Films|Flexibles|Bags
Films|Flexibles|Bags Mulch Film Certified Novamont, Novara, Italy recently received the first certificate guaranteeing ecological quality of the Technical Resources for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture from ICEA for its mulching film in biodegradable Mater-Bi ® . ICEA, the Ethical and Environmental Certification Institute from Bologna, Italy, inspects and certifies firms respectful for the environment, workers‘ dignity and collective rights. With more than 300 experts inspecting over 13 thousand firms from 20 branches in various countries, ICEA is one of the most prominent inspection and certification bodies in the field of sustainable development. The institute has launched a specific certification scheme for the environmental performance of technical resources for organic and sustainable agriculture. Their main objective is to evaluate and reward the ability of technical resources in helping create a more sustainable agricultural system to improve the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the land, as well as to reduce external water requirements. The regulations also aim to reduce the risk of the contamination and pollution of waters and soil caused by agricultural inputs and to obtain agricultural products free from chemical residues. ICEA certification is therefore intended to enhance and guarantee ecological quality requirements that go beyond the minimum requirements of current legislation; it is not intended to replace the authorisations currently required by the law. In order to certify the agricultural mulching film made from Mater-Bi, ICEA examined factors such as the composition and characteristics of the end product, the nature and origin of the raw materials used, the production process for the raw materials (Mater-Bi granulate) employed by Novamont, the manufacture of the end product (Mater-Bi film) and the end-of-life scenario. For Mater-Bi agricultural mulching film the Institute considered the fundamental aspects and characteristics of its application and end-oflife (considering the aspects under Technical Report CEN/TR 15822 for biodegradable plastics in or on soil, and (Italian) UNI standard 11183 which defines the requirements and test methods for biodegradable plastic materials at room temperature); aerobic biodegradation in the soil at the end of the crop cycle; the environmental safety of the product in terms of the release and dissemination of contaminants into the soil and eco-toxic effects in the soil after degradation. bioplastics MAGAZINE will have a closer look into mulch films in general in one of the coming issues — stay tuned… MT www.novamont.com www.icea.info 24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [06/11] Vol. 6
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