Technology
 Almost all products available for purchase in the stores today are wrapped; and the bigger part of the wrappings are made of plastics. Due to the fact that traditional plastics are stable compounds which cannot be decomposed in Nature, two grave issues concerning environment and people arouse:
- What are we to do with the plastic wraps waste?
- How to reduce the scattered garbage?
While the solution to the first issue are the recycling technologies, the compost technologies and the technologies of garbage burning, the most effective measures against pollution from improper garbage dumping sites and wrong garbage collection administration, proved to be the fines imposed. Aiming to assist the reduction of the visual pollution, Extrapack Ltd. has recently launched packs and wraps made of DEGRALEN®. The license for this technology is with the Canadian company EPI Environmental Products Inc.. During the process of production of packs under this technology, during the process of extruding of the polyethylene film, a special prodegradent agent is added. During the aftermath process of crown treatment, the hidden phase of decomposition is initiated. This additive serves as catalyser of the polyethylene decomposition under the influence of oxygen, ultraviolet sun rays, thermal and mechanical fluctuations. Decomposition has two phases: first, the polymer chains get chopped into small pieces and later, the chopped chains become attacked by fungi and bacteria which would decompose the remains by emitting carbon dioxide and water. Visual decomposition takes a period of 2 to 3 years depending on the climate. During the period prior to decomposition, the wraps keep their mechanical properties and recycleability.
The DEGRALEN® technology is completely safe for human health. It may be applied to wraps which are in contact with food. It complies with the European standards for safety and ecological toxicity.
The Extrapack Ltd’s license issued by EPI Enviroment Plastics Inc.
|
