Students of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) created a biodegradable plastic packaging that indicates the quality of the food.
Called as Plasticor, the bioplastics changes its colour when the content is not suitable for consumption. It is a sustainable alternative to avoid food waste. Developed in the Xerém campus labs about a year ago, the Plasticor degrades in six months, as estimated by the students.
According to the United Nations, 30% of food produced on the planet every year (1.3 billion tons) goes to trash.
“The environmental impact is also reduced since the use of plastic materials has been abundant in the food industry in the last decades. Our packaging is eco-friendly because it doesn’t use chemical additives and doesn’t take years to degrade,” said João Vítor Balbino, a Biophysics student and one of the seven members of the startup.
The project is funded by its own creators, who are looking for possible investors. Those interested in helping can participate in the collective financing created by the team, which includes students from Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Biophysics and Marketing courses, a doctoral student of Polymer Science and Technology, and a designer, all from UFRJ.
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