Myriam Moeyersons Sales Manager Biome Bioplastics KRP Annual Conference - 19 th September 2019
Bioplastics explained, , opportunities & hurdles • BBIA • Biome Bioplastics • What are bioplastics • Start-of-Life and End-of-life • Opportunities • Hurdles
BBIA Biobased and Biodegradable Industries Association • Founded in 2015 • Goal: to promote the circular bio-economy model in the UK • Aim: to make UK world-leading production base for biochemicals & their products + market development for these products • BBIA represents: Bio-based & biodegradable polymers manufacturers, the converters (packaging, lubricants, insecticides, tableware ,...), commercial enterprises and others Biome Bioplastics, BASF, Biotec, Novamont, NatureWorks, FKuR, Matrica, AQUAPAK, KCC, TIPA, FutaMura FILMS, Biobag, Fuchs, VegWare, Ecospray, Woolcool, SNOW BUSINESS, ECOSAC, SOLUTIONS 4, PLASTIC, REA (the renewable energy association), IBIOIC Scotland
Biome Bioplastics • UK UK-based (Southampton) company, listed on the AIM stock market of the London Stock Exchange • Employees ca. 50; Group turnover 2017 ca. £6 million and growing fast (~40% per year) • Activities: design and manufacture functional biodegradable biopolymers • Formulations are developed with focus on start-of of-lif life (biobased), end-of of-life (biodegradable) and for use on existing processing equipment • Serve a glob lobal cu customer base with our design and technical support • Compounding capability via toll convertors in the UK, mainland Europe and North America, with a combined capacity of ca. 30 30,000 000 MT MT
WHAT ARE BIOPLASTICS
Bioplastics Three main groups • Biobased (partially) non-biodegradable • Biobased and biodegradable • Fossil based and biodegradable Conventional plastics can be stimulated to disintegrate by using oxo-degradable additives; however no biodegradation occurs, but degradation into smaller micro-articles (microplastics).
Oxo-degradable plastics Bioplastics have nothing to do with oxo-degradable plastics. EC Brussels, 16.1.2018 COM(2018) 35 final REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the impact of the use of oxo- degradable plastic, including oxo-degradable plastic carrier bags, on the environment Concludes: … .EU wide measures should be considered. Therefore, in the context of the European plastics strategy, a process to restrict the use of oxo-plastics in the EU will be started. BIOPLASTICS need to to be be defined by by STANDARDS otherw rwise we we have no no means of of really MEASURING their effective START-OF OF-LIFE an and END-OF OF-LIFE
START-OF-LIFE END-OF-LIFE
Bioplastics Howdotheydifferfromconventionalplastics? AND / OR End-of of-Life Start-of St of-Life Polymers are biodegradable and Polymers are manufactured compostable from renewable resources = biobased Biodegradable: Polymer is metabolized by micro- Reduction in GHG ( CO₂ ) organisms into water or methane, CO 2 emissions and biomass → no intermediates, no leaching products
Certification & Labelling St Start-of of-li life Bio-based carbon content label 20 20 – 40% 40% 40 – 60% 40 60% 60 60-80% 80% >80% >80% End-of of-li life Certification according EN norm EN13432
EN13432 Testing and criteria Material • 90% biodegradation in 180 days - in the presence of micro-organisms (bacteria & fungi) in an in industrial composting facil ilit ity (the 10% represents loss of moisture mostly) • 90% disintegration in 12 weeks – by using 2x2 mm ² mesh • Non toxic to soil and plant life Product • Pass eco-toxicological tests including on the materials, adhesives, inks. → all all tests ar are undertaken in in lab lab an and fie field ld tests
Industrial Composting The UK has 53 PAS-100 industrial compost plants. Today: → all of them accept and process biodegradable films → 19 of these regularly process rigid compostable materials Study has shown that other facilities are open to accept bioplastics if guarantee towards no contamination of conventional packaging.
OPPORTUNITIES
UK Plastics Pact By 2025 100% 70% • Collaborative initiative that will create a circular economy for plastics. packaging to packaging • Brings businesses of the entire plastics be reusable, effectively value chain together with UK governments and NGOs → to tackle the recyclable or recycled or scourge of plastic waste. compostable composted • By 2025, The UK Plastics Pact will transform the UK plastic packaging 30% average Eliminate sector by meeting four world-leading targets. recycled single-use content in packaging packaging
UK Plastics Pact
End-of-life options • Recycling → Only 2 types of plastics are recovered and recycled at the post-consumer level; PET and HDPE → only 9% of total volume plastics is today recycled in the UK • Organic recycling or industrial composting → For multilayer structures, which are currently non-recyclable, organic recycling could be a viable end-of-life solution if manufactured with EN13432 certified biodegradable polymers. • Energy from Waste (incineration) Renewable energy can be obtained from the biogenic carbon of biobased plastics Note: Besides bein ing organic recyclable, bio iopla lastics are also mechanical recyclable, however no no establi lished dedicated waste stream currently ly exis ists he here. Global evalu luatio ion pr proj ojects ts ar are in in pr prog ogress.
Where bioplastics can help Bioplastics can • make certain types of recovery and recycling easier – ORGANIC RE RECYCLING • increase and improve food waste collections reducing plastics pollution – FOOD PACKAGING • reduce use of fossil fuels in the production using renewable sources – BIO IOBASED PLA LASTICS Bioplastics aim to be part of the new circular economy, creating closed loop recycling
Opportunity of bioplastics in food packaging Compostable packaging can be collected with food Short shelf life for fresh products Lightweight and multi-layer packaging: normally impossible to recycle Certain packaging which is hard to separate out from other materials, if commingled Packaging containing left-over food collected with food-waste Recycling in the UK only 9%, compostables can raise this By treating food waste we can make biogas, biomethane, compost, digestate, extracted CO₂: compostable packaging can increase food waste collection
Opportunity of bioplastics in food packaging compostables suitable for organic recycling
ENVAR composting, Huntingdon 105,000 tonnes green and food waste treated annually Compostable packaging accepted Major contamination from plastic waste #1 problem Several AD as well as 53 compost plants nationally accept bioplastic packaging
HURDLES
Littering – Poor waste management Materials are not designed to save the world’s oceans Litter is a societal problem that needs to be tackled through: Education | Waste Management Infrastructure | Financial Resources especially in 3rd World | Penalties
Waste Management • Fragmented waste collection management in UK, although extensive efforts by local municipalities • Unclear labeling end-of-life options • Food waste collections not available yet throughout UK → to be obligatory across the EU by end 2023 • Recycling target to be 55% by 2025, 60% by 2030, 65% by 2035. We have giant steps to make in six years • Plastics recycling target 55% in 2030, currently “collected for” = 34%, effectively recycled in the UK 9%
Rethinking the UK plastic problem Biomass CO 2 capture Environmental release Bio-based monomers Better? Biodegradable CO 2 release Compost/AD CO 2 release Products and End-of-life Plastics packaging Incinerate CO 2 release CO 2 release Persistent Mechanical Recycle UK Monomers Landfill Mostly downcycled CO 2 capture 1 – 9(?) times possible Oil and gas Chemical recycle “Recycle” Theoretically infinite to Asia
Plastics, food, waste, soil, air, water, energy everything is connected Thanks Myriam Moeyersons
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