University of Manitoba

Purpose

Industrial compositing facilities apply similar methods and practices for composting of organic wastes (food residues, branches, trees, etc.) to compostable plastics. However, common compostable plastics, such as PolyLactic Acid (PLA), have different chemistry and physical characteristics than the organic wastes and are much more durable under biological attacks. The composting conditions used for organic wastes are not appropriate for plastics. Hence, compostable plastics, like PLA, cannot be composted in a short timeframe as other organic wastes at industrial composting facilities, so they are rejected and sent to landfill sites. There is an urgent need to redesign the composting operation for such plastics. Based on its extensive expertise with biodegradation of plastics, the University of Manitoba will collaborate with the NRC to develop solutions and parameters to tackle the biodegration of food plastic packaging waste challenge and allow these to be suitably processed for biodegradation rather than landfilled.