July 20th 2021
Gurgaon-based agency begins making biopolymer from corn starch.
Gurgaon-based Hello-Tech Worldwide, a expertise sourcing supplier within the discipline of plastics and packaging, has come out with a plant-based bio-compostable polymer. The biopolymer, made out of corn starch, can change single- and multiple-use plastic merchandise.
“Corn starch is the principle ingredient within the polymer, which is biodegradable. It’s 100 per cent compostable and might change plastic bottles, straws, cups, disposable cutlery and polybags,” mentioned Mukul Sareen, Director, Enterprise Improvement, Hello-Tech Worldwide.
Bio-compostable product
The bio-compostable polymer, branded as Dr. Bio, has acquired the approval of the Institute of Petrochemicals Expertise (previously Central Institute of Petrochemicals Expertise Engineering and Expertise) after checks.
“Our product, India’s first, was accredited solely after it was discovered to be compostable. Ours is the one Bureau of Indian Requirements (BIS) accredited biopolymer movie,” the Hello-Tech Worldwide official mentioned.
The agency, which shifted its headquarters to the Haryana metropolis just a few years in the past from Mumbai, has made additional progress with its product.
“We received the Central Air pollution Management Board licence to start out producing the bio-compostable polymer just a few days in the past and we’ve now begun to pitch Dr Bio to numerous clients,” Sareen advised BusinessLine in a cellphone interview.
Hello-Tech started producing bio-polymers at its plant in Ludhiana, Punjab, in 2018.
Polymer granules
The biopolymer is produced by changing the corn starch right into a granule. “We purchase starch from the mills and go in for polymerisation by way of a mixing course of. This helps us to get polymer granules the best way some petrochemical companies produce plastic granules,” Sareen mentioned.
From these granules, the Gurgaon-based agency, established in 1985, produces bottles, cups, trays, polybags and different such supplies. “Corn starch makes up 60-70 per cent of our product. We additionally use biomass to fabricate our merchandise,” he mentioned.
The biopolymer product getting the obligatory clearances from the authorities is important since India alone produces 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste yearly. At the very least 40 per cent of this stays uncollected. The issue with these waste is a few 43 per cent is used for packaging and most are for single-use.
At the very least 60 per cent of this leads to landfills or in open environments. An actual downside with plastics is that out of each 100 kg, at the very least 40 kg will not be tapped for reuse.
Stronger than plastics
Although manufacturing prices of biopolymer are greater, it may be offset by producing supplies which have decrease micron ranges than conventional plastic merchandise. “Biopolymers are 2.5 instances costlier than plastic merchandise however the place it could rating is that you simply can’t produce a plastic bag lower than 50 microns. Alternatively, we will produce a biopolymer bag of 20 microns,” he mentioned.
Although the micron stage is decrease, these biopolymers are stronger than the plastic baggage. “A 50 micron typical polybag manufactured from plastic can usually maintain merchandise as much as two kg. Our biopolymer baggage can maintain merchandise as much as 5 kg,” Sareen mentioned.
Hello-Tech Worldwide’s hope for a superb response to its product additionally stems from the brand new legislation that the Centre is planning to provide you with towards elevating the micron stage to 120. “This can make our product extra aggressive towards the plastic merchandise,” he mentioned.
The corporate has commercially launched Dr Bio and a few clients have accepted it. “We’re additionally exporting the biopolymers to Europe, the US, South America and South Africa. Now we have began pitching our product to e-commerce companies too and thus far, we’ve received good traction,” he mentioned.
Hello-Tech, which is a privately held agency, is now trying to produce comparable biopolymers from potato and tapioca, that are starch supplies.
Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/hi-tech-international-begins-making-biopolymer-from-corn-starch/article35423562.ece