Biodegradable plastics technology licensed by Belgian company

Yissum Ltd., the technology transfer company of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, signed a licensing agreement with an (unnamed) Belgian holding company for the commercialisation of a clean technology for manufacturing biodegradable plastic from protein-rich plants. Yissum will receive licensing fees and royalties from sales of future products.

The technology, developed by Sergei Braun, makes it possible to produce biodegradable plastic for the food-packaging industry from the residue left after processing protein-rich crops such as corn, canola, rapeseed and soy beans.

The cost advantage depends on the use of a chemical substitution that replaces some of the primary amines in the protein-based material to produce a biodegradable material similar in qualities to polypropylene.

“Professor Braun has shown that it is possible to prepare numerous products from degradable plastic, including plastic bags, crates, and fibres at a competitive cost,” said Nava Swersky Sofer, CEO of Yissum.

“The novel material is recyclable, completely degradable, and may serve as compost and even as a food supplement for animals.”

Professor Braun added, “Until now, the main barrier to the entry of biodegradable products into the plastics market was their high price. Biodegradable plastics, […], cost five to tens times the price of ordinary packaging materials. Our invention is intended to change the market conditions and offer a cheap and available alternative that is also environmentally friendly.”

The food oils and starches industry produces a surplus of vegetable proteins that can be used for the manufacturing of environmentally friendly food packaging. Just 6 per cent of surplus vegetable protein production in the US would needed to produce plastic packaging for the entire country.