Additive aids degradation process of plastics: by photo degradation followed by biodegradation

04-Jun-10

The Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), an agency under the Department of Science and Technology (DoST), has issued Environmental Technology Verification (ETV)-013 for an additive made by a Fillipino company BioMate®. BioMate is manufactured by First In Colours, Inc. (FIC), a sister company of the publicly listed green technology firm Chemrez Technologies Inc. Polyolefin plastics formulated with BioMate® undergo a 2-step degradation process; first by photo degradation and then biodegradation. Photo degradation is the breakdown of plastic by ultra-violet light and thermal energy from the sun. Biodegradation is the process where the broken plastic materials are digested by bacteria and living organisms and eventually transform into carbon dioxide, and water. If exposed outdoors, films with BioMate will become brittle in 30-45 days and embrittlement continues until films are small enough for bacteria and microorganisms to consume (within 9-12 months). Indoors, shelf life of plastics with BioMate is 6 to 9 months. This is the first such additive in the Philippine plastics film and bags industry to be verified by the ITDI as making plastics both photo and biodegradable.