IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v14y2021i16p4775-d609289.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Challenges in Sustainable Degradability of Bio-Based and Oxo-Degradable Packaging Materials during Anaerobic Thermophilic Treatment

Author

Listed:
  • Magdalena Zaborowska

    (Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland)

  • Katarzyna Bernat

    (Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland)

  • Bartosz Pszczółkowski

    (Department of Materials and Machines Technology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, ul. Oczapowskiego 11, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland)

  • Irena Wojnowska-Baryła

    (Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland)

  • Dorota Kulikowska

    (Department of Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Geoengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland)

Abstract

Although the manufacturers labelled commercially available bio-based products as biodegradable, there are discrepancies concerning the time frame for their sustainable biodegradation and methane production. Starch-based, polylactic acid-based and oxo-degradable foils were anaerobically treated in thermophilic condition (55 °C, 100 days). The effect of alkaline pretreatment on foils degradation was also investigated. To examine changes in their mechanical and physical properties, static tensile tests and microscopic analyses, FTIR and surface roughness analyses were conducted. Despite the thermophilic condition, and the longer retention time compared to that needed for biowaste, a small amount of methane was produced with bio-based foils, even after pretreatment (ca. 30 vs. 50 L/kg VS) and foils only lost functional and mechanical properties. The pieces of bio-based materials had only disintegrated, which means that digestate may become contaminated with fragments of these materials. Thus, providing guidelines for bio-based foil treatment remains a challenge in waste management.

Suggested Citation

  • Magdalena Zaborowska & Katarzyna Bernat & Bartosz Pszczółkowski & Irena Wojnowska-Baryła & Dorota Kulikowska, 2021. "Challenges in Sustainable Degradability of Bio-Based and Oxo-Degradable Packaging Materials during Anaerobic Thermophilic Treatment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-19, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:16:p:4775-:d:609289
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/16/4775/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/16/4775/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Elsawy, Moataz A. & Kim, Ki-Hyun & Park, Jae-Woo & Deep, Akash, 2017. "Hydrolytic degradation of polylactic acid (PLA) and its composites," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1346-1352.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Deniz Turkcu & Nina Tura & Ville Ojanen, 2022. "A Conceptual Framework of the Sustainability Challenges Experienced during the Life Cycle of Biobased Packaging Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Gabriele Di Giacomo, 2021. "Material and Energy Recovery from the Final Disposal of Organic Waste," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-2, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rumana Hossain & Md Tasbirul Islam & Riya Shanker & Debishree Khan & Katherine Elizabeth Sarah Locock & Anirban Ghose & Heinz Schandl & Rita Dhodapkar & Veena Sahajwalla, 2022. "Plastic Waste Management in India: Challenges, Opportunities, and Roadmap for Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-34, April.
    2. Khan, Abir & Sapuan, S.M. & Yusuf, J. & Siddiqui, Vasi Uddin & Zainudin, E.S. & Zuhri, M.Y.M. & Tuah Baharuddin, B.T. Hang & Ansari, Mubashshir Ahmad & Rahman, A. Azim A., 2023. "An examination of cutting-edge developments in Bamboo-PLA composite research: A comprehensive review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    3. Adele Folino & Aimilia Karageorgiou & Paolo S. Calabrò & Dimitrios Komilis, 2020. "Biodegradation of Wasted Bioplastics in Natural and Industrial Environments: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-49, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:16:p:4775-:d:609289. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.