Constance Ißbrücker, Head of Environmental Affairs at European Bioplastics e.V. The Single-use Plastics Directive (SUPD) coming into effect on 3 July 2021 will not only ban several plastic applications, such as cutlery, plates or drinking straws from the market. It will also prohibit all products made from so-called oxo-degradable plastics. The Directive [...]
In each issue of the Bioplastics Newsletter, we present some facts about a member of European Bioplastics. This month, Levin Batschauer, Sales Manager Bioplastics, Business Unit Compounding, Recycling, and Battery of Coperion GmbH, shares some interesting insights on his company. 5 facts about Coperion, Germany Coperion is an international technology leader in compounding and extrusion systems, feeding and weighing technology, bulk material handling systems and services. It designs, develops, manufactures, and [...]
UK Government may ban oxo-degradable plastics following consultation The UK Government says it may introduce a ban on oxo-degradable plastics, following its consultation seeking evidence to develop standards for biodegradable, compostable and bio-based plastics. After having received 85 responses, it is now also exploring the issues that were raised in the government’s consultation on an extended producer responsibility scheme for packaging, as well as in its consultation on introducing greater consistency [...]
On 3 March 2021, the EUBP webinar “Organic recycling within the circular economy: the role of compostable plastics” explored the contribution of biodegradable and compostable plastics to help the EU to meet its organic waste recovery targets by the end of 2023. In order to establish a truly circular economy, the EU needs to capture this untapped potential by collecting and organically recycling this waste into high value compost for soil enrichment. In her welcome statement, our host MEP [...]
Almost a year has passed since the European Parliament and the European Council adopted the Single-use Plastics Directive (SUPD) in summer 2019. In order to comply with the SUPD, Member States (MS) have two years to bring into force the necessary laws, regulations and administrative provisions. Now, with the deadline ending on 3 July [...]
In 2019, there was a strong, quite single-minded push against plastics in general from many civil society organisations as well as from major players in the media, and politics predominantly switched to this opinion. Long before the Covid-19 outbreak, industry associations expressed great reservations as to whether the restrictions included in the Single-use Plastics [...]
On 10 February 2020, the French law on fighting waste and the circular economy was enacted after months of discussions between the National Assembly and the Senate. The law contributes to the framework set out by the 2004 French Environmental Charter, and transposes provisions of several related EU regulations. Read in the following a [...]
In many EU Member States the political process that led to the Single-use Plastics Directive has initiated dynamic debates around bioplastics. This is also the case in France, where the national parliament is currently discussing a draft law on anti-waste and circular economy. Amongst other possible instruments, the draft also includes restrictions against plastic bags.However, [...]
(c) American Chemical Society Biodegradable polymers are often promoted as an environmental solution to plastic pollution. However, their degradation in managed and unmanaged environments is not always well understood. The authors of the study “Biodegradable plastic blends create new possibilities for end-of-life management of plastics but they are not a panacea for [...]
Hofer’s certified compostable shopping bag with the seedling logo (c) VictorGroup In April, the University of Plymouth published the study "Environmental deterioration of biodegradable, oxo-biodegradable, compostable, and conventional plastic carrier bags in the sea, soil, and open-air over a 3-year period". Days after the publication, European Bioplastics released a press release stating [...]
