Scaling up biodegradable plant-based resin production for high-volume food-contact packaging, starting with functional and barrier coatings for paperboard applications

从纸板应用的功能性和阻隔涂层开始，扩大用于大批量食品接触包装的可生物降解植物基树脂的生产

• 批准号: 10083074
• 金额: $ 77.04万
• 依托单位: XAMPLA LTD
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10083074
• 关键词: Scaling; up; biodegradable; plant; based

Brand owners are increasingly under pressure to transition from plastic to paperboard packaging in response to consumer, industry, and regulatory pressures; however, in many paperboard packaging applications (for example, single-use takeaway containers), functional and barrier coatings are required to deliver performance in use.Yet, traditional petroleum-based coatings (typically, polyethylene) consume non-renewable fossil fuel resources, are non-biodegradable (breaking down in the environment to release persistent microplastics), and hard-to-recycle (being both highly contaminated with food waste and grease, as well as difficult to separate from the paperboard), contaminating paperboard recycling streams. Consequently, single-use plastic-coated paperboard takeaway containers are destined for incineration, landfill, or environmental release.Xampla's mission is to replace the world's most polluting plastics for good. Originally spun out from the University of Cambridge in 2018 and now with a team of 35 people based in the Cambridge Science Park Bioinnovation Centre, our patented and game-changing technology harnesses the natural ability of plant proteins to self-assemble. We have created a new class of structured protein materials that deliver performance in use, are bio-/plant-based, biodegradable, manufacturable, and can be solubilised and removed within conventional recycling process steps. We have leveraged private and public funding to deliver swift, successful commercialisation, resulting in innovative product launches in multiple high-value, low-volume applications.Innovate UK Smart funding will formalise a development partnership between Xampla and 2M, global leader in manufacture and distribution of specialty chemicals (Queen's Award for International Trade). Together, we will scale up production of Xampla's biodegradable plant-based resin for high-volume packaging applications. We will start with functional and barrier coatings for paperboard packaging, a market valued by Smithers at USD7.84 billion in 2021 and responsible for the annual production of 3.19 megatonnes of hard-to-recycle, non-biodegradable, petroleum-based coatings.Successful Smart project outcomes will position Xampla, 2M, and UK as world leaders in sustainable packaging.

为了应对消费者、行业和监管压力，品牌所有者面临着越来越大的压力，从塑料包装转向纸板包装；然而，在许多纸板包装应用（例如一次性外卖容器）中，需要功能性和阻隔性涂层来提供使用性能。然而，传统的石油基涂层（通常是聚乙烯）会消耗不可再生的化石燃料资源，不可生物降解（在环境中分解，释放出持久性微塑料），并且难以回收（受到食物垃圾和油脂的高度污染，并且难以与纸板分离），污染纸板回收流。因此，一次性塑料涂层纸板外卖容器将被焚烧、填埋或释放到环境中。Xampla 的使命是永久替代世界上污染最严重的塑料。我们最初于 2018 年从剑桥大学分离出来，现在在剑桥科学园生物创新中心拥有一支由 35 人组成的团队，我们的专利和改变游戏规则的技术利用了植物蛋白自组装的自然能力。我们创造了一种新型结构蛋白材料，它具有使用性能，基于生物/植物，可生物降解，可制造，并且可以在传统的回收工艺步骤中溶解和去除。我们利用私人和公共资金来实现快速、成功的商业化，从而在多种高价值、小批量应用中推出创新产品。Innovate UK Smart 资金将正式建立 Xampla 与全球制造和分销领导者 2M 之间的开发合作伙伴关系特种化学品（国际贸易女王奖）。我们将共同扩大 Xampla 可生物降解植物基树脂的生产，用于大批量包装应用。我们将从纸板包装的功能性和阻隔涂料开始，Smithers 预计该市场到 2021 年将达到 78.4 亿美元，年产量为 3.19 兆吨难以回收、不可生物降解的石油基涂料。智能项目成果将使 Xampla、2M 和 UK 成为可持续包装领域的世界领导者。