Constance Ißbrücker, Head of Environmental Affairs at European Bioplastics e.V. The EU Plastics Strategy presented a vision where innovative materials and alternative feedstocks would ultimately replace fossil resources. In this context, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) was tasked in 2018 by the European Commission to elaborate an appropriate life cycle assessment (LCA)-based method to evaluate the potential environmental [...]
EUBPConf2021: multi stakeholder panel discussion on bioplastics and EU policy After last year’s 100 percent virtual format, the European Bioplastics Conference was finally able to re-open its gates in Berlin and welcomed around 140 participants. The other half of the overall 320 participants attended online. During the different conference sessions and in [...]
European bioeconomy robust as bio-based industry turnover jumps to 780 billion EUR The bio-based industries continue their ascent marking a total contribution of 780 billion EUR, a notable increase of 30 billion EUR (+ 4%) compared to 2017. This represents a more than 20% increase compared to 2008 which is the earliest data taken [...]
Berlin, 14 December 2021 – Last week the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) published a report assessing the sustainability of agricultural plastic products[1] recommending the replacement of non-biodegradable, conventional polymers with biodegradable, bio-based polymers. “We welcome this recognition of the environmental benefits of these bioplastic products”, commented François de Bie, [...]
Berlin, 30 November 2021 – In June, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission (EC) published its methodology for Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing the environmental impact of fossil-based to bio-based feedstocks for plastics production. “Together with other bio-based industries, we support LCAs as a valuable instrument to measure environmental sustainability. Unfortunately, the approach of the JRC in this study lacks important elements that are crucial for a fair, comparative assessment of bio-based and fossil-based plastics. As a result, it clearly favours conventional plastics made from fossil resources”, comments Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of European Bioplastics (EUBP). Over the past [...]
Berlin, 9 November 2021 – The 16th European Bioplastics (EUBP) Conference, Europe’s leading business and networking event for the biopolymer industry, will take place on 30 November and 1 December 2021. “At EUBP, we are very happy to hold this year’s conference in Berlin again. The varied programme, including an impressive speaker line-up, will [...]
Screenshot of speakers (and moderators) during the workshop on “Upcycling bioplastics from food & drink packaging”, 20 October 2021 © PRESERVE, upPE-T, UPLIFT On 20 October 2021, the EU projects PRESERVE, UPLIFT, and upPE-T held a joint workshop with around 160 participants to introduce their initiatives on upcycling bioplastics to a wider audience [...]
In each issue of the Bioplastics Newsletter, we present some facts about a member of European Bioplastics. This month, Robert Mack, EMEA Government Relations Senior Director of Kimberly-Clark, shares some interesting insights on his company. 5 facts about Kimberly-Clark, United Kingdom Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, [...]
AIMPLAS project to boost sustainability in the Valencia Region The deadline set by the European Union and Spain to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions is 2050. This highly ambitious goal, in addition to the very short time frame, has greatly impacted the number of projects implemented to revert this emergency climate situation through the [...]
Chemical recycling has gained increased attention as a promising recovery technology, especially for post-consumer plastic waste. It is seen as a complementary solution to mechanical recycling, being better suited for difficult to recycle plastics like multi-layer solutions or heavily contaminated plastics. Yet, its availability at commercial scale is currently still limited, and a legislative framework at European [...]
