GC green
Bio-based and biodegradable polymers
Compost instead of plastic waste!
GC green is an environmentally-friendly material, that conserves resources, is home-compostable or biodegradable, and contains ground sunflower seed shells in most formulations.
We can provide the ideal material for your specific application, whether injection moulding or thermoforming.
GC green
Benefits
GC green
Benefits
Recycling
The material can be 100% recycled in its own cycle. This is achieved by simply canulating the material, which allows it to be recycled. In the end, there is no trace of the material, as all GC green formulations are biodegradable and/or home compostable.
Optimal processing
Our materials are designed for use in both injection moulding and extrusion processes and can be used in standard tools.
Savings
Our materials are processed at lower temperatures, which allows us to reduce both the processing times and the associated energy costs.
Saving resources
We are focussing on compounds with sunflower seed husks, with which we can give a second life to a residual material from the food industry and save bioplastics at the same time.
No sink marks
The sunflower seed hull is not only a filler, but also an additive. Its natural swelling behaviour can be beneficial for thick-walled products.
Certified quality
Our granulates are not only biodegradable, but also compostable under normal composting conditions. We can provide certificates from TÜV Austria to substantiate this claim.
Certificates
We focus on the soil degradability and home compostability of our materials. That is why we have them certified by TÜV Austria.
If you are interested in having your product certified, we can assist you.
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Standards for injection moulding
Overview
GC green 3082 MIF T13
GC green 3082 FC 95 T13
GC green 71 MI T30
GC green 3092 MIF T13
GC green M2571 7G3 A.
GC green M2571 SF1 7G3 A
GC green BIO 601
Disposal information
Standards for Extrusion
Overview
GC green 2012-91 MI T15
GC green 1091 MI T6
GC green 1591 MI T6
Special applications
Special applications require special materials. To meet this need, we have developed a material e.g. for the HOMEcap that does not require sunflower seed shells but has improved barrier values. Instead of sunflower seed hulls, we have used mineral fillers.
Another material with special features is GC green 71 MI T30. This material is dishwasher-safe and biodegradable at the same time. As with the previous material, we had to replace the sunflower seed hulls with a mineral filler. The natural swelling behaviour of the fibres is ideal for some applications, but not if a product has to withstand many cycles in the dishwasher.
FAQ
This means that the material is bioavailable and is broken down by microorganisms into tiny parts that do not remain in the environment as waste. These are available again as basic building blocks for new plants, for example.
Industrial degradation: - Biodegradation max. 6 months at 58 +- 2 °C - Disintegration test 3 months 58 +- 2 °C - Testing is thickness dependent - Testing ecotoxicity - Free of heavy metals | Home compost: - Biodegradation max. 12 months at 20-30 °C - Disintegration test 6 months 20-30 °C - Testing is thickness dependent - Testing ecotoxicity - Free of heavy metals |
Our GC green materials are all biodegradable. We can prove this with the OK-Biodegradable-Soil certificate for soil degradability and for the OK-Compost-Home certificate for home composting, among others. Here, the material must decompose in a certain time.
Materials are biobased if their raw materials are of natural origin and are not petroleum.
Currently, our GC green materials are not yet 100% biobased. However, this is mainly due to the very high prices for biobased raw materials and their weak commercial availability. Currently we are at about 70-80% biobased raw material content, but we are always working to reach the full 100%.
When selecting our raw materials, we pay special attention to the suitability for the respective application. The products, where a certificate fits the application, are certified according to TÜV Austria.
If home composting or soil degradation is feasible for the intended application—such as with our biodegradable plant pots—this is the most environmentally friendly disposal op-tion. If not, GC green can be safely disposed of in the black bin (general waste) for energy re-covery.
According to the PPWR, packaging must be disposed of in the yellow bin. For GC green products, this is not a problem as they are reliably separated in the recycling stream and ul-timately sent for energy recovery.
It is not recommended to dispose of them in organic waste bins, as compostable plastics are often indistinguishable from conventional plastics. However, as local waste management companies decide whether to accept certified compostable plastics, we recommend you check with your local waste management company.
Please do not dispose of GC green in nature, landfills, forests, or bodies of water.
