In Finland, Stora Enso, FrostPharma and Mälarplast have jointly developed a bioplastic container for hazardous waste.
Dubbed WoodSafe, the polypropylene containers are made using tall oil produced from Nordic wood fibers. They are suitable for medical and laboratory settings, and are already being used in Swedish hospitals. WoodSafe also boasts a 66% lower carbon emissions profile.
“The results are great, and it’s been well received by the market,” Peter Wall, CEO at plastics wholesaler Mälarplast, told Sustainable Plastics.
According to the company, a life cycle assessment showed that using the new containers can lower carbon emissions by up to 66% compared with a virgin plastic container.