Spain's Technological Institute of Plastics (Aimplas)is taking part in a project to develop packaging for fish products out of PP and wheat starch.
The Thinfish project, which includes the National Association of Fish and Seafood Canning Manufacturers (Anfaco), as well as Spanish company Criimpla and Bulgaria-based Sivel, is hoping to create pacakging that is recyclable, biodegradable and less than 1mm thick.
The material consists of three layers; two outer PP layers and an inner starch-based layer.
Enrique Benavent, main researcher at Aimplas, says the new package will be made by a single injection step, instead of two as in the current processes. This will result in a scrap reduction, savings in energy consumption and a wide flexibility in the package design, he says.