A blend of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and thermoplastic starch (TPS) was shown to be useful in making blow-molded bottles. Compared with neat polyethylene, packaging-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were reduced by as much as 80%. The method involved two extruders joined perpendicularly. The first extruder converted the starch into TPS; the second mixed the HDPE and TPS for a co-continuous morphology. Further dilution with HDPE during the melt-forming stage resulted in fine droplets of TPS dispersed throughout the HDPE matrix. The TPS was used in various layer combinations without sacrificing the appearance or performance of the bottles.
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