Dear members,

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

Regulatory Affairs (WG REGA)

Due to the COVID-19 crisis, on 18 March, the European Bioplastics’s Working Group Regulatory Affairs conducted its monthly meeting online. The members received an update on relevant EU processes. Several studies initiated by the European Commission (EC) and designed to set the basis for a number of regulatory processes as well as several consultations are partly postponed due to the current COVID-19 crisis (EUNOMIA, Essential Requirements, Eco-modulation of EPR fees, Expert Working Group on Waste, EPR workshop by DG ENVI). During the meeting, the members also discussed the JRC study on alternative feedstocks and how to tackle negative claims on bioplastics. A key topic was the provision of data on LCAs of bioplastics. In the context of the recently published new Circular Economy Action Plan, the attendees also agreed on the necessity to develop an industry position on biodegradability/compostability claims. Further policy processes that were briefly discussed were the EU Climate Law, the EU Industrial Strategy, the European Plastic Pact, and the EU Climate Pact. As no direct references to bioplastics are made, no direct engagement is required. However, in the case of the Climate Pact, as climate aims are of big concern for the European industry, EUBP should also have a closer look into that topic.

EUBP also informed the working group on the meeting of the ECHA Risk Assessment Council in Helsinki on 9 March 2020. The ECHA meeting was attended by EUBP and EUBP member OWS. Aim of the event was to discuss the exemption of biodegradable materials from the ECHA microplastics restriction report. General impression: biodegradables in general, not even PHAs, will pass the respective ISO/OECD standards, as ECHA is referring to intentionally added materials. EUBP members raised the concern that ECHA’s position has the potential to influence other EU legislation and to lead to more restrictive regulations, e.g. in case of the fertilizer regulation.

For detailed information on the work of the WG Regulatory Affairs, please contact Hasso von Pogrell (pogrell@european-bioplastics.org). The next online meeting will take place on 22 April 2020.

Product Groups

Product Group Bio-based

No relevant activities took place 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).

Product Group Biodegradables

On 23 March, PG Biodegradables held a web meeting to discuss the latest developments and future work items. Topics included updates on policies at member state level as well as on the ECHA report on intentionally added microplastics. The group also discussed the coming EC-initiated study on “Biodegradability in the environment”. A further topic was claims on biodegradability and compostability and how potential related accusations of green washing could be avoided.

For more information regarding PG Biodegradables and the TF Marine, please contact Katharina Hinse (hinse@european-bioplastics.org).

Working Group Standardisation

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

Communications

Throughout March, together with our service provider Meltwater, we set up a new program to improve the management of our monitoring including a better handling of our monthly and annual press clipping. Starting this month, all our media clippings will no longer include PDFs, but only links that lead to the respective article. Now, we will also be able to include videos and audio contributions. Besides, the design and structure of the clippings has been significantly improved.

Please find at the following link a selection of relevant media clippings from March 2020.

On 4/5 March, EUBP Coms attended the (7th International Seminar on Biopolymers and Sustainable Composites) in Valencia organized by Aimplas. At the conference, EUBP gave a presentation on the market for bioplastics in 2019 and an overview on the key political processes in the EU.

Furthermore, on 18 March, 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/German) on the new Circular Economy Action Plan published by the European Commission. The press release was sent out on 13 March via EUBP networks and was accompanied 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.

A second press release (English) was prepared on the EASAC study analysing plastic packaging in a circular economy. The press release was sent out on 18 March via EUBP networks and was also endorsed by social media activities on Twitter and LinkedIn. Both mailings were successful, as the press releases were picked up by several European media outlets.

During March, EUBP Coms coordinated the responses to several requests regarding detailed information on different aspects of bioplastics. This also included several interview requests.

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 a web meeting on 16 March to discuss certification of materials containing recycled PLA. After gathering additional information and expertise, the discussion will be continued in the coming weeks.

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

Events

Due to the fact that the Interpack 2020 was postponed to next year, 25 February to 3 March 2021 because of the COVID 19 outbreak, we will now focus on planning the 15th European Bioplastics Conference in Vienna.

In March we have sent out the Call for Paper for potential speakers to sign up. It was also supported by social media promotion activities (Twitter/LinkedIn). We already have received first responses and will send out a reminder as soon as the current crisis situation has settled down a little bit in Europe.

EUBP was able to sign the first media cooperation to promote the EUBP annual conference.

For more information regarding the Conference 2020 as well as becoming a speaker, please contact Hannah Heimann (conference@european-bioplastics.org).

Projects

• Upcycling Bio Plastics of food and drinks packaging (CE-BIOTEC-09-2020)
• Open Innovation Test Beds for nano-enabled bio-based materials (DT-NMBP-04-2020)

Planned activities

• Monitoring of further developments regarding upcoming studies on:
  - EPR fees,
  - Biodegradable plastics in a circular economy
  - Biodegradable plastics in agriculture
  - Biodegradable plastics in the environment.
• SUP Directive, participation in workshop on 23 March as next opportunity to providing input.
• Revision of discussion paper on feedstock for bioplastics.

• Preparation of the EUBP annual report 2019.
• Conclusion of process to improve monitoring.

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

• Compilation of facts on biodegradability of natural polymers to point out the exaggerated testing requirements of the ECHA proposal on microplastics
• Draft paper on guidelines when claiming biodegradability or compostability for products or materials

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