An international team of scientists has developed a biodegradable film based on milk protein — calcium caseinate. To improve strength and flexibility, they added starch, bentonite nanoclay, glycerin and polyvinyl alcohol.
The resulting film is close to ordinary plastic in its properties, but has one key difference — it fully decomposes in soil in about 13 weeks. This makes it a promising alternative to single-use packaging, which today accounts for about 60% of all plastic production.
Microbiological tests showed that the material is safe: the level of bacterial growth remains within acceptable limits even without antibacterial additives. The researchers note that the use of accessible components such as starch and natural clay makes the technology suitable for large-scale production.
The development could help reduce the volume of plastic waste, which continues to grow and could exceed 700 million tonnes per year by 2040.
