Consumables
NOVAMONT AWARDED FRIEND OF THE ENVIRONMENT INNOVATION PRIZE 2010
Friday 26. November 2010 - The new clingfilm made of second generation Mater-Bi receives Legambientes award for product innovation and environmental sustainability
Legambiente has honoured Novamonts first industrial clingfilm for foodstuffs by giving it the Friend of the Environment Innovation Award 2010. This national award recognises technological and management innovation in products, processes, services and systems that have been implemented or are at an advanced production stage, which have contributed to significant improvements in the area of environmental sustainability and which are characterised by their originality and their potential for development, with particular regard to regional specificity.
Showcased at Fiera K 2010, the second generation clingfilm made of Mater-Bi is biodegradable and compostable and contains raw materials from renewable resources.
The stretchy clingfilm can be used for any kind of foodstuffs, even food that has a high fat content (oils, sauces, butter, etc.) or that is acidic. After use it can be disposed of as organic waste as it has been certified as compostable in accordance with standard EN13432 and is compatible with various kinds of composting plant technology.
It has the same technical characteristics of strength and stretch as traditional products developed for domestic use without using any plasticisers or additives that could transfer into food. It is specially formulated to be easy to tear off without needing a serrated cutting edge, making it safer and more convenient.
An intrinsic characteristic of the material is its high permeability to water vapour, helping to evaporate the condensation that forms on warm food that is refrigerated. This makes it ideal for preserving and protecting foodstuffs.
Mater-Bi is the main product developed by Novamont. While providing the same strength and performance as traditional plastics, it is made of renewable resources of agricultural origin. It reduces greenhouse gas emissions and the consumption of energy and non renewable resources, thus completing a virtuous circle: the raw materials of agricultural origin return to the earth through processes of biodegradation and composting, without releasing pollutants.
Second generation Mater-Bi is available in a wide range of grades for applications in the sectors of film and flexible coatings with increased content of renewable raw materials, low levels of greenhouse gas production and less dependency on raw materials of fossil origin. Besides investments in new plant and new capacities, second generation Mater-Bi is a result of Novamonts successful integration of starch-based technology with technology using polyesters from vegetable oils in connection with the project for a locally-integrated Biorefinery. Novamont is currently working with Coldiretti Umbria, with a subsidy provided by a regional development programme, to identify and develop specific crops and processing techniques with low environmental impact.