1. BY-PRODUCTS AS A RAW MATERIAL SOURCE
Polish wheat bran packaging Biotrem
JOANNA KUZINCOW, COBRO – Packaging Research Institute

2. COBRO – PACKAGING RESEARCH INSTITUTE
State, self-supporting research institution subordinated to the Ministry of Economy, founded in 1973.
Member of:
World Packaging Organisation,
International Association of Packaging Research Institutes,
Polish Chamber of Packaging,
European Bioplastics.
Packaging R&D Department:
Packaging and Environment Department
Laboratory for Packaging Materials and Consumer Packaging Testing
Laboratory for Transport Packaging Testing
Certification Centre
Standardization Department
Packaging Spectrum Magazine

3. BIOTREM NOVUM
New, started in 2014 project BIOTREM NOVUM involves modification of wheat bran packaging produced currently by Aston Investment Ltd. and introduction of biodegradable polymers into their structure or coating its surface with such polymers.
Its objective is to enhance compostability with simultaneous improvement of product properties: processing speed and water resistance.
Project is co-financed by The National Centre for Research and Development under the pilot undertaking Support for research and development on a demonstration scale Demonstrator+.

4. BY-PRODUCTS AS A RAW MATERIALS SOURCES
Wheat bran – seed husks from the remnants of the endosperm, is a by-product of the milling industry. Only 20% of wheat bran can be used for feeding livestock, but the remaining mass requires disposal or recovery. Long-term storage of plant products is expensive as appropriate conditions and measures are required.

5. WHEAT BRAN AS PACKAGING MATERIAL
Production of BIOTREM biodegradable and compostable packaging, inter alia plates or cups (according to Comission Directive 2013/2/EU), from bran can be solution to the following problems:
lack of packaging materials raw sources,
long-term plant storage.
It will allow the organic recycling of thousand tons of post-consumer waste and reduce the mass of plastic waste and will also significantly minimize use of petrochemical raw materials.
Wheat bran packaging is an example of sustainable packaging improving waste disposal by not causing further production of waste.

6. WHEAT BRAN AS PACKAGING MATERIAL
Prototype batch of wheat bran packaging has been positively evaluated in terms of health quality by the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene. Research of physical and mechanical properties and as well as heavy metals content determination tests (chromium, cadmium, mercury and lead) were carried out in COBRO. Total content of those metals has been assessed as very low. no
TESTED MATERIAL Cr Cd Hg Pb
 Pb, Cd, Hg, Cr 1
BIOTREM
Bio-degradable tray made from wheat bran -
0.4
0.1
0,45 0,01
source: Żakowska H.: Systemy recyklingu odpadów opakowaniowych w aspekcie wymagań ochrony środowiska, Wydawnictwo Akademii Ekonomicznej w Poznaniu, Poznań 2008.

7. WHEAT BRAN AS PACKAGING MATERIAL
no. of sample
SAMPLE DESCRIPTION
CARBON 14C CONTENT (AMS)
[pMC]* 1.
CELLULOSE FILM NATUREFLEX
± 0.43 2.
polyethylene film PE-LD
<0.22 3.
expanded polystyrene EPS
0.27 ±0.07 4.
polyolefin film with calcium carbonate
0.82 ±0.08 5.
BIOTREM
±0.35 6.
PLA GRANULES 2002D
±0.35
MODERN CARBON: PMC > 100
Result „PMC > 100” signifies that contained organic carbon was assimilated from the atmosphere in the last decades of the 20th century or recent years.
source: Żakowska H.: Badania zawartości surowców odnawialnych w polimerowych materiałach opakowaniowych, Polimery, issue 3/2014, pp
Determination of biobased content of BIOTREM was carried out by Polish Poznan Radiocarbon Laboratory, using radiocarbon (radioactive isotope 14C) dating methodology and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) technique.
*pMC – percent modern carbon

8. WHEAT BRAN AS PACKAGING MATERIAL
Use of by-product as feedstock:
reduces the need for petrochemical and pulping industry,
has very low production impact.
Composting bran-based packaging will reduce emission of greenhouse gases in contrast to incinerating and/or landfilling of conventional packaging.
BIOTREM’s concept of packaging fits well into the concept of modern and sustainable society.

9. BIOTREM NOVUM LIFE CYCLE
FOOD COMPANIES
CONSUMERS
MILLING
BRAN
COMPRESSION MOULDING
PRE-TREATMENT
WHEAT
RETAIL
WASTE COLLECTION WITH COMPOSTABLE WASTE
COMPOST
COMPOSTING
BIOTREM NOVUM:
COATING
more applications

10. BIOTREM NOVUM – production
Technology and processing of BIOTREM is similar to this applied in conventional products from plastics and paper & board. The production of bran-based products comprises of three steps: 1. PRE-TREATMENT OF BRAN, 2. COMPRESSION MOULDING, 3. COATING.

11. BIOTREM NOVUM – production
1. PRE-TREATMENT OF BRAN
The bran is moistened, mixed and homogenised.
Food grade fats and compostable polyesters may be added to change final product properties.

12. BIOTREM NOVUM – production
2. COMPRESSION MOULDING Forming of wheat bran material.
3. COATING
Coating with composition of biodegradable polymers from renawable resources enhancing humidity resistance.

13. BIOTREM NOVUM – applications
Currently in production: assortment of disposable plates and bowls.
Planned: injection moulded cutlery (PLA + bran) as well as coated surface plates, bowls and cups.

14. SUMMARY
BIOTREM technology is in line with current trends of packaging, due to its bio-based nature.
On the production stage BIOTREM means much lower carbon foootprint than conventional petroleum technologies.
BIOTREM technology corresponds with present state of environmental protection knowledge.

15. THANK YOU JOANNA KUZINCOW Head of Packaging Support Systems Department
COBRO – Packaging Research Institute 11 Konstancinska Str., Warsaw, Poland Tel 15