Dear members,

Please find below an overview of the activities of European Bioplastics throughout February 2020.

Regulatory Affairs (WG REGA)

European Bioplastics’s Working Group Regulatory Affairs met on 18 February in Brussels for a regular working group meeting. The members received an update on relevant processes in several EU Member States: France (FRA), United Kingdom (UK), and the Netherlands (NL). After the current legal changes in FRA, the term “biodegradable” cannot be used anymore standing alone without a specification as to the environment and further conditions. Besides, the claim “compostable“ can only be used if it refers to home composting. Whether or not the claim “industrially compostable” as a certification label will still be accepted remains to be seen. The provisions for fruit and veggie (very lightweight) plastic bags that need to be home compostable have been preserved. Provisions on catering items don’t include any exemptions for biodegradable/compostable plastics, but there is still potential for exemptions as the interpretation of the definition of plastics is quite unclear. Furthermore, in the UK the not-for-profit organization WRAP published guidelines on where to use biodegradable/compostable plastics. Regarding NL, the REGA working group was informed on a recently published study on biodegradable and compostable plastic packaging conducted by Wageningen University & Research. The study showed that all selected packaging items disintegrated and biodegrated within 22 days.

Following the update on national markets, the WG was informed about planned and conducted meetings and events including a meeting with DG AGRI on 18 February, a meeting with DG RTD on 17 February. Besides, the members were updated on the current status of the organisation of the EP lunch event hosted by MEP Frederick Federley which was scheduled for 25 March but recently postponed for the time after the summer break in autumn (tbd) due to the Corona outbreak.

In a unanimous election the REGA WG re-elected Mariagiovanna Vetere/NatureWorks as Chair and Paolo La Scola/Novamont as Vice-Chair. Both will serve from 2020 until 2022 for another two years term.

We will keep you updated on all relevant developments.

In the following a short update on the initiatives that we followed last year and that are coming to an end or will continue through 2020:

• The Green Deal’s new Circular Economy Action Plan (nCEAP), the publication of which is scheduled for 4 March, is viewable in a leaked version and mentions a “framework for bio-based plastics” and a “framework for biodegradable plastics”. Initiatives that will be feeding into the first framework are the study on biodegradable plastics in a circular economy by EASAC (February/March), the study on plastics in agriculture (first workshop on 26 March) and the study on biodegradable plastics in the environment (timing tbd). An initiative to be feeding into the latter framework is the JRC project on LCA for feedstock for the production of plastics (4-6 weeks consultation starting in March)
• Climate law will be published in March, and corresponding actions will be defined according to possible thematic hooks included in the legal text.
• Essential requirements – the final version was expected in February, but will be postponed to April. The publication of the proposal is envisaged for mid-2021.
• Guidance on EPR fees – a leaked report (December 2019) did not take up recycled content and also made no mention of bio-based content. It also ignored the request by EUBP to allocate EPR fees for compostable plastics packaging to composters. Organic recycling is fully neglected, and compostable packaging is even negatively mentioned by suggesting a “penalty fee” as it is not mechanically recyclable. EUBP reacted with a high-level response by addressing the Cabinet level with explanatory communication and requesting meetings. EUBP will monitor further developments and will react with corresponding communication while following-up on the meeting requests. The initiative is supposed to conclude mid-2020
• ECHA report on intentionally added microplastics, opinions will follow in March with a subsequent consultation. A RAC workshop with EUBP/HP participation will take place in Helsinki beginning of March. The opinion of EC is potentially delayed until autumn.
• SUP guidance initiative – definition of plastics and potential exemptions for biopolymers was discussed with EC. The next possibility for input will be during the workshop on 23 March. The publication of the guidance is still expected for summer 2020.

For detailed information on the work of the WG Regulatory Affairs, please contact Hasso von Pogrell (pogrell@european-bioplastics.org). The next meeting will take place on 18 March 2020 in Brussels.

Product Groups

Task Force 2 (End-of-Life) has been finalizing the fact sheets on mechanical recycling and chemical recycling, which will be published in March 2020.
For more information regarding bio-based plastics including sustainability issues and the work of the PG and TFs, please contact Katharina Hinse (hinse@european-bioplastics.org).

No relevant activities took place in February.
For more information regarding PG Biodegradables, the TF Marine, and Seedling certification, please contact Katharina Hinse (hinse@european-bioplastics.org).

Working Group Standardisation
EUBP successfully applied to attend the meeting of the ECHA Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) in March 2020 as an “occasional stakeholder”. During the meeting, the ECHA restriction proposal on intentionally added microplastics will be discussed. It currently exempts biodegradable microplastics from this restriction. During the meeting, RAC will finalize its opinion on this proposal.

For more information on standards for bioplastics, current standardisation processes, and certification of bioplastics, please contact Katharina Hinse (hinse@european-bioplastics.org).

Communications

Please find at the following link a selection of relevant media clippings from February 2020 (pdf).

On 18 February, EUBP Coms attended the REGA meeting held in Brussels. The intention of the joint meeting was to further deepen the link between EUBP communications and regulatory affairs.

EUBP Comms also developed a press release (English/French/Italian) on the study on compostable packaging products conducted by Wageningen University & Research. The press release was sent out on 20 February via EUBP networks and was acompanied by social media activities, especially on Twitter and LinkedIn. Besides, we commissioned a broader mailing via News Aktuell which covered all relevant Western European media outlets. The mailing was successful, as the press release was picked up by several European outlets.

As during January, EUBP Coms prepared several responses to enquiries made by representatives of the scientific sector. The scope of topics was very broad, ranging from questions on the new market data 2019, the latest political processes to consumer behaviour in connection with the use of bioplastics.

Throughout February, together with our service provider Meltwater, we improved the efficiency of our monitoring in view of clipping results and archiving.

In addition to the short version of the market report, which was developed for the EUBP conference, communications compiled a 4-pager long version. Furthermore, we updated on the following EUBP documents with the new market data:

• Fact sheet feedstock
  
• Fact sheet automotive
  
• Bioplastics facts and figures
  
• FAQ bioplastics.
  
  

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

Seedling Logo

The Advisory Committee of the Seedling Mark (ACS) held its Jour Fixe web meeting on 7 February, discussing a range of topics concerning Seedling certification. An additional web meeting was held on 21 February. This meeting focused on how certification bodies shall proceed if customers change their supplier for PLA or PBAT.

For more information on the Seedling Logo or the Certification Scheme, please contact Katharina Hinse (hinse@european-bioplastics.org).

Events

On 5th February, EUBP was present at Fruit Logistica’s Future Lab in Berlin, an open speaking corner at world’s leading fair for fruit trade and its value chains, contributing with a presentation on chances of biobased/biodegradable food packaging and bioplastics overview in front of approximately 50 interested fair visitors, amongst them Fruchthandel magazine reporters, who spread the news in issue 07-08/2020.

Please save the date for the 15th European Bioplastics Conference that will take place at the Hotel Savoyen Vienna, in Austria on the 1st and 2nd December 2020.

The event will again put bioplastics in the spotlight for over 400 senior executives from across the bioplastics value chain.

Due to the fact that the interpack 2020 was postponed to next year 25 Feburary to 3 March 2021 due to the Virus COVIT19 we will now focus on planning the 15th European Bioplastics Conference in Vienna.

For more information regarding the EUBP Conference 2020, please contact Hannah Heimann (conference@european-bioplastics.org).

Projects

Three months before the finalization of the project, the PolyBioSkin consortium delivers an internal report on all developed product specifications and a regulatory assessment for its biomedical, cosmetic, and sanitary skin-contact applications.

Work package leader EUBP and involved consortium partners on 20 February started planning the next steps and upcoming communication activities accompanying the technical work packages, which are progressing in development of novel packaging films and textiles with tailored end of life and performance based on bio-based copolymers and coatings, such as recyclable monomaterial trays, films and nets for food packaging.

On 5th February, EUBP was present at Fruit Logistica’s Future Lab in Berlin, an open speaking corner at world’s leading fair for fruit trade and its value chains, contributing with a presentation on chances of biobased/biodegradable food packaging and bioplastics overview in front of approximately 50 interested fair visitors, amongst them Fruchthandel magazine reporters, who spread the news in issue 07-08/2020.

Teaming up with STAR-ProBio and Lund university on 11th February, three months before they will finalize on their developed sustainability assessment tools for bio-based products, EUBP gave input to their scale-up system models, that will help to better forecast the future evolution of bioplastic’s resource efficiency and land use.

As reported in January, EUBP became a partner in several Horizon 2020 project proposals.

The following list gives an overview on the status of currently submitted proposals:

• Upcycling Bio Plastics of food and drinks packaging (CE-BIOTEC-09-2020):
  3 submitted proposals, thereof 1 approved for 2^nd stage
• Open Innovation Test Beds for nano-enabled bio-based materials (NMBP-04-2020):
  1 submitted proposal, thereof 1 approved for 2^nd stage
• Understanding the transition to a circular economy and its implications on the environment, economy and society (CE-SC5-25-2020):
  1 submitted proposal, which was rejected
• Develop and pilot circular systems in plastics, textiles and furniture sectors (CE-SC5-28-2020):
  1 submitted proposal, which was rejected

Planned activities

WG Regulatory Affairs:

• Monitoring of further developments regarding EPR fees and reaction with corresponding communication where necessary while following-up on the meeting requests.
• SUP Directive, participation in workshop on 23 March as next opportunity to providing input.
• Revision of discussion paper on feedstock for bioplastics.

• Preparation of presentation at 7th International Seminar on Biopolymers and Sustainable Composites (4/5 March, Valencia, Spain)
• Preparation of press release on new Circular Economy Action Plan to be published in March
• Update of several EUBP position papers including the ones on feedstock and circular economy

• Publication of fact sheets on mechanical and chemical recycling
• Preparation of papers on feedstock types

• Preparation of web meeting in March
• WG Standardisation:
• Preparation for RAC meeting in March

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