Researchers at the Voronezh State University of Engineering Technologies (VSUET) in Central Russia have come up with what they claim is new compostable synthetic plastic based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA).

PVA-based compostable synthetic plastics possess properties inherent with aseptic technologies like Tetra Pak and provide a combination of the pluses found in both degradable and non-degradable packaging. Eco-friendly packages based on such plastics can be easily recycled when mixed with organic waste, producing organic fertilizers. In this bioconversion process, polymers decompose down to small fragments that become part of the Big Cycle of substances in Nature.

“We are now at the key stage of our experiments, working on best possible compositions and studying the properties of the samples we have got. All should be considered before the technology is introduced to broad markets, to make sure the right applications have been picked. For example, the new material must not contact wet foodstuffs as it degrades at wetting like cardboard. We expect our dry compostable plastics to provide packaging for dry and frozen foodstuffs—a great replacement for widely used polystyrene tubs that cannot be recycled and all end up in landfills when used,” said associate professot Lyubov Studenikina who has worked on the project.