A method to recycle bioplastic foodservice items that now typically end up in landfills will be commercialized through a project now underway by Interfacial Solutions of River Falls, WI, and WIST.

Polylactic acid, or PLA, is a bioplastic used to make the clear cups and other items used, for example, in dining services. Although PLA is compostable, a lack of industrial composting facilities in the U.S. means this end-of-life solution is rarely used. And currently PLA is not recycled because it loses mechanical properties and quality during reprocessing. However, Interfacial Solutions has developed a proprietary process that converts scrap PLA to "hyperbranched" PLA polymers with mechanical and processing qualities better than virgin PLA.

Students sort plastic from UW-Stevens Point dining services. WIST provided post-consumer PLA for Phase I of  the NSF-grant funded project, and is performing a life cycle assessment in Phase II.

The project is funded by a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research Phase II Grant (SBIR). The NSF program promotes economic development by helping companies bring new processes and products to market. Interfacial Solutions proved its hyperbranching process in work funded under a Phase I SBIR grant, successfully converting poor-quality, scrap PLA to high-quality resin using its proprietary process.

In this second phase, the company will address several hurdles that must be cleared to make the process commercially viable. Objectives include development of a prescreening process for scrap PLA feedstocks, which can vary in composition and properties, and a scale-up of the production process for high-scale manufacturing. As part of the Phase II project, WIST will work with Interfacial Solutions to provide a life cycle assessment in order to understand the full impact of recycled PLA on product sustainability. Specifically, the LCA will compare the environmental impact of the use of pre- and post-consumer PLA with the use of other durable plastic materials such as PVC. That will enable purchasers of recycled PLA products to evaluate sustainability in their own products using these materials.

The project is expected to be completed within two years.