Bioplastics Bulletin

On 21 March 2018, Member of the European Parliament Franc Bogovič (EPP) hosted a breakfast debate on 'Biodegradable mulch films: Reducing environmental impact of plastics in agriculture‘. The aim of the workshop was to provide the EU institutions with scientific information about the technology of biodegradable plastics, in particular their benefits in agricultural applications such as plastic mulch films, and to discuss if and how biodegradable mulch films are a beneficial alternative to conventional plastic mulches.Presentations by Paolo Di Stefano (Coldiretti / member of Copa-Cogeca), Bruno de Wilde (Organic Waste Systems) and Dr Andreas Künkel (BASF) underlined the importance of [...]

On 16 January 2018, the European Commission published its Communication ‘A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy’. According to the Commission, this proposal is an ambitious step towards making the European plastics system more resource-efficient and drive the change from a linear to a circular system. Bioplastics provide crucial impulses for innovation and the development of a sustainable, circular plastics economy by using alternative feedstocks and offering a wider scope of end-of-life options for plastic products. Both advantages have been generally recognised in the Commission's Communication. However, the proposal fails to suggest concrete legislative measures to capitalise [...]

Concerns about harmful chemicals, health and environmental effects lead more and more parents and toymakers alike to switch to high-quality, sustainable, and safe toys made from bio-based instead from petroleum-based materials. Next to a growing number of new start-ups developing bioplastics toys, big players such as Lego and Hasbro are also investing heavily in the search to phase out fossil-based materials in their products. Exploring options to make toys from sustainable bio-based plastics gives toymakers the opportunity to size up improved performance characteristics, and, at the same time, a chance to demonstrate their commitment to innovation and to ensuring [...]

Mathew Halter The joint venture of DuPont and Tate & Lyle has developed a proprietary process that uses plant-based instead of petroleum-based feedstocks to produce 1,3-propanediol. Today, the company provides solutions for a wide variety of markets and applications through its bio-based performance brands Susterra® and Zemea® propanediol in addition to Bio-PDO™, the key ingredient for DuPont™ Sorona® high-performance polymers. DuPont Tate & Lyle recently announced an expansion to their manufacturing facility in Loudon, Tennessee, toff increase annual production of bio-based 1,3-propanediol by 35 million pounds by mid-2019. Mathew Halter, Molecular Biologist responsible for Bio-PDO Strain Development at [...]

Without a doubt, this is the coolest (pun intended) news about an application for bioplastics. Electrolux, the leading group of global household product brands, unveiled the world’s first concept fridge made of bioplastics. All visible parts of the refrigerator prototype are made of bioplastics. The material used in the refrigerator is derived from renewable resources, such as corn or sugarcane, and is provided by our member NatureWorks, a world-leading supplier of biopolymers. The bioplastic for the refrigerator has 80% lower CO2 equivalent emissions compared to the conventional plastic used in current fridges. “We are very excited and proud to [...]

In February 2018, the district of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, located in a historic part of Barcelona, introduced a door-to-door separate waste collection system as part of the Zero Waste Strategy of the municipality. The project aims to minimise the quantity of waste sent to landfill and, more importantly, to involve citizens in order to make them aware of the fate of waste and the environmental and social consequences of a lack of separate waste collection. In its first phase, the new collection method will involve 8,500 inhabitants, but the intention is to expand this model in other neighbourhoods and eventually [...]