Open the document The transition to a sustainable bioeconomy requires the development and validation of innovative technologies that exploit renewable resources while minimizing environmental impact. Lignin, a primary byproduct of the pulp and paper industry, represents a significant yet underutilized renewable resource that is currently mostly burned to generate heat and power [1]. [...]
Open the document The transition from a fossil-based to a renewable, biobased economy is of essential importance if the European Union wants to achieve its goal set in the European Green Deal to become climate neutral by 2050. This transition requires the collaboration of the materials and manufactured products sectors, and, in particular, the [...]
Open the document Home composting is a private gardening practice that empowers individuals to transform their kitchen and garden waste into compost for personal use. This not only enriches their gardens but also plays a valuable role in reducing organic waste in residual waste streams. It’s important to consider the home compostability of [...]
Open the document Biodegradables are sortable and suitable for material recycling streams. Efficient sorting of all plastics is essential for high quality recycling outputs. Biodegradable plastics have the potential to play a significant role in advancing a circular economy by addressing several environmental challenges. They can help mitigate plastic waste, promote sustainable resource utilisation, enhance [...]
Open the document We have been closely following the review of the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and would like to express our gratitude to the European Commission for their diligent efforts in consulting with industry. We support the work of the DG-ENV and JRC on carbon modelling and want to acknowledge the challenges [...]
Open the document Industrially compostable plastics play an essential role in putting the envisioned circular economy into practice. With reference to the European waste hierarchy, industrially compostable plastics provide added value through organic recycling. This includes both industrial composting and anaerobic digestion. Certified industrially compostable plastic products such as biowaste bags or fresh [...]
Open the document The recent EU Bioeconomy Strategy Progress Report (2022)* provides the most relevant and publicly available data on the EU’s biobased chemicals, pharma, plastics, and rubber sector. According to the report, the role of bioeconomy sectors in generating economic wealth has improved in the past decade in the EU-27. One of [...]
Open the document What are certified soil-biodegradable mulch films? What are the advantages of certified soil-biodegradable mulch films? Do certified soil-biodegradable mulch films fully biodegrade in soil? How does the market for agricultural plastics and certified soil- biodegradable mulch film currently look like? Do certified soil-biodegradable plastics create persistent microplastics? Do certified soil-biodegradable [...]
Open the document Achieving EU Green Deal Goals - How bioplastics contribute to a climate-neutral future The European Green Deal sets out the Union‘s ambition to become climate neutral by 2050 in all sectors of the economy, including chemicals and materials. For all sectors, the Deal sets out a roadmap that aims to [...]
Open the document Soil-biodegradable and compostable materials are increasingly used in agriculture. Certified soil-biodegradable mulch films have been applied on agricultural soils for more than 20 years and their agronomical behaviour and end-of-life have been extensively assessed. They are proven to have a similar agronomical efficiency compared to conventional, non-biodegradable plastics, specifically in [...]
