Brainstorming Workshop organized at ICAR-NINFET, Kolkata

22nd November 2022, Kolkata

A brainstorming workshop on “Bioplastics: Its Developmental Strategies and the Role of Natural Fibres in Developing Durable Biodegradable Polymers for Sustainable Packaging Materials” was held at ICAR-National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering and Technology, Kolkata on November 22, 2022 through hybrid mode.

Dr. K. Narsaiah, ADG (PE), ICAR & Chief Guest of the program highlighted the importance of bio-plastics and stressed to initiate a collaborative project for the development of low-cost packaging from rice/ wheat straw and microbial mediated synthesis of bio-plastics from biomass. He emphasized on  R&D in the area of recycling and degradation of plastic and addition of suitable nano-particle for improvement in the functional properties of the bio-plastics based packaging materials.

Dr. D. B. Shakyawar, Director, ICAR-NINFET briefed about the need of the workshop to eradicate the consumption of plastics and also presented “Role of natural fibres for the replacement of plastic material to save our environment” with the focus on bio-plastics.

Earlier Prof. Vimal Katiyar, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Guwahati and Prof. D. Chakraborty, Former Professor, University of Calcutta have deliberated their views on bio-plastics and discussed the main-streaming path-ways for development of bio-plastics from lignocellulosic biomasses with scientists from ICAR-CIRCOT, Mumbai; ICAR-CIAE, Bhopal & ICAR-NINFET, Kolkata.

(Source: ICAR- National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering and Technology, Kolkata)