Bioplastics News
Biodegradable or not biodegradable, that is the question
Constance Ißbrücker, Head of Environmental Affairs at European Bioplastics e.V. The Single-use Plastics Directive (SUPD) coming into effect on 3 July 2021 will not only ban several plastic applications, such as cutlery, plates or drinking straws from the market. It will also prohibit all products made from so-called oxo-degradable plastics. The Directive is quite clear on its definition, [...]
Chemical recycling – snapshot of a technology everybody talks about
Chemical recycling has gained increased attention as a promising recovery technology, especially for post-consumer plastic waste. It is seen as a complementary solution to mechanical recycling, being better suited for difficult to recycle plastics like multi-layer solutions or heavily contaminated plastics. Yet, its availability at commercial scale is currently still limited, and a legislative framework at European level still needs to be [...]
Member portrait: Futerro
In each issue of the Bioplastics Newsletter, we present some facts about a member of European Bioplastics. This month, Frédéric Van Gansberghe, Chief Executive Officer of Futerro, shares some interesting insights on his company. 5 facts about Futerro, Belgium Futerro is working on polylactic acid (PLA) technology since 1992, mastering the complete production cycle, from sugar to PLA. Commercial production has started in January 2021 with an annual capacity of 30,000 tons, increasing [...]
BioSupPack project will develop innovative bioplastic packaging from brewery by-products
BioSupPack project supported by EUBP The EU-funded BioSupPack project, supported by European Bioplastics (EUBP), is geared towards contributing to the European bio-based circular economy by developing polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)-based packaging solutions derived from residues. It is a viable recycling process for these bio-based plastic materials to make sure resources stay in the loop. On 16 June 2021, the [...]
News from the members: June 2021
EarthFirst Films by PSI produces first PHA home compostable packaging film EarthFirst Films by PSI, a global bioplastic film technology and manufacturing company, announced in an 18 May statement the successful completion of the first commercial run of PHA - polyhydroxyalkanoate - home compostable packaging film. Although the PHA materials have been certified, the film will go through biodegradation and home compostability screening [...]
News in brief: June 2021
SUP Directive Guidelines: a long list of inconsistencies and questions left unanswered With almost one year of delay on the timetable set by the Single-Use Plastics Directive, the long-awaited Guidelines have been finally published at the end of May 2021. From now on, the document will represent the vademecum for the activities of both the national and the European legislators in [...]