Metabolix, Cambridge, Mass., uses biodegradable plastics technology to develop environmentally friendly plastics for packaging, using recycled materials as raw materials, and working with the U.S. government to solve the problem of biodegradable membranes for industrial applications of naval food packaging. According to experts, if the project is successful, the biodegradable packaging film can also be used by other parts of the military. The US military has produced more than 14,000 tons of waste plastics each year in food packaging.

The biodegradable material currently being evaluated is metabolix's polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) membrane. The PHA membrane has a certain barrier property, is stable to thermal solutions, and is available in fresh water or saline, soil or compost and anaerobic conditions. Biodegradability. PHA plastics are rigid and elastic products that are suitable for processing into films, injection molded products, fibers, coatings and adhesives. The project also includes development of PHA processing guidelines, determination of its packaging-related properties and biodegradability, and evaluation of the suitability of PHA for laminating (composite) and co-extruded multilayer film structural materials.