Biobased compostable packaging based on starch

A flexible foam sheet is made from a renewable raw material. © IKV Aachen / Gefinex

Foamed plastics are generally made from fossil raw materials. They form the material for packaging that is used once but often ends up in waste and is rarely recycled. To make a long-term switch to a resource-conserving alternative, Fraunhofer UMSICHT, together with Loick Biowertstoff GmbH, the Institute for Plastics Processing at RWTH Aachen (IKV), SHS plus GmbH, and Gefinex GmbH, is researching biobased and flexible foam films made from starch for packaging and construction applications. The project "Starch Foam Films" has now started.

Can foamed packaging films made from the renewable raw material starch represent a durable, biobased alternative to fossil-based plastics? The project partners are exploring this question within the joint project "Starch Foam Films." The goal of the project is to develop a novel, foamed material based on the renewable raw material starch, which can be used as a flexible, foamed film (also called starch foam film) for packaging or in the construction sector. By making the developed starch foam films compostable afterwards, they address the existing disposal issues in the packaging sector.

Resource-Conserving Alternative to Existing Plastics

Foamed plastics from fossil raw materials have been used in various fields for many years. Due to their material diversity, they have become a fixed part of everyday life. However, they represent a significant resource waste when used for a short period. The foam films available on the market—such as foamed polystyrene (PS), polyethylene (LDPE), or polyurethane (PU)—are mainly made from fossil-based plastics. The problem: Foamed packaging films are usually disposed of after a single use. Even if consumers dispose of the packaging via the recycling bin, foamed materials are rarely recycled today. The raw materials used ultimately end up in thermal recycling, which is not a sustainable solution. A key approach for sustainable material management is therefore the use of renewable raw materials that can also be composted after use.

Goal: Market-Ready Product by 2025

Following a successful project start, the project team has now developed initial formulations (compounds) from starch, additives, and biopolymers. Simultaneously, the researchers are working on process development. By the end of 2025, an industrially producible, market-ready product made from renewable raw materials will be created as an alternative to conventional fossil-based plastics.

Funding Notice

The joint project with the short title "Starch Foam Films" is funded by the Federal Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR) for three years. It addresses the funding area "Development of a potentially marketable, biobased product" within the framework of the funding program "Renewable Raw Materials".