Biodegradability of Polyethylene/Hydrolyzed Collagen Blends in Terrestrial and Marine Environmental Conditions

In this study, blends of low-density polyethylene (PE) containing 20 wt% of hydrolyzed collagen (HC) from the leather industry were processed by the film blowing technique. A biodegradation study of these innovative materials was performed by two different biodegradation tests, one in terrestrial environment, the other one under aquatic conditions. Degradation rates were determined for both systems and an environmental degradability parameter was calculated. The results proved the positive influence of hydrolyzed collagen on degradation of polyethylene, but also showed a relatively low biological degradability of PE/HC blends under the applied test conditions.