Spain's institute of plastic technology, Aimplas, is coordinating a two-year ‘Biobottle' project in partnership with eight European partners.
The aim is to develop a new biodegradable material that is resistant to thermal treatment for the manufacture of dairy packaging.
According to Aimplas, Europe is the world's biggest consumer of dairy packaging, but only 10-15 percent of the 2 million tons of high density polyethylene milk bottles are recycled, so it is especially useful having biodegradable products.
The Biobottle project aims to create both multilayer and monolayer plastic bottles as well as bags to package dairy products, which do not require to be separated from the rest of the organic wastes at the end of their brief lifespan.
Biobottle is a European project in the Seventh Framework Programme and has received funding of 1 million euros ($1.36 million).