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When it comes to the subject of sustainability and recycling, the focus of packaging discussions is usually polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The material is known for its strong recycling flow and ability to be reprocessed into rPET for use in subsequent generations. However, with serious concerns about the availability of rPET, the need to reduce the carbon footprint continues to become more and more important, and brand owners should also consider replacing fossil fuel plastics.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polyvinyl furanate (PEF) are two of the interesting bioplastics. Each is made by a completely different process, but both can be bio-based. PHA is biodegradable, while PEF is recyclable. 

Below is a brief overview of these two materials to help you start discussions within your organization.

PHA is a polyester biosynthesized through bacterial fermentation using a series of biologically derived raw materials. PHA technologies vary and include the use of various raw materials, including cheap vegetable oils, such as those extracted from rapeseed and soybean seeds, to extract raw biogas containing methane, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide, to recovered edible oil.

PHA has a variety of applications, including packaging films, injection molded and blow molded parts, and plastic straws. Films, straws, plastic plates and tableware have been commercialized.

PEF is an aromatic polyester, similar to PET. PEF can be produced by the polycondensation of ethylene glycol and furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), which can be biologically derived from renewable raw materials (such as sugar). advantage:

PEF, which was launched many years ago, was and is a sustainable material. Its era should have arrived, and it is now ready to enter the packaging field.

Author: Dan Durham is PTI's Director of Technical Customer Service. He has decades of experience in plastic packaging, from design to injection and blow molding processing. His work focuses on helping multinational brand owners successfully guide packaging projects from concept to commercialization and supporting their sustainable development goals. 

PTI is a globally recognized leading source of preform and packaging design, packaging development, rapid prototyping, pilot production prototyping and material evaluation engineering in the plastic packaging industry.

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