ADVANSA, a company focused on the development and eco-responsible production of a broad range of specialized technical fibres, including short cut fibres for paper & wetlaid processes, launches ADVA®terra – a biodegradable polyester fibre made of 100% recycled feedstock. The ability to be degraded by microorganisms in biologically active environments is a contribution to reduce the pollution potential of articles containing plastic.
A Solution to the Environmental Pollution
Plastic pollution is a global problem of increasing concern. Each year, more than 380 million tons of plastic is produced, plastic waste of the same order is generated. With improper waste management, a significant fraction is entering our natural ecosystem and oceans. This is causing environmental, animal, and human health concerns, as typical plastic materials are estimated to break down within 500 years – if at all. Without fundamental changes to ongoing consumption and waste management of plastics, by 2050 there may be more plastic than fish in the oceans. Here, biodegradable plastics could be part of the solution against plastic pollution.
ADVANSA applies an innovative technology to combine sustainability and biodegradability in one product. ADVA®terra fibres originating from 100% post-consumer PET bottles are engineered via proprietary modifications to provide biodegradation capabilities without sacrificing from favorable mechanical properties of PET. ADVA®terra is available as water dispersible short cut fibre for the paper and wet laid nonwoven industry as well as staple fibre for dry laid nonwovens and tow for the floc industry in various fineness and cut length combinations. Thus, ADVA®terra can be used in production across diverse end-use applications, even for applications with food contact.
What makes it impressive is that products made from ADVA®terra have the same properties as conventional non-biodegradable standard fibres and can be processed just as easily, minimizing environmental consequences without sacrificing quality and performance. In addition, ADVA®terra is suitable for recycling after completing lifecycle which further improves the environmental impact by reduction of waste.
According to our laboratory studies based on the STM D5511 test scheme, ADVA®terra is expected to biodegrade to 30% to 60% within 12 months - a degradation rate comparable to some natural fibre materials which may take from some months to few years.*
