BioTGuard : Biodegradable tree shelter

Around 45 million trees are planted in the UK each year. Tree shelters protect young trees and bushes from predation by animals. They are a well-proven and economic route to limiting losses in the first five years of a tree's life. Unfortunately, most are made from oil-based and non-biodegradable plastics. The majority of shelters are never collected and eventually litter the environment with some 2,500 tons/annum of persistent microplastics. Without a sustainable solution, plans to significantly increase tree planting as part of the UK's drive to mitigate climate change will exacerbate this problem.

The project will develop a novel biodegradable tree guard that will reduce (and eventually eliminate) the environmental burden of the current oil-based plastic (polypropylene) design. The ability of these materials to deliver controlled biodegradation will ensure that the shelters degrade within around 2 years, as the tree reaches suitable maturity.

The successful Phase1 feasibility project has allowed Biome to explore the performance of a variety of bioplastic materials in this application and culminated in the manufacture of prototypes at customer's premises. Phase2 will enable: the refinement of material formulations; accelerated weather testing of formulations to over 5 years; correlating laboratory testing with "real world" planting conditions; validating and deepening initial Life Cycle Analysis work; and further building the credentials of the testing protocols with a wider range of industry stakeholders.

The polymers that Biome are using in this project are bio-based and biodegradable. Some are novel and are the result of £6.5 million of investment over six years in research collaboration between Biome and a number of the UK's leading universities. The development of biodegradable tree shelters is the first potential commercial application arising from this collaborative group's endeavours. The polymers used in this particular project are partly based on furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a key bio-based monomeric building block. More information regarding the processes for the formation of FDCA can be found on the Company's website, [https://biomebioplastics.com/industrial-biotechnology/][0].

The project will be delivered in collaboration with predominantly UK-based manufacturing and testing organisations. Crucial advice will be sought from leading UK forestry management and non-profit organisations, who will be involved in the prototype deployment (and field monitoring) at various UK locations and international sites.

[0]: https://biomebioplastics.com/industrial-biotechnology/