Repsol YPF

Most of the plastic we use on a day-to-day basis does not decompose naturally, and pollutes the environment for years. So it is important to devise plastic packaging that can be destroyed after it is used.

The Technological Institute of Plastics is a leader in research into materials that disintegrate after being used; bags, boxes and plastic packaging for specific uses such as food or agriculture, as the period of usage in these sectors tends to be short.

Materials that are biodegradable
Biodegrable plastics are made with water-soluble, photodegradable or biodegradable materials or polymers that fall into four large groups: natural materials like proteins, starch or cellulose; modified natural materials such as cellulose acetate; compound materials that blend biodegradable particles such as starch with synthetic polymers like polystyrene; and finally, synthetic polymers such as polyesters and polyurethanes.

Biodegradable plastic can be used, for instance, to make garbage bags of any size and thickness, with properties similar to those of polyethylene. But they decompose in less than 35 days under compost conditions. They are ideal for organic waste from the home or trimmings from pruning or gardening.

Transparent retractile film can also be used to make packaging; thermo- sealable plastic for newspapers, magazines, etc; plates, glasses and trays coated in laminated paper and covered with clear biodegradable plastic.

Hydrosoluble film
A company based in Valencia, Soluble Film Packaging, has marketed a kind of plastic that dissolves in water: so-called polyvinyl alcohol or polyethylene. This hydrosoluble alcohol has been christened Monosol®/SFP and is made of resins of polyvinyl alcohol, plastifiers, (glycerine, polyioles), tensoactives and water.

This is a very thin, stable film that dissolves in both cold and hot water and protects the product it is wrapped around. The company markets different kinds of hydrosoluble plastic depending on the product to be packaged and its application.