Organic waste bags made of BASF’s compostable plastic Ecovio® have been tested in composting pilot projects in Germany, Canada and Australia. In all cases the composting plant operators could confirm the complete decomposition of the Ecovio bags in their facilities. If the organic waste were to be collected and composted separately in all of Europe, the greenhouse gas emissions from waste disposal could be reduced by around 30 percent.

The waste management company in Berlin (BSR) and BASF have successfully completed a pilot project involving the use of organic waste bags made of the biodegradable plastic Ecovio® FS. Roughly 80% of the residents surveyed were satisfied with the bags. Incorrect disposal, in other words, the number of conventional, non-biodegradable bags that ended up in the organic waste bins, fell sharply during the trial. The amount of organic waste collected increased by about 10% in the fourth quarter of 2011.

With the addition of Ecovio® F Mulch, BASF is expanding its line of biodegradable plastic compounds in the form of a grade for use in the manufacture of agricultural film. In contrast to conventional agricultural film, the one made from Ecovio F Mulch is biodegradable. It is no longer necessary for farmers to retrieve the film from the field for disposal or recycling after the harvest. They can simply plow it under along with what remains from the plants.