Biobased air and water drain systems

Current practices often make use of plastic pipes (PE) for draining and/or aerating tree roots. A new solution made with biodegradable components allows draining water and aerating air in the soil surrounding the roots of (young) trees.

The product is fabricated out of corn starch and bioplastic (Cradonyl) and therefore 100% biobased. Thanks to the biobased composition and degradable characteristics, the pipes will be fully composted after a few years and therefore do not need to be removed from the soil after their functional lifetime.

Due to higher production costs (raw material is more expensive and process energy costs are higher) of the biodegradable components, the selling price is 1,5 times higher compared to a conventional PE system. The added value of using the biodegradable products lies in eliminating waste-removal costs (labour costs for removing pipes and recycling/disposal costs).

The biobased granulate fully fits in current production processes (injection moulding techniques) for hard plastics (HDPE/LDPE). The components of the aerating and water draining systems are biodegradable and will be fully composted after the product function lifetime, creating a zero-waste product and a reduction in waste-collection labour.