Promising interim results of field test with compostable plastic bags in supermarkets
Since mid-March 2021, in the German city of Straubingen, supermarkets of the EDEKA and REWE company participate in a field test with compostable vegetable and fruit bags. Recently, first very positive interim results of a consumer survey and a compost analysis have been published. According to the survey, consumers showed a very high level of acceptance for the use of compostable bags as carrier bags for vegetables and fruits as well as biowaste bag. Another important element of the field test is the compost analysis in the city’s industrial composting plant. The analysis showed that the quality of the plant’s biowaste is very high with an impurity share of only 1.4 percent.
For more information (in German).
LG Chem and ADM are teaming up to explore US-based production of lactic acid
South Korean diversified chemical company LG Chem is teaming up with ADM to explore the US-based production of lactic acid to meet growing demand for a wide variety of plant-based products, including bioplastics. The two companies are taking steps towards launching a joint venture in early 2022 to build and operate a US-based facility to produce high-purity corn-based lactic acid on a commercial scale. In addition, the companies will collaborate on a second joint venture that will use the lactic acid to produce and commercialise polylactic acid (PLA).
LIDL announces plan to reduce plastic waste
Lidl has announced its plans to eliminate plastic waste through supporting the reduction and recycling of the material across its stores. The initiative forms part of the company’s REset Plastic Strategy, a scheme that aims to reduce plastic refuse through closing the recycling loop. In order to enact this change, the supermarket brand has affirmed a series of plastic-reducing measures. One example of this is in the replacement of all single-use fruit and vegetable bags with compostable options, with Lidl stating that this should result in the removal of approximately 275 tons of plastic from the waste stream. This compostable packaging is also designed for reuse as caddy liners for domestic food waste collections and within home composting.