Material-to-compost ratio is key for biodegradation of microbial polyester-based composite in home-composting conditions
Abstract
In the context of increasing plastic pollution, the potential widespread use of biodegradable packaging requires clarification of the little-studied impact of material loading ratios on biodegradation performance in home-composting environments. The biodegradability of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and PHBV/cellulose composite, either shredded or as whole thin films, was studied for up to 12 months under home-composting conditions using EN NF ISO 14855-1 respirometry protocols. The material-to-compost ratios tested were 1/3, 1/30, and 1/50, simulating 100%, 10% and 6% food packaging substitution by the tested biodegradable materials, respectively. Regardless of material nature and form, a high loading ratio of 1/3 (100% substitution) decreased the biodegradation rate by up to tenfold compared to a loading ratio of 1/50. Such high loading ratios create inhibitory conditions that can overshadow the increased surface area gained through grinding. Meanwhile, at low loading ratios (1/50 and 1/30), film grinding increases biodegradation rates by up to 3.2-fold for all materials. The ultimate biodegradation of shredded materials significantly exceeds 100%, reaching up to 131% for PHBV powdered film at a loading ratio of 1/30. This suggests an 'overactivation' (or priming) effect of the inoculum induced by the materials, leading to CO 2 overproduction that does not derive directly from material biodegradation. This priming effect appears limited by dilution effect at the low 1/50 loading ratio and by substrate inhibition at the high 1/3 loading ratio.
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BibTeX
@article{bazart2026materialtocompost,
title = {{Material-to-compost ratio is key for biodegradation of microbial polyester-based composite in home-composting conditions}},
author = {Héloïse Bazart and Valérie Guillard and Nathalie Gontard and Lucile Chatellard},
journal = {Results in Materials},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.rinma.2026.100908},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05775293v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Material-to-compost ratio is key for biodegradation of microbial polyester-based composite in home-composting conditions
AU - Héloïse Bazart
AU - Valérie Guillard
AU - Nathalie Gontard
AU - Lucile Chatellard
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/02
JO - Results in Materials
DO - 10.1016/j.rinma.2026.100908
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05775293v1
AB - In the context of increasing plastic pollution, the potential widespread use of biodegradable packaging requires clarification of the little-studied impact of material loading ratios on biodegradation performance in home-composting environments. The biodegradability of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and PHBV/cellulose composite, either shredded or as whole thin films, was studied for up to 12 months under home-composting conditions using EN NF ISO 14855-1 respirometry protocols. The material-to-compost ratios tested were 1/3, 1/30, and 1/50, simulating 100%, 10% and 6% food packaging substitution by the tested biodegradable materials, respectively. Regardless of material nature and form, a high loading ratio of 1/3 (100% substitution) decreased the biodegradation rate by up to tenfold compared to a loading ratio of 1/50. Such high loading ratios create inhibitory conditions that can overshadow the increased surface area gained through grinding. Meanwhile, at low loading ratios (1/50 and 1/30), film grinding increases biodegradation rates by up to 3.2-fold for all materials. The ultimate biodegradation of shredded materials significantly exceeds 100%, reaching up to 131% for PHBV powdered film at a loading ratio of 1/30. This suggests an 'overactivation' (or priming) effect of the inoculum induced by the materials, leading to CO 2 overproduction that does not derive directly from material biodegradation. This priming effect appears limited by dilution effect at the low 1/50 loading ratio and by substrate inhibition at the high 1/3 loading ratio.
SN - 2590-048X
ER -