Find out how Hydropol™ can positively impact your business
Hydropol™ is inherently biodegradable. When given the right balance of environment and microbial presence it will biodegrade to carbon dioxide, water and mineralised natural biomass.
The positive implications for animals and the natural environment are significant. As consumer packaging is on the increase in our increasingly on-line world, the harmful effects on the environment caused by littering can thereby be checked.
With current initiatives around the world to reduce greenhouse gas generation from organic waste in landfill, and to turn waste to energy, there is a requirement for an efficient means of transporting the organic waste from food manufacturers, supermarkets and restaurants to Anaerobic Digestion (AD) sites.
Most current compostable bags are not suitable for this, and the organic matter has to be de-bagged, alongside any polybags, before put into AD. Organic waste bags made from Hydropol™ are suitable for AD.
Currently, the plastics used to enhance the functionality of paper and paperboard are almost exclusively non-recoverable and non-recyclable.
Hydropol™ gives the necessary functionality but offers two viable recycling options within existing industry-standard paper recovery processes: hot washing and re-pulping.
Hydropol™ can be used with another plastic to create a dual-layer barrier film with at least equivalent functional properties of a multi-layer film.
Additionally, a simple hot water wash system can then remove the Hydropol™ layer, enabling the other material to be cleanly separated and recycled.
The availability of a stable pellet form enables the excellent functionality of the base polymer to be exploited more widely.
Hydropol™ can be used varyingly as a single barrier layer, a laminate, an extrusion coat or it can be blended with other biopolymers to form completely new biomaterials. Hydropol™ also has potential use in injection moulding and thermoforming.
We think Hydropol™ has the potential to transform the way industries view, use and reuse raw materials. For example, it could be an ideal material to create new packaging solutions for the food industry.
It is particularly suited as a film for packaging food since it’s FDA approved and acts as an oil, solvent and air barrier, keeping dried or fresh food products fresher for longer. This film can be produced in a range of weights and thicknesses, can be clear or coloured and printed directly on without Corona treatment.
Hydropol™ has particularly good uses in a hazardous waste scenario such as those present in hospitals. As a strong, flexible and highly-effective anti-infection barrier film , it is an excellent material to be made into aprons, gloves and cytotoxic bags.
