16 April 2024
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Plastic and Styrofoam packaging is often produced from oil. This causes a lot of CO2 emissions. PaperFoam already makes small biodegradable packaging material based on starch and fibers. With a grant from RVO, PaperFoam is now researching the right formula to make large packaging material as well. "Thanks to the subsidy, we can conduct experiments that we would have difficulty financing ourselves," says director Mark Geerts.
From large to small packaging materials
It may sound simple: PaperFoam already makes small bio-packaging material from starch and fiber for products of about 2 kilograms worldwide. Then it should be possible to make large bio-packaging material, right? "Our packaging material is a good ecological product based on natural and inexhaustible products," says Geerts. "But there is a limit to our material thickness. We would also like to package heavier products such as refrigerators and large screens. This requires a lot of research time."
Magic formula
So this has been experimented with for several years. Several parties at home and abroad carried out tests with an extruder: which can also be used to make products such as spaghetti and plastic tubes. The test results were promising and the company purchased an extruder of its own. But it had yet to find the right ingredient and the right machine setup. The company will one day find the magic formula. Geerts is sure of it: "We are going to do it: develop large packaging material from starch and fiber."
Research grant
PaperFoam submitted a grant application to RVO for additional research to find the right formula. "We know RVO well and enjoy working with the grant advisor," says Geerts. "Thanks to subsidy, we can carry out experiments that we have difficulty financing ourselves. Also, through the Energy & Climate Research and Development scheme, we are working with Wageningen Food & Biobased Research and the University of Naples to develop more knowledge about the behavior of starch in an extruder. That's paying off for us."
"You often don't know what you will find in a study. The grant does ask you to provide certain expectations with your application. Think about that. So our research plans are focused on: start smart with a machine and if it doesn't work, we'll do it differently tomorrow. This is how we eventually find our right formula for large bio-packaging material." - Mark Geerts, Director PaperFoam