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | F1000 Research Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Open Research Europe |
| spelling | doaj.art-6be9ac162101481f8af8b1c889c8dbb02024-02-28T01:00:00ZengF1000 Research LtdOpen Research Europe2732-51212024-01-01218403Lab-scale and full-scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging [version 3; peer review: 2 approved]Kerstin Kuchta0Ihsanullah Sohoo1Ayah Alassali2Alexander Hofmann3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3072-8268Zhi Kai Chong4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2506-0029Sharon Wilson5Marie Haye6Circular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, GermanyCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, GermanyCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, GermanyCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, GermanyCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, GermanyCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, GermanyDepartment of Energy and Environmental Engineering (GEn), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, Villeurbanne, 69100, FranceBackground The acceptance of compostable plastic packaging in industrial composting plants is not universal despite available certification due to the persistence of plastic residues after composting. To better understand this discrepancy, this study compared the disintegration rates of two blends designed for rigid packaging (polylactic acid based) and soft packaging (polybutylene succinate based) in lab-scale composting tests and in an industrial composting plant. Methods A lab-scale composting test was conducted in triplicates according to ISO 20200 for 4, 8 and 12 weeks to check the disintegration potential of the blends. Duplicate test material were then exposed in the compost pile of an industrial composting plant for a duration of 3 weeks and compared with a supplementary lab-scale test of the same duration. Results The rigid packaging samples (1 mm thickness) retained on average 76.4%, 59.0% and 55.7% of its mass after 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively in the lab-scale. In the plant, the average remaining mass was 98.3%, much higher compared to the average of 68.9% after 3 weeks in the supplementary lab-scale test. The soft packaging samples (109±9 µm sample thickness) retained on average 45.4%, 10.9% and 0.3% of its mass after 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively in the lab-scale. In the plant, a high average remaining mass was also observed (93.9%). The supplementary lab-scale test showed similar remaining mass but higher fragmentation after 3 weeks. Conclusions The results show that the samples achieved significant disintegration in the lab-scale but not in the plant. The difference between the tests that might further contribute to the differing degradation rates is the composition and heterogeneity of the composting substrate. Therefore, the substrate composition and thermophilic composting duration of individual plants are important considerations to determine the suitability of treating compostable plastic in real-world conditions.https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/2-101/v3Biodegradable plastic compostable plastic compostable packaging industrial composting polylactic acid polybutylene succinateeng |
| spellingShingle | Kerstin Kuchta Ihsanullah Sohoo Ayah Alassali Alexander Hofmann Zhi Kai Chong Sharon Wilson Marie Haye Lab-scale and full-scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging [version 3; peer review: 2 approved] Open Research Europe Biodegradable plastic compostable plastic compostable packaging industrial composting polylactic acid polybutylene succinate eng |
| title | Lab-scale and full-scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging [version 3; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_full | Lab-scale and full-scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging [version 3; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_fullStr | Lab-scale and full-scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging [version 3; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_full_unstemmed | Lab-scale and full-scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging [version 3; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_short | Lab-scale and full-scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging [version 3; peer review: 2 approved] |
| title_sort | lab scale and full scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging version 3 peer review 2 approved |
| topic | Biodegradable plastic compostable plastic compostable packaging industrial composting polylactic acid polybutylene succinate eng |
| url | https://open-research-europe.ec.europa.eu/articles/2-101/v3 |
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