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Bioplastics at a turning point

Bioplastics at a turning point The 2025 edition of the European Bioplastics Conference opened with a sense of cautious optimism. Against a backdrop of fragile economic conditions and persistent pressure from conventional plastics, the sector gathered in the German capital to take stock of a year that delivered modest growth but ended with a major policy win. It was also an opportunity to mark two decades of the European Bioplastics Conference. “It’s been a great year for bioplastics,” said Mariagiovonna Vetere, co-chair of European Bioplastics (EUBP), as she welcomed delegates on the opening morning. The note of confidence was underpinned by what she described as the most important political signal the sector has received to date: the European Commission’s newly published EU Bioeconomy Strategy. “It ended with the best possible news,” Vetere added. “The strategy recognises the importance of biobased and compostable materials that we have worked so hard for.” EU Bioeconomy Strategy The EU Bioeconomy Strategy is part of a package of acts aimed at boosting European industrial competitiveness and reducing the continent’s reliance on fossil fuels. It places a heavy emphasis on scaling up the production and adoption of biobased materials, including bioplastics. The strategy integrates bioplastics directly into the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The Commission confirmed it will “support the recognition and uptake of biobased plastics and novel materials, in complementarity with recycled-content targets, ensuring a coherent approach across applications”. It now plans to introduce criteria and targets for biobased plastics under the PPWR by 2027, one year earlier than the deadline initially set in the legislation. The PPWR says the Commission will conduct an impact analysis on the possibility of introducing biobased content targets within three years of the PPWR entering into force, ie 12 February 2028. The strategy also includes provisions to assess whether EU-wide definitions could support certification and scaling of biobased polymers under the PPWR. This regulatory push is intended to drive the adoption of biobased polymers not just in niche eco-products, but in high-volume sectors like food packaging and automotive parts, which the Commission highlighted as key growth areas. A €10 billion market signalCentral to the Commission’s plan is the creation of a ‘Biobased Europe Alliance’, a voluntary coalition of major EU companies. This alliance aims to collectively commit to purchasing €10 billion worth of biobased solutions by 2030. This move is designed to bridge the “valley of death” between pilot projects and industrial-scale production. By guaranteeing a market, the EU hopes to de-risk the substantial investments required to build large-scale biorefineries and biomanufacturing plants capable of producing competitive alternatives to conventional plastics. Innovation fast-trackTo ensure European companies can lead this shift, the strategy introduces the ‘Biotech Acts’. These measures aim to slash red tape, introducing ‘regulatory sandboxes’ for testing novel materials and fast-tracking authorisations for new biobased solutions. These acts are expected to be adopted during the third quarter of 2026. “Scaling up biobased innovations requires a combination of public and private investments, as well as a streamlined regulatory environment,” the Commission said in its press release. The goal is to move research out of the labs and into factories, preventing European innovations from being commercialised abroad. The EU bioeconomy is valued at €2.7 trillion and employs 17.1 million people, around 8% of EU jobs. However, the Commission argues that its potential remains largely untapped. By replacing fossil-based plastics with materials derived from sustainable biomass—such as algae, agricultural residues and forestry by-products—the EU aims to enhance its strategic autonomy and reduce exposure to volatile global fossil fuel markets. Bioplastics market updateThe EU’s recognition of the strategic importance of bioplastics could hardly come at a more critical moment. Following a policy-focused session centred on the PPWR and the new Bioeconomy Strategy, EUBP managing director Hasso von Pogrell delivered the organisation’s annual market update—numbers that suggest a sector quietly gathering momentum. Global bioplastics production reached an estimated 1.67 million tonnes in 2025, up sharply from 1.28 million tonnes in 2024, according to provisional figures compiled by EUBP in collaboration with the nova institute. Installed production capacity also increased, rising to 2.31 million tonnes from 2.02 million tonnes a year earlier. While bioplastics still account for just around 0.5% of the 431 million tonnes of plastics produced globally each year, the direction of travel is clear. Capacity utilisation reached 72% globally in 2025, a marked improvement on 58% in 2024. In Europe, average utilisation climbed to 73%, with some polymers—such as PET, PP, PEF and CR—already operating at or near full capacity. Looking ahead, global installed capacity is forecast to grow to 4.69 million tonnes by 2030, based on what von Pogrell described as a deliberately more conservative outlook than in previous years. PLA remains the dominant material, accounting for 26.4% of capacity in 2025, followed by PA (18.9%), PTT (15.6%), PE (12.7%) and smaller but fast-growing shares for PHA and biobased PBAT. more news Source https://www.plasticsnews.com/suppliers/bioplastics/sp-bioplastics-turning-point-inside-at/

editor 2026-10-27

PET recycling coalition sets $25M funding target for technical grants

Plastics News, June 09, 2022 An industry coalition wants to boost the recycling rate of PET thermoforms like these from their current rate of about 10 percent in the U.S. An industry coalition wants to boost the recycling rate of PET thermoforms like these from their current rate of about 10 percent in the U.S.A new industry coalition that aims to provide technical grants to improve PET recycling has set an initial target of raising $25 million. The PET Recycling Coalition, which includes major PET resin makers and beverage companies, said in a June 8 launch announcement that it will focus on making grants to recycling facilities for sorting equipment and other capital spending. The group had a preliminary launch at an industry conference in March but it did not including financial details at that time. It said in a staement that it hopes to use grants and technical assistance to increase recycling of PET, particularly to meet the "skyrocketing demand" for recycled content set by major manufacturers and being spelled out in U.S. legislation. One of the targets will be recycling more non-bottle packaging like PET egg cartons and fruit clamshells. "We are excited to partner with leaders across the value chain to catalyze the change that will get all forms of PET, not just clear bottles, into our recycle stream," said Scott Ballard, president of plastics and circular at Eastman Chemical Co., a founding member. "Together, we can create a circular economy, leave fossil feeds in the ground, and do it with a lower carbon footprint." The coalition said only 54 percent of U.S. residents have access to recycling non-bottle PET containers like egg cartons in their local programs. Figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency show that only 9.6 percent of non-bottle PET packaging was recycled in 2018, the last year figures are available. The group also said it wanted to fund work to reduce the amount of PET lost to contamination, noting that up to 17 percent of PET bottles that are collected in curbside bins and brought to materials recovering facilities are lost because of challenges in sorting, it said. The initiative has set an initial funding target of $25 million over five years but it did not provide additional details. In its statement, it outlined four priorities: increasing the capture of PET bottles; broadening acceptance of PET trays and other non-bottle packaging in community programs; unlocking new supplies of recycled PET for packaging manufacturers; and strengthening recycling of pigmented and opaque PET. The coalition noted that only 26.6 percent of PET bottles were recycled in 2021 in the United States. The group will operate as part of The Recycling Partnership's Pathway to Circularity Initiative. Founding members of its steering committee include Eastman, Indorama Ventures, Procter & Gamble and the Walmart Foundation.

Editor 2022-06-12

Consumer brands see value in chemical recycling

Editor 2022-05-16

Case Western researchers develop process to recycle thermoset plastics

Case Western researchers develop process to recycle thermoset plasticsResearchers at Case Western Reserve University are working on a simple way of turning scrap thermoset plastics into new thermosets with similar properties.Their process involves mixing scrap thermoset with a catalyst and then pulverizing the mixture. In the process, the catalyst bonds at the cross-linking sites where it can break the cross-link bonds and then form new ones into a new thermoset. They call the technology vitrimization.Researcher Liang Yue said in a phone interview the research stems from the desire to recycle tough thermoset scrap rather than landfill it.“These are strong materials and resistant to impact, but until now they were single use. We’re trying to change that,” Yue said.Wind turbine blades, auto parts and a host of other industrial and commercial products are made of tough thermosets such as epoxies, polyurethanes and reinforced unsaturated polyesters. These products can end up in landfills or be incinerated, which are undesirable outcomes at the products’ end of life.Much work has been done on grinding up thermoset scrap and adding the resultant powder as a filler in virgin thermoset resin, but this approach is frustrated by poor bonding between the filler and virgin resin.Yue and others began work on the concept at Cleveland-based Case Western’s School of Engineering laboratory two years ago when he joined with lead researcher Ica Manas-Zloczower, professor of advanced materials and energy. Their team, which included several other Case Western researchers, first announced its discovery recently in journal ACS Macro Letters.The team reported on recent work with thermoset epoxy materials and a zinc-based catalyst. It created a material with so-called dynamic cross-links. The “permanent” cross-links in the scrap bond with zinc ions, which under heat and pressure catalyse the formation of new cross-links.The powder they made can be compression molded into a new thermoset part. The process does not rely on solvents and in theory such scrap could be infinitely recycled. These benefits call to mind the ability to recycle thermoplastics through many cycles.Yue said the researchers want to expand on their work with more thermoset polymers. He said it should be applicable to elastomeric thermosets like rubber, which then could be injection molded. Down the road, even polyolefins might be applicable to vitrimization-based recycling.Various approaches to vitrimization have been studied by several research groups for more than a decade. The Case Western work seems more promising and economically feasible than other approaches tried so far, Yue said.The team’s paper sparked interest in industry, according to Yue. He and Manas-Zloczower are negotiating with potential industry partners to scale up their process via mechanical-chemical ball milling of scrap to make thousands of pounds of reusable powder resin.“We can recycle tons of epoxy waste in a matter of hours,” he said.source : https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/case-western-researchers-develop-process-recycle-thermoset-plastics

Editor 2020-07-05

Market trends drive LSR innovations

Market trends drive LSR innovations▲Gifford Shearer, silicone elastomers market manager with Dow Inc., discussed how market trends are driving liquid silicone rubber innovations at the LSR 2019 conference, held Sept. 10-12.Schaumburg, Ill. — Pressure has usually driven some of history's best innovations, and the world of liquid silicone rubber is no exception.Market demands are major drivers of innovation within the LSR market, and Gifford Shearer, silicone elastomers market manager with Dow Inc., shared how the current market is pushing the industry to new limits at the LSR 2019 conference, held Sept. 10-12 in Schaumburg."LSR innovation shouldn't just be done by the chemists in the labs," Shearer said. "Innovation should be driven by changes in the marketplace."The LSR market is projected to grow by 8 percent annually through 2023, which Shearer said is faster than any other silicone elastomer primarily because of the advantages LSR has in the forms of automation and short cycle times.These advantages allow LSR to penetrate many industries, and in turn those industries push compounders to come up with stronger formulations to meet ever-demanding applications. Shearer outlined four in his presentation, including:• The need for higher quality, such as improved processing and lower cycle times.• Improved sustainability, longevity or safety in sensitive applications.• New applications, or combining LSR with new materials.• Changes to specifications, either on the customer or regulatory side."All of these factors or changes are going to drive LSR innovation," Shearer said. "And as we bring new innovations, it's going to enable new applications and bring additional problems to solve."Higher temperaturesElectrification within automotive is driving growth."If you open up the hood of a car these days, all you see is wires going everywhere," Shearer said. "The electrical content is significantly higher in the automobile and will continue to increase as we go toward hybrids and fully electric vehicles."But despite the migration to electric platforms, traditional internal combustion engines are still going to play a major part of the automotive market for at least the next 10 years. Shearer said there is still demand for materials that can handle increasing temperatures for the standard internal combustion engine.As internal combustion engines shrink in size, they will require materials that can withstand higher temperatures. Shearer said to do this, LSR compounders must suppress hydrosilylation reactions and stabilize the silicone compound's backbone to limit thermal oxidative degradation."If we can do this effectively, we see a significant reduction in compression sets," Shearer said. Low volatilesSensitive applications like medical, food, water, consumer/baby products will continue to demand LSR because Shearer said the material has been proven to be safe in these applications and is ideally suited to meet regulatory requirements.These highly regulated industries require low-volatile LSRs to reduce risk. Shearer said there is typically 1 percent of volatile content in LSR after it's been molded and cured, but certain end applications require that those be removed with a post-curing application — heating the part in the oven."It really becomes the job of the fabricator to ensure that they're able to post-cure the part sufficiently, to remove these volatiles for the end application," Shearer said. "This can be a source of variability. There could be variability in the amount of volatiles coming into the LSR, and there could be variability in the effectiveness of the post-curing operation."Post-curing can depend on the type of the oven, the effectiveness of the oven and the part thickness. Shearer said a thicker part is going to be more challenging to post-cure than a thinner part. The fabricator can't just use one set of post-curing operations for every part, which Shearer said injects some risk into the process because they now need to figure out the requirements to meet the end application.Shearer said a solution is to remove the volatiles from the LSR before it's molded by using a no-volatile LSR. These compounds have been stripped out of the A and B parts before being delivered to the molder. Shearer said this guarantees that fabricators will be left with no more than 0.25 percent volatiles, and typically less, after molding and curing, which is well below the threshold limit for sensitive applications."We've eliminated the risk and eliminated the additional processing step of post-curing," Shearer said. "That's really the value that a no post-cure LSR brings."Other driversThe rise of wearable bands and unseen protection on electronic devices is presenting more opportunities for LSR, as is the rise of 3D printing applications.But Shearer said one key hurdle to overmolding LSR with some of these sensitive electronic parts is the temperature. LSR typically has to cure at about 150° C, which is too hot for microchips and other low-temperature plastic compounds. This has pushed the industry to innovate with low-temperature-cure LSR compounds.Shearer said these silicones are ideal for users who want to put thermally sensitive additives into the LSR but couldn't at the high temperature because they'd lose their function if cured at that heat. The low-temperature LSR grades also reduce cycle time and open up new possibilities to be overmolded to other plastics."Low-temperature-cure LSR uses the same chemical reaction, but we've reduced the activation temperature while maintaining the same pot life," Shearer said."It significantly reduces the curing time."Finally, low-volume prototyping LSRs are becoming more prevalent as 3D printing applications begin to enter the silicone market. Shearer said these developments are driven by the need for manufacturers to prototype parts and customize manufacturing in low volumes."The ideal solution is 3D printing," Shearer said. "3D printing is not going to replace injection molding, but it can complement our molding of LSR through the ability to create rapid prototypes of functional materials and give us the ability to do custom manufacturing at low volumes."source https://www.plasticsnews.com/news/market-trends-drive-lsr-innovations

editor 2019-10-26

Bioplastics are Becoming more Diverse

- New Compound Based on Polylactic Acid PLA from FKuRA high dimensional stability under heat and biodegradability are promised by a new compound based on polylactic acid (PLA) from FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, Willich, Germany, with the type designation Bio-Flex S7514. It was developed especially for injection molding applications. Thanks to very good flowability, the compound can also be used in multi-cavity molds and makes complete mold filling possible, even in case of long flow paths. The compound itself is 75 % bio-based. With the combination of high dimensional stability under heat and high flowability, it is predestined for use in products like those in the picure. The desired color can also be obtained using a masterbatch.Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) under the trade name Terraprene are 40 % to 90 % bio-based. In addition to mechanical properties equivalent to those of fossil-based TPE, they can be processed using conventional injection molding, 2-component injection molding, and extrusion processes. A polypropylene with a bio-based carbon content of about 35 %, available under the trade name Terralene, can also be processed using these methods. It can be used as a drop-in thanks to the properties and processability corresponding to conventional PP.Source: Kunststoffe

Aeyoung Park 2018-10-05

Microplastics Found in Global Bottled Water

Thousands of Particles Identified across 11 International BrandsNew Orb Media research and reporting shows that a single liter of bottled water can contain thousands of microplastic particles. Exclusive tests on more than 250 bottles from 11 leading brands worldwide reveal widespread contamination with plastic debris including polypropylene, polyamide, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).▲ Commissioned by the Washington-based Orb Media,a study has found that a large number of plasticbottled water brands contain microplastics(© Fotolia.com/anibal) Plastic was identified in 93 % of the samples, Orb Media says. The global average was 325 particles per liter. Particle concentration ranged from zero to more than 10,000 likely plastic particles in a single bottle. The study was supervised by Dr. Sherri Mason, Chair of the Department of Geology and Environmental Sciences at the State University of New York at Fredonia, a leading microplastics researcher.Brands tested included Aqua (Danone), Aquafina (PepsiCo), Bisleri (Bisleri International), Dasani (Coca-Cola), Epura (GEPP*), Evian (Danone), Gerolsteiner (Gerolsteiner Brunnen), Minalba (Grupo Edson Queiroz), Nestlé Pure Life (Nestlé), San Pellegrino (Nestlé), and Wahaha (Hangzhou Wahaha Group). Orb Media reporters purchased bottled water in 19 locations across nine countries on five continents, including through Amazon. All purchases made were of a pre-packed case of water (no single bottles). All purchases and shipments to the lab were video documented. Countries included Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Thailand, and the United States. The majority of the samples came in plastic bottles though water in glass bottles also held microplastic.Researchers counted plastic particles in the 100 micron (0.10 millimeter) size range or smaller as microplastics. For plastic particles in the 100 micron size range, tests conducted for Orb Media at the State University of New York at Fredonia revealed a global average of 10.4 plastic particles per liter. The tests also showed a much greater number of even smaller particles that researchers have noted are also likely plastic. The global average for these particles was 325 per liter.Researchers analyzed bigger particles, about 100 microns (0.10 millimeters), by Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (an industry standard infrared microscope), which beams infrared light into an object to read its molecular signature. To quantify the particles, Orb Media developed a counting method that recorded the number of fluorescing objects in photographs of lab filters.The study has not been published by a journal or peer-reviewed and referring to the results of the study. Orb Media says that "What this means for human health is unknown."IBWA ResponseAccording to the International Bottled Water Association, Alexandria, VA/USA, the Orb Media study is not based on sound science, and there is no scientific consensus on testing methodology or the potential health impacts of microplastic particles. IBWA says that microplastic particles are found everywhere – soil, air, and water. And, as the Orb Media report states itself, currently there is no evidence that microplastics can cause harm to consumers. "Orb Media’s position on microplastics seems to be based on the faulty premise that if this substance is found in a bottled water product that it presents a health concern, even if no regulatory standard has been established. Because there is no scientific consensus about the potential health impacts of microplastic particles, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not issued any regulations concerning these substances in foods and beverages."Source: Kunststoffe

Aeyoung Park 2018-03-29

Lego to Launch First Sustainable Bricks in 2018

Cooperation with Braskem Production has started on a range of sustainable Lego elements made from sugarcane-based polyethylene supplied by Braskem. The new sustainable Lego ‘botanical’ elements will come in varieties including leaves, bushes and trees and will appear in Lego boxes already in 2018."This is a great first step in our ambitious commitment of making all Lego bricks using sustainable materials,” said Tim Brooks, Vice President, Environmental Responsibility at the Lego Group. The move is part of the Lego Group’s commitment to use sustainable materials in core products and packaging by 2030.▲ Lego botanical elements such as leaves, bushes and trees will be made from plant-based plastic sourced from sugarcane in the future and will appear in Lego boxes already in 2018 (© Lego) Lego botanical elements such as leaves, bushes and trees will be made from plant-based plastic sourced from sugarcane in the future and will appear in Lego boxes already in 2018 (© Lego) zoomLego botanical elements such as leaves, bushes and trees will be made from plant-based plastic sourced from sugarcane in the future and will appear in Lego boxes already in 2018 (© Lego)The new sustainable Lego elements are made from polyethylene and while they are based on sugarcane material, they are technically identical to those produced using conventional plastic. The elements have been tested to ensure the plant-based plastic meets the high standards for quality and safety that the Lego Group has. Braskem, the world's largest biopolymer producer, will supply the Lego Group with its I'm green polyethylene, a globally certified plastic made from sugarcane. The Green PE is 100% recyclable and contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gases. The production process begins with dehydrating ethanol, which is obtained from sugarcane, to transform it into green ethylene, which then goes to the polymerization units, where it is transformed into polyethylene. The sugarcane plastic then goes to third-generation companies, the so-called converters, which transform it into products.The world's first renewable biobased polyethylene to be produced on an industrial scale, Braskem's I'm green plastic has been produced since 2010 at the Triunfo Petrochemical Complex in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, which is the world's largest industrial plant making ethanol-based ethylene, with annual production capacity of 200 kilotons.The Lego Group has partnered with WWF to support and build demand for sustainably sourced plastic, and has joined the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA), an initiative of WWF, to secure fully sustainable sourcing of raw material for the bioplastics industry. The plant-based plastic used to make the botanical Lego elements is certified by the Bonsucro Chain of Custody standard for responsibly sourced sugarcane.Source: Kunststoffe

Aeyoung Park 2018-03-13