AIMPLAS, a plastics technology company based in Spain, has launched a new technique for assessing the biodegradability of plastic materials.

The method reportedly speeds up the testing process, making it three times quicker than conventional approaches.

The organisation points out that current biodegradation assessments are frequently laborious and costly.

Such constraints can impede companies from investigating new formulations during the initial phases of product development.

The new testing method developed by AIMPLAS replicates industrial composting conditions to evaluate the transformation of polymeric carbon into carbon dioxide.

This enables companies to receive preliminary findings in considerably shorter periods, aiding in the early detection of viable formulations.

Although this test does not substitute the standardised assessments necessary for compostable product certification, it serves as a strategic filter.

It allows businesses to optimise resources and make adjustments before proceeding to official certification processes.

AIMPLAS asserts that this innovation also mitigates risk and hastens the journey to certification.

The technique complies with international standards such as EN-ISO 14855, assisting companies in their sustainability initiatives.

In December last year, AIMPLAS, Covinil, and Eroski launched the BOTTLE4FLEX Project to develop recyclable ‘skinpack’ packaging comprising recycled polyethylene terephthalate.