Manufacturers of biopolymers (polylactide) and biodegradable plastics will be able to apply for support measures within the framework of the state program for the development of agriculture. The order was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Now the production of biodegradable materials is possible with the deep processing of agricultural raw materials, including wheat, sugar beets, and corn. Enterprises that do this will now have access to, among other things, preferential investment loans. They are issued at a rate of up to 5% per annum for a period of 2 to 15 years.
To provide such an opportunity, the list of products for the production of which government support is offered has been supplemented with a number of items. Among them are ethylene polymers and polyacetals.
The decision will help increase the production of biopolymers and biodegradable plastics, reduce dependence on similar foreign materials and serve to preserve the environment, the government said.
By the way, recently, scientists from India and Russia have developed a water-soluble food film based on a polymer from seaweed - sodium alginate. The product dissolves in water by almost 24% in 90 hours, and the natural components of which it is composed are safe for health and edible. This film can be used for packaging fruits, vegetables, poultry, meat and seafood.
The scientists emphasized that for the release of a new type of film, no special equipment is required: it can be produced on an industrial scale by manufacturers of conventional films.
“The only condition is that a polymer plant must comply with the standards that apply to food production. And if the ocean is nearby, which is an inexhaustible source of algae, then it will be even easier to create innovative materials, ”explained Grigory Zyryanov, professor of the Department of Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry at UrFU.