The strategies are reduction and substitution:
1. We reduce the proportion of plastic by up to 60% in thermoplastic polymer parts, by applying rice husks to the mix we manage to reduce the amount of plastic used by more than half without compromising the physical integrity of the product.
Rice husk is a waste from rice cultivation, which is the second most cultivated cereal in the world, this represents a huge amount of raw material that we used to think of as waste from agricultural production and that we now reuse.
It is composed of:
Ø 15% of silica, a natural material that increases its strength.
Ø 85% of organic material (cellulose, lignin, D-Xylose and D-Galactose). These can then be recycled at the end of the product’s life cycle.
In addition to being compatible with thermoplastic polymers, it reduces the weight of thermoplastic-containing components and is recyclable at the end of the product’s life cycle.
2. We replace traditional plastics with bioplastics, which are also biodegradable. A polymer whose origin comes from nature is called bioplastic, and biodegradable are those materials that can decompose and be absorbed by nature, so we use a sustainable cycle.
These materials are PLA and PHA:
Ø PLA (polylactic acid) is synthesised from crops such as corn starch, cassava, tapioca or sugar cane from the starch they contain.
Ø PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoates) is produced by the fermentation process of bacteria in sugars or lipids, such as glucose, sucrose, vegetable oil and glycerine.
So, while using a renewable material, we also encourage the agricultural sector to produce these raw materials. Subsequently, when the product’s life cycle is over, as they are biodegradable materials, they can be composted and the compost can be used to restart the production cycle.