Open the document Bioplastics are a broad family of materials that are either biobased, biodegradable, or both. The term “biobased” describes the basis of a material being fully or partly derived from biomass. The term “biodegradable” refers to the inherent property of a material that, with the help of naturally occurring microorganisms such [...]
On 23 and 24 January, the BIOMAC held its project meeting which marked the completion of the first half of this project. The 35 project partners discussed the progress made in achieving the project milestones as well as the next steps for 2023. A central part of the meeting was the selection of five [...]
The “European Sustainable BIO-based nanomaterials Community” (BIOMAC), a Horizon 2020 funded project, launched an open call for SMEs, large companies, research and development organisations working in the field of nano-enabled bio-based material (NBM) technologies and solutions. The official launch started with the online presentation of the Open Call on the BIOMAC´s website on December [...]
Futerro to build PLA biorefinery in Normandy Belgian bioplastics manufacturer Futerro has announced plans to establish Europe's first vertically integrated biorefinery in Normandy, France for the production and recycling of polylactic acid, or PLA. The company already operates a PLA plant in China, which went into operation in October 2020. That first plant has a [...]
Erik Pras, Global Director Sales & Marketing at BIOTEC In each issue of the European Bioplastics Newsletter, we present 5 facts about a member of European Bioplastics. In this issue, Erik Pras, Global Director Sales & Marketing at BIOTEC, shares some interesting insights on his company. 5 facts about: BIOTEC, Germany BIOTEC [...]
The Product Environmental Footprint method could become the EU’s guiding approach for environmental impact assessment; to be fit for purpose, it should appraise the carbon footprint of bio-based products. As the European Commission increasingly plans to rely on the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method as the guiding approach for environmental impact assessment, an accurate [...]
During the growing and harvest seasons, vegetable producers often begin their day before sunrise and finish as the last light is seeping into the horizon. Challenges such as pests, disease, climate change, and weather make each day and each growing season unique and unpredictable. Vegetable farmers control some of the variables they face—like weeds [...]
In January 2022, the European Commission had initiated the revision process of the EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD) with a Call for Evidence for an impact assessment of the EU waste management. In summer, the Commission opened the process for the broader public consultation that just recently closed on 24 August. The revision of [...]
Constance Ißbrücker, Head of Environmental Affairs at European Bioplastics e.V. Bioplastics are nothing new to the medical sector. In fact, it’s one of the sectors where bioplastics have been in use for a very long time because they offer significant benefits in terms of specific properties and functionalities. They also provide opportunities [...]
Biomass used for energy and materials is, on the one hand, one of the key mitigation options to reach the 1.5 °C GMT (Global Mean Temperature) target set in the Paris Agreement, as highlighted by the IPCC’s reports (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and many other key analyses. On the other hand, particularly in [...]
