Introduction

The invention deals with a biodegradable and compostable packaging material obtained from the integral use of the waste from vegetable raw materials used in food industries. The manufacturing process includes a drying step, a grinding until the desired granulometry, an extrusion-cooking step of the dough obtained from the dried vegetable formulated with other ingredients

Technical features

The results are aimed at the primary producers (farmers) who produce the waste, the food industries that transform the vegetables even minimally (fresh-cut), to the packaging materials industries. The process allows to obtain materials: flexible,  biodegradable, suitable to be shaped, with a good impermeability, suitable to be covered with a coating. A significant advantage is to avoid the expensive disposal of industrial plant waste, promoting their integral re-use for the manufacture of fully biodegradable materials, similar to the carton, but less permeable to water. The distinctive feature and its particularly innovativity is in the total recovery of wastes, namely that, unlike other existing processes, this invention does not involve the extraction processes of useful components (lignin, starch, etc.), but the use of the entire waste, transformed to biodegradable material.

Possible Applications

• Primary producers (farmers) producing waste;
• Food industries that transform vegetables even minimally (fresh-cut);
• Packaging materials industries.

Advantages

• To avoid the expensive disposal of industrial plant waste;
• To promote their integral re-use for the manufacture of fully biodegradable materials;
• Not involve the extraction processes of useful components but the use of the entire waste, transformed to biodegradable material;
• The entire waste is used, transformed into biodegradable formable material