Negotiations underway for the control of the Novamont company active in the production of bioplastics

The name of Novamont and its flagship polymer, Mater-Bi , are known by all the players in the virgin, recycled and bioplastics sector, as the leading company in the constantly evolving supply chain in the production of bioplastics, biodegradable and compostable.

Novamont's polymer is precisely Mater-Bi, a completely biodegradable and compostable plastic , which allows its recovery, at the end of its life, through the collection and recycling of urban organic waste, using composting and anaerobic digestion processes.

But what is the difference between biodegradability and compostability?

The biodegradation process is the ability of organic substances and materials to be degraded into simpler substances, through the (enzymatic) activity of microorganisms.

When the biological process is complete, there is a total transformation of the starting organic substances into simple inorganic molecules: water, carbon dioxide and methane.

But biodegradation is influenced by many factors, such as temperatures, humidity and the chemical nature of the materials to be processed. For this reason, the industrial environments of composting and anaerobic digestion favor and accelerate these processes.

Regarding the compostability of a material, it can be said that it is the ability of an element to transform into compost (fertilizer) through the composting process. This activity, in the presence of oxygen, involves the realization of a biological and aerobic transformation of the material until it is transformed into compost.

Novamont, using natural resources such as corn and non-genetically modified vegetable oils , has created a family of biodegradable and compostable polymers that can be used for the production of films for commerce and agriculture, objects of various types through molding for injection and many other things.

In light of this technical-commercial knowledge, an acquisition of the Novamont company by Versalis is being concluded , which will lead to it holding the entire Novamont share package.

In turn, Versalis is an ENI group company strongly committed to green chemistry , including through the conversion of oil refineries into biorefineries for the production of sustainable fuels.

Photo: Novamont