IIT Roorkee Researchers Develop Coating for Disposable Paper That is Water Soluble, Promoting Sustainability and Waste Management

IIT Roorkee Licenses technology for Environment-Friendly coating for Disposable Paper to Promote Sustainability and Waste Management

A Step Towards a Cleaner and Greener Future

IIT Roorkee Addressing Recycling Challenges and Environmental Concerns and Contributing to Clean India and Make in India Initiatives

The Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IIT Roorkee), has committed to protecting the environment through new technological development. A team of researchers at IITR developed a coating for disposable paper that is water soluble and will be used in various applications with requirements of food freshness retention and replace plastic coatings commonly used in food-grade packaging papers and paperboards. The innovative coating formulation aims to eliminate the use of plastic in disposable paper and paperboard products, contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable society. By enabling the recycling of disposable products, this technology has a significant positive impact on the environment, improving waste material collection and reducing the burden on landfill sites.

IITR transferred the technology to M/s M S Papers, New Delhi, for commercial application. Mr Gurmeet Singh, MD of the company, stated, "This is an intrinsic part of the technological innovation process, and we are thankful to IIT Roorkee for the technology transfer. The demand for 'sustainable paper and paperboard packaging' has exerted substantial pressure on producers to eliminate barrier coatings that employ polyethene, paraffin-based waxes, silicones, and fluoro-chemicals, and switch to more environmentally friendly options." Mr. Singh expressed confidence in collaboration with IIT Roorkee, highlighting the local availability of coating materials, in-house technical capabilities to address customer challenges, and the ability to meet end-user’s requirements”.

IIT Roorkee Licenses technology for Environment-Friendly coating for Disposable Paper to Promote Sustainability and Waste Management

During the agreement signing ceremony, Prof K K Pant, Director of IIT Roorkee, expressed, "We are delighted to transfer this breakthrough technology for an environment-friendly coating for the disposable paper to M/s M S Papers. This collaboration reflects our commitment to protecting the environment and supporting the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. By eliminating the use of plastic in disposable paper products, we are contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable society. This technology addresses environmental concerns and transforms disposable paper waste into recyclable materials, reducing solid municipal waste and promoting a circular economy. This transfer will significantly impact society, aligning with our vision of a cleaner and greener India."

Researchers, including Prof Dharam Dutt, Prof Millie Pant, Prof Akshay Dvivedi, Dr Anurag Kulshreshtha and Mr Brahma Prakash, explained the features of the technology. This breakthrough technology will be a significant milestone in reducing solid municipal waste and transforming disposable paper and paperboard materials into recyclable ones, which is currently a considerable challenge. The technology addresses environmental concerns and resolves recycling issues associated with disposable paper waste, converting it into value-added products. Considering the environmental hazards, many countries, including India, have taken steps to ban "Single-Use Plastics." While the laws have been formalized and implemented, there is a need for greater momentum in executing this ban to achieve visible results. The development of water-soluble coating by IIT Roorkee significantly contributes to Clean India and Make in India initiatives, becoming a game-changer.

Prof Rajat Agrawal, Associate Dean of Innovation and Incubation at IITR, informed that the IIT Roorkee campus has one of the most vibrant Innovations and Entrepreneurship Ecosystems. IIT Roorkee offers help to researchers to improve their Technology Readiness Level for better commercialization of technologies, providing support to faculty members for starting their scientific spin-offs.

In this context, developing the water-soluble coating by IIT Roorkee emerges as a game-changer. It significantly contributes to Clean India and Make in India initiatives to promote sustainable practices and domestic manufacturing. By eliminating the need for plastic coatings in disposable paper products, this technology aligns with the goals of creating a cleaner and greener India. It demonstrates a great step forward in advancing environmental sustainability and positively impacting waste management practices.

Overall, the technology transfer of the water-soluble coating for disposable paper has the potential to bring about a significant positive impact on society by promoting sustainability, reducing plastic waste, improving waste management, and supporting the growth of the MSME sector.

About IIT Roorkee

IIT Roorkee is an institute of national importance imparting higher education in engineering, sciences, management, architecture and planning, and humanities and social sciences. Since its establishment in 1847, the Institute has played a vital role in providing the country with technical human resources and know-how.

In A Breakthrough, Toppan and Polymateria Unveil Fastest Full-Biodegradable Packaging Plastic That Returns to Nature Harmlessly in Just 176 Days

• Polymateria and Toppan Specialty Films have released packaging which fully biodegrades leaving no microplastic and toxins behind.
• Data released today shows that biotransformed packaging can return to nature in record time – 176 days.
• The revolutionary technology does not affect the mechanical or aesthetic qualities and allows plastic to be recycled for a pre-determined amount of time via a time-set feature.
• Biotransformation technology will help push boundaries in the plastics industry, propelling the switch to more sustainable materials across the value chain in India.

A new breakthrough by sustainable plastic innovator Polymateria in partnership with Indian plastic manufacturer Toppan Specialty Films (TSP), has seen plastics commonly used in the packaging industry biotransform in under 4 months and return to nature in just 176 days, leaving no microplastics or toxins behind. It’s the fastest-ever full biodegradation of biaxially oriented (flexible) polypropylene which is used in food and cosmetic packaging. The result was achieved using Polymateria’s innovative biotransformation technology, which is set to play a significant part in reducing plastic pollution in India and around the world.

Polymateria also worked with one of the world’s largest confectionery manufacturers to create rigid plastic packaging armed with biotransformation technology, which was measured to fully biodegrade in 230 days, breaking a previous record of 310 days. These twin breakthroughs mean that common packaging from candy wrappers to cigarette packaging could be made biodegradable - with important impacts on the 11 million tons of plastic waste which reach the ocean every year [1].

The first prototypes of biotransformed plastics developed through the partnership between Polymateria and Toppan were verified by the fully accredited AIMPLAS Technological Institute of Plastic laboratory in Spain, which tested the plastics under the ISO 17556 standard for biodegradability.

Mr Niall Dunne, CEO of Polymateria said, “I’m delighted to be announcing our record-speed biodegradation here in India given the leadership role the country is playing on tackling plastic pollution. In a market the size of India, multiple solutions will be needed and our technology provides an additional route by making plastic fully biodegradable in the ambient environment. Working with sustainability champions like Toppan gives me great hope that by coming together the industry will rise to the challenge."

Mr Manohar Kumar, CEO of Toppan Speciality Films said, “We are delighted to see the record-speed biodegradation achieved by combining our plastic packaging with Polymateria’s technology. We are already seeing huge interest in our sustainable biodegradable packaging in India and look forward to working with some of the country’s most well-known brands as it gets widely rolled out.”

Products using Polymateria’s technology can be recycled, but if they escape into nature, they will biotransform into a bioavailable wax. The wax then attracts microorganisms like bacteria and fungi, which safely digest it and return it to nature without harm.

Biotransformation technology will be part of the solution to the global problem of plastic pollution, and Toppan is leading the way in adopting innovative technologies which can be brought to scale rapidly. This technology has the potential to significantly boost the sustainability of the packaging industry, in conjunction with other measures including improved waste management systems, consumer education and further innovative ideas from both government and the private sector. Time is running out to tackle plastic pollution, with some projections suggesting there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050 [2]. Governments and businesses across many sectors need to work together to create a cleaner future.

About Polymateria’s Biotransformation Technology

Plastic with Polymateria’s technology is made for recycling, however, if it escapes into the natural environment and is exposed to natural elements such as sun, air, moisture and heat, it will biotransform into a bioavailable wax. The wax attracts microorganisms like bacteria and fungi which safely digest it and return it to nature without harm.

Biotransformation technology is integrated into plastics at the point of manufacture, meaning there is no need for CAPEX investment and solution can be scaled immediately by plastic producers around the world. Furthermore, plastics with biotransformation technology look and feel exactly like conventional plastic for their entire service life, offering manufacturers, both a convenient and sustainable solution without compromising on quality.

About Polymateria

Polymateria aims to utilise scientific advancements to address the issue of plastic pollution. Established at Imperial College London, the company has become the first entity to demonstrate, through scientific evidence, that the most prevalent sources of unmanaged plastic waste can be returned to nature without generating microplastics, negatively impacting the ecosystem or disrupting recycling processes on a large scale. As a result of its efforts to promote circularity and combat plastic pollution, Polymateria was honoured as a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer in 2021.

About Toppan

Toppan Specialty Films is a global leader in the development and production of specialty and value-added films (majority PP based) with strong focus on providing sustainable solutions of clearly differentiated quality used in flexible packaging of food, confectionery and fast moving consumer goods, as well as in industrial packaging. The company is known for its innovative, sustainable solutions that help customers meet their packaging needs while reducing their impact on the environment.

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[1] Breaking The Plastic Wave: https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2020/07/breakingtheplasticwave_report.pdf

[2] The New Plastics Economy https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_The_New_Plastics_Economy.pdf

Sustainable Computer Chip Made Using Mushroom Skin is Easily Recyclable

In a "global first" that could result in more sustainable electronics, Scientists at Johannes Kepler University, Austria have dubbed the new innovative substance "MycelioTronics" from mushroom skin, which could help eliminate electronic waste and offer a new platform for conformable and wearable electronics, among other uses.

The mushroom skins only need waste wood to grow. Using mushroom skin to make the base of computer chips and batteries would make them easier to recycle. 

All electronic circuits, which consist of conducting metals, need to sit in an insulating and cooling base called a substrate. In almost every computing chip, this substrate is made from unrecyclable plastic polymers, which are often thrown away at the end of a chip's life. This contributes to the 50 million tonnes of electronic waste that is produced each year

"The substrate itself is the most difficult to recycle," says Martin Kaltenbrunner at Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria. "It's also the largest part of the electronics and has the lowest value, so if you have certain chips on it that actually have a high value, you might want to recycle them."

In an accidental scientific discovery, scientists discovered that in order to protect itself from pathogens and other fungi, glossy paint fungus forms a closed mycelium skin on the surface of its growing medium. It turns out that this skin can be easily removed then processed further.

The skins are created using the saprophytic fungus Ganoderma lucidum, a medicinal mushroom which grows naturally on dead hardwood trees. The electronic circuits are deposited on the skin using physical vapor deposition of thin metal that is then ablated by laser. The resulting electronic circuit has high thermal stability and can withstand thousands of bending cycles.

Kaltenbrunner and his colleagues have now tried using skin from the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum to act as a biodegradable electronic substrate.

The resulted material from mushroom skin is robust, flexible, and has heat resistant properties. The mushroom skin is  surprisingly heat-resistant, able to withstand temperatures of up to 250°C. This is an important factor when building circuits.

This could potentially become a polymer substitute for polymers currently used in making flexible electronic components.

VC Fund Climate Angels-backed Sunbird Straws Rolls Out ‘Palm leave Straws’ as an Alternative to Single-Use Plastic Straws

The ZeSUP challenge (Zero Single-Use Plastic challenge), launched by VC Fund Climate Angels, has been supporting various innovative start-ups working towards reducing single-use plastic straws. Bangalore-based Sunbird Straws is one of the start-ups backed by The ZeSUP challenge to promote alternatives to plastic straws at the onset of the Single-Use Plastic Ban.

Starting 1st July 2022, the government of India has implemented a nationwide ban on single-use plastic straws. Manufacturers in India have been prohibited to produce single-use plastic straws in India. This ban has created many opportunities for companies to produce alternatives to plastic and paper straws.

ZeSUP challenge, launched by VC Fund Climate Angels bridges the gap between innovation and established F&B partners intending to eliminate single-use plastics. It provides support to innovative start-ups that are leading the fight against single-use plastic in the F&B industry, by providing them with an opportunity to connect with restaurants, cloud kitchens and other food outlets like Rebel Foods, The Beer Café, and Burger Singh. The selected startups get project and startup funding from a pool of US$ 500,000, dedicated mentorship and technical assistance for the project.

Founded by Saji Varghese in 2020, Sunbird Straws is the producer of environmentally friendly and long-lasting straws from naturally dried and fallen coconut leaves, reducing the consumption of paper and plastic straws. Their in-house technology has managed to produce close to two hundred straws from a single coconut leaf. The company is creating value by reducing the burning of leaves along with solving the issue of single-use plastic straws. The company has been actively employing women in their production process creating women empowerment in villages.

“ZeSUP will greatly help start-ups overcome key challenges such as lack of collaborative industry partners, underdeveloped value chains, and complex policy and regulatory framework. Through ZeSUP, we will try to be a key factor in connecting innovative start-ups with F&B partners. This will further strengthen the single-use plastic ban as we eventually adopt alternatives to it”, said Shailesh Vikram Singh, founder of Climate Angels.

Govt throws Challenge to Startups for Alternative to Single-use Plastic

The government has launched a challenge for startups to develop an alternative for single-use plastic. The first winner will receive a cash price of Rs 3 lakh for each problem statement, while the second winner will get Rs 2 lakh.

"The target of the single-use plastic grand challenge is to incentivise innovators and startups to develop design solutions," the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) said.

Dubbed as "Single Use Plastic International Grand Challenge", the startup challenge is open to all startups across the globe having Minimum Viable Product (MVP) along with Proof of Concept (PoC).

The target of the single use plastic Grand Challenge is to incentivise innovators and Startups to develop design solutions. The solutions must also have the same or greater functionality as the products they are designed to replace and must be designed with current production methods in mind. The theme will focus on the entire value chain.

Single-use plastics, often also referred to as disposable plastics, are commonly used for plastic packaging and include items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled.

An interim jury of experts will review the eligible applications and shortlist the best entries on the basis of an evaluation criteria as set by the DPIIT. The result will be announced on October 31.

Plastic bags, straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food packaging are single-use plastic.

Last for entries is 22 OCT, 2019 and can be applied here

~ With Inputs from PTI

Biodegradable plastic Maker Total-Corbion Forays into India

With the call to dump single-use plastic coming from the prime minister himself, a global leader in biodegradable plastic Total-Corbion has announced its India foray with a technical collaboration with Mangalore-based polymers company Konspec.

Completely biodegradable plastic is made from PLA (poly lactic acid) compounds, and is an alternative to conventional polyolefin-based packaging.

While Total is a world energy leader with presence around the globe, the Netherlands-based Corbion is the global market leader in lactic acid and its derivatives, emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, and algae ingredients among others.

Konspec is a Rs 200-crore polymers and chemicals player and is the technical collaborator for the MNC.

Under the agreement, Total-Corbion will launch completely biodegradable and compostable option for plastic and will operate through Konspec, which will import PLA and create compounds according to the specific needs of domestic users - airports and airlines, large hotels, the railways, FMCG players, food aggregators and e-commerce players.

"India has a huge potential to utilize a large share of the 75,000 tonne PLA produced at Total-Corbion's Thailand plant in Rayong. We are confident of beginning 5-6 'light house' projects immediately in over the next months itself," Konspec's chief executive Vinod Bondal said, adding he is also the exclusive technical collaborator for Nepal and Bangladesh.

Total-Corbion's global chief executive for PLA and bio-plastics, Stephane Dion is currently in the country and is meeting several large domestic companies.

"We have been meeting several Indian brands across sectors. The idea is to work with all leading airports, FMCG brands, retails giants and delivery chains among others to create an opportunity of a circular economy of waste management...because of non-disclosure agreements, I cannot name any," Stephane Dion told PTI.

PLA-based compounds when used for plastic is completely biodegradable, though the application would require several technical studies through light house projects across companies from each sector to ensure the right compounds for each application is arrived at.

A light house project is a closed loop spotlight and industry exclusive pilot with specific sectors that are high on the plastic consumption cycle and yet can be converted into a closed loop of circular economy and a waste-to-wealth programme where waste can be re-acquired and recycled or converted into energy, or composted and returned to the soil as fertiliser.

Total Corbion will be supplying resins and compounds as solutions to provide rigid and flexible packaging in tandem with existing vendors to create containers and biodegradable alternatives to plastic.

Bondal said while the global single use plastic at over 5 trillion tonne per annum, supply of biodegradable plastic worldwide is a mere fraction of it. A gradual adaptation would ensure a step-by-step progress towards a viable replacement option that is environment and ecosystem friendly.

India alone can easily become a 2 million tonne per annum market if correctly adapted, he said.

The move comes amidst Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for ending single use plastics from October 2, and also government tightening plastic rules with extended producer responsibility or EPR, which makes it increasingly important for large brand owners to take up the responsibility of finally disposing off the plastic used. PTI BEN