Renewably-Sourced Biodegradable Polyolefin Packaging

Abstract

Renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging includes a renewably-sourced polyolefin (for example, polyethylene and polypropylene) and a biodegrading agent. The renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging is made from plant materials typically by polymerizing olefins that are made from reducing alcohols created by fermenting plant materials. An example of a suitable plant material is sugarcane and its derivatives. The biodegrading agent accelerates the biodegradation of polyolefin packaging even in anaerobic and dark (i.e. absent of ultraviolet light) environments. Such a packaging is particularly useful for packaging frozen food that is to be microwaved in the packaging. The package is also particularly usable as packaging for frozen comestibles, which are often stored at dry-ice temperatures. Ultimately, the renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging provides a start-to-finish green packaging that meets the requirements of being renewably sourced, biodegradable in landfills, and having similar performance as traditional polyolefin packaging.

Claims

1. Renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging, comprising: a renewably-sourced polyolefin; and a biodegrading agent mixed with said renewably-sourced polyolefin, said biodegrading agent increasing biodegradation of said renewably-sourced polyolefin.

2. The renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging according to claim 1, wherein said renewably-sourced polyolefin is renewably-sourced polyethylene.

3. The renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging according to claim 1, wherein said renewably-sourced polyolefin is renewably-sourced polypropylene.

4. The renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging according to claim 1, wherein said renewably-sourced polyolefin is produced from light alcohols.

5. The renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging according to claim 4, wherein said light alcohols include bio-ethanol.

6. The renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging according to claim 5, wherein said bio-ethanol is produced from fermented sugarcane.

7. The renewably-sourced biodegradable packaging according to claim 1, wherein said biodegrading agent forms from 0.5% to 2.0% by weight of the packaging.

8. The renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging according to claim 1, wherein said biodegrading agent anaerobically biodegrades said renewably-sourced polyolefin.

9. The renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging according to claim 8, wherein said biodegrading agent biodegrades said renewably-sourced polyolefin without using ultraviolet light.

10. A method for manufacturing renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin packaging, comprising: providing renewably-sourced polyolefin; admixing a biodegrading agent with said renewably-sourced polyolefin to produce a resin mixture, said biodegrading agent increasing biodegradation of said renewably-sourced polyolefin; melting said resin mixture to form a molten resin mixture; and molding said molten resin mixture into packaging.

11. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises forming said renewably-sourced polyolefin by transforming renewably-sourced light alcohols into olefins and polymerizing said olefins into said renewably-sourced polyolefin.

12. The method according to claim 11, which further comprises forming said renewably-sourced light alcohols from plant material.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said plant material includes sugarcane.

14. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises biodegrading said packaging.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein said biodegrading is performed anaerobically.

16. A method of packaging food, which comprises: placing food within a renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin package, said renewably-sourced biodegradable package including: a renewably-sourced polyolefin; and a biodegrading agent mixed with said renewably-sourced polyolefin, said biodegrading agent increasing biodegradation of said renewably-sourced polyolefin; and storing said packaging and said food at a temperature below zero degrees Celsius.

17. The method according to claim 16, which further comprises microwaving said packaging after storing said packaging and said food at said temperature below zero degrees Celsius.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said food is a frozen comestible.

19. A gelato tray for holding a frozen comestible, comprising: a front wall; a right wall connected to said front wall; a rear wall connected to said right wall; a left wall connected to said rear wall and said front wall; a bottom connected to said front wall, said right wall, said rear wall; and said left wall; and a rim connected to and extending outward from said front wall, said right wall, said rear wall, and said left wall; at least a portion of at least one of said front wall, said right wall, said rear wall, said left wall, said bottom, and said rim being made of renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin, said renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin including: a renewably-sourced polyolefin; and a biodegrading agent mixed with said renewably-sourced polyolefin, said biodegrading agent increasing biodegradation of said renewably-sourced polyolefin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0046] FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a laminate according to the invention.

[0047] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ice-cream container according to the invention.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a steaming tray according to the invention.

[0049] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a gelato tray according to the invention.

[0050] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the gelato tray shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] Embodiments of the invention are described below and are shown in the figures of the drawing.

Renewably-sourced Biodegradable Polyethylene Packaging

[0052] A preferred embodiment of the invention is renewably-sourced biodegradable polyethylene packaging. The packaging is formed with a mixture of ninety-eight to ninety-nine-and-five-tenths percent (98-99.5%) by weight of renewably-sourced polyethylene and five-tenths to two percent (0.5-2%) by weight of biodegrading agent. The renewably-sourced polyethylene is produced by polymerizing ethylene, where the ethylene is produced by reducing light alcohols sourced from fermented sugarcane. The preferred biodegrading agent is the biodegrading agent sold under the trademark BIOSPHERE PLASTIC ADDITIVE.

Laminate

[0053] FIG. 1 is a first preferred embodiment of a laminate 1 for making food containers. The laminate 1 includes a base layer 10 and a coating 11. The base layer 10 is made from a renewable or sustainable material. The coating 11 is adhered to a surface 100 of the base layer 10 that will be facing the interior of the container when folded into the container. The base layer 10 has a thickness of 0.050 cm.

[0054] FIG. 1 also shows a second preferred embodiment of a laminate 1 for making packaging. The laminate 1 includes a base layer 10 and a coating 11. The base layer 10 is made from a renewable or sustainable material. Examples of renewable or sustainable materials include paper, cardboard, polylactic acid, and bamboo-sourced stock. The coating 11 is adhered to a surface 100 of the base layer 10 that will be facing the interior of the container when folded into the container. The base layer 10 has a thickness of 0.050 cm. The coating 11 is made from a film of renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a container 2. In this embodiment, the container 2 is intended to be used to hold food and used once (i.e. single use). The container 2 is made from the laminate 1. The container 2 includes a carton 20 and a lid 21. The carton 20 has a wall 202 that is folded onto itself to form a seam 201. The carton 20 has a rim 204. The inside surface 203 of the wall 202 is covered with the coating 11. The lid 21 is made of the laminate 1 and has a wall 210 and a top 211.

[0056] FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment of packaging: a steaming tray 3. The steaming tray 3 includes a cover 30. The cover 30 has a rim 31 around its periphery. The cover 30 has perforations 32 formed therein. In a first preferred embodiment, the steaming tray 3 is made of the laminate 1 in which the base layer 10 is made from a renewable or sustainable material. In a second preferred embodiment, the steaming tray 3 is made of the laminate 1 in which the base layer 10 is made of a renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin. In a third preferred embodiment, the steaming tray 3 is made of renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin. Two suitable examples of the polyolefin are polyethylene and polypropylene. The third embodiment is made by injection molding the renewably-sourced biodegradable polyolefin into the shape of the steaming tray 3.

[0057] Preferred methods of using the steaming tray 3 include combinations of at least one of the following steps. One step is placing food within a container that includes the steaming tray 3. The next step is freezing the food by cooling the container that includes the steaming tray 3 to a temperature below freezing (i.e. <0 C.). If the food is to be blast frozen, then the next step is to freeze by cooling the food and the container that includes the steaming tray 3 to a temperature equal to or less than negative forty degrees Celsius (40 C.). If the food is to be stored and cooled with dry ice, then the next step is to freeze the food and the packaging that includes the steaming tray 3 to negative seventy eight or lower degrees Celsius (78 C.). Once in its desired frozen state, the food and the container that includes the steaming tray 3 are stored, shipped, and distributed. In the next step, a retailer sells the food and the container that includes the steaming tray 3 at a temperature below freezing (<0 C.). The purchaser/consumer/end user keeps the frozen food held in the container that includes the steaming tray in a freezer at a temperature below freezing (<0 C.). When the food preparer or end user is ready to eat the frozen food, the container that holds the frozen food along with the steaming tray 3 is heated in a microwave. The steaming tray 3 is exposed to steam which is at the temperatures equal to the boiling point of water (i.e. 100 C.). The next is to uncover the now cooked food by removing the steaming tray 3.

[0058] FIGS. 4-5 shows a gelato tray 4. The gelato tray 4 includes a rounded cuboid container 40 an opening at a top of the rounded cuboid container 40 and a rim 41 extending peripherally from a top edge of the rounded cuboid container 40. While FIGS. 4-5 does not show a lid for the gelato tray 4, a lid can be added. The cuboid container 40 has a front wall 42, a right wall 43, a rear wall 44, a left wall 45, and a bottom 46.

[0059] The laminate 1 performs as packing for food in the temperature that range from negative-seventy-nine (i.e. dry ice) to two-hundred-four degrees Centigrade (79-204 C.). The laminate 1 performs after sustained exposure in the ranges from 40 C. (I.e. blast freeze) to 18 C. (i.e. conventional freezer) and 18 C. to 104 C. (microwaving water=100 C.) and 4 C. (refrigerator) to 104 C. The laminate 1 performs as packaging during short exposure (i.e. two days or less, most likely less than one day) to 79 C. is possible.

[0060] In a first embodiment, the gelato tray 4 is made from the laminate 1 that has been molded to the shape. The coating 11 of the laminate 1 faces an interior of the rounded cuboid container 40. In the first preferred embodiment, the base layer 10 is made from polylactic acid (PLA), where the PLA is corn based.

[0061] In a second preferred embodiment of the gelato tray 4, the base layer 10 is made of cellulose acetate proprionate (CAP). The CAP can be soy based, tree based, or grass based (e.g. bamboo).

[0062] The container 2, the steaming tray 3, and the gelato tray 4 are formed by thermoforming, compression molding, injection molding, extruding, additive manufacturing, and/or splitting, cutting, gluing, and coating sheets of the laminate 1.

[0063] While the embodiments show examples of the invention, the scope of the invention should not be limited to those examples, but rather set by scope of the entire specification and claims.