This year's Global Bioplastics Award went to Gruppo Fabbri Vignola (Vignola, Italy) for its „home“ compostable cling film. Unlike in previous years, the winner was not selected by a jury. As part of the 16th European Bioplastics Conference, which took place on 30 November and 1 December in Berlin as a hybrid conference, participants voted for the winner both on site in Berlin and online from home.
Nature Fresh is the world's first cling film that is suitable for both manual and automatic food packaging and complies with EU standards (EN 13432). Certified as Home Compostable and Industrial Compostable is. The composition of Nature Fresh is based on the certified compostable polymers Ecoflex and Ecovio from BASF.
It is also the first film of its kind to offer optimum breathability for an extended shelf life of fresh food with high transparency and excellent mechanical properties for automatic packaging combined: the tensile strength, elongation at break, breathability, transparency, gloss, stretchability and anti-fog effect are comparable to those of conventional films. At the same time, however, Nature Fresh better water vapour permeability on.
The film has been tested in accordance with US and European standards. authorised for contact with food, and since no plasticisers are used, it can pack any type of fresh food, also those with a high fat content.
„It has taken us five years to develop this product,“ said Stefano Mele, CEO of the Gruppo Fabbri Vognola, in his brief statement, „and I am grateful for the support of our partners.“ He added: „In the meantime, Nature Fresh has already been produced in hundreds of tonnes and tens of thousands of rolls and Millions of packages have already been launched on the market."
The second prize went to Refork from the Czech Republic. The company has developed a new material based on sawdust, waste from wood processing, in combination with natural polymers PHB(V). Their first flagship product is a fork, but the company is already developing a toothbrush for the dental market, which is due to be launched at the beginning of next year. The bio!TOY conference (nominated anonymously) was awarded third prize.
The Global Bioplastics Award is presented annually by the trade journal bioplastics Magazine. The 3D-printed award itself is of course also made of bioplastic. The two different PHA/PLA blends are filled with wood flour and rock flour respectively. The trophy was provided by colourFabb from Belfeld, Netherlands.
Sourcebioplastics Magazine
