The German Federal Statistical Office estimates the production volume of bags, carrier bags and sacks made of plastic at about 5 million tonnes in 2016. However, carrier bags made of paper or fabric are increasingly establishing themselves in the retail trade.
matabooks wants to take the change another step forward and replace plastic vegetable bags with partially transparent bags made of grass paper. The bags are said to be completely compostable and free of chemicals. In addition, the water required to produce grass pulp is less than 1 liter per tonne, compared to several thousand liters of water per tonne of wood pulp. The energy demand for production could also be significantly reduced.
In addition to the ecological advantages, the bags should meet all technical requirements with regard to their intended use. Until they are ready for series production, the prototypes must therefore undergo rigorous drop tests, tensile tests and a field trial in the retail trade.
matabooks is financially supported by the state capital Dresden.