Page 25 - Plastics News September 2017

FEATURES

Water soluble and biodegradable Plastic from milk protein

The French start-up gets EU funding for milk-based bioplastics and now have big plans

an we make plastics out of milk byproducts? Water workforce from 20 to 30 in the coming months, while
Csoluble and biodegradable thermoplastic pellets projections are for sales growth to 20 million euros
based on milk protein has been unveiled by French ($23.9 million) by 2020. The company will also expand its
company Lactips, after a seven-year project by the research with the Jean Monnet University of Saint Etienne
– Engineering Laboratory of Polymer Materials – to launch
University of Saint-Etienne to develop fi lms and pellets
its Hydroprint program.
made of casein, a protein derived from milk. This is a
biosourced and biodegradable matter, does not leave The program will develop a new generation of water
any residues or any traces in the environment, making soluble plastic fi laments to be used for 3D printing.
it an environmentally friendly product. The pellets are Lactips expects its materials to hit the market in the
mainly made of milk protein, that comes from milk powder third quarter of 2017, as it plans further growth with the
industry. The company uses non-edible casein for the construction own production plant.
non-food application and biodegradable additives. For
now, Lactips produces pellets in its lab and
at a subcontractor for industrial production,
a partner packaging plant manufactures its
fi lms.
Not only that the French start-up producer
of biodegradable thermoplastics, Lactips,
has won a 1.5 million euros ($1.8 million) in
funding from the European Union’s H2020
SME to continue its work on producing
biodegradable plastics from milk protein.

Lactips, is a producer of water soluble and
biodegradable thermoplastic pellets based
on milk protein, based in eastern French city
of Saint-Jean Bonnefonds. The manufacturer
of this bioplastic indicates that this product
is biodegradable, bio-based, water soluble
and edible (packaging could then be
incorporated into the recipe of the fi nished
product, it would be for example tea bags,
bags of chocolate, sugar or syrup).
Lactips ,the company was founded in 2014 after a seven-
In the food market, this new technology would replace year project by the University of Saint-Etienne succeeded
some of the packaging making use previously of bisphenol to developed fi lms and pellets made of casein, a protein
A, particularly substitution of metal containers in which derived from milk. Lactips has exclusive rights on the
the metal was covered with a resin that may contain BPA patented pellets manufacturing process and is still working
(preparations for early childhood as powdered milk and on this project, said CEO Marie-Helene Gramatikoff.
baby food, cans and syrups...). Different applications of “Our material is a clean biomaterial [biosourced and
these packaging are being developed. biodegradable], it doesn’t leave any residues or any

The new funding will allow it to enter new, non-food traces in the environment. It’s an environmentally friendly
markets, from research through to commercialization. product,” added Gramatikoff.
In this favorable context, Lactips expects to increase The company is currently in the fi nal phase of developing

25 September 2017 | Plastics News