{"id":11855,"date":"2026-02-23T09:24:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:24:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=11855"},"modified":"2026-02-23T09:24:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T14:24:30","slug":"saskatchewan-polytechnic-looks-to-address-plastic-waste-with-crop-fibre-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.packagingindustrynews.com\/?p=11855","title":{"rendered":"Saskatchewan Polytechnic looks to address plastic waste with crop fibre tech"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The B-TAP facility is set up to process agricultural by-products. Credit: Saskatchewan Polytechnic. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Canada\u2019s Saskatchewan Polytechnic and EnviroWay Detergent Manufacturing are collaborating on a research project focused on converting residual fibres from flax and hemp crops into biodegradable plastics suitable for bottles.<\/p>\n

The initiative has received C$250,000 ($182,672.50) from the Agriculture Development Fund under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, with an additional C$7,000 from the National Research Council of Canada\u2019s Industrial Research Assistance Program.<\/p>\n

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The goal is to develop sustainable packaging alternatives for cleaning products.<\/p>\n

The research is being led by Dr Satyanarayan Panigrahi, chair of the Biomaterials Testing and Prototyping (B-TAP) research group at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, working in collaboration with EnviroWay.<\/p>\n

Panigrahi said: \u201cGetting these pellets to work in blow-moulding machines is a major technical hurdle, because fibre-reinforced plastics often behave unpredictably when melted and shaped. The goal is to develop a plastic that flows smoothly and produces bottles that are as durable as traditional plastic ones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sask Polytech Sustainability-Led Integrated Centres of Excellence (SLICE) head Robin Smith said: \u201cThe B-TAP team is tackling a major challenge in sustainable packaging using local resources and manufacturing facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The B-TAP facility is set up to process agricultural by-products, and the team has prior experience working with flax and hemp biomass.<\/p>\n

Work is scheduled to begin this year, starting with an assessment of flax and hemp fibres grown in Saskatchewan.<\/p>\n

Researchers will examine their quality, availability, costs, and suitability for mixing with biodegradable plastics. <\/p>\n

After selecting the appropriate mix, biocomposite pellets will be made using these fibres combined with biodegradable resin.<\/p>\n

These pellets will then be used to produce prototype bottles.<\/p>\n

The bottles will be tested with various cleaning products such as degreasers and detergents to observe how they perform under typical storage and transportation scenarios.<\/p>\n

Tests aim to identify any signs of leaching or degradation over time.<\/p>\n

EnviroWay\u2019s production line in Saskatoon will be used to test how the new bottles integrate with current manufacturing processes.<\/p>\n

Direct involvement with industry partners is intended to inform any necessary adjustments for large-scale production and facilitate future adoption by interested companies.<\/p>\n

Intellectual property from this work will remain with EnviroWay.<\/p>\n

The project is part of broader efforts within Saskatchewan to find uses for agricultural residues and increase local crop processing capacity. <\/p>\n

It also seeks to support rural economies by encouraging investment in fibre processing infrastructure.<\/p>\n

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