Technological watch

Biodegradable PVOH targets food packaging / Output to be raised at Spanish plant

Biodegradable PVOH targets food packaging / Output to be raised at Spanish plantGerman PVOH-based biopolymer developer Camm Solutions (Hamburg; www.camm.org) said it wants to successively increase production at its facility in Valencia, Spain.
According to the company, capacity for the eponymous material (Camm) is to increase to 1,500 t/y in 2023, and to 6,000 t/y to 8,000 t/y from 2024 onwards. â??From 2025 onwards, the plan is to expand to 30,000 t/y,â? a company spokesperson told Plasteurope.com.
Combination of PVOH with organic additives (Photo: Camm)
Camm Solutions, founded in 2019 by entrepreneur Christoph Bertsch, who says he was looking for a â??sustainable material solutionâ? for one of his health and lifestyle companies at the time, currently employs 45 people. The material developed by the German company is a combination of PVOH with organic additives and is essentially produced through a chemical reaction of biogas and bio-alcohol with acetic acid.
â??We are currently building green supply chains to produce the material 100% from bio-based raw materials by 2025,â? the spokesperson noted. The goal is to replace all conventional input materials with bio-waste from the production of sugar cane, sugar beets, or even wheat. Currently, this is about half the case, depending on the formulation.
Related: Resinex to sell Aquapak PVOH-based resin
The Camm material is biodegradable, compostable â?? certified by Tà?V Austria (OK Compost), among others â?? water-soluble and recyclable. It can either be applied to paper or cardboard as an extrusion coating or processed in blown film, thermoforming or injection moulding processes.
Application, extrusion coating on paper (Photo: Camm)
In addition, Camm has been approved for food contact and can be equipped with customisable barrier properties, the company said.
Therefore, the company plans initially to market it primarily to manufacturers of food and secondary packaging. Packaging coated with Camm can reportedly be disposed of in the paper bin after use.19.07.2023 Plasteurope.com [253249-0]

Publication date: 19/07/2023

Plasteurope



      

This project has received funding from the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 837761.