Plastics and Innovation

In 2024, three companies joined forces to address a packaging issue that often goes unnoticed by both industry professionals and consumers: nets for food and non-food packaging.

Nets are everyday items, but their complexity and environmental implications are often overlooked. While offering great functionality, producing a high-quality net with the right properties is technically demanding, especially for packaging applications. Nets offer significant advantages, such as high strength-to-weight ratio compared to conventional films, visibility of packed goods, and breathability, making them ideal for fresh produce or plants, where moisture control and mold prevention are essential. However, these benefits come with drawbacks. Nets used in packaging are typically single-use, and their disposal poses environmental challenges. Cotton-based nets, while derived from cellulose, cannot currently be economically reused or recycled. Cotton nets are often inferior in strength, generate dust during manufacturing (causing machine downtime), and are considerably more expensive than their plastic counterparts. Plastic nets, though cost-effective and durable, are mostly fossil-based. If food spoils inside such nets, it is often discarded with the packaging. Disposing them as residual waste loses valuable compost potential; disposing them in the bio-waste stream contaminates it with non-degradable materials, contributing to microplastic pollution. A net solution that balances ecological responsibility and economic viability has been missing until now. This is where meshpack, Plastrans Technologies, and BiologiQ stepped in. Driven by its commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its products, meshpack began research into bio-net solutions back in 2022. In collaboration with Plastrans Technologies and BiologiQ, the team has now reached a key milestone: not just extruding bio-based granulates into flat film, but further processing them into a high-quality, compostable net.

Each partner brought unique expertise to the table. meshpack contributed decades of specialized know-how in netting production and processing; BiologiQ provided its patented thermoplastic starch (TPS) technology, NuPlastiQ, as the base ingredient; and Plastrans Technologies played a central role in establishing the supply chain.

With its roots in Austria and international reach, Plastrans Technologies is more than a distributor — it is a sustainable solution provider to the European plastics converting industry. Known for its innovative spirit, reliability, and sustainability commitment, Plastrans focuses on sourcing and supplying high-performance polymers, recyclates, and advanced biobased alternatives. For the bio-net project, Plastrans acted as the strategic connector and enabler. As BiologiQ’s European partner, Plastrans ensured a tailored compound solution aligned with meshpack’s production needs, balancing elongation and tensile strength while maintaining processability for slicing, stretching, and knitting.

Plastrans also coordinates compound production in Germany and handles European logistics creating a stable and reliable supply chain for meshpack’s customers. This partnership is not just technical but strategically rooted in a shared vision for a sustainable future. “Our goal is to make bio-based solutions commercially and technically viable for our clients, without compromise,” says the Plastrans team. “In this project, we didn’t just supply material, we helped shape a new product category for the market.”

“A net is not a plastic bag,” says Thomas Hartung, Managing Director of meshpack. “Successfully extruding a flat film is only the first step in a complex production process that most people can’t even imagine.” He explains: “The surface of the film is broken up when it’s cut into 1.5–2 mm wide ribbons, which are guided over rollers to a heated plate at 85°C and then stretched. This transforms a 65-micron film into 25-micron threads. These are then brought together at the circular knitting head, where they interlace into longitudinal and transverse seams.” The resulting net, he notes, is both delicate and strong. If a thread breaks, it must be manually reknotted, testament to the fine balance required between process engineering and material science. The final bio-net product can hold up to 700 N, while single threads can hold up to 420 N.

A finished product is only part of the story. For genuine success, the market must be ready. Retailers, policymakers, and consumers alike must recognize that while plastic packaging is often vilified, certain formats like nets serve critical functions and are currently barely recycled. For these cases, compostable solutions offer a real alternative. Considering the upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in the EU, which will restrict certain small-format single-use applications, the introduction of mechanically robust, certified compostable nets becomes even more relevant.

Still, acceptance of compostable packaging varies across Europe. While demand is strong in Austria, Switzerland, France, and the UK, Plastrans Technologies continues to advocate for broader awareness. “Bio must no longer be the exception—it must become the standard,” emphasizes meshpack. For anyone navigating the evolving packaging landscape whether in procurement, product development, or policy it’s becoming clear that small-format solutions like nets can no longer be overlooked. Innovation isn’t only about developing new materials; it’s about making them viable, scalable, and aligned with both market and regulatory demands.

This is where partnerships like the one between meshpack, BiologiQ, and Plastrans make a difference not just by introducing a new product, but by making it work across the entire value chain. From material adaptation to process integration and reliable distribution, the success of such a solution lies in the details and in having a partner that connects them.

About the Companies

• Mesh Pack GmbH (Germany) has been manufacturing and distributing plastic-based netting since 1997, with a primary focus on Christmas tree netting and clip netting for produce like onions and potatoes.

• BiologiQ Inc. (USA) offers a thermoplastic, proprietary starch product portfolio, brand name “NuPlastiQ®”, and numerous bioblends with tailor-made material properties—critical for applications like thin slicing and stretching. The NuPlastiQ compound for meshpack achieves filament thickness down to 4 µm.

• Plastrans Technologies GmbH (Austria) is an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified company and was named “Exzellentes Unternehmen Österreichs” (Excellent Austrian Company) in 2024. Its vision is to be the leading provider of biopolymers, actively supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and driving innovation in collaboration with partners like meshpack and BiologiQ.