PROJECT ON COMPOSTABLE FORK

[Virtual Presenter] Good morning everyone and welcome to our meeting on the project on compostable forks. We are excited to present to you our initiative to develop special compounds for foldable forks that meet all compostability requirements. Our team has been working hard to ensure that our forks are not only environmentally friendly but also meet the highest standards of durability and functionality. We are using Polyhyroxyalkanates (P-H-A--) Polylactic acids (P-L-A--) Polybutylenesuccinate (P-B-S--) and Polycaprolactone (P-C-L--) as key compostable polymers. We will cover commercial mold development cost. We hope you find this presentation informative and look forward to your feedback..

[Audio] We will examine several combinations of biodegradable materials to determine the best processing conditions for producing a compostable fork. The main objective of this project is to ensure that the component generated adheres to the established international standard of composability. We believe that this project will make a significant contribution to the reduction of plastic waste in our environment..

[Audio] Biodegradable and compostable plastic are two different types of plastic. Biodegradable plastic breaks down through the action of living organisms usually microbes. However if left in a natural environment it often only breaks down into micro-plastics which can create ‘plastic smog’ in parts of the ocean and accumulate in soils. Compostable plastic on the other hand is a term that refers to any product that can break down into a nutrient-rich soil amendment through the process of composting. The key factor is that compostable products do not have any toxic elements to the environment after degradation..

[Audio] Our mini fork measuring 16 centimeters x 8 centimeters has a monthly requirement of 10 lacs while our regular fork measuring 18 centimeters x 9 centimeters requires 20 lacs per month. We are focused on meeting the heat resistance requirements of up to 90 degrees which we achieve by combining two polymers to create a product that is both heat-resistant and compostable. Indo Nissan has agreed to cover the commercial mold development cost..

[Audio] These key compostable polymers are essential in the production of compostable forks. They are biodegradable have several advantages and are widely used in the production of consumer products. We are here to discuss the importance of compostable forks and how these key compostable polymers contribute to their production. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have..

[Audio] On slide six we will be discussing the tests that ensure the quality and safety of our compostable forks. The presentation is an initiative by S-S-F Plastics India Pvt. Ltd. as part of their Innovation Program for 2024. The biodegradation test is an important test that ensures the material is being broken down by naturally occurring microbes like bacteria fungi and algae. The test is conducted by measuring the cumulative C-O-2 respired by the microbes as they consume the material. The standard test temperature is 58 ± 2℃ and the test must be conducted for 6 months. The sample must degrade at least 90% of the starting carbon to pass the test. The chemical characterisation test is another important test that ensures the materials do not contain unacceptable levels of heavy metals and other toxic components. Generally these standards require fluorine and heavy metal testing (for example zinc copper nickel cadmium lead mercury chromium molybdenum selenium arsenic). Specific limits are included in the standard or depend on the country the material will be sold and/or composted in. There is also a requirement for the sample to contain at least 50% volatile solids..

[Audio] Discuss tests. Disintegration test. Biodegradable. Harmless compounds. Ecotoxicity test. Impact on environment. Standards for industrial and home composting. Temperature time dry weight criteria for disintegration test. Important to note. Standards used to ensure compost safe and high-quality. Summary. These tests crucial for ensuring compostable fork safe and high-quality compost..

[Audio] Discuss compostable fork project.. Key critical Requirements.

[Audio] We are conducting a load bearing test on the compostable fork. This test is crucial in determining the weight the fork can hold. The fork must be capable of bearing a weight of 50 grams to 60 grams..

[Audio] Our project on compostable forks is currently progressing. Indo Nissan has given us a lead and wants to work with us to develop compostable forks. We have now sourced the material from two compounding suppliers: Rajiv plastics and Konspec. Rajiv plastics is combining two polymers (PLA & P-B-S--) to achieve the necessary requirements while Konspec is achieving the requirements through crystallization in P-L-A material. We have conducted trials with Konspec material on one of our pilot molds that we have developed for Nestle. The results were good and we achieved heat resistance. We submitted these samples to Indo Nissan to get their approval on design and functions. The pilot tool will be used for preliminary trials to determine the compostability criteria. After we accomplish the essential conditions as specified by Indo Nissan we can proceed with the commercial mold. However we are still waiting for the material from Rajiv plastics which we expect to receive on June 24 2024..

[Audio] We initiated the program as a S-S-F Plastics India Pvt. Ltd. initiative as part of our Innovation Program for 2024. In our trial we started with 100% bio-compound with a barrel temperature range of 180 to 200 degrees and a tip temperature minimum of 175 to 210 degrees and a cooling temperature of 25 seconds (suggested by Konspec). We encountered issues with cracking and part catching. In the second trial we added a bio-degradable additive provided by Konspec which resolved the cracking issue. However the ejection or product catching issue still persisted. We also sprayed part release spray in the mould but after running for 45 to 60 minutes the issue was again occurring. We added an additive of 5% to check the results but the issue was still there. Despite finding the product good there was an issue in continuous run. We conducted a heat resistance test on the produced samples and found them okay. We are currently waiting for feedback from Indo-Nissin and coordinating with Konspec to overcome the processing and part catching issues..

[Audio] We are waiting for the arrival of Rajiv Plastics’ material and Indo-Nissin’s compostable polymer. Once we receive feedback from Indo-Nissin regarding the samples we sent them we can proceed with the commercial mold if they approve our design (fork without hinge – 2 pc). If not we will need to develop a new pilot mold of fork with hinge. We will send the most promising samples from all three trials to Chennai C-I-P-E-T for Compostability testing. Once we validate the pilot tool trials with Indo-Nissin and find that our product passes the critical requirements we will proceed with making a commercial tool. Indo-Nissin has confirmed their investment in the commercial mold. We are excited about the progress we have made and look forward to bringing our compostable fork to market soon..

[Audio] Regular foldable forks from Indo-Nissin Mini foldable forks from Indo-Nissin Per kg compostable material cost from Konspec which is Rs. 346/Kg..

Thank You !.