Online Seminar

Polylactide (PLA) is currently the most important biopolymer on the market for packaging, due to its high production capacity at a competitive price as well as its transparence, low migration levels and mechanical characteristics which are similar to PET. Due to the quantities, which have greatly increased in recent years, the end-of-life management of biopolymers – in particular PLA – is becoming increasingly important.

In addition to thermal usage through burning, two approaches compete with each other on this topic: composting and material recycling, i.e. a cascade usage of the raw materials. The initial recycling approaches are based on mechanical recycling processes (re-compounding to recycled PLA) and chemical processes (glycolysis and recovery of the monomers).

In a Fraunhofer Society-funded project carried out by the Fraunhofer institutes WKI and IVV, solvent-based recycling – through which conventional plastics can already be transformed into high-quality recyclates – is being modified for PLA processing. This innovative recycling technology will exploit the constantly-increasing, immense material potential of packaging waste.

The Online Seminar will present initial project results.