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Poole develops biodegradable fibre for disposable wipes

30 Jun '15

2 min read

Poole Company, a manufacturer of nonwovens and textile fibres, has developed a new biodegradable polyester fibre made from 100 per cent recycled PET bottles for household wipes market, as the first tested and proven fibre to accelerate degradation in an oxygen-deficient environment.

The new product, EcoSure BioBlast, is a polymer-based nonwoven fibre made using the company’s EcoSure PCR PET fibre, and specifically designed to help break down under anaerobic conditions. EcoSure BioBlast addresses what happens after disposal and how well the item behaves in a landfill. It is not only made from recycled materials giving the bottle a second life but it also has enhanced biodegradation properties to prevent decades of landfill build-up, according to a company release.

In controlled laboratory, oxygen-deficient conditions, third-party testing proved that EcoSure BioBlast fibres biodegrade at least 12 times faster over a year, compared to traditional polyester and petroleum-based fibres.

EcoSure BioBlast fibres have been under development for two years and just completed 365 days of testing with Eden Research Lab, a third-party vendor in New Mexico. The anaerobic exercise simulated landfills and measured off-gases to validate consumption and degradation in an oxygen-deficient environment.

EcoSure BioBlast has a multi-stage development process. In the first stage, the nonwoven fibre that accelerates degradation in the landfill is manufactured and ready for immediate deployment. The second stage is a completely dispersible fibre that can be flushed and safely processed at municipal water-treatment facilities.

Joe McFadyen, technical director at Poole Company said, “EcoSure BioBlast fibre incorporates Poole Company’s 100 per cent post-consumer polymer and engineered additives to accelerate microbiological activity. The microbes have a nucleation point to start their natural process of breaking down the polymer chains back to simpler compounds. Even polymers made from biological sources like plant sugars have trouble starting this decomposing process without the right conditions. And, the BioBlast component does not impact the fibre’s processing or shelf life outside of the landfill.” (GK)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk - India