One goal: to pursue the wellbeing of the planet and of people by creating objects of value that are truly useful and respectful of the environment. One vision: to reduce the use of non-renewable resources and recover those already in the (productive) cycle in order to recycle them and give them new life. One path, a sustainable one: using biocircular plastic.

Circular bioplastic: the new frontier of innovation

To mark its 110th anniversary, Italian company Guzzini, a manufacturer of design objects for the table, kitchen and home, is taking a qualitative leap and making its circular production process even more sustainable. This year the Circle collection gains the 110 carafe, inspired by designer Charles F. Joosten and his 1957 drink beverage line, made from biocircular plastic derived from waste and residues from plant biomass.

Where objects and home accessories have until now been made from recycled thermopolymers (PP, LDPE/HDPE and PET) derived from the processing of end-of-life plastic packaging, the future of the collection lies in biopolystyrene obtained from plant biomass.

The production process begins with the collection of second-generation renewable raw materials — namely waste cooking oil and agricultural and forestry waste — and their processing in biorefineries, industrial plants that work not with petroleum-based products but with materials of biological origin. At the heart of the process is the polymerisation plant: here the recycled material takes on a new form to be used in design and home furnishing items.

The advantages of circular bioplastic in food contact

While the pieces in the Circle line are already free of more polluting elements such as melamine and thermosetting components, the lengthy research and development process has led to the design of a new frontier in the innovation of food-contact materials. The results are evident in the high technical performance — identical between virgin and biocircular materials — in the overcoming of aesthetic limitations such as transparency, and in the continuous recyclability of the product.

Expertise and certification: more than a guarantee

That innovation requires expertise is beyond question. Central to the innovation process promoted by Guzzini is the collaboration with the Chemistry department of the University of Camerino, the international school of ecodesign, and Corepla, the national consortium for the recovery of plastic packaging. This is in addition to dialogue with other Italian and European manufacturers of biocircular and post-consumer plastic, and with national and cross-border institutions.

This expertise must earn the trust of consumers, who are today increasingly attentive to purchasing products made with respect for the environment. The use of biomass throughout the entire production process complies with the "mass balance" approach provided for by the Iscc Plus – International Sustainability and Carbon Certification scheme, an international certification standard for renewable and recycled materials that requires the traceability of materials and the measurement of the sustainability rate.

Further confirmation of the quality of the process promoted by Guzzini is the collaboration with Csi, a leading centre providing tools for testing and research, and the safety mark UL, a global leader in the field of inspection and training on the subject. All of which demonstrates that responsibility and ethics can guide sustainable and successful ideas, for the protection of the planet and of people.