The thesis project carried out in collaboration with Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia of Genova consists in the development of POMOPLA^2, a new biocomposite that enhances the by-products of agri-food companies for both flexible and rigid packaging.

Firstly, a natural plasticizer was mixed with the PLA to improve its toughness and flexibility. Once the optimal plasticized PLA matrix formulation was identified, tomato peels scraps were added as filler. Following the principles of circular economy, the concept was to replace fossil-based plastics currently used to pack fresh tomatoes with POMOPLA^2, a more sustainable solution coming from renewable and biodegradable feedstocks.