AIMPLAS, Technological Institute of Plastic, and OLIPE, Olivarera de los Pedroches, are carrying out the project GO-OLIVEA. It will make it possible to find an application with high added value to the residue from olive pitting, for the manufacture of new sustainable packaging for the oil itself and its derivatives.
It is Oliplast, a new biodegradable, compostable composite plastic material made with materials from renewable sources. Specifically, the new material will be made up of a filler or reinforcement from olive oil and a thermoplastic material.
Oliplast may be processed by extrusion or injection to make new products such as a tray or plate to support the bottle and caps for cosmetic cream containers made with olive oil.
Until now, work has been done on the selection of raw materials and on the development of bone meal to obtain the new material. Subsequently, a study of its behavior and its validation for the transformation processes will be carried out. Finally, its compostability will be analyzed and an environmental study will be carried out.