Bioplastics Bulletin

Earlier this month, the European Parliament plenary voted on the waste legislation proposal as part of the EU Circular Economy Package. With their vote, the Members of Parliament send a clear signal that reuse and recycling remain of paramount priority in the pursuit of an EU circular economy while at the same time strengthening the bio-based economy in order to replace fossil resources and drive the transition to a low-carbon economy.  The plenary’s vote on amendments of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive encourages Member States to support the use of bio-based materials for the production of packaging and [...]

Registration is now open for the leading bioplastics event in Europe – the 12th European Bioplastics Conference on 29-30 November 2017 in Berlin. If you would like to contribute to the programme, you can still submit your abstracts. Why should you attend? The 12th edition of the annual European Bioplastics Conference will showcase how bioplastics are 'Making the Difference' in driving innovations forward for more sustainability, resource efficiency, and functionality. With a high-level speaker line-up and an expected 300+ delegates from the industry, the conference is the ideal platform for you to get up to speed on the latest [...]

Earlier this month, Total Corbion PLA officially launched its operations to produce and market Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) polymers. PLA is a biobased and biodegradable polymer made from annually renewable resources. As announced by parent companies Total and Corbion last November, the new company is a 50/50 joint venture based in the Netherlands. Luminy PLA polymers (c) Total Corbion Total Corbion PLA’s polymerization plant, with a capacity of 75,000 tons per year, is currently under construction at Corbion’s site in Thailand. The plant start-up is planned for the second half of 2018 and will produce a full [...]

Danone and Nestlé Waters, the world’s two largest bottled water companies, have joined forces with Origin Materials, a start-up based in Sacramento, California, to form the NaturALL Bottle Alliance. Together, the three partners aim to develop and launch at commercial scale a PET plastic bottle made from 100 percent bio-based renewable material. The project uses biomass feedstock, such as previously used cardboard and sawdust. The technology represents a great opportunity for the entire sector, and the Alliance aims to make it available to the entire food and beverage industry. “Our goal is to establish a circular economy [...]

Danimer Scientific and PepsiCo to Collaborate on Biodegradable Resins: Biotechnology leader Danimer Scientific and global food and beverage company PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP) have announced an agreement that includes development of Danimer Scientifics’ biodegradable film resins to meet the sustainable flexible packaging requirements of PepsiCo’s global food and beverage business. The agreement includes the development of bio-based compostable packaging for PepsiCo’s snack brands and will facilitate the expansion of Danimer Scientifics’ Nodax PHA plant. Solegear partners with Braskem to expand its bioplastics products: Canadian Solegear Bioplastic Technologies Inc. and Braskem announced a 3-year partnership in which Solegear will utilize [...]

Spain announced plans to ban the sale of lightweight oxo-degradable bags from 2018 onwards under a new law drafted by the Spanish agriculture and environment ministry. The law implements an EU directive to reduce the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags. The draft also includes a minimum price on plastic bags above 15 microns and labelling requirements to aid the distinction of compostable bags from non-compostable bags. Oxo-fragmentable plastics are conventional plastic materials with artificial additives that do not biodegrade but merely fragment into small pieces that remain in and potentially harm the environment and endanger recycling and composting. [...]