November 25, 2024 – Italian company Mixcycling has made a significant breakthrough in the field of biobased materials, successfully developing a food packaging and sealing material using PLA, PHBH, and cork as natural fillers. This innovation not only holds strategic importance but also embodies the perfect fusion of environmental protection and practicality.
The choice of PLA and PHBH as the main components of this new material is due to their origin from renewable resources and biodegradable properties. Under various environmental conditions, these materials can effectively decompose, enabling organic recycling and transforming waste into valuable compost, thereby greatly reducing the burden on the environment. The addition of cork as a filler not only enhances the material’s flexibility, strength, and durability but also significantly improves its mechanical properties, fully meeting the performance requirements of traditional bottle caps and ensuring the quality of sealed products against daily stresses.
According to the Color Masterbatch Industry Network, Mixcycling, a member of the European Green Circular Alliance, has already applied this innovative material in actual production. For instance, they collaborated with Italian company Le Terre di Zoé to provide a new cap solution for their extra virgin olive oil (EVO). Furthermore, Mixcycling has partnered with Guala Closures, a leading global cap manufacturer, to develop biocomposite materials that have been successfully used in the production of tamper-evident caps. These biocomposites are comparable to, and even surpass in some aspects, caps produced from traditional plastics in terms of strength, hygiene, and versatility. Prototypes of screw caps and olive oil dispensers have been successfully manufactured using injection molding technology, demonstrating the material’s broad application prospects.
Notably, Mixcycling hasn’t stopped there. They are continuously exploring new molding processes to further reduce energy consumption and enhance material performance. One significant achievement is the microwave-assisted molding process, which is estimated to reduce energy consumption by 30% while improving the material’s overall performance. This innovation not only provides a new approach to biobased material production but also marks a solid step towards achieving green circular economy goals.
Since its establishment in 2020 by brothers Gianni and Amerigo Tagliapietra, Mixcycling has become an industry leader in just a few years with its patented processes and proprietary technologies. Their technologies not only enable the valuation and reuse of organic waste but also skillfully combine biobased and fossil-based materials to create new raw materials for numerous renowned industrial groups. As the green circular economy continues to deepen, Mixcycling is expected to bring more surprises and breakthroughs to the industry.