Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38420136›Full record

ArticleOpen research Europe2022

Lab-scale and full-scale industrial composting of biodegradable plastic blends for packaging.

Zhi Kai Chong, Alexander Hofmann, Marie Haye, Sharon Wilson, Ihsanullah Sohoo, Ayah Alassali, Kerstin Kuchta

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Open research Europe, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Zhi Kai ChongCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2506-0029
Alexander HofmannCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3072-8268
Marie HayeDepartment of Energy and Environmental Engineering (GEn), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon, Villeurbanne, 69100, France.
Sharon WilsonCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, Germany.
Ihsanullah SohooCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, Germany.
Ayah AlassaliCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, Germany.
Kerstin KuchtaCircular Resource Engineering and Management (CREM), Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, 21073, Germany.
Universität Hamburg · DEInstitut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon · FR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The acceptance of compostable plastic packaging in industrial composting plants is not universal despite available certification due to the persistence of plastic residues after composting. To better understand this discrepancy, this study compared the disintegration rates of two blends designed for rigid packaging (polylactic acid based) and soft packaging (polybutylene succinate based) in lab-scale composting tests and in an industrial composting plant. Methods: A lab-scale composting test was conducted in triplicates according to ISO 20200 for 4, 8 and 12 weeks to check the disintegration potential of the blends. Duplicate test material were then exposed in the compost pile of an industrial composting plant for a duration of 3 weeks and compared with a supplementary lab-scale test of the same duration. Results: The rigid packaging samples (1 mm thickness) retained on average 76.4%, 59.0% and 55.7% of its mass after 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively in the lab-scale. In the plant, the average remaining mass was 98.3%, much higher compared to the average of 68.9% after 3 weeks in the supplementary lab-scale test. The soft packaging samples (109±9 µm sample thickness) retained on average 45.4%, 10.9% and 0.3% of its mass after 4, 8 and 12 weeks respectively in the lab-scale. In the plant, a high average remaining mass was also observed (93.9%). The supplementary lab-scale test showed similar remaining mass but higher fragmentation after 3 weeks. Conclusions: The results show that the samples achieved significant disintegration in the lab-scale but not in the plant. The difference between the tests that might further contribute to the differing degradation rates is the composition and heterogeneity of the composting substrate. Therefore, the substrate composition and thermophilic composting duration of individual plants are important considerations to determine the suitability of treating compostable plastic in real-world conditions.

Indexed as

Biodegradable plasticcompostable packagingcompostable plasticindustrial compostingpolybutylene succinatepolylactic acid

Identifiers

PMID38420136
PMCPMC10899788
OpenAlexW4391103399

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.