Dutch company Avantium is in the process of developing a biodegradable plastic bottle made from plant sugars, rather than fossil fuels. Several major beverage companies like Carlsberg, Coca-cola, and Danone have already expressed support for the project, and Avantium’s chief executive, Tom van Aken, will reveal other partnerships during the summer. The plastic bottles could potentially reach shelves in 2023.
This plastic has very attractive sustainability credentials because it uses no fossil fuels, and can be recycled – but would also degrade in nature much faster than normal plastics do,”
Tom van Aken, Chief executive of Avantium
Avantium uses polyethylenefuranoate (PEF), a bio-based plastic derived corn, wheat, or beet sugars and plans to source materials from biowaste in the future. The bottles are recyclable and may be compostable under certain conditions. Trials found the plant plastic would decompose in a composter in one year, and in a few years longer in normal outdoor conditions.
Sources:
- Synvina PEF bottle gets green light for recyclability – Beverage Daily
- New Plant-Based Plastic Bottles Are Designed To Degrade In A Year – Ubergizmo
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