Aimplas, a plastics research institute in Spain, has developed biopolymers that can be used to make biodegradable bottles, bags and caps that are thermally resistant, and can withstand heat from sterilization and pasteurization processes.

Europe’s Biobottle Project has resulted in a polymer that can be used to create biodegradable plastics for use in dairy packaging.The institute says the biopolymers can be used to produce packaging for dairy products, such as fresh milk, shakes and yogurts with probiotics.

The findings came out of Aimplas’ Biobottle project, which aims to create new biodegradable bottles and bags that can serve as alternatives to polyethylene, the most common packaging for milk and other dairy products. Seven companies in five countries have participated in the research.

The project’s objective is to develop polymers that meet both mechanical and thermal requirements for packaging dairy products packages. The polymers developed to date have passed microbiological tests, indicating they don’t affect organoleptic properties of the food products, the institute says. It indicates it has made monolayer bottles and caps and multilayer bags that withstand temperatures to 95C. The biopolymers have also passed composting tests.