Dear members,

Please find below an overview of activities carried out by European Bioplastics throughout April 2021.

Regulatory Affairs (WG REGA)

The European Bioplastics’ Working Group Regulatory Affairs (WG REGA) last met 21 April.

On the same day, the Commission adopted its first Draft Delegated Act (DDA) on Taxonomy on technical screening criteria for activities contributing toward climate change adaptation and mitigation. EUBP was pleased to see that both the exclusion of bioplastics produced using food and feed crops and the proposed 27% minimum GHG reduction target from bioplastics had been removed. The next DDA would focus on circularity.

A meeting had been arranged on 26 April with DG Environment as a follow up to the meeting with Director Sadauskas to discuss technical recommendations on the revision of the Essential Requirements and the development of the Communication on a Policy Framework for bio-based and biodegradable and compostable plastics.

Both the SUPD Guidance to Member States and the report by the Joint Research Centre on alternative feedstocks for plastics were still awaited.  

EUBP continued to work together with EUBA on follow up meetings accompanying the publication of EUBA’s position on the circular economy. In this regard, a meeting was held on 4 May with Head of Unit Peter Wehrheim of DG RTD’s Bioeconomy unit to present the alliance’s priorities and to understand the Commission’s forthcoming plans for Europe’s bioeconomy.

For detailed information on the work of the WG Regulatory Affairs, please contact Joanna Dupont-Inglis (inglis@european-bioplastics.org).

BON Europe

BON Europe (Bioplastics Organisations Network) is an alliance of European Bioplastics and European national bioplastics organisations. The group held its monthly web meeting on 29 April 2021. The network welcomed a new member, the recently founded Hungarian Biopolymer Association. During the one-hour meeting, BON members reported on relevant updates from their respective EU Member States with a focus on the implementation of the SUP Directive. Holland Bioplastics explained the Dutch “Green Deal” for compostable coffee pads and tea bags, and the Hungarian Biopolymer Association reported on the planned product charge for plastic packaging which would benefit bioplastics.

For more information regarding BON Europe, please contact Katharina Hinse (hinse@european-bioplastics.org).

Product Groups

Product Group Bio-based

In anticipation of the upcoming publication of the JRC study on LCA for alternative feedstocks for plastics, EUBP prepared a blog post on the possible pitfalls of comparative LCAs.

The Fact Sheet on Chemical Recycling has been finalised and will be published on the association’s website in May.

EUBP participated in a German stakeholder meeting discussing the role of bioplastics in recycling and was asked to give further input on the subject before the next meeting in May.

For more information regarding bio-based plastics including sustainability issues and the work of the PG and TFs, please contact Constance Ißbrücker (issbruecker@european-bioplastics.org).

Product Group Biodegradables

A position paper on microplastics is under preparation and will be shared with the PG for review next month.

In preparation of the next meeting, EUBP is currently gathering all relevant available information on biodegradable plastics in anaerobic digestion (AD). In case you have anything to share, kindly send it to us.

For more information regarding PG Biodegradables and the TF Marine, please contact Constance Ißbrücker (issbruecker@european-bioplastics.org).

Working Group Standardisation

This month, the WG Standardisation met twice, on 14 and 15 April. During the web meetings, the discussion focused on the revision of EN 13432. The group is currently compiling comments and proposed changes to EN 13432 which will be sent to CEN/TC 261 SC 4 WG 2 by end of May. The CEN committee plans to discuss the submitted comments in June. The next meetings of WG Standardisation will take place on 25 May, from 3 pm to 5 pm.

ECN (European Compost Network) has approached EUBP to discuss critical points of the upcoming revision, especially how to deal with AD. A meeting is planned for June.

For more information on standards for bioplastics, current standardisation processes, and certification of bioplastics, please contact Constance Ißbrücker (issbruecker@european-bioplastics.org).

Communications

Please find under the following link a selection of relevant media clippings from April 2021 (online).

Throughout the month, EUBP Comms continued to work on the draft of the Annual Report 2020. Among other things, this included the compilation of an overview of all communication activities in 2020 but also the analysis of corresponding data that had been gathered throughout the year.

During the first half of April, EUBP Comms was dealing with a critical article (“European Bioplastics Calls for a Boycott“) published on 4 April on the Bioplastics News Blog. Therein, European Bioplastics was accused of having called for a “boycott” of the outlet in one of its last year’s WG REGA meetings. Due to a technical error, the blogger had been able to access the minutes of the meeting. Together with the EUBP Management and the EUBP Board, Comms agreed on a common strategic approach: containment by non-engagement. The approach was successful, as the article wasn’t echoed by even a single outlet. At the same time, EUBP Comms prepared a statement as possible response to third party inquiries. Comms continued to closely monitor further activities of the outlet.

In preparation of a report by the Joint Research Centre on alternative feedstocks for plastics that is awaited to be published during the next weeks, Comms prepared a press release with rather general statements on the topic. It will serve EUBP as a first response until a more comprehensive analysis of the report can be conducted.

Additionally, EUBP Comms coordinated the responses to several requests by journalists, organizations, and companies regarding detailed information on different aspects of bioplastics or speaking offers for EUBP staff.

For more information or questions concerning the communications activities of EUBP, please contact Oliver Buchholz (buchholz@european-bioplastics.org).

Seedling Logo

Nothing to report. The next web meeting will take place on 4 June 2021.

For more information on the Seedling Logo or the Certification Scheme, please contact Constance Ißbrücker (issbruecker@european-bioplastics.org).

Events

Towards the end of April, EUBP Events set up the system to start the ticket sell for this year’s conference (30 November until 1 December). An announcement is planned for the beginning of May.

If you have any questions, please contact conference@european-bioplastics.org.

Projects

BIOnTop (Project month: 23 of 48)

https://biontop.eu/ (BBI-JU)

On 15 April 2021, BIOnTop’s scientific partner INSTM held a meeting (WP2) to inform all partners on the overall material development progress based on the new PLA-PBSA blend formulations which are designed for the propagated applications (such as films, trays and fibres).

As part of the dissemination activities in WP7, EUBP reviewed a draft version of a stakeholder survey carried out by ENCO, BIOnTop’s exploitation manager. The survey aims to cross-connect with bioeconomy clusters and identifies expectations as well as the level of interest of internal and external stakeholders. Its publication is expected in May/June.

As part of further dissemination activities, EUBP developed a social media plan according to the project plan’s following steps.

Unfortunately, a joint application of the BIOnTop and ECOFUNCO project for EU Green Week's virtual exhibition in June was rejected. Both dissemination partners ENCO and EUBP are now exploring alternative options for the participation in events.

BIOMAC (Project month: 4 of 48)

https://www.biomac-oitb.eu/ (Horizon 2020)

On 14 April, EUBP and WP1 partners held their initial meeting to set up BIOMAC’s ecosystem, tools, and procedures. Among other things, it was also decided to transfer tasks, initially foreseen for the project’s Single Entry Point (SEP), to an external partner. Together with BIOMAC's coordinator (University of Thessaloniki), EUBP entered discussions with a third party interested in joining the consortium as new SEP partner. Subject to approval by the project officer, the new partner is expected to join the consortium on 1 August.

PRESERVE (Project month: 4 of 48)

https://www.preserve-h2020.eu/ (Horizon 2020)

For the duration of the PRESERVE project, Crowdhelix has started to set up all partners in their network, an international open innovation platform linking research/universities and industry to initiate collaborative projects, such as European projects. EUBP will become part of the “helix” networks free of charge.

On 29 April, WP8 members had their next regular meeting to discuss the progress and next steps in this work package. Here, EUBP will make use of internal as well as other project synergies. This mainly includes social media update planning and the collaboration with other EU projects in own or joint activities, such as training, dissemination, as well as event planning, and policy monitoring.

Additionally, on 29 April, Südpack was holding a meeting with WP6 partners to initiate the work on drafting the upscale validation of upcycled packaging materials from primary and secondary raw materials.

In close collaboration, all work packages are currently shaping and defining PRESERVE’s demonstrator applications, leading to preliminary specifications submitted on 30 April.

Status of project partnering, other HORIZON 2020 projects, and proposal/grant agreements:

Preparation for the upcoming BBI-JU project BioSupPack is progressing towards the kick-off meeting in June. Currently, the consortium agreement is in the final phase of approval before signing and will be submitted in May.

EUBP und IfBB (Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites) have met on 7 April during an informal virtual advisory board meeting on the ongoing BioPolyDat project in its final year (project term: January 2020 – March 2022). It will provide an interactive online calculation tool on land-use and raw material requirements of bio-based plastics.

On 22 April, as the result of an exchange with the European Bioeconomy University (EBU), EUBP took the opportunity to present itself to the representatives of the scientific organisations in a working group meeting. To benefit from each other’s expertise, EUBP and the EBU members (AgriParisTech, the universities of Bologna, Eastern Finland, Hohenheim, Wageningen, and BOKU University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna) agreed to have informal exchanges, where possible, in form of mutual invitations to working group meetings.

Planned activities

WG Regulatory Affairs:

• REGA WG Meeting on 26 May 2021
• Follow up after meeting with DG ENV on 26 April (ERs PPWD and Policy Framework recommendations)
• Further outreach in the form of meeting requests to Commission and EP on core topics for EUBP
• Preparation for the publication of the JRC study on alternative feedstocks
• Preparation for adoption of the guidance on SUPD

Communications:

• Preparation of EUBP’s annual report 2020  
• EUBP Conference 2021: reactivation of media cooperations
• Update of EUBP publications with new market data 2020
• Development of an editorial plan for social media
• Development questionnaire EUBP website

BON Europe:

• BON Europe Meeting on 27 May 2021
• Further complete and update overview on Member States’ implementation of SUP Directive and other policies
• Prepare update of “Composting Landscape”

PG Bio-based:

• Draft of fact sheet on bio-based content/mass balance
• TF 1: Update position paper on sustainability assessment
• TF 2: finalization fact sheet on chemical recycling, revision fact sheet on energy recovery
• TF 3: finalization paper on sugar as feedstock for bio-based plastics
• Next meeting to be scheduled

PG Biodegradables:

• Position paper on microplastics
• Info collection on biodegradable/compostable plastics in AD
• Next meeting to be scheduled

WG Standardisation:

• WG meeting on 25 May 2021
• Further work on draft EN13432 and comments
  

Seedling Logo:

• ACS Meeting on 4 June 2021

Projects and Networks:

• PRESERVE / WP3 Meeting on 4 May 2021
• Meeting of PRESERVE, UPLIFT, and upPE-T (both H2020 project) representatives on 13 May 2021 to explore cooperation options
• BIOMAC / WP5 Meeting on 10 May 2021
• On 18 May 2021, AIMPLAS will represent BIOnTop in an online webinar of VIPRISCAR, a BBI-JU partner project
• PRESERVE / WP8 Meeting on 27 May 2021

If you have any suggestions regarding the content and/or format of our monthly report, please do not hesitate to share them with us.  

This email is sent to all the contacts of our member companies that we have registered in our database. If you would like to share it with further colleagues, kindly send us an email to members@european-bioplastics.org. 

Kind regards,
Hasso v. Pogrell

Disclaimer

The information transmitted by this email is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed. This email may contain proprietary, business-confidential, and/or privileged material. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, be aware that any use, review, retransmission, distribution, reproduction, or any action taken in reliance upon this message is strictly prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from all computers.