Biodegradable Plastic Shortlisted for Eco Award

Plastics manufacturer Aquapak Polymers has been shortlisted for a leading environmental award for its patented technology to produce a durable, flexible plastic film that is 100% recyclable, 100% biodegradable and water soluble. The UK-based Chartered Institute of Wastes Management announced the shortlists for its 2016 Sustainability and Resource Awards last week, giving a nod to Birmingham-based Aquapak in the "project innovation" category alongside Jaguar Land Rover, Ramboll Environmental and Recycling Technologies, Prw.com reported. Over the last six years, Aquapak has been refining its patented process to produce a polyvinyl alcohol film that can be manufactured in various weights and thickness, and is strong enough to replace a number of existing multi-material packaging solutions. Aquapak’s pellets are also compatible with existing polyethylene blow film production facilities. John Williams, the company's business development director, said, “Following extensive modifications and rigorous testing, we have successfully created a suite of polymers that at the end of use can biodegrade, be fully recovered at a material recovery facility, or dissolved and separated from other plastics. The recovered material can then be repelletized and used into new manufacturing processes for other products.”