Bioplastics Bulletin
Sustainable feedstock sourcing
As the market for bioplastics grows, inevitable questions around the sustainability of bio-based products continue to be of relevance to the brands and organisations who are driving this growth. We sat down with Rolf Hogan, Executive Director of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials, to discuss the key trends in the bioeconomy, the kinds of specific sustainability risks involved for the bioplastics industry, and what we can look forward to at this year’s RSB Annual Meeting, held alongside the EUBP Conference. Rolf Hogan, Executive Director of the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials What key trends has RSB been looking [...]
Member portrait: University of Bologna
Paola Fabbri, Associate Prof. of Materials Science and Technology and Maurizio Fiorini, Associate Prof. of Principles of Chemistry for Applied Technologies at University of BolognaAlma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna In each issue of the Bioplastics Bulletin, we present five facts about a member of European Bioplastics. This month, Paola Fabbri, Associate Prof of Materials Science and Technology at University of Bologna, and Maurizio Fiorini, Associate Prof of Principles of Chemistry for Applied Technologies, shares some information on one of the oldest and leading universities in the field of bioeconomy and biotechnology research. 5 facts about [...]
World’s first biobased, circular car created using Luminy from Total Corbion PLA
The world’s first bio-based, circular car has been successfully designed and built in the Netherlands by the Technical University of Eindhoven. This is the first time that a car chassis and all bodywork has been made from natural and bio-based materials - no metal or traditional plastics were used for the structural parts of the car. The parts are made up of light and strong sandwich panels, based on natural fiber flax and Luminy® PLA supplied by Total Corbion PLA. The car, named Noah by the TU/ecomotive student team, was designed as a city car and features two seats [...]
News in brief – July 2018
VTT developed a biodegradable material that is 100% bio-based. The first model product is a designer chair manufactured as a joint effort between VTT, Plastec Finland and KO-HO Industrial design. © VTT Thermoformable bio-based material to replace fossil-based plastics in furniture: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd has developed a thermally formable, biodegradable material, which is 100% bio-based. According to VTT, the new material is suitable for furniture applications, making it an attractive alternative to wood and the various biocomposite materials already available in the market, while offering further advantages due to its formability and colouring [...]
Biodegradability of plastics in the marine environment
In the context of the EU Plastics Strategy and the recently published proposal for a Directive on the reduction of single-use plastic products, biodegradable and compostable plastics are increasingly being discussed with regard to their potential to contribute to tackling marine litter. Constance Ißbrücker, Head of Environmental Affairs at European Bioplastics (EUBP), provides some insights into the current developments in this field. While the property of biodegradability in the marine environment could provide valuable solutions for specific plastic applications – in particular applications that are prone to end up in the ocean and cannot be retrieved easily, such as [...]
Neste and IKEA team up to develop bio-based PP
IKEA has taken the next step in their commitment to make their plastic products from recycled or renewable sources – first announced at the European Bioplastics Conference in 2016 – and has teamed up with Neste, a leader in renewable solutions for polymer production and member of European Bioplastics, to produce bio-based plastics. © Neste, 2018 Both companies aim to produce polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) from renewable or recycled waste and residue raw materials, such as used cooking oil, as well as sustainably produced vegetable oils. The pilot at commercial scale of PP and PE plastic, [...]