Plásticos Hidrosolubles develop Hunting Cartridge Wads based on PVA Biodegradable Materials

When a shot is fired, of all the cartridge components being discharged from the gun, the cartridge wad lasts longest in the environment. Generally, the cartridge wad is shot anywhere from 50 to 80 metres, which makes them very difficult to recover in spite of the shooters’ environmental awareness.

According to the Spanish Ministry of the Environment and a report issued by Maxam Outdoors (one of the most important manufacturers of hunting cartridges), worldwide 3,000 million hunting cartridges are used yearly (1,000 million in a controlled environment and 2,000 million in open areas). These wads can weigh between 2.5 & 4 grams, which equates to an annual 6,000 tonnes of non-biodegradable materials within the environment, which creates a health risk for humans and for the planet. With the market implementation of this project, a global reduction in residues of 800 tonnes is expected, 200 of which would be at a European level.

Consequently, an innovation project, lead by Plásticos Hidrosolubles is being developed and is being supported by the European Commission within the CIP Eco-Innovation program, titled, “Biodegradable and environmental friendly component (wad) based on PVA for a cartridge.” The main objective of this project is the design, manufacture and launch onto the market of an innovative and ecological hunting cartridge wad. This wad, manufactured with the Green Cycles formulation, is water soluble, biodegradable and eco-compatible, which will minimize the environmental impact of hunting activities or shooting practice.

Layman´s Report available here.