Following his graduation in Environmental Economics in Wageningen in 1998, Christiaan Bolck worked for a product development company in the field of plant-based products. He took a position at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research in 2002, where he works on product development of renewable materials such as plastics, paper & pulp and construction materials. ‘Reuse is critical in sustainable production. I am motivated by both the economic aspects and the technology that enables us to create new things and develop solutions.’
Plastic food packaging is difficult to recycle and often end up in the environment. Cardboard packaging is often treated with a water-resistant film, which may even contain the toxic substance PFAS. Wageningen researchers are developing water-resistant, biodegradable coating for cardboard, allowing it to be disposed of and recycled with paper. In this way, they contribute to a circular economy in which packaging materials and other products, such as clothing, can be safely reused.
It is possible to extract plant-based fibres from crops, agricultural waste, household organic waste and old clothes. Researchers at Wageningen University & Research are developing technologies to reuse this cellulose, for example in coatings and varnishes, paper, construction materials and bioplastics. This will contribute to the circular economy and help…
Do you have any idea how much value your waste still contains, including your residual waste and sewage? There’s more in it than you might think. Hamburger boxes for example, contain interesting fibres for new products. Foil can be made less permeable to oxygen using starch from potato peel. Biodegradable…
