Paola Fabbri, Associate Prof. of Materials Science and Technology and Maurizio Fiorini, Associate Prof. of Principles of Chemistry for Applied Technologies at University of BolognaAlma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna In each issue of the Bioplastics Bulletin, we present five facts about a member of European Bioplastics. This month, Paola Fabbri, [...]
In the context of the EU Plastics Strategy and the recently published proposal for a Directive on the reduction of single-use plastic products, biodegradable and compostable plastics are increasingly being discussed with regard to their potential to contribute to tackling marine litter. Constance Ißbrücker, Head of Environmental Affairs at European Bioplastics (EUBP), provides some [...]
IKEA has taken the next step in their commitment to make their plastic products from recycled or renewable sources – first announced at the European Bioplastics Conference in 2016 – and has teamed up with Neste, a leader in renewable solutions for polymer production and member of European Bioplastics, to produce bio-based plastics. [...]
Revised EU Waste Package enters into force: On 14th June 2018 the waste legislative texts have been published in the Official Journal of the EU. The new directives will enter into force on 4 July 2018. The revised waste package includes the Waste Framework Directive, the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, Landfill Directive, and [...]
Berlin, 29 May 2018 – The European Commission presented an ambitious new Directive to tackle marine litter by introducing a number of measures including reduction and restriction of selected single-use plastic products, such as disposable balloon sticks, straws, cutlery, plates, cups and food containers. “The proposal is a meaningful addition to existing legislation and [...]
On 18 April, the European Parliament approved the package to update the EU waste legislation, including a revision of the Waste Framework Directive and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. Apart from new ambitious recycling and landfilling targets to boost the re-use of valuable materials in waste, the new legislation also acknowledges that bio-based [...]
From 2023 onwards, separate collection of bio-waste will be mandatory across Europe in order to increase the overall amounts of separately collected waste and to help meet the ambitious recycling targets set out in the new EU waste rules. Yet, the separate waste collection systems (including for bio-waste) still vary widely among the 28 [...]
A report from bioeconomy consultants NNFCC has found that a paradigm shift from oil-based plastic to plastics produced from renewable materials and designed to be recyclable or biodegradable, offers the potential to address the issues with plastics while retaining its many benefits. Adrian Higson, Lead Consultant Bio-based Products at NNFCC said in an interview: [...]
On 21 March 2018, Member of the European Parliament Franc Bogovič (EPP) hosted a breakfast debate on 'Biodegradable mulch films: Reducing environmental impact of plastics in agriculture‘. The aim of the workshop was to provide the EU institutions with scientific information about the technology of biodegradable plastics, in particular their benefits in agricultural applications [...]
On 16 January 2018, the European Commission published its Communication ‘A European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy’. According to the Commission, this proposal is an ambitious step towards making the European plastics system more resource-efficient and drive the change from a linear to a circular system. Bioplastics provide crucial impulses for innovation [...]
