A Polish packaging manufacturer has developed an innovative plastic film that is both biodegradeable and keeps food fresh for longer. The material is thin, and therefore lightweight and uses fewer raw materials, but does not break easily. It acts as a bacteriostatic, which stops bacteria from reproducing inside the packaging.
- 27 October 2020
“It’s extremely important to take care of our environment by reducing the amount of pollution generated. This new packaging material is not only safe for the environment, but also for food. EU support made it possible to introduce an innovative product on a national scale, with greater efficiency.”
C2C, based in Lublin, already produces fully biodegradable packaging made of natural composites. It used this EU-funded project to conduct further research and development to reduce the environmental impact of its packaging. It conducted several small-scale pilot projects of packaging which is not only biodegrade, but also turns into an environmentally friendly fertiliser.
A global problem
Plastic waste has become a major problem for the environment and society. Because they are cheap to produce and versatile, but break down slowly, plastics have accumulated in nature and found their way into the food chain, posing a health risk to humans and animals. Plastics account for over 80 % of global marine litter, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Innovation through collaboration
Finding ecological solutions to curb this pollution is vital, but it requires investment and innovative thinking. Developed as part of an EU-funded project, the new materials are the result of collaboration between C2C and the Institute of Materials, Polymers and Dyes Engineering in Toruń.
Together they developed a new thermal treatment for plastic materials and a technology to convert this novel material into bags which can be sold to retailers as a much larger roll. The production technology ensures bags of consistently high quality.
C2C is based in Lublin and was established as a family business in 2008. It mainly produces packaging for food, as well as garbage bags, industrial bags and stretch films.
As a result of the EU-funding, the company was able to create eight new job at various levels: in management and quality control, and on the production line.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Implementation of innovative technology for the production of thin-walled foil packaging that is safe for food and the environment” is EUR 1 295 788 (PLN 5 731 931), with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 452 051 (PLN 1 999 651) through the “ROP 3 Lubelskie Voivodeship” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Research & innovation and competitiveness of SMEs”.