Bioplastics are a diverse family of materials. Depending on the material and the application, recycling in existing waste streams is certainly an option. Drop-in solutions such as biobased PE or biobased PET can easily be recycled in existing recycling streams together with their conventional counterparts. Innovative materials such as PLA can also be mechanically recycled. Once sufficient volumes are on the market, the establishment of a separate recycling stream will become feasible. Biodegradable plastic products that have been certified compostable according to EN 13432 are suitable for industrial composting. All bioplastic materials offer (renewable) energy recovery as they contain a high energy value.

Related links:

Waste management