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Dear members,Please find below an overview of activities carried out by European Bioplastics throughout September 2022. |
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Board electionThe EUBP Board and Management met on 22 September in Brussels. The focus of the meeting was on the development of an overall strategy for EUBP, ranging from a materialsand waste management concept, to an engagement strategy, and the setting-up and staffing of an office in Brussels. |
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Regulatory Affairs (WG REGA)The WG REGA met virtually on 13 September to discuss EU policy developments impacting business operations. There was no meeting in August due to the summer break. Members mainly discussed the planned actions of the Circular Economy Package II for 2022, including the Communication on an EU policy framework for bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics, the proposal for a revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD), the proposal for a regulation on substantiating environmental claims, as well as the proposal on measures to reduce the release of microplastics (published already on 30 August) were initially planned to be published in July 2022 but have now officially been delayed to 30 November 2022. The ordinary legislative procedure for all these files would then start in December 2022 / Q1 2023. However, delays in all or individual files are to be expected, hence a completion of the legislative process / adoption of the legislation is unlikely before the upcoming EU elections in 2024 (unless fast-tracked). On the issues and concerns regarding the forthcoming policy framework, EUBP met with DG GROW (24 August) and DG CLIMA (2 September) to present EUBP’s main concerns on the leaked draft text of the PFC, incl. the lack of recognition of the key advantage of bio-based plastics (and lack of support/incentive), the inappropriate use of PEF to assess the environmental footprint as it does not adequately account for the biogenic carbon uptake, and the overall limiting view on compostable plastics and their potentials (i.e., the proposed positive/negative lists of applications, littering, contamination, etc.). The leaked draft has not yet been discussed among the different relevant DGs. DG GROW is currently still working on formulating their positions on the various issues in the file, but mainly focused on all issues around biodegradable and compostable plastics. DG CLIMA confirmed to recognise the key advantage of switching to bio-based feedstocks for the production of plastics, and in particular wants to see a stronger support for the use of sustainably sourced biomass for industrial uses in the upcoming framework. As such, DG CLIMA was very interested to hear EUBP's views on the proposed LCA method and why we think that it is not fit for purpose, i.e., what we think would need to change for it to adequately account the use of biogenic carbon and fairly assess the environmental benefit of bio-based plastics. The group also discussed EUBP’s actions regarding the Commission’s proposal on restrictions on intentionally added microplastics. Of particular concern are proposed stricter requirements for biodegradation testing. EUBP has reached out to the responsible REACH Committee to forward EUBP’s position on the proposal (developed in PG Biodegradables) and will be meeting the co-chairs (DG GROW and DG ENV) in October to further discuss these concerns in more detail. The Committee will be meeting a couple more times before the Member States will form their opinion for the vote in December 2022. EUBP has set up an ad-hoc Task Force on Soil Health to prepare the response to the Commission’s public consultation on a planned new EU Soil Health Law. It was agreed that EUBP will use the opportunity to send additional input and a position on the role of compostable plastics in increasing the amount of collected biowaste for the production of compost, the role of compost for healthier soils, on reducing microplastics in soil, and on creating carbon sinks. EUBP also informed the members about a survey that is currently being conducted by Eunomia on behalf of the European Commission to collect data for a potential revision of the 2015 Plastics Carrier Bags Directive. EUBP will provide input with regards to compostable plastic carrier bags. The survey aims to gain a better understanding of the type and in particular the thickness of carrier bags that are currently being marketed in Europe. The next meeting of the REGA WG will take place on 12 October in person in Brussels (Kaneka office). For further detailed information on the work of the WG Regulatory Affairs, please refer to the slides and minutes of the last meeting and contact Hasso von Pogrell (pogrell@european-bioplastics.org or Katrin Schwede (schwede@european-bioplastics.org). |
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BON EuropeThe BON Europe group met on 15 September 2022 to update each other on current policy developments on national level. The group discussed the next actions planned for the Joint Position on the revised Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which was finalised during the summer break. It was agreed that the BON members will reach out to their Perm Reps in Brussels as well as responsible ministries in their national governments, highlighting the urgent need for a harmonised policy approach on packaging and packaging waste due to the increasing number of diverging unilateral national regulations on bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics packaging that risk hampering the Single Market. The position will also be sent to the relevant DGs of the Commission. EUBP further informed the group on the current status and next steps on other relevant policy files, including the forthcoming policy framework for bio-based, biodegradable and compostable plastics, the planned EU Soil Health Law, and the proposed Microplastics Act (for more information on these files, please refer to the section on Policy Affairs above.) BON members were also asked to provide input to the Eunomia survey on plastic carrier bags. The next BON Europe meeting will take place on 27 October (virtually). For more information regarding BON Europe, please contact Katrin Schwede (schwede@european-bioplastics.org). |
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Product GroupsProduct Group Bio-based Several members of PG Biobased met on 14 September to further discuss the position on mass balance approach for plastics using bio-based feedstock. Whereas some discussion points could be solved, some key issues remained, and the board was asked to put the topic on the agenda of the board meeting, which took place on 22 September. As decided in the last meeting of the PG, EUBP has applied as stakeholder in the planned expert group on carbon removals. The next meeting of PG Biobased is scheduled for 16 November 2022, 10:00a.m. CET, online. For further information regarding bio-based plastics, including sustainability issues and the work of the PG and TFs, please contact Constance Ißbrücker (issbruecker@european-bioplastics.org). The TF REACH Polymer Registration held two meetings in September (5/27 September). On 5 September, the group agreed on measures to achieve EUBP’s goal for as many monomers relevant to the bioplastics industry as possible to be included in the non-PRR (polymers requiring registration) list. On 27 September, the group was updated concerning the activities of other associations and agreed to try to align with CEFIC who are developing their own list to be suggested to the EC/ECHA. A new meeting of the TF is scheduled for 13 October. The TF Intentionally Added Microplastics met on 6 September to discuss the draft position paper that was shared with the group before the meeting. As the Commission had published its proposal on 30 August, the topic had become more urgent. The group decided to finalize the position as soon as possible before the committee meeting on 23 September. It was finalized on 19 September. The distribution of the document was discussed in WG REGA (13 September), and actions were taken accordingly (see above section on WG REGA). Additionally, EUBP had meetings with CEFIC and Plastics Europe to discuss a possible aligned outreach. TF AGRI had a short meeting on 15 September to discuss the open to-do’s. The Q&A document still needs finalisation, which is now due end of October. The document is the basis for a discussion with researchers and academic stakeholders at a round table event on 8th December. The next meeting of PG Biodegradables will take place on 9 November 2022, 10:00a.m. CET, online. For more information regarding PG Biodegradables, please contact Constance Ißbrücker (issbruecker@european-bioplastics.org). Working Group Standardisation CEN/TC 411/WG 4 met on 21 September for a kick-off to the new standardisation project “Bio-based Products – Life Cycle Assessment - Additional requirements and guidelines for comparing the life cycles of bio-based products with their fossil-based equivalents”. The new work item is based on the position and activities EUBP carried out last year concerning the JRC LCA study. WG 4 will meet again on 26/27 October in Stockholm. No meetings are currently scheduled for WG Standardisation. For more information on standards for bioplastics, current standardisation processes, and certification of bioplastics, please contact Constance Ißbrücker (issbruecker@european-bioplastics.org). |
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CommunicationsPlease find under the following link a selection of relevant media clippings from September 2022 (online). EUBP Comms successfully completed the work on a joint op-ed article with BioChem Europe, which was published in Politico on 5 September. A first preliminary analysis five days after the publication showed that the article had almost 1,000 reads, 21,000+ impressions on Politico Twitter, and over 2,000 impressions on the EUBP Social Media channels. It was picked up by 61 online media outlets (incl. blogs, twitter, etc.) with a potential reach online (as of 12 September) of 3.8 million users. In the course of September, Comms further advanced the project of setting up a new power point master. During a joint EUBP staff meeting, different design options were discussed, and a final decision was taken. A first draft had already been submitted by the graphic designer, which is currently adapted according to EUBP Comms’ feedback. EUBP Comms successfully supported this year’s Bioplastics Week 2022 (12-16 September) with a total of 50 posts on Twitter and 31 posts on LinkedIn. A key element of EUBP’s engagement in BPW22 was a number of video interviews with EUBP staff and members, which were posted during the online campaign under #BioplasticsWeek. The Twitter campaign on the EUBP account had more than 13,500 impressions and more than 500 interactions during these five days. The LinkedIn campaign was even more successful with more than 40,000 impressions and more than 2,000 interactions. On 7 September, EUBP Comms held the kick-off meeting to reactivate the WG Communications. The meeting was attended by 16 EUBP members. During the meeting, the Chair of WG Comms Patrick Zimmermann (FkuR) was officially appointed. So far, the group is still looking for a Vice Chair. The objective of the meeting was to describe the work of the WG and to understand the expectations of the EUBP members towards this group. The next meeting of WG Comms will be held on 8 November. On 9 September, EUBP Comms participated in a meeting of the EUBA Comms Group. The members discussed the social media campaign to promote an EUBA paper that shows the benefits of the bioeconomy. The paper is also accompanied by a brochure that displays successful case studies of different EUBA members. Paper and brochure are planned to be published on 3 October. They will be promoted in a joint social media campaign by all EUBA members. EUBP Comms is also supporting the organization of the K-Fair in Düsseldorf in October, e.g., by promoting EUBP’s attendance and helping to compile the material that will be shown at the EUBP booth. Throughout the month of September, EUBP Comms responded to several media inquiries, including the approval of copyrights, background information on bioplastics, and interviews. Recently, EUBP Comms provided comments and background information to Politico for an article on the restriction on intentionally added microplastics which was published on 22 September. For more information or questions concerning the communications activities of EUBP, please contact Oliver Buchholz (buchholz@european-bioplastics.org). |
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Seedling LogoThe meeting of the Advisory Board of the Seedling Scheme (ACS) took place on 2 September. The group discussed open questions regarding the Certification Scheme Update 2022. The changes will be implemented over the next months. The final draft will be shared with the certifiers for final approval, and the update should be ready for release by the end of 2022. On 23 September, EUBP met with ABA, BPI, and the certifiers TÜV Austria and DIN CERTCO to discuss current certification issues, especially with a focus on eligibility or non-eligibility of certain products to be certified under the according schemes. Associations and certifiers agreed that a harmonised approach would be desirable and will work on this in the next months. The next meeting of the Advisory Board of the Seedling Scheme (ACS) will take place on 2 December 2022, 2 p.m., online. For more information on the Seedling Logo or the Certification Scheme, please contact Constance Ißbrücker (issbruecker@european-bioplastics.org). |
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EventsEuropean Bioplastics Conference For the upcoming EUBP annual conference, the preliminary programme has been compiled and discussed with the advisory committee. The final programme should be published at the beginning of October. Speakers from DG ENVI and DG CLIMA have been confirmed, while EUBP is still waiting for responses from other EU departments. The basic structure of the event website was set up, and the team is working on it. The K-Fair-related tasks, such as staff planning, booth planning, as well as the sample selection have been organised. For more information or questions concerning the annual conference and further EUBP events, please contact Denise Valdix (valdix@european-bioplastics.org or conference@european-bioplastics.org). Speaking Opportunities On 1 September, Head of Environmental Affairs, Constance Ißbrücker, gave a presentation on the fate of compostable packaging in mechanical recycling at the 7th Packaging Converting Innovation Forum in Munich. On the same day, EUBP Head of Communications, Oliver Buchholz, represented the association in a workshop on the German bioplastics market organized by the IKK (Institute of Plastics and Circular Economy) in Hannover. The event focused on the improvement of framework conditions for bio-based plastics. Here EUBP informed stakeholders about the relevant EU policy processes, including the current debate on the PEF method. On 8 September Head of Environmental Affairs, Constance Ißbrücker, gave a keynote speech on recycling of bio-based plastics at the World Bioeconomy Forum. On the same day, EUBP Head of Communications, Oliver Buchholz, was invited to speak at a meeting of the Bioplastics Division of the Plastics Industry Association. The attendees were given an overview on the regulatory landscape for bioplastics in the European Union. The focus was on the currently ongoing policy processes, especially the PPWD revision and the revision of the WFD. On 29 September, EUBP Managing Director, Hasso von Pogrell, joined the round table on the defossilisation of plastics at IFIB – International Forum on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioeconomy. On the same day, Constance Ißbrücker presented online for the Uzbek event “Modern plastic solutions in agriculture” about relevant EU legislation and standards. |
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ProjectsAt the beginning of September Chiara Bearzotti and Estela Lopéz-Hermoso joined the EUBP team and have taken over the responsibilities regarding EUBP’s project involvements. BiOnTop (Project Month: 39 of 48) BionTop -Novel Packaging films and textiles with tailored end of life and performance based on bio-based copolymers and coatings- has entered its final stage. The project will conclude in May 2023, and it is well on track. The initial project results have been published in two technical reports and one scientific paper. For more information, check the latest BionTop newsletter. EUBP is responsible for dissemination, training materials (including the report on performed training activities) and standardisation, certification, policy and regulatory framework. Ultimately, EUPB will curate the provision of policy recommendations regarding resource efficiency improvement, waste management, EoL scenarios tuned for specific applications that could be used by standardisation bodies in the reflection about new / improved standards. EUBP also oversees the engagement of the Advisory Board on dissemination and mobilisation of stakeholders, whose next meeting will take place in October 2022. https://biontop.eu/ BIOMAC (Project Month: 21 of 48) EUBP leads the standardisation and regulatory tasks within BIOMAC -Bio-based nano materials Community- and is currently collecting information to verify the compliance of all project results with the relevant standards. Therefore, EUBP is in close coordination with all partners to define specific actions that make sure that the developed activities are related to the standards. In May 2022, BIOMAC organised an online event entirely dedicated to the project within the European Biomass Conference and Exhibition (EUBCE) and participated in the international conference Polymers 2022. For more information, check the website and social media links below. https://www.biomac-oitb.eu/en/normal/home PRESERVE (Project Month: 20 of 48) The project PRESERVE -High performance sustainable bio-based packaging with tailored End of Life and upcycled secondary use-, recently underwent the review procedure by the European Commission. EUBP, as leader of the standardisation, policy and regulatory framework tasks provided an updated overview of the relevant standardisation and certification landscape at international, EU, and national levels (June 2022). It also included a policy brief on updated food-contact material regulations. EUBP is also the Communication and Dissemination Manager of PRESERVE and is responsible for drafting the training plans for knowledge transfer and educational sessions throughout the duration of the project and for the development of the innovation roadmap of the project. https://www.preserve-h2020.eu/ BioSupPack (Project Month: 15 of 42) BioSupPack -New bio-packaging solutions based on natural polyesters- celebrated its first anniversary during its first in-person General Meeting in Prague, Czech Republic in July 2022. More recently, BioSupPack underwent its first review procedure in early September 2022. One of the first demonstrators in BioSupPack is a platform connecting the brewing industry and the bioprocessing industry for the valorisation of brewer spent grains. Users in the network can sell and buy spent grains, thus, taking profit of a valuable raw material while contributing to the circular economy. You can join the network here. EUPB is the partner in charge of outreach, communication, and dissemination activities. https://biosuppack.eu/ Overview of EUBP involvement in on-going EU project proposals: EUBP entered several potential collaborations and project proposals in the last few months. As potential partner, EUBP entered two consortia applying as lead for communication, dissemination, training and stakeholder engagement. This also includes the topics technology, market, legal, and socio-economic specifications under Horizon Europe and the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). Both proposals have been submitted and the projects would start on Q2 and Q3 of 2023. EUBP also supports four other project proposals as potential Advisory Board member. Three of them under Horizon Europe CBE JU and one under the Belgian national Funding agency (FWO). EUBP participated in the stakeholder board meeting of the CHAMPION project on 20 September. The project is aiming to replace conventional polymers with novel bio-based polymers for their application in coatings, textiles, home care uses, and structural adhesives. |
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Planned activitiesRegulatory Affairs:
Communications:
BON Europe:
PG Biobased:
PG Biodegradables:
WG Standardisation:
Seedling Logo:
Project involvements:
Events:
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