Issue 05/2017

ISSN 1862-5258
Sep/Oct
05 | 2017
Highlights
Fibres & Textiles | 14
Beauty & Healthcare | 32
Basics
Land use | 43
NORTH AMERICA-
Special
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 12
Cover Story:
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Meet ICBP 10, 0, 80,0
Malaysia‘s Bioplastics
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Industry Anchor |10
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... is read in 92 countries

INTEGRALLY SUSTAINABLE
Speick Natural cosmetics chose Braskem’s biobased Green PE (distributed by FKuR)
for its Speick Organic 3.0 shower gel and body lotion. Bottle, closure and label
consist of one and the same material and therefore are easy to recycle.
The sugar cane used for the Green PE production is cultivated and harvested
in Brazil according to the sustainable resource and social management
guidelines of ProForest.
With this concept, Speick is complementing its line of holistic natural
cosmetics. Speick’s formula is readily biodegradable, palm oil-free and
enriched with energized water.
www.speick.de

Editorial
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dear
readers
Summer is coming to an end and autumn time is award time, at least for us. And
so, once again, I’m very happy to present the five finalists of the 12 th Global
Bioplastics Award on pages 12-13. The winner will, as always, be announced at
the European Bioplastics Conference on November 28 in Berlin, Germany.
Other highlight topics of this issue are Fibres & Textiles and the application
field of Beauty & Healthcare. Also, a different perspective is given on the question
of Land use / Land availability on page 43 in the Basics Section.
In our geographical focus in this issue we look to North America.
As always, we’ve provided you, our readers, with news about trends,
developments and applications, plus critical context and information in the form
of reports and opinions.
We’ve also got a few events we’d like you to pencil in for next year, including
the 5 th PLA World congress in May, which, as always, will be held in Munich, in
Germany and the 1 st PHA platform World Congress, which is scheduled to take
place in September 2018, in Cologne. We are happy to have Jan Ravenstijn as
our co-organisator. Stay tuned for more information on both these conferences
in our coming issues.
Before then, however, we’re hoping for the opportunity to see you at one or
the other of the various trade shows and conferences that are taking place this fall, with as
high point, of course the European Bioplastics Conference. We’re looking forward to it, as
we hope you are too.
Until then, please enjoy the autumn - and have a great time reading this latest issue of
bioplastics MAGAZINE.
Sincerely yours
Michael Thielen
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 12
ISSN 1862-5258
... is read in 92 countries
Sep/Oct
05 | 2017
Highlights
Fibres & Textiles | 14
Beauty & Healthcare | 34
Basics
Land use | 43
Cover Story:
Meet ICBP
Malaysia‘s Bioplastics
Industry Anchor |10
C , M, Y, K
10, 0, 80,0
In this issue we have a closer look to North America.
However, even if Mexico is part of “North America”,
we unfortunately do not have any editorial contribution
from Mexico.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 3

Content
Imprint
Sep / Oct 05|2017
Publisher / Editorial
Dr. Michael Thielen (MT)
Samuel Brangenberg (SB)
Head Office
Polymedia Publisher GmbH
Dammer Str. 112
41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany
phone: +49 (0)2161 6884469
fax: +49 (0)2161 6884468
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Cover Story
10 Meet ICBP
Events
11 5 th PLA World Congress
47 1 st PHA platform World Congress
Award
12 12 th Bioplastics Award
Fibers & Textiles
14 Yarns from biobased Polymers
17 Advances in textile applications
for biobased polyamide
18 Stable ring spinning process for poly
lactic acid (PLA) staple fibre yarns
Production
24 Reducing PLA production cost
Materials
30 New compostable PHA based
compound from Canada
3 Editorial
5 News
26 Application News
45 10 years ago
50 Glossary
54 Suppliers Guide
57 Event Calendar
58 Companies in this issue
Beauty & Healthcare
32 The power of packaging
34 PolyBioSkin
36 Stronger superabsorbent
biopolymers for baby care
37 Bioplastic microbeads for cosmetics
Politics
38 biodegradable plastics in
the circular economy
From Science and Research
40 Turning waste into PHA bioplastics
Opinion
42 Biodegradable plastics
Basics
43 Land Use
48 Biodegradation
Brand Owner
44 Mars
Media Adviser
Samsales (German language)
phone: +49(0)2161-6884467
fax: +49(0)2161 6884468
s.brangenberg@samsales.de
Chris Shaw (English language)
Chris Shaw Media Ltd
Media Sales Representative
phone: +44 (0) 1270 522130
mobile: +44 (0) 7983 967471
and Michael Thielen (see head office)
Layout/Production
Kerstin Neumeister
Print
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1004 Riga, Latvia
bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on
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Print run: 3,400 copies
bioplastics magazine
ISSN 1862-5258
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bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in
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Every effort is made to verify all Information
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cannot accept responsibility for any errors
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Opinions expressed in articles do not
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www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
News
DuPont and ADM win
5 th Annual Innovation in
Bioplastics Award
The Bioplastics Division, a part of the Plastics Industry
Association (PLASTICS), recently announced DuPont
Industrial Biosciences and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)
as the winners of the 2017 Innovation in Bioplastics Award.
The two companies developed a method to produce furan
dicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME), a biobased monomer,
from fructose derived from corn starch. This is the fifthannual
Innovation in Bioplastics Award, an honor that goes
to companies applying bioplastics to innovative, purposeful
product design.
The new FDME-producing technology is more
sustainable and results in higher yields and lower energy
and capital expenditures than traditional conversion
methods. Biobased FDME has the potential to replace
petroleum-based materials in many applications with
high performance, renewable materials in industries like
packaging, textiles and plastics engineering.
“The breakthrough process developed by DuPont and ADM
provides a simpler, more efficient approach to producing
FDME that will make bioplastics a competitive option in
more applications across various industries,” said Patrick
Krieger, assistant director of regulatory and technical affairs
at PLASTICS. “We are excited to honour a partnership that
has opened the door to new possibilities for bioplastics.”
One of the first materials under development using the
new FDME process is polytrimethylene furandicarboxylate
(PTF), a 100 % renewable and recyclable polymer with
improved gas barrier properties that can be used to improve
shelf life and lighten the weight of products in the beverage
packaging industry. With lighter plastic bottles that offer
a high gas barrier, costs to the transporter and negative
environmental impacts would decrease on a global scale.
“This molecule is a game-changing platform technology.
It will enable cost-efficient production of a variety of
renewable, high-performance chemicals and polymers
with applications across a broad range of industries—
including textiles, auto parts, food packaging and more,”
said Michael Saltzberg, global business director for
biomaterials at DuPont. “A demonstration plant for the
technology in Decatur, Illinois will be online later this year,
and we look forward to making this breakthrough a reality
on a commercial scale.”
“This project is a great example of how ADM is able
to create value by providing innovative new sustainable
solutions that address unmet needs for customers,” said
Paul Bloom, vice president, process and chemical research
for ADM. “Our unique partnership with DuPont is helping
bring an innovative new product to customers that uses
renewable feedstocks but also helps improve performance,
and we are excited about the team’s continued progress as
we near completion of construction of the demonstration
project.” MT
www.plasticsindustry.org
Bio-on creates five
new business units
Bio-on (Bologna, Italy) recently announced the creation
of five new Business Units (BU) to speed up its
response to the growing demand for PHAs. The new
divisions will enable more effective and faster development
of new materials from biopolymers and new
applications.
"We decided to set up these five new Business Units to
rapidly meet the enormous number of requests from
all over the world for our revolutionary technology,"
says Marco Astorri, Chairman and CEO of Bio-on. "This
move will create more independent and more efficient
departments to deal with special industrial production
(Bio-on Plants); Cosmetic, Nanomedicine & Smart
Materials (CNS); Recovery and Fermentation (RAF);
Engineering (ENG) and Structural Materials Development
(SMD)."
Every year, 300 million tonnes of polluting plastic
are produced and sold and thousands of types of oilbased
polymers are made for myriad uses. Each of
these is called a product grade and each one comes
with its own technical data sheet. In recent months,
and particularly since the recent presentation of Bioon's
2017-2020 industrial plan released in November
2016, Bio-on’s technicians have developed hundreds of
new grades to replace existing high-pollution plastics.
But, more importantly and surprisingly, there has been
an exponential increase in the number of international
patent applications submitted by Bio-on in high added
value sectors unthinkable until as recently as last year.
"Our goal," continues Marco Astorri, "is to develop
as many products and agreements as possible in a
rapidly changing scenario. And since Bio-on's Minerv
polyhydroxyalkanoates can already be used in cuttingedge
applications, unthinkable for conventional plastics,
we had to speed up our response to market demand in a
personalised way whilst continuing to provide a high level
of service. The new Business Units meet this requirement."
Bio-on Plants, the production BU, will be based in
Castel San Pietro Terme, outside Bologna, Italy, where
an innovative plant is being built, controlled by Bio-on,
that will produce micro bioplastics for cosmetics. The
RAF (Recovery and Fermentation) and CNS (Cosmetic
Nanomedicine & Smart Materials) business units
will also be based here. The latter will be equipped
with laboratories and a business centre on two floors
in the area opposite the Bio-on Plants facility. It is
expected to open in early 2018. The SMD BU (Structural
Materials Development) will further develop the current
Bentivoglio (Bologna) site, in operation since 2016,
with new spaces for studying and developing structural
materials. The ENG BU (engineering) will be based at
Bio-on in Via Santa Margherita al Colle in Bologna and
will develop projects for the construction and assistance
of licensed plants. MT
www.bio-on.it
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 5

News
daily upated news at
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Bio-additives for biodegradable plastic bottles
Earlier this summer, the Citruspack project, a combination of circular economy and packaging, was launched at the Aitiip
Technology Centre in Zaragoza, Spain.
The project aims to process plant by-products, using these to derive natural additives to reinforce 100% biodegradable
plastic bottles and containers. These will then be valorised in a number of new value chains.
This project is coordinated by Aitiip and accounts with the partnership of AMC Innova Juice And Drinks S.L. (Spain), EROSKI
(Spain), OWS Nv (Belgium), Plastipolis (France) and TECOS (Slovenia).
At the end of the project, the researchers and participating companies aim to offer three solutions for the packaging and
cosmetic sectors. The juice bottles will be the first demonstrator product.
The bottles will be blow-moulded and must meet “very
serious technical requirements”, as well as being biobased
and eco-friendly, said Carolina Peñalva, project coordinator
and the responsible person for packaging at Aitiip. "We want
to test and quantify the acceptance of consumers during the
project to reach the market.”
Citruspack is part of the LIFE Program, which is the
only financial instrument of the European Union dedicated
exclusively to the environment. Its overall objective for
the period 2004-2020 is to contribute to the sustainable
development and achievement of the objectives and targets
of the Europe 2020 Strategy and the relevant Union strategies
and plans on environment and climate. This year it is
celebrating its 25th anniversary. MT
jal@aitiip.com
WUR and Vredestein develop tyre made of
rubber from dandelions
Vredestein showed a prototype of its Fortezza Flower Power at the Eurobike exhibition in Friedrichshafen in August. This
innovative road tyre is made of rubber extracted from the roots of dandelions. The prototype is the result of a EU joint initiative
in which Vredestein and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) take part, called DRIVE4EU.
Dandelion tyres
The prototype is the first bicycle tyre in the world produced with natural rubber extracted from the roots of the Russian
dandelion (Taraxacum koksaghyz). This particular series of prototype tyres were made with rubber extracted from plants
grown and harvested in the Netherlands.
Vredestein has worked closely together with WUR to develop this special natural rubber, make production viable and test
various compounds. Each improvement in the process of rubber extraction has also led to a direct enhancement of the quality
of the rubber. As a result, the special compound now used as a test on the Fortezza Flower Power prototype, provides better
grip than traditional compounds. This is directly related to the higher concentration of natural resin in this particular variant of
natural rubber. Studies are currently exploring whether this tyre can be mass produced in the future.
DRIVE4EU
Apollo Vredestein (the parent company of the Vredestein brand) is one of the industrial
partners taking part in DRIVE4EU, a European research project which focuses on
developing the production of natural rubber and inulin from Russian dandelion. The project
is coordinated by Wageningen University & Research. The aim is to explore ways to make
the European countries less dependent on imports of natural rubber in the near future,
partly as a response to the looming worldwide shortage of rubber.
www.wur.nl
6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

News
2017 Biocomposites Innovation Awards
finalists revealed
The finalists for the 2017 Biocomposites Innovation Awards have
been announced by Germany-based nova-Institute. Six entries
were selected out of a field of thirteen candidates by the advisory
board earlier this month. Three will emerge victorious at the
Biocomposites Conference (Dec. 6 and 7 in Cologne, Germany).
Each of the finalists will be given a ten-minute slot to pitch
their innovation at the close of the first day of the conference.
Then the audience will choose the three winners, who will
be presented with their awards at the Innovation Award
Ceremony later that evening.
The finalists are, in no particular order of ranking:
A fully bio-based pedestrian bridge developed at the
Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands and
installed by biocomposite pioneer NPSP (Netherlands). Flax
and hemp fibres, which ensure the strength of the structure,
are combined with a bio-based epoxy resin. Polylactic
acid (PLA) bio-foam provides the core. A vacuum infusion
production process is used: Layers of natural fibres are glued
around a laser-cut shape of bio-foam.
BASF & Sonae Arauco Deutschland (Germany) entered with
an innovative 3D mouldable MDF styled as the new woodbased
material for the furniture industry. It is a thermoplastic,
processable and storage-stable composite which can be
produced on existing MDF production lines. Due to the
increased mouldability of the composite, new design options
are possible. The resin system is offered formaldehyde free.
Mass produced boats are typically made of fossil-based resins,
glass fibres and plastic foam. By contrast, 80% of the GreenBente24
from GreenBoats (Germany) is made from renewable materials
such as flax, cork and bio-based epoxy resin. The boat has the
same weight and stiffness as a standard boat, yet achieves an 80%
reduction in its carbon footprint and is thermally recyclable.
The Stratos passive – sandwich window scantling system
by G.S. Stemeseder (Austria) is a combination of a foamed PP
and wood composite material with solid wooden elements.
The system was developed for the production of passive house
windows. The required specific heat conductivity and Uf-value
of ≤ 0.8 W/m 2 K were achieved by a reduction in density of
approximately 50%. The components are produced with standard
machinery and wood industry tools of the wood industry.
From OWI (Germany) comes an injection-moulded classroom
seat shell. The polypropylene (PP) and wood-based granulates
were developed by Linotech GmbH (Germany). The chair is soft
and warm to the touch while maintaining standard PP chair
requirements regarding flexibility and notch impact strength.
It withstands upholstery staples and stress load cycles.
As one of the oldest known fasteners in the world, the
wooden nail would seem to have reach its evolutionary peak
some millennia ago. Raimund Beck Nageltechnik (Austria)
however, has now developed collated wooden nails for use
with pneumatic nailers. The LignoLoc fasteners do not
require pre-drilling and achieve their holding power because
of a natural welding effect with the base wood.
biocompositescc.com
Braskem and A. Schulman partner on a
sustainable solution for rotomolding processes
Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in the
Americas, has entered into a partnership with A. Schulman,
Inc., a leading global producer of high-performance
plastic compounds and resins, to produce and market a
new sustainable solution for the rotomoulding process.
Braskem identified a market demand for more
sustainable solutions in rotomolded products, and
developed a solution to enable the rotational molding of
general-purpose parts, with applications ranging from
toys and furniture to agricultural tools that can contain
more than 50% of Green Plastic in their composition.
The new Green Polyethylene rotomoulding grade will
be brought to the market by Schulman and feature the I’m
green seal, marking it as a sustainable product that can
contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
A. Schulman, which contributes to the partnership
through its industrial and commercial expertise in
serving clients directly with products that meet market
needs, will introduce the product at Rotoplas 2017, the
largest trade fair of the rotomolding industry, which
takes place from September 26-28 in the United States.
“The partnership with A. Schulman will benefit a market
that requires innovative products. The new compound
is another step of the petrochemical industry towards
reinforcing the commitment of companies to new solutions
that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Gustavo
Sergi, Director of Renewable Chemicals at Braskem.
“A. Schulman is honored to have a long-standing
collaborative relationship with Braskem and we are equally
pleased to play a part in helping drive green innovation
the specialty chemical industry and specifically for the
rotomolding market,” said Gustavo Perez, Senior Vice
President and General Manager – Latin America, A. Schulman.
www.braskem.com | www.aschulman.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 7

News
daily upated news at
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Eastman licenses proprietary
FDCA technology to Origin Materials
Eastman Chemical Company and Origin Materials
(formerly known as Micromidas) have entered into a
non-exclusive license agreement for Eastman to license
its proprietary 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid (“FDCA”) and
FDCA derivatives production technology from renewable
resources to Origin Materials.
Origin also recently purchased an oxidation pilot plant
from Eastman that will enable Sacramento-based company
to demonstrate the licensed technology. Terms of the
license agreement and pilot plant sale were not disclosed.
FDCA has been identified by the U.S. Department of
Energy as one of the top 12 bio-based building blocks, and
can be converted into a number of high-value chemicals or
materials. FDCA can be used to produce polymer resins,
films, and fibers and as a building block for plasticizers.
The largest initial FDCA applications are expected to be to
make 100 percent bio-based plastics, such as polyethylene
furanoate (PEF) for beverage containers and food packaging.
Eastman has developed key technologies for economically
competitive conversion of 5-(hydroxymethyl) furfural (5-
HMF) and its derivatives to crude FDCA, polymer grade
FDCA and polymer grade dimethylfuran-2,5-dicarboxylate
(DMF). Eastman’s technology is broadly flexible in terms of
feedstocks and provides efficient production of crude FDCA,
polymer grade FDCA and polymer grade DMF.
“Eastman’s technology provides robust and multiple
integrated engineering options for commercialization,”
said Eastman’s Damon Warmack, senior vice president of
Corporate Development and Chemical Intermediates. “This
agreement leverages the world-class FDCA production
technologies we have developed over the last several years.”
Eastman is actively pursuing a broad intellectual property
strategy with dozens of U.S. and foreign patents awarded
or pending.
John Bissell, CEO of Origin Materials, said the company
is excited bythe opportunities created by this licensing
agreement. “This technology will enable us to produce
FDCA monomer, which can then be used by our customers
to develop PEF bottles, films and other plastics from our
intermediate chemicals,” said Bissell. MT
http://vercet.natureworksllc.com
Picks & clicks
Most frequently clicked news
Here’s a look at our most popular online content of
the past two months. The story that got the most clicks
from the visitors to bioplasticsmagazine.com was:
PLA that can take the heat (01 Sept 2017)
Fibers of a corn-derived, biodegradable plastic
developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Nebraska researchers and their colleagues have
demonstrated a new technique for improving the
properties of bio-plastic that could also streamline
its manufacturing, making it more competitive with
petroleumb
a s e d
counterparts.
Introducing
a simple
step to the
production of
plantderived,
biodegrada-ble plastic could im-prove its properties
while overcoming obstacles to manufacturing it
commercially, says new research from the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln and Jiangnan University...
more at https://tinyurl.com/news-20170901
8 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12
HEXPOL TPE
green@hexpolTPE.com
www.hexpolTPE.com

io CAR
says
THANK YOU...
...to all of the attendees,
sponsors, and speakers
who participated in
bio!car 2017
www.bio-car.info
Media Partner supported by co-organized by
1 st Media Partner
Institut
für Ökologie und Innovation
by decision of the
German Bundestag
in cooperation with
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 9

Cover Story
Advertorial
INDOCIHINE BIO PLASTIQUES (ICBP) SDN. BHD.
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C , M, Y, K
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C, M, Y, K
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C, M, Y, K
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ICBP
BIO RESIN
COMPARISAN
PETROLEUM
RESIN
Yes Biodegradable No
Yes Renewable Resources No
Lower (50%
Electicity Saving)
Processing Temperature Higher
Lower Carbon Footprint (CO2) Higher
Lower
Greenhouse
Gas Emissions (GHG)
Higher
Safe for Food
Contact Under
US FDA & REACH
Standards
Toxic to humans and
environment
Harmful

organized by
5 th PLA World Congress
29-30 MAY* 2018 MUNICH › GERMANY
is a versatile bioplastics raw
PLA material from renewable resources.
It is being used for films and rigid packaging,
for fibres in woven and non-woven applications.
Automotive industry and consumer electronics
are thoroughly investigating and even already
applying PLA. New methods of polymerizing,
compounding or blending of PLA have broadened
the range of properties and thus the range
of possible applications.
That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is now
organizing the 5 th PLA World Congress on:
29-30 May* 2018 in Munich / Germany
Experts from all involved fields will share their
knowledge and contribute to a comprehensive
overview of today‘s opportunities and challenges
and discuss the possibilities, limitations
and future prospects of PLA for all kind of
applications. Like the three congresses
the 5 th PLA World Congress will also offer
excellent networking opportunities for all
delegates and speakers as well as exhibitors
of the table-top exhibition.
The team of bioplastics MAGAZINE is looking
forward to seeing you in Munich.
The conference will comprise high class presentations on
› Latest developments
› Market overview
call for papers now open
› High temperature behaviour
› Blends and comounds
› Additives / Colorants
› Applications (film and rigid packaging, textile,
automotive,electronics, toys, and many more)
Sponsor:
Contact us at: mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com
for exhibition and sponsoring opportunities
www.pla-world-congress.com
* date subject to changes
› Fibers, fabrics, textiles, nonwovens
› Reinforcements
› End of life options
(recycling,composting, incineration etc)
Supported by:

Award
The 12 th
Bioplastics
Award
Presenting the
five finalists
bioplastics MAGAZINE is honoured
to present the five finalists
for the 12 th Global Bioplastics
Award. Five judges from
the academic world, the press and
industry associations from America,
Europe and Asia have again
reviewed many really interesting
proposals. On these two pages
we present details of the five most
promising submissions.
The Global Bioplastics Award
recognises innovation, success and
achievements by manufacturers,
processors, brand owners, or
users of bioplastic materials. To
be eligible for consideration in
the awards scheme the proposed
company, product, or service
should have been developed or
have been on the market during
2016 or 2017.
The following companies/
products are shortlisted (without
any ranking) and from these
five finalists the winner will
be announced during the 12 th
European Bioplastics Conference
on November 28 th , 2016 in Berlin,
Germany.
Biobrush (Germany)
Bioplastic toothbrush made of
wood scraps
Biobrush turns wood scraps into
toothbrushes. The handle as well as the
packaging are made from bioplastics
based on cellulose made of the wood
waste from sustainable forestry. The
bristles are made of 100 % renewable
polyamide, the main component is
castor oil, without harmful emollients.
The toothbrushes are clearly designed
and available at a fair price.
Making sustainable products
accessible to as many people as
possible is a key factor in the concept
of Biobrush. The company, therefore,
strives to maintain fair pricing.
The manufacturing of the colour
master batches is adapted to the
bioplastic and contains carefully
selected pigments, in which the
concentration of heavy metal is way
below threshold value.
Producing sustainable products, is
not just about replacing the conventional
by eco. All aspects of the product - its
function, nature and composition,
pricing, sales approach and packaging
- need reassessment. Biobrush
toothbrushes combine features relevant
to state-of-the-art dental care with a
clear design, using resource saving
and trend-setting materials: bioplastic
and packaging based on cellulose and
bristles derived from castor oil. The
practical and home compostable sidesealed
pouch contains only essential
product information.
Biobrush represents a holistic
approach: Product biobased.
Biodegradable, but not marketed as
to be composted… The bristles not yet
biodegradable, but 100 % biobased.
Packaging, biobased and compostable.
Looking outside the box (across the
German borders) in countries where
waste disposal is not as advanced…
biodegradability may be an advantage in
the long term.
www.biobrush-berlin.com
MAIP (Italy)
I am NATURE : the first Bio-
Technopolymer
I am NATURE is a special PHBHbased
compound, available in tailor made
grades and suitable for high temperature
applications. It offers a sustainable solution
preserving the technical properties of a
traditional thermoplastic material.
Maip has developed different bioplastics
that are sold under the name of I am
NATURE for several years. These PHBH
based grades are compounded with
natural fillers and additives of vegetal
origin as well as functional components
for specific requirements.
For a new series of switch cover frames
that should have an advanced design and
a remarkable environment sustainability
connotation, ABB was looking for a
bioplastic material that could replace
technopolymers such as ABS or PC/
ABS. In a joint development ABB and
Maip succeeded in creating a special I am
NATURE grade that is suitable to satisfy
all the multiple requirements of the
component. The new compound exhibits
particular properties such as high
dimensional stability, thermal resistance
(about 130 °C), superior UV and light
resistance, easy colourability and easy
mouldability in multi cavity moulds.
Easy processability and specific electric
features such as for example a glow wire
of 650 °C at 2 mm.
The most severe test of all, the scratch
resistance, led to the development of special
grades that show surprising mar / scratch
resistance values also in case of matte textures.
The main properties that were achieved,
allow the definition of the new I am
NATURE as an actual Bio-Technopolymer
that also allows to eliminate the painting
(because of its good mass colourability)
dramatically reducing the carbon footprint
of the component.
The switch covers were officially
introduced to the market in Europe in
September 2017.
www.maipsrl.com
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Award
TU/e Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
(The Netherlands)
Fully biobased pedestrian bridge
A fully biobased pedestrian bridge, the
first in the world, has been realised at the
TU/e campus, Eindhoven, Netherlands,
spanning the river Dommel. After
researching and testing various biobased
material properties and optimising
alternative structural designs, the bridge
has been produced with the help of
many students in all stages of design
and production, using only biobased
materials.
The bridge, first in its kind, has been
made fully out of biobased materials:
Flax and hemp fibres provide the
strength, combined in a biobased epoxy
resin, round an internal core of PLA
bio-foam. The PLA foam is used as lost
formwork for the structural biobased
composite skin. As the whole bridge was
transported to its final location and put
in place in one peace, lightweight was a
very important issue
After a successful loadtest for
the building inspection of the city of
Eindhoven (5,0 kN/m 2 ), the bridge was
installed in the Dutch Design week,
last October, 2016. The project is the
result of a research collaboration of the
universities in Eindhoven and Delft as
well as the Centre for Biobased Economy
and the company NPSP bv. With High
Tech Glass sensor technology the bridge
is now monitored during use.
A unique material combination of
natural reinforcing fibres, a biobased
epoxy-resin around a core of PLA foam…
in a unique application sector: Building
and construction. The project shows
exemplary what can be achieved with
bioplastics in clever combinations.
www.tue.nl
Adidas and Amsilk (Germany)
Futurecraft Biofabric shoe
The adidas Futurecraft Biofabric
shoe features an upper made from
100% Biosteel ® fibre, a nature-based
and completely biodegradable highperformance
fibre, developed by the
biotech company AMSilk (Planegg,
Germany). The material offers a unique
combination of properties that are
crucial in performance, such as being
15% lighter in weight than conventional
synthetic fibres as well as having the
potential to be the strongest fully natural
material available.
In addition, Biosteel fibre also
provides a far more sustainable
offering. According to Amsilk, who have
invested more than 200.000 bioengineer
man hours and know-how into their
products the fibres are made of 100 %
nature based biopolymers, are 100 %
vegan and biodegradable. The world’s
first artificial silk fibre is entirely made
of recombinant spider silk proteins.The
Technical University of Munich’s website
says the world’s first artificial silk fibre is
entirely made of recombinant spider silk
proteins. And io9.gizmodo.com unveils
this: The company’s process uses
genetically engineered E. coli samples
to express silk protein derived from
the DNA of the European garden cross
spider, and is capable of generating
about 20 different silk grades from four
silk varieties
Being 100% biodegradable in a fully
natural process, the Biosteel fiber also
provides a sustainable offering. This
continues adidas’ journey of sustainable
innovation – from a starting point of
virgin plastics, to recycled plastics,
to its partnership with Parley for the
Oceans and now a totally new frontier
of investing in solutions that leverage
science and nature as an integral part
of innovation.
www.adidas-group.com | www.amsilk.com
ICEE Containers (Australia)
Foldable, reusable insulating box
Since commercial production
of expandable polystyrene in 1952
the industry worldwide has been
attempting to mould a durable, living
hinge in particle foam. ICEE’s patented
innovation means insulated boxes are
no longer disadvantaged by their bulk
as they can now be economically stored
and transported flat, making them easy
to return for reuse or recycling.
ICEE has successfully moulded a
living hinge in various particle foams
including BASF’s ecovio ® a plant based
compostable biofoam. The superior
insulating and cushioning properties of
particle foam makes them ideal for the
expanding ecommerce grocery market,
paddock to plate and the traditional
markets such as pharmaceuticals,
fresh produce and seafood.
There are growing concerns
surrounding food waste globally and
ICEE’s insulated suite of boxes keeps
perishable fresh without the need
for refrigerated vehicles which is
particularly advantageous in developing
countries where food waste is highest.
ICEE is a member of United Nations
initiative Save Food (save-food.org)
committed to reducing food loss
sustained in the supply chain.
ICEE’s fold flat insulated boxes
are 98% air, 100% recyclable and
now available in compostable plant
based biofoam. They’re able to deliver
perishables in unrefrigerated vehicles
making the boxes ideal for disruptive
delivery options such as Uber, bicycles,
couriers, taxi apps, drones etc further
adding to their attractive eco-friendly
footprint.
Capturing new markets and
reducing food waste in countries with
unsophisticated logistics by protecting
food from bruising and climate stress in
a biofoam box is a compelling story.
www.iceefoldingbox.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 13

Fibers & Textiles
Yarns from biobased polymers
Sustainable options for technical textiles
The need to reduce CO 2
emissions and to become independent
of fossil-based fibre products motivated PHP
Fibers (Wuppertal, Germany) to search for bio-based
alternatives.
The company’s investigations revealed two potential
candidates, both of which are thermoplastic polymers
suitable for fibre spinning.
Biobased and biodegradable high-tenacity
polyester yarn (PLA)
PHP’s polyester yarn Diolen ® 150BT is based on PLA and
thus 100% biobased and biodegradable under industrial
composting conditions. The polyester yarn exhibits low
moisture absorption and provides good UV stability as well
as low flammability.
Compared to textile yarns, Diolen 150BT demonstrates
superior tensile performance. It is therefore an option for
a variety of sustainable applications. Examples are the
substitution for non-biodegradable fixtures in agricultural
and horticultural environments or sustainable packaging
reinforcement for paper-based adhesive tapes
Enka ® BIO – Biobased high-tenacity polyamide
yarn
For existing technical fibre applications, it would be
particularly advantageous if yarns manufactured from
biobased polymers could be considered as so-called drop
in alternatives for current fossil-based products. In this
case, similar processing conditions could be used without
the need to make significant adaptions. In comparison to
fossil-based PA 6.6 polymer, the bio-based PA 4.10 polymer
was found to provide a very good match:
The melting temperature and glass transition temperature
of PA 4.10 are at the level of PA 6.6. But Polyamide 4.10
offers weight advantages due to its lower density. It picks
up less moisture compared to PA 6.6 and it provides a 40 %
higher tensile modulus under humid storage conditions.
The material is 70 % bio-based.
Technical biobased PA 4.10 yarn vs. technical
fossil-based PA 6.6 yarn
Spinning evaluations carried out on an industrial scale
proved that the biobased PA 4.10 polymer can be converted
into technical multifilament yarns.
The tensile characteristics were found to be largely
comparable to those of fossil-based PA 6.6 technical yarns.
At low elongation rates, the modulus of biobased PA
4.10 yarn is certainly at the level of PA 6.6. The Elongation
at break is higher and the breaking force is slightly lower
compared to PA 6.6.
In Mechanical Rubber Goods application PA 4.10 yarns/
cords provide good adhesion characteristics to rubber and
fatigue resistance at the level of reference PA 6.6.
PHP Fibers demonstrated that biobased technical
polyester (PLA) and polyamide fibres can compete with
or even outperform standard fossil- based polyester and
polyamide fibres. MT
www.php-fibers.com
Polymer properties of biobased PLA polymer vs. fossil-based PET polymer
*) Sources: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Vol.6, no.4, August 2010, Industrial Biotechnology, Natureworks
Polymer
Melting
Temperature,
Tm
°C
Glass
Transition
Temperature,
Tg
°C
Density
g/cm³
Moisture
Uptake at
50 % RH*
%
Tensile
Modulus dry*
MPa
Tensile
Modulus
conditioned
50 % RH*
MPa
Biobased
content
%
CO 2
Emission*
kg CO 2
eq / kg
polymer
PLA 160 – 180 55 – 60 1.24 0.2 2900 – 3000 n.a. 100 0.6
PET 250 – 260 70 1.38 0.4 2800 – 3100 n.a. 0 3.4
Polymer properties of biobased PA 4.10 vs. fossil-based PA 6.6
*) Sources: DSM primary data for PA 4.10 (EcoPaXX), Plastics Europe eco-profiles for PA 6.6
Polymer
Melting
Temperature,
Tm
°C
Glass
Transition
Temperature,
Tg
°C
Density
g/cm³
Moisture
Uptake at
50 % RH*
%
Tensile
Modulus dry*
MPa
Tensile
Modulus
conditioned
50 % RH*
MPa
Biobased
content
%
CO 2
Emission*
kg CO 2
eq / kg
polymer
Bio PA 4.10 250 70 1.09 1.9 3100 1750 70 0
PA 6.6 255 74 1.14 2.7 3250 1250 0 6.4
14 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Fibers & Textiles
The biodegradation after storage under composting conditions in
accordance to EN 14046:2003 was determined by ITV Denkendorf,
Germany.
start 5 weeks 8 weeks
start 5 weeks 8 weeks
110 pages full
color, paperback
ISBN 978-3-
9814981-1-0:
Bioplastics
ISBN 978-3-
9814981-2-7:
Biokunststoffe
2. überarbeitete
Auflage
‘Basics‘ book
on bioplastics
This book, created and published by Polymedia
Publisher, maker of bioplastics MAGAZINE
is available in English and German language
(German now in the second, revised edition).
Tenacity (cN/tex)
40
30
20
10
10 20 30 40 50
The book is intended to offer a rapid and uncomplicated
introduction into the subject of bioplastics, and is aimed at all
interested readers, in particular those who have not yet had
the opportunity to dig deeply into the subject, such as students
or those just joining this industry, and lay readers. It gives
an introduction to plastics and bioplastics, explains which
renewable resources can be used to produce bioplastics,
what types of bioplastic exist, and which ones are already on
the market. Further aspects, such as market development,
the agricultural land required, and waste disposal, are also
examined.
An extensive index allows the reader to find specific aspects
quickly, and is complemented by a comprehensive literature
list and a guide to sources of additional information on the
Internet.
Elongation (%)
Technical PLA yarn - Diolen 150BT
Textile PLA yarn*
*) Source “Polylactic acid fibres”,
D W FARRINGTON et al., NatureWorks LLC
The author Michael Thielen is editor and publisher
bioplastics MAGAZINE. He is a qualified machinery design
engineer with a degree in plastics technology from the RWTH
University in Aachen. He has written several books on the
subject of blow-moulding technology and disseminated his
knowledge of plastics in numerous presentations, seminars,
guest lectures and teaching assignments.
Tenacity (cN/tex)
80
60
40
20
4
8 12 16
Order now for € 18.65 or US-$ 25.00 (+
VAT where applicable, plus shipping and handling, ask
for details) order at www.bioplasticsmagazine.de/books,
by phone +49 2161 6884463 or by e-mail
books@bioplasticsmagazine.com
Or subscribe and get it as a free gift
(see page 57 for details, outside German y only)
Elongation (%)

Fibers & Textiles
Comfort beyond words
SOLOTEX ® , a partly biobased polyester-fibre (polytrimethylene
terephthalate – PTT) by Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd., Tokyo,
Japan, provides a soft, stretchy texture with gentle
cushioning and offers vivid colors. These advantages could
never be achieved with conventional polyester, polyurethane, or
nylon alone. The many superb characteristics of Solotex derive
from its spring-like, helical molecular structure. The material
is also easy to combine with other fibers, bringing out the characteristics
of the other fiber while adding a new texture and
new functionality. Solotex is a fiber with unlimited potential to
make textile products
more comfortable
to wear or
Fossil-fuel derived
Bio-derived
use.
Seven defining
characteristics of
Solotex derive
Terephthalic acid
from the unique
molecular structure
of the fiber.
The molecules
form a flexible spring-like helix that makes the fiber soft, light,
stretchy, and shape-stable.
Plant-based eco-friendly ingredients
Biomass-derived, plant-based ingredients are used for 37%
of the polymers (Fig 1) that make up Solotex. The fabric thus
reduces consumption of fossil fuels, and helps cut down on
greenhouse gases. Solotex is an eco-friendly fiber that is kind
to people and on the environment.
Super soft feel and smoothness for comfort
The touch of the PTT fibres feels even softer than luxury
cashmere wool. Smooth against the skin, it is more comfortable
to wear than any fiber that has come before. Blending with other
fibers does not affect its superb softness, while maintaining the
beneficial qualities of the blended fibers.
Keeps its shape to look great
A spring-like, helical molecular structure provides form
stability to spring back into shape even with movement. The
fiber resists wrinkles and does not easily get stretched out from
repeated bending at the knee or elbow, maintaining a beautiful
shape at all times. There is also little shrinkage or stretch
even after repeated machine washings and tumble drying,
demonstrating superb dimensional stability.
Stretchiness that feels great, with no stress
Solotex is surprisingly free of any feeling of pressure, even
following the lines of the body. It expands and contracts in any
direction with the body’s movement, feeling truly comfortable
and allowing for free movement. The fibre is ideal for tightfitting
bottom wear and active clothing.
HOOC COOH + HOCH2CH2CH2OH OOC COOCH2CH2CH2 n
1,3-propanediol
(PDO)
Fig.1: 37% bio-derived. *Testing performed using radiocarbon 14 C dating.
Harmonizes
well with
other fibers
for even
greater
potential
Teijin’s PTT
fibres are easy
to combine with
other fibers.
They are highly compatible with both synthetic and natural
fibers, for blending as desired. The fiber will add a soft texture to
improve the feel against the skin, and it provides superb stretch
and recovery from elongation. It is possible to add new texture
and new functionality while bringing out the characteristics of
the blended fiber.
The ideal cushioning with fluffy rebound
Maintains bounce even after repeated compressions and
quickly recovers its fluffy volume. Because of its high durability,
Solotex retains its unique texture for a long time. These
characteristics are best utilized in insulated coats, pillows,
futons, and other items with filling.
Deep, vivid colors that last
Outstanding color development is a key element for fashion
applications. Solotex is very easy to dye, producing deep, vivid
colors with a high-grade feel even when processing at lower
temperatures than conventional methods. Extremely colorfast
for long-lasting dyed color that won’t fade. MT
www.solotex.net
Polytrimethylene terephthalate
(PTT)
Table 1
Solotex Polyester Nylon 6.6
The Positioning
of SOLOTEX ®
Polyester
Shape-Retention
Tenacity (cN/dtex 2.8-3.5 3.7-4.4 4.1-4.5
Elongation (%) 45-53 30-38 32-44
Initial Young’s
modulus (cN/dtex)
20 97 31
Tensile recovery (%) 67-88 29 62
Boiling water
shrinkage (%)
7-9 7 13
Melting point (°C) 230 254 253
Deterioration of
strength due to
weather exposure
Negtigible Negligible
Slight deterioration,
some yellowing
Stretch
Polyutethane
Nylon
Soft Texture
16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Fibers & Textiles
Advances in textile
applications for
biobased polyamide
By:
Howard Chou
Director of R&D
Cathay Industrial Biotech,
Shanghai, China,
Cathay Industrial Biotech (CIB), Shanghai, China, developed
proprietary technology to commercially produce
biobased pentamethylenediamine (DN5), in order to
address the growing demand for innovative new materials.
DN5 is a unique five-carbon platform chemical and an alternative
to hexamethylenediamine (HMDA), a six-carbon
platform chemical used in the production of polymers, such
as polyamide 66 and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). Although
DN5 and HMDA only differ by one carbon length, this
difference creates significant potential for the development
of new polymers with innovative properties.
One polymer CIB developed using its DN5 technology is a
biobased polyamide PA56 named Terryl ® . The Terryl polymer
consists of an odd-numbered repeating unit, instead of the
even-numbered repeating unit found in polyamides 6 and
66. However, the crystalline structure of Terryl prefers an
α-like structure that is more similar to polyamide 66 than
polyamide 6, which exists in both an α and a γ-form. As
a result, Terryl shares many of the stiffness, tensile and
flexural modulus, and wear resistance advantages found in
polyamide 66. Unlike polyamide 66 where 100 % of the interchain
hydrogen bonds can form, Terryl forms a structure
where at most 50% of the inter-chain hydrogen bonds can
form. Another difference of importance is that Terryl has
a unique ratio of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen
(CNOH). The CNOH ratio found in Terryl contains a higher
proportion of nitrogen compared to polyamides 6 and 66,
which have the same CNOH ratio. The higher nitrogen
content increases the limiting oxygen index of Terryl fibres,
making them more flame retardant.
The scientists at CIB and its collaborators discovered that
the differences in the molecular structure described above
translate to fibres with novel properties. For example, Terryl
has a lower initial modulus compared to the traditional fibres
made from polyamide 6 and 66 (Figure 1). A monofilament
of Terryl with a denier per filament (dpf) 1 of 1.5 has an initial
modulus similar to that of wool, which means that Terryl
feels significantly softer than traditional synthetic fibres.
Furthermore, the elastic recovery rate of Terryl is higher
than that of traditional PA6/PA66 fibres on the market
(Figure 2). Lastly, Terryl shows improved dyeing capabilities,
and can be dyed at lower temperatures and with less dye
(Figure 3) without sacrificing any dyeing performance.
The unique properties of Terryl has garnered a significant
amount of interest from the market. As a result, Terryl
was voted as the “Most Popular Fibre Product” at the Yarn
Expo in Shanghai on March 2017, receiving 39% of the votes
casted. In addition to Terryl, CIB is also exploring other new
fibres by combining DN5 with its long-chain dicarboxylic
acid platform. The successful trials with local textile
spinners recently makes CIB confident that it will bring a
new class of materials to the market, following the opening
of its new production plant at Xinjiang, which will have an
annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes of DN5 and 100,000 tonnes
of polyamides.
1: denier = gram per 9000 meter, so dpf 1.5 means one
filament weighs 1.5 gram per 9000 m
www.cathaybiotech.com/en/
48 —
46 —
44 —
Initial Modulus (cN/dtex) Elastic Recovery (%) Elastic Recovery (%)
100 —
25 —
80 —
20 —
42 —
40 —
38 —
36 —
60 —
40 —
20 —
15 —
10 —
5 —
0 —
0 2 3 4 8
34 —
Terryl
PA6
PA66
0 —
Terryl PA6/PA66 Terryl PA6/PA66
10% elongation 20% elongation
Terryl
PA6
PA66
Figure 1: Terryl is softer
than existing synthetic fibers
Figure 2: Terryl has better elastic recovery
than existing synthetic fibers
Figure 3: Terryl uses less dye to achieve
the same dyeing performance
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 17

Fibres & Textiles
Stable ring spinning process
for PLA staple fibre yarns
This article presents the current state of the project
SPEY which aims to establish poly lactic acid (PLA)
staple fibre yarns in home textiles or in technical applications
using a methodological approach and process
analysis. The goal of the performed process analysis is
the avoidance of degradation phenomena during the ring
spinning process. At the current state of the project, Ring
spinning yarn of 100 % PLA was successfully produced. A
production speed of v pr
= 23 m/min combined with a twist
factor of α m
= 100 T/m lead to a stable process without yarn
breakage. The resulting yarn count is T t
= 25 tex. This article
provides an overview of the results from the ring spinning
trials with experimental PLA filaments and presents optimised
production parameters for the stable production of
100 % PLA ring spinning yarn.
Introduction
Currently, Europe consumes more than 6 million tonnes
of textile fibres 34 % for clothing, 27 % for housing and
carpeting, 38 % for other industrial technical usages [1]. The
European textile and clothing industry has a longstanding
tradition of leadership in terms of innovation, fashion and
creativity. Even though the European textile and clothing
industry increasingly encounters fierce global competition
and significant relocation of manufacturing to low-wage
countries - with 165 billion EUR turnover - it continues to
represent one of Europe’s major industrial sectors [2].
Today, the European textile industry is challenged to make
a radical shift towards innovative and high-value added
products to counter the competition with low-wage countries.
At the same time, European industry is looking to find links to
the environment-concerned customers via the increased use
of renewable and recyclable as well as recycled materials.
PLA is at the moment produced from starch (corn) or from
sugar (sugarbeet). The fibre products are highly smooth and
completely non-irritating to the skin, while being 100 %
biodegradable and compostable. PLA staple fibres are a
possible alternative as a substitution of existing synthetic
fibre products. The replacement of oil based polymers by
biobased alternatives is a topic that is regarded with high
priority in textile innovation programs. PLA offers additional
end-of-life possibilities. It is known and demonstrated that
PLA can be recycled via melt processing and due to the
low melting temperature and the limited water-uptake the
process has a low cost and offers high quality products. Also
hydrolysis to feedstock (monomers) is possible. In contrast
with most oil based polymers, PLA can be composted or used
in biogas installations. At medium term, the market potential
is estimated to the production of 40,000 t/a for PLA and PLA
blended yarns with a volume of appr. 140 Million EUR/a all
over Europe when comparable properties of existing yarns
are reached. Moreover, there’s not much oil occurrence in
Europe but enough area for cultivable land for food and crop
for technical use. The industry of agriculture and forestry are
offered alternative production and income possibilities.
The project Spun EcoYarn (SPEY, AiF Cornet 153 EN)
contributes to a greener environment. Depending on the crop
used 3.3 up to 6 tonnes of PLA can be produced per hectare
crop yield. This is very efficient compared to the production
of about 1 tonne of cotton per hectare. During 2012, 190,000
tonnes of PET fibres were produced just in Germany [3]. The
total energy consumption to produce PLA is about 50 % lower
than for PES (Fig 1., top) and as a consequence also the total
emission of greenhouse gases is about 60 % lower for PLA
than for PES (Fig. 1, bottom).
SPEY aims to establish poly lactic acid (PLA) staple fibre
yarns in home textiles e. g. upholstery fabrics, bedding
textiles, matrass thickening, in technical applications e.
g. work wear and medical textiles using a methodological
approach and process analysis, with the goal of avoiding
degradation phenomena.
The aim of this project is to develop the technology and
expertise to economically produce PLA based spun yarns and
blended spun yarns with properties comparable to existing
PET alternatives. It is targeted to develop in commercially
available conditions, high quality bio-based spun yarns with a
high durability (long life time). To reach this goal the polymer
recipe is modified by additives and process parameters for
melt spinning as well as end spinning for high quality yarns
are defined.
Implementation
Aim of the current work package within the SPEY project is
the production of staple fibre yarns of commercially available
PLA and of experimental PLA by Centexbel. Also, spinning
methods for processing PLA are optimised and PLA staple
fibre yarns with improved properties are developed. PET
(Table 1) based ring yarns will be the benchmark for the
development of the PLA staple fibre yarns. The main target is
to reach a breaking tenacity in the range of 16 – 30 cN/tex [5].
The experimental PLA filaments are cut and texturated
at the user committee member (UCM) of the company
Barnet Europe GmbH & Co. KG, Aachen, Germany. Spin
finish application is performed by the UCM Bozzetto GmbH,
Krefeld, Germany. At ITA the fibres are processed into a sliver
and send to the UCM member Schlafhorst, branch office of
Saurer Germany GmbH & Co. KG, for ring spinning.
18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Fibres & Textiles
By:
Vadim Tenner 1 , Marie-Isabel Popzyk 1 ,
Yves-Simon Gloy 1 , Raf Van Olmen 2 , Thomas Gries 1
1
Institut für Textiltechnik der RWTH Aachen
University, Aachen, Germany
2
Centexbel, Gent, Belgium
www.ita.rwth-aachen.de
Fig. 1: Energy consumption and
greenhouse gas emission of PLA and PET [4]
100,00
80,00
60,00
40,00
20,00
0,00
Production energy consumption in MJ/kg
PES
-50%
PLA
PLA
PES
4,00
3,00
2,00
1,00
0,00
100,00 100,00
Results
80,00
60,00
In the following, the results from the laboratory
40,00
analysis 20,00 of the produced ring spinning yarns
0,00 of 0,00 100 % PLA are presented. The used batch
PES PES
PLA PLA
of experimental PLA was not applied with an
additional spin finish since spinning trials
showed no necessity for a second spin finish.
Stable spinning processes for ring spinning are
achieved and a factorial design is carried out.
Fibre properties after different processing steps
are shown in Table 2. The laboratory results show,
that the produced sliver contains fibres of 35.99
± 10.41 mm length. The PET fibres, which are
the benchmark, have a 3-times as high tenacity
F t
= 76.61 cN/tex and only half the elongation at
break ε b
= 18.55 %.
Ring spinning
80,00
60,00
40,00
20,00
Production energy energy consumption in MJ/kg in MJ/kg
Ring spinning is performed using a 100 % PLA
sliver. The machine settings including a factorial
design are shown in Table 3.
The ring spinning results have high standard
deviations due to manual spinning preparation
and no significance is discernible. Owing to limited
fibre amounts of around 4-8 kg of each batch an
industrial carding machine is not suitable and a
laboratory carding machine has to be used. This
laboratory carding machine only produces nonwovens
and no slivers. The non-wovens are folded
to slivers of1 m and a weigth of 30 g. Due to this
discontinuous process the sliver pieces have to
be joined. Especially within its connecting areas,
thick and thins places occur in the final sliver. An
autoleveller gillbox can limit thin and thick places
in a sliver to a certain amount but the unevenness
in the slivers is too high for the autoleveller gill to
fully reconcile it.
Due to the manual spinning preparation, two
rovings were fed in simultaneosly into the drafting
unit, in order to increase the evenness of the sliver.
The trials were carried out in an air-conditioned
hall at a room temperature of T = 25 °C and a
relative humidity of ρ = 47 %. Within the trials,
it was proved that ring spinning yarn with 100 %
PLA is possible at v pr
= 10 m/min. Frequent yarn
breakage and no stable ring spinning process
occurred at a production speed of v pr
= 15 m/min
and the twist factor α m
= 80 T/m.
PLA PLA
PES PES
4,00 4,00
3,00 3,00
2,00 2,00
1,00 1,00
0,00 0,00
Table 1: Properties of cotton and PES as benchmark
Specific
gravity
[g/cm³]
Tenacity
[cN/tex]
Moisture
content
[%]
Melting
point [°C]
Elastic
recovery
[5 %
strain]
Cotton 1.39 45 – 55 0.2 – 0.4 255 – 265 65
PES 1.52 20 – 40 7 – 8 - 52
Table 2: Fibre properties of Batch 03 after different processing steps
Processing step
Staple fibre
length L sf
[mm]
Tenacity F f
[cN/tex]
Elongation at
break ε b
[%]
Filament - 27.94 ± 5.44 40.34 ± 10.41
Cut/crimped 41.53 ± 5.57 23,95 ± 5.15 38.81 ± 13.04
Sliver (carding) 35.99 ± 10.41 24.45 ± 5.75 39.16 ± 10.18
Table 3: Machine and processing parameters for ring yarn from
batch 03 (factorial design)
Machine Zinser Impact 72
Ring traveller HEL 1 hr EMT SS 1/0
Production
rate
[m/min] 15 20 25
Twisting
factor α m
[T/m] 80 100 80 100 80 100
Yarn count
T t
[tex] 24.8 21.2 24.05 24.4 - 28.2
Tenacity F f
[cN/tex] 12.16 12.96 13.78 12.6 - 10.8
Elongation ε [%] 21.3 21.8 22.7 21.6 - 21.6
Evenness
CVm
Production greenhouse gas gas in CO in 2
CO eg./kg 2
eg./kg
PES PES
-60%
PLA PLA
[%] 21.2 23.2 20.2 20.7 - 19.4
Hairiness H - 10.76 8.99 - 8.14 - 8.26
PLA PLA
PES PES
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 19

Fibres & Textiles
Batch 03 while setting up a twist factor to α m
= 80 T/m reaches given
values of T t
= 25 tex most closely. The necessary yarn count is reached at a
production speed of v pr
= 20 m/min. (Fig. 2)
The measured elongation values show a high variation (Fig. 3) and no
link between elongation and production speed can be determined. At
twist factor of α m
= 80 T/m and a production speed of v pr
= 23 m/min a high
amount of yarn breakage occurred. Therefore is it recommended to use a
higher twist factor of α m
= 100 T/m
Fig. 3: Elongation of ring
spinning yarn from batch 03
29,0 —
27,0 —
25,0 —
23,0 —
21,0 —
19,0 —
Measuring
head =
10 N
Clip type =
4g
Clamping
length =
50 mm
V prüf =
50 mm/min
≙ 0,50 cN/tex
The count-related tenacity of batch 03 ring spun yarn has rather high
deviations for all different yarns. The reason for this is the unevenness of
the sliver which is immanent to the manual production step.
17,0—
0,0 —
α m
= 80
α m
= 100
Decrease in
force =
50 %
V pr
The hairiness of the ring spun yarn from batch 03 is shown in Fig. 5. At a
twist factor α m
= 80 T/m, a value of 10.7 is achieved. The higher twist factor
of α m
= 100 T/m and the production speed of v pr
= 20 m/min achieve the
recommended minimal hairiness of H = 8.14.
Due to the manual production of the sliver, the evenness of ring spun yarn
of batch 03 reaches values of CVm = 26.9 %. Batch 03 shows decreasing
CVm-Values, independent from the twisting factor, with increasing
production rate.
Conclusion and outlook
PLA staple fibres are a possible alternative as a substitution of existing
synthetic fibre products. At the current state of the project, Ring spinning
yarn of 100 % PLA was successfully produced. The article presents the
results from the laboratory analysis of the produced ring spinning yarn. A
yarn count of T t
= 25 tex was achieved with optimised production parameters.
The scientific findings from the performed experiments suggest that the
higher twist factor α m
= 100 T/m and production speed of v pr
= 20 m/min are
good production parameters to achieve the yarn properties which the SPEY
project aims for. Further experiments on ring and rotor spinning machines
and the production of a woven fabric with the experimental PLA yarns will
be performed in 2017.
Acknowledgement
Fig. 4: Count-related tenacity of
ring spinning yarn from batch 03
18,0 —
17,0 —
16,0 —
15,0 —
14,0 —
13,0 —
12,0 —
11,0 —
10,0 —
9,0 —
0,0 —
α m
= 80
Fig. 5: Hairiness of ring
spinning yarn from batch 03
α m
= 100
15 m/min
20 m/min
23 m/min
Measuring
head =
10 N
Clip type =
4g
Clamping
length =
50 mm
V prüf =
50 mm/min
≙ 0,50 cN/tex
Decrease in
force =
50 %
V pr
15 m/min
20 m/min
23 m/min
Grateful acknowledgement goes to the research association
Forschungskuratorium Textil e. V., a branch of the German Federation of
Industrial Research Associations (AiF), for the financial funding — through
AiF-CORNET — of the research project AiF-No. 153 EN SPEY. Grateful
acknowledgement goes also to the company Schlafhorst, branch office of
Saurer Germany GmbH & Co. KG, for providing their expertise and assets
for performing the ring spinning trials.
References:
[1] Euratex, The EU-27 Textile and Clothing Industry in the year 2012, May 2013
[2] Position of the European Textile and clothing industry and its applied research community
on support for SME Research & Innovation under Horizon 2020. Euratex, March 2012
[3] IVC Jahresbroschüre 2013 Chemiefaserzahlen und Baumwolle-Wolle
11,5 —
11,0 —
10,5 —
10,0 —
9,5 —
9,0 —
8,5 —
8,0 —
7,5 —
0,0 —
α m
= 80
α m
= 100
V prüf =
50 mm/min
t prüf =
1 min
Principle:
optical
V pr
15 m/min
20 m/min
23 m/min
[4] http://www.natureworksllc.com/the-ingeo-journey/Eco-Profile-and-LCA/Eco-Profile.
aspx#GHG
[5] Uster statistics, http://www.uster.com/en/service/uster-statistics/, visited on May 27th, 2014
www.ita.rwth-aachen.de
Fig. 2: 29,0 —
Yarn count
28,0 —
of ring
spinning
27,0 —
yarn from 26,0 —
batch 03
25,0 —
24,0 —
23,0 —
F V
=
0,5 cN/tex
Reel length =
10 m
Figure 4.1 Evenness of ring
spinning yarn from batch 03
31,0 —
29,0 —
27,0 —
25,0 —
23,0 —
21,0 —
V prüf =
100 mm/min
t prüf =
1 min
Principle:
capacitive
22,0 —
19,0 —
21,0 —
V pr
17,0—
V pr
20,0—
0,0 —
α m
= 80
α m
= 100
15 m/min
20 m/min
23 m/min
0,0 —
α m
= 80
α m
= 100
15 m/min
20 m/min
23 m/min
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Industrial Solutions
Polylactide Technology
Uhde Inventa Fischer Polycondensation Technologies has expanded its product portfolio to
include the innovative state-of-the-art PLAneo ® process for a sustainable polymer. The
feedstock for our PLA process is lactic acid, which can be produced from local agricultural
products containing starch or sugar. The application range of PLA is similar to that of polymers
based on fossil resources as its physical properties can be tailored to meet packaging, textile
and other requirements. www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 21

Fibres & Textiles
The FIBFAB project
New biodegradable fibres from renewable
sources for fabrics with advanced properties
The FIBFAB project, coordinated by AIMPLAS (Valencia,
Spain), will allow obtaining sustainable textile fibres
to replace polyester with advantages such as higher
breathability, lower weight, better tinting and UV ray resistance.
The new fabrics can be easily recycled at the end of
their life, since they do not contain blends of natural and
synthetic fabrics. They may even be composted thanks to
their biodegradability.
Around one million tonnes of fabrics used for clothing
applications are produced each year in Europe by yarn
spinning combining natural fibres (such as cotton or wool)
and synthetic fibres (such as polyester). These blends of
natural fibres and synthetics are generally prepared to
improve comfort and durability aspects of the end products.
However, these standard fabrics are complex to recycle
after their use since both types of fibres are intermingled
and cannot be separated again.
Companies in the textile industry are challenged today
to make a radical shift towards innovative and high added
value products to counter the competition with low-wage
countries. In this context, the FIBFAB project has been
initiated to successfully launch and industrialize the
production of biodegradable and sustainable polylactic
acid (PLA) based fabrics (wool/PLA and cotton/PLA) for
the applications in casual (menswear and womenswear),
protective and workwear clothing, and to overcome the
current limitations of PLA fibres as a real alternative to
current fabrics (wool and cotton combined with polyester
fibres). This improvement will be carried out by applying
the knowhow and methodology developed in prior European
projects BIOFIBROCAR and BIOAGROTEX.
More breathability, lower weight, better tinting
and UV rays resistance
The main objectives of the FIBFAB project are: to
obtain a final clothing product 100 % biobased and
biodegradable that meets the mechanical and performance
requirements of the textile sector in correspondence with
the final applications. Besides, it is expected to improve
the current poor thermal resistance of PLA fibres to meet
the requirements in several clothing applications by the
technology developed in previous EU projects to enhance
the final PLA crystallinity.
Regarding the PLA fibre manufacturing process, the
processing parameters will be optimized to have thinner
fibres (less than 3 dtex) and especially the mechanical
spinning process (friction control in ring spinning) to be able
to spin PLA blend fibres at higher speeds. This will allow
the introduction to the textile market yarns and fabrics
produced from PLA fibres and cotton or wool with important
advantages, such as better breathability, better hydrophilic
properties to make easier the tinting process, a higher
resistance to degradation by UV rays, low smoke production
and flammability and lower density than PES, what causes
a lower fabric weight.
This project has received funding from the European
Union’s Horizon 2020 Fast Track Innovation Pilot programme
(H2020-FTIPilot-2016-1) under grant agreement No
737882. This project has a duration of 24 months and these
are the participant companies: CENTEXBEL, DS Fibres
(Belgium), Yünsa (Turkey) and SINTEX (Czech Republic).
Together with AIMPLAS, these consortium members
cover the entire textile value chain, from fibre production
to clothing manufacturing, thus ensuring the industrial
implementation of PLA fibres.
The FIBFAB project is one of the 15 funded projects of a
total of 280 projects proposals that were submitted in the
fifth round of the scheme. From these 15 projects, only four
include Spanish partners in their consortiums and FIBFAB
is the first project in the Valencian Community to be funded
in this programme. MT
http://fibfab-project.eu
In each season two different collections are prepared for all
customers by following key fashion terms of American &
European trends.
Fibre spinning
22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Automotive
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 23

Production
Reducing PLA production cost
Earlier this year at a bioplastics conference in Bangkok,
“Jem’s Law” about the growth of the PLA market was
presented. Jem’s Law basically says that PLA volumes
doubled every 3 to 4 years in the past and therefore will
continue to do so in the future. With some knowledge of
the actual production capacities one can calculate that the
PLA market will be around 600,000 t/a in 2022 / 2023. All
in all, this would mean that there is a need for 5 additional
PLA plants with a capacity of 75,000 t/a until 2022. This is a
promising perspective, not only for an engineering company
like Uhde Inventa-Fischer, a subsidiary of thyssenkrupp
Industrial Solutions. Even though all forecasts have to
be treated with the necessary caution, Jem’s Law can be
considered fairly realistic compared with earlier ones about
the markets for bioplastics.
PLA economics: size, price, efficiency
If PLA plants are to be built in the future, economics
will of course play a crucial role. Besides the well-known
factors of plant size (the bigger the better) and feedstock
prices (the lower the better), raw material conversion –
which determines specific feedstock demand – must not be
neglected.
What factors influence the conversion of lactic acid to PLA?
One is the formation of side-products. In the case of PLA,
provided one uses the right catalyst, this is comparatively
low. In practice more than 95 % of what is theoretically
possible can be converted into lactide and polylactide.
Unwanted meso-lactide increases production
cost
But lactic acid is an optical active substance with a
L(+)- and a D(-)-configuration, and three different types
(enantiomers) of lactides: L-lactide, D-lactide and mesolactide.
Each one results in different PLAs in terms of
properties and processing behavior. The repartition of the
enantiomers in the lactide feedstock determines PLA
properties like crystallinity/crystallization time to a major
extent and consequently also heat distortion temperature
and hydrolysis resistance.
What’s more, the lactide composition cannot be adjusted
to the desired level without separation of meso-lactide, the
lactide enantiomer with a L(+)- and a D(-)-configuration.
Using optically pure L(+)-lactic acid is not sufficient to
obtain an optically pure lactide. Racemization of L-lactide
(or D-lactide), mainly during depolymerization of lactic acid
polycondensate to lactide, leads to the formation of mesolactide.
In many applications a small percentage of mesolactide
is advantageous. But there are also applications
where meso-lactide should be as low as possible. And it
appears that their share is growing, for example in durables
and most fibers, or if high heat is required. In general more
meso-lactide is produced than is needed.
This raises the question of what to do with the surplus
meso-lactide. To write it off as a loss is not an option as
this would increase production cost severely. Fig. 1 shows
production cost as a function of raw material conversion.
A loss of 10 % due to racemization leads to a decrease
in conversion from 96 % to 83 % which in turn increases
production cost by more than 12 % (all calculations based
on Uhde Inventa-Fischer’s PLAneo ® technology for an
industrial scale plant on a European price basis).
Selling or downgrading back to lactic acid have
drawbacks.
A better option is to hydrolyze meso-lactide back to
lactic acid. Technically this is not a challenge. But due to
its racemic nature the quality of the lactic acid is lower
than the feedstock lactic acid. It goes without saying that
the conversion of a high grade lactic acid into a low grade
one is economically unfavorable. Besides bad economics a
producer of PLA has the drawback of having to deal with two
completely different markets – selling PLA on the one hand
120%
Fig 1: Production cost as a function of raw material conversion
VAC
Fig 2: Process flow diagram of
thyssenkrupp’s PLAneo process
Increase in Production Cost
115%
110%
105%
100%
Crude
Lactide
Meso-Lactide
Purrification
PLAneo ®
95%
75%
80% 85% 90% 95% 100%
Lactic Acid Conversion: Percentage of theoretical maximum
L-Lactide
Purrification
Ring Opening
Polymerisation
Demonomerisation
24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Production
By:
Udo Mühlbauer
thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH
Berlin, Germany
and lactic acid for example to the cosmetics industry on the
other (unless he is already a lactic acid producer).
An even better option would be to sell meso-lactide as a
chemical intermediate or monomer for different applications
and to different markets – with the aim of achieving higher
prices. As meso-lactide has not existed as a commercial
product before, there is no established market. New
applications have to be developed and markets have to be
found. Whether these markets will develop and to what size
remains to be seen.
Using polymerized meso-lactide to form a single
product: PLAneo
The solution that Uhde Inventa-Fischer has developed
initially appears obvious: like L-lactide, meso-lactide is
purified and polymerized. This is easier said than done. Beside
the fact that meso-lactide is much more sensitive to sidereactions
than usual polymer-grade lactide, the molecular
weight of poly-meso-lactide has to be comparatively high in
order to obtain good mechanical properties. Both facts add
up to stringent requirements for the purity of polymer-grade
meso-lactide.
The second step of the PLAneo technology is not as obvious.
Instead of producing a second polymer, which would have
limited possible application due to its amorphous nature,
polymeso-lactide is blended with the main crystallizable
PLA-melt, both polymerized continuously in parallel lines,
to give one product.
Optimized yield, same product properties
The resulting polymer maintains all relevant mechanical,
optical and physical properties: tensile strength, E-modulus,
crystallization behavior and melting point do not change.
Only the b*-value of the PLA pellets is slightly increased.
This holds true irrespective of whether distillation or
crystallization is used to purify the main lactide stream.
Processing of PLAneo PLA is just as straightforward as
standard PLA.
Applying separate polymerization of meso-lactide and
L-Lactide and blending it afterwards means no meso-lactide
has to be discarded or used in a less economical way. The
specific demand of lactic acid converges to its theoretical
minimum of 1.25 kg per kg of PLA.
Nobody knows exactly how the PLA market will develop.
We will see whether Jem’s law will continue to prove
true in the future and how many new plants will come on
stream. But the ones using technology that maximizes
raw material yield will definitely have an advantage.
www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com
201 200
Fig 3: Comparison of PLA properties with and without
amorphous PLA contingent
D-
Content
[%]
Intrinsic
Viscosity
[dl/g]
Residual
Monomer
[%]
Tm
[°C]
b*-
Value
[-]
Haze
[%]
159 160
4069
3881
cPLA PLAneo ® bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 25
Fig 4: Comparison of BOPLA film
properties with and without
amorphous PLA contingent
4201 4265 96
113
85
100
PLA 2 1.87 < 0.02 162 4 0.38
PLAneo 5 1.87 < 0.02 162 6 0.35
MD TD MD TD
MD TD
Tensile Strength
[N/mm²]
E-Modulus [N/mm²]
Elongation at
Break[%]

Application AutomotiveNews
Grasping at bioplastic straw
Switzerland’s Sukano, a leading producer of additive and
colour masterbatches and compounds for polyester and
specialty resins, and NatureWorks have collaborated on the
development of an eco-friendly material suitable for making
drinking straws from.
Formerly made of paper, modern day straws, are mainly
made from polypropylene and present a variety of technical
challenges for alternative new materials seeking to bring
new functionality.
For example, the narrow, U-shaped straws for juice boxes
must be articulated and have a high flexibility modulus. During
manufacturing, edges must be cut smoothly to prevent
unsafe sharp or rough rims, while visual aesthetics, such as
transparency, are also critical. These are just a few of the
many specifications new materials must meet for adoption
into this market application.
The demand for disposable straws is expected to grow,
driven in part by consumer demand for convenience, meals
on the go, and the consumption of specialty drinks – hence
the potential for materials that provide complete, responsible
lifecycle solutions while providing the desired functionality
is huge.
So, when Sukano and PLA manufacturer NatureWorks,
got together, a new, broad market opportunity was born.
Bioplastics like polylactic acid (PLA) have long been
viewed as sustainable in sourcing, manufacture and afteruse
– but, until today, they were unable to meet the market’s
performance requirements to replace the use of polypropylene
in this application. Sukano masterbatches reduce
the brittleness of PLA, which allows precise cutting during
production and avoids splintering and rough edges. Combining
melt enhancer additives in Ingeo-based PLA masterbatches,
Sukano’s concentrates promote dimensional
stability and greater flexibility without cracking at temperatures
of 110° to 120°C. The additive masterbatches formulations
are also designed to maintain the high transparency
required in straws.
“We are thrilled that this collaboration between key players
in the value chain allows us to bring an innovative alternative
to the market. Using our combined experience, we
are able to modify Ingeo PLA to customize its performance
for a new end market – providing benefits to consumers and
companies,” said Alessandra Funcia, Head of Marketing at
Sukano.
“At NatureWorks, we are helping to rethink plastics. The
replacement of conventional oil-based polypropylene by Ingeo
in drinking straws is just one example of how bioplastics
can help address sustainability, while still providing the
high-performance material required for this application,”
concluded Steve Davies, Commercial Director – Nature-
Works Performance Packaging. MT
www.natureworksllc.com | www.sukano.com
First meal set
Beatrice and Daniele Radaelli, founders of eKoala (Cavenago di Brianza, Italy), have decided to look at the world of plastic
materials from a different point of view, driven by liability and environmental sustainability. “When both my brother and I became
parents we soon understood the limits and the dark sides of traditional plastic and we started looking for new materials that
could have the same glamour of those colourful plastic granules which stimulated our fantasy as kids, but at the same time,
could be safe for our children and for the environment they would live in. After months of research we finally found what we
were looking for…”
The bioplastics of eKoala are based on Novamont’s Materbi and do not
contain any toxic substances and are biodegradable. They are the ideal
products for those who consider responsibility as a key factor for their buying
behaviour and choose to leave a better world to future generations. “We put
our childrenshealth first”, as Beatrice put it. Babies and kids are the weakest
link but also the future of our planet. For this reason, eKoala uses only natural
raw materials free from any toxic substance.
One of the products recently added to their range of bioplastics products is
the eKeat – First Meal Set. Other products include drinking cups, teethers and
more. MT
www.ekoala.eu
26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Application Automotive News
Organic chair
The new Kartell Organic Chair uses a revolutionary new
organic plastic material to create a sustainable item of
furniture that is high quality and highly creative.
Designed by Antonio Citterio (Italian architect, furniture
designer and industrial designer who lives and works in
Milan), Kartell’s Organic Chair is made from BIODURA, a
PHA-based material from Sabio Materials (Italy) obtained
from renewable raw materials. The raw material is organic in
nature and comes from renewable plant-based sources that
will not disrupt food production.
The material is a result of different processes that make it a
very high-quality compound that Kartell has injection moulded
just like other plastics: a first in the world of furniture.
Kartell has therefore come up with a sustainable design
in line with its industrial philosophy based on the concept of
quality and durability. Ideally, at the end of its working life,
in the right conditions, the Organic Chair can re-enter the
biological cycle or biodegrade.
Organic Chair is perfect for both indoor and outdoor use
as it is extremely durable, which also makes it perfect for the
contract market. MT
www.spacefurniture.com.au/kartell.html
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 27

Application News
Pet food bags
Midwestern Pet Foods is
packaging its newly launched
Earthborn Holistic Venture line in
sustainable packaging produced
by Peel Plastics Products Ltd.,
utilizing Braskem’s I’m Green TM
biobased polyethylene (PE).
In an effort to mitigate the carbon footprint associated with
its product, Peel Plastics has chosen to use biobased PE to
manufactures the new Earthborn Holistic Venture pet food
bags.
The company said it was “very happy” to partner with
Midwestern Pet Foods, a long-standing customer, and with
Braskem, in its striving to as focus on “advanced solutions for
sourcing renewable packaging materials”.
Consumer response to the new PlantBag, said Jeff Nunn,
Midwestern Pet Foods President, has been overwhelmingly
enthusiastic.”
According to Gustavo Sergi, Renewables Director at
Braskem, North America is gaining momentum in terms
of its use of sustainable green PE. “It is encouraging that
North America is catching up to other regions of the world
with visionary companies such as Midwestern Pet Foods and
Peel Plastics taking the lead to a more sustainable consumer
lifestyle,” he said.
“Stay tuned, you will only see more of these launches in the
coming months and years.”
www.braskem.com
Bioplastic toys
Plasto, a toy company
in Finland has over 60
years of experience in
manufacturing high quality
plastic toys. Their focus is
very strong on safety and
durability. Furthermore,
they are extremely focused
on environmental values. For several decades they have
been using recycled plastic from their own production in
order not to waste any material and they keep on investing
more to save the environment and be good to nature. In
spring 2017, Plasto launched their own I’m Green toy
range. All the toys in this range are over 90 % biobased.
The raw material which is used derives from sugar cane.
By doing this, Plasto will significantly reduce the carbon
footprint of its toys as well as the use of fossil resources.
For every kg of I’m Green Polyethylene used in Plastos’
toys more than 5 kg of CO 2
is saved. The toys are food
contact safe and dishwasher safe. At the end of their life
cycle they can be recycled and the raw material can be
reused which is in accordance with Plasto’s philosophy.
The I’m Green toys have been extremely well received.
For Christmas Plasto will be expanding it’s range with
new items.
”Our I’m Green toy range has been extremely well
received by our customers. We have expanded our I’m
Green range with crane and fire truck already for this
Christmas. We are proud to offer a sustainable choice,”
says Kennet Berndtsson, Managing Director at Plasto.
MT
www.braskem.com | www.fkur.com | www.plasto.fi
PHA for eyeglass frames
Bio-on, (Bologny, Italy) recently announced a partnership
with Kering Eyewear to develop new materials based on
Minerv PHAs. “This is the first time in the world that a
company in the eyewear industry has decided to carry out
research with our biopolymers,” explains Marco Astorri,
Chairman and CEO of Bio-on.
Kering Eyewear’s aim is to make an active contribution
to the development of an innovative and sustainable
business model, providing its team of designers with a
series of cutting-edge materials to broaden their creative
possibilities, setting new trends in the luxury and sport &
lifestyle segments. Researchers from the two companies
will collaborate to design, certify and put on the market new
eco-sustainable materials to be integrated with the use of
cellulose acetate, one of the most common materials used
in the majority of the eyewear products on the market to
date.
“We are proud to be the first in the world to use our
PHAs biopolymer together with such a prestigious and
internationally renowned company as Kering Eyewear.
Thanks to this collaboration, we are launching a new era
in the eyewear world,” says Marco Astorri. “The union
of creativity and technology will give rise to items with
absolutely innovative characteristics. Our laboratories and
scientists will develop a vast range of new formulations,
giving free rein to the creativity of the most discerning
designers.”
“The partnership with Bio-on represents a tangible
sign of Kering Eyewear’s attention to sustainability and its
desire to bring innovation to a consolidated industry. In our
Group,” explains Roberto Vedovotto, Chairman and CEO
of Kering Eyewear, “we strongly
believe that ‘sustainable business
is smart business’. The materials
developed by Bio-on, 100% natural
and biodegradable, will be a
revolution in the eyewear industry
and completely dovetail our unique
approach to the market, as well as
our desire to offer increasingly high
quality and innovative products. In
the luxury sector, sustainability and
environmental awareness are no
longer an option, they are a must.”
MT
www.bio-on.it | www.kering.com
Roberto Vedovotto
(Photo: Albrecht Fuchs)
28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Application News
Your city - your cup
Coffee to take away
or beer in the stadium
- we like to drink on the
go. Usually such a drink
comes in plastic or paper
cups. Reusable cups can
be reused very often (up
to 500 times - or more)
and are therefore more
environmentally friendly
(says DUH, Deutsche
Umwelthilfe). Even the
environmental impact of its production is comparatively
low over the entire product life cycle.
That is why the German company Bunzl from Marl
initiated the Düsseldorf Becher (Düsseldorf Cup), a system
of reusable cups that can be purchased in one store and
returned in another. A total of 80 stores already participate
in the system, including bakeries, cafés and restaurants.
And what makes the Düsseldorf Cup special is the
material. The 350ml cup is made of CPLA. Since PLA is not
a heat-resistant product, for CPLA talc powder is added
and helps the PLA to crystallize. This the C stands for
crystallized PLA. CPLA consists of 70-80 % of PLA and 20-
30 % of talc powder. The cups are biodegradable according
to EN13432 without the release of pollutants, however,
not home compostable. It is BPA-free. The cup shows a
high temperature resistance range: -20 °C - 100 °C. It is
microwaveable and dishwasher safe. MT
www.bunzl.de
The partners are spread all over Düsseldorf , Germany
(Source: Google MyMaps)
How about going bio?
For almost every conventional plastic, there is a bioplastic alternative.
Our PLA masterbatches can help introduce PLA into your portfolio.
Make the switch today.
www.sukano.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 29

Materials
New compostable PHA
based compound from Canada
Bosk Bioproducts offers a new generation of
“Clean Plastic”
For more than 10 years, researchers at the INRS in Quebec
(Canada) have been developing a biotechnology to
produce PHA (polyhydroxy alkanoate), a biopolymer that
can replace conventional plastic. What makes Bosk’s Clean
plastic so different? The PHA is produced from by-products
from the Pulp and paper industry. Bosk’s objective is to ensure
accessibility to the objects of everyday life without jeopardizing
the sustainability of the planet. Recently at BIO 2017, Bosk
presented its clean plastic business model regrouping different
lines of compounds dedicated to the plastic industry and
consumers wanting sustainable products.
Regen, compounds for plastic truly compostable
As we speak, the only solution that avoids the accumulation
of plastics is composting. The Regen compounds series
of Bosk’s bioplastic is fully compostable. Based on Bosk’s
proprietary PHA, and a choice of eco-friendly ingredients, the
Regen compounds can be used for finished products from
standard processes like injection, extrusion or thermoforming.
These Regen compounds can finally meet the most stringent
requirements in terms of standards for composting. At the
end of their useful life, objects made with Bosk’s Regen
compounds can be designed to be thrown into industrial or
home composting facilities. This sustainable method of plastic
disposal promotes by natural processes the regeneration of
plastic components in nutrients and other constituents into
our environment without toxic impact.
Compostable, but also durable
No need to worry about product durability. PHA adds a
clever blend of ingredients to meet consumer demands
while ensuring compostability at home or at industrial sites.
Degradation begins only when the object is in contact with
the natural bacteria living in the soil and the time required
for degradation can be as short as a few weeks up to a few
months.
Plastic designed to reduce our impact on the
environment
Moreover, in order to obtain the most natural product and
reduce its impact on the environment, this new generation
of plastic does not originate from GMOs nor does it contains
toxic additives such as BPA and phtalates. When compared to
the production of conventional plastic, this bioplastic makes it
possible to reduce the carbon footprint. And here’s the icing
on the cake: the raw material of this plastic is an untapped
by-product of the pulp and paper industry. Bosk makes no
Life cycle of Bosk’s compostable
plastic finished products
pulp and
paper mill
(partner)
PHA
compostable
plastic
compound
(BOSK)
compostable
plastic
manufacturer
(partner)
compostable
plastic
finished
product
PHA plant
(BOSK)
composting at the
end of the life
of the product
retailer /
consumer
30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Materials
By:
Paul Boudreault
CEO
Bosk Bioproducts
Quebéc, Canada
compromises. Both the product and the production process
are developed to reduce their impact on the environment.
The goal is to create plastic products that meet the growing
demand from new eco-conscious consumers.
Bosk’s PHA production capacity based on the pulp
and paper industry
Production capacity of Bosk’s PHA is based on the pulp and
paper industry’s investments in product diversification. Bosk
is in discussions with a major P&P company in Canada to
sub-licence the technology and start PHA production. It will be
possible to have a PHA production facility at any P&P mill. “We
are evaluating PHA production facilities to implement in the
next two years from 3,000 and up to 25,000 tonnes/years with
our first P&P partner” said Paul Boudreault, CEO of Bosk at
BIO-2017 in Montreal. By integrating the technology in existing
P&P mills, it reduces by far capital investment needs and
production costs required for conventional PHA production.
Having developed expertise in compounding this new PHA,
Bosk is now developing customer interest to ensure a market
destination for finished compounds and plastic products. This
new Value-chain model allows Bosk to reduce the distance
between the PHA producer and the eco-conscious consumer.
www.bosk-bioproducts.com/
European Bioplastics
12 TH CONFERENCE
Making the difference
28/29 November 2017
maritim proArte Hotel
Berlin
@EUBioplastics #eubpconf2017
www.european-bioplastics.org/conference bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/17] Vol. 12 31

Beauty & Healthcare
The power of packaging –
sharpen your USP
In comparison to previous years, the ecological and environmental
awareness of consumers has increased which
makes them think even more carefully before they decide
to buy a product. Ingredients, sustainability, waste reduction
and separation are considered more often. Consumers are
looking at the composition and prefer e.g. shampoos without
silicone or skin care products without mineral oils or
micro plastics. Natural cosmetics are a life style statement
and express the customer´s personality and individuality.
Packaging made from renewable resources not only help
to implement a holistic sustainable approach, which distinguishes
respective brands from cosmetics wrapped in traditional
plastics, but also increase the perception of value.
Traditionally, a huge range of polymers are used for
cosmetic packaging. Bottles are mainly made from HDPE,
sometimes from PP while high transparent materials such
as Polyesters or Polyamides are suitable for jars. As the
packaging is the figurehead of each brand and product,
surface finishing, haptics and visual appearance are key
factors aside from mechanical or barrier properties.
In some cosmetic packaging, several different plastics
are combined in order to meet respective requirements. In
terms of cosmetic bottles for instance, PE is used for the
hollow part, PP for the cap and even the label is made from
a different material or material combination. In order to
increase the recyclability of such a product while being in
accordance with a circular economy, more mono materials
should be used. The product solution of Speick´s Natural
Cosmetics (Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany) follows
this logic trend in a smart way by using Green PE for all
three parts of the packaging and therefore enables ease of
recycling.
Of course, raw material costs can be higher compared to
existing fossil based polymers being used. But, is a cheap
price really a unique selling proposition (USP)? Usually
such products are easily replaced by a competitor who
is able to produce at an even lower cost. To stay ahead of
competition respective marketing and sales strategies are
needed which are increasingly more independent from the
price driven argumentations. A USP needs to be evaluated
and communicated clearly to end consumers. In order to
help consumers identify truly sustainable products and
avoid greenwashing it is possible to verify and confirm the
bio-based content of packaging by external institutions.
The packaging is then clearly labelled with appropriate
certificates or seals. A clear and logical message with high
transparency for the end user is the key for success. This
message can be clearly communicated with biopolymers.
Speick Natural Cosmetics recently chose Braskem´s
I´m green PE for their packaging: “Environmental and
social criteria play a key role in the selection of our raw
materials and packaging. Our products shall be thoroughly
sustainable. It is not easy to substitute plastic wrapping but
we were consequently looking for a possibility to act more
environmental friendly in this case. This is why we are using
bottles made of sugar cane based bioplastics for our Speick
Organic 3.0 product range and we are very pleased with it.
The numerous awards for our product confirm that we are
on the right track.” says Anke Boy, responsible for Marketing
and Product Management of Speick Natural Cosmetics.
As a distribution partner for Braskem S.A. FKuR (Willich,
Germany) is able to offer their „I´m green“polyethylene. Its
properties are identical to conventional PE which makes
The packaging
delivers what
your products
promise:
Cosmetic jars
made from
Biograde offer
a high quality,
pleasant feel
and complement
the message of
a sustainable
cosmetic brand
in a natural way.
32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Beauty & Healthcare
By:
Patrick Zimmermann,
Director Marketing & Sales
Annette Schuster,
Marketing & Communications Manager
FKuR Kunststoff
Willich, Germany
it very easy for packaging manufacturers to shift from
conventional to bio-based PE because it is not necessary to
change any tool or machine settings. The same also applies
for recycling. Green PE can be recycled with regular PE
without affecting the recycling chain.
The broad portfolio of FKuR offers solutions for bottles,
tubes, films and jars that can be produced using either
renewable or biodegradable plastics. Biobased and
biodegradable materials such as Bio-Flex ® and Biograde ®
are very versatile in their technical performance and
processing methods. Such materials are suitable for cast
film extrusion with subsequent thermoforming and injection
moulding applications. Because of their different haptics,
end consumers will immediately notice the difference
compared to existing oil based materials. Additionally
Green PE, Terralene PP (a partly bio-based PP blend) or
Terraprene (a bio-based TPE) can replace their existing oil
based counterparts easily.
Speick Natural Cosmetics won several international awards
for their integrally sustainable concept including products and
packaging, amongst others, Vivaness Best New Product 2017,
Green Product Award 2017 and Sustainable Beauty Award 2016
(Foto: SPEICK Naturkosmetik)
www.speick.de | www.fkur.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 33

Beauty & Healthcare
PolyBioSkin The future of biopolymers for
skin-contact healthcare, sanitary, and personal care products
Biopolymers not only reduce our dependency on finite
fossil resources but can also offer higher versatility
in comparison to conventional polymers when
it comes to the possible end-of-life options for products.
Especially for short-term single use products, this endof-life
versatility can be a key sustainability factor. A lot of
large-volume single-use disposable products such as diapers
are currently treated in energy recovery or end up in
landfills. Their reliance on the combination of a number of
different materials as well as their after-use contamination
prevents them from being fully or partially recycled. Most
commercial diapers, for example, use polyolefin topsheets,
and many cosmetic and biomedical skin-contact applications
also still rely on conventional plastic films, which is
one reason for their poor position in the waste management
hierarchy (fig. 1).
Another drawback of the conventional plastic materials
currently used in these types of skin-contact applications
is their tendency to cause skin irritations, inflammations,
and even intolerances. Biopolymers and other bio-based
substances on the other hand offer a high degree of
biocompatibility and other unique features but are still
hugely under-exploited in this field.
PolyBioSkin, a Horizon2020 project coordinated by Spainbased
advanced engineering SME IRIS, aims to develop
both optimal biopolymers and processes for the sanitary,
biomedical, and cosmetic sectors. PolyBioSkin is funded by
the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking, a public-private
partnership between the EU and the Bio-based Industries
Consortium with the goal of realising the full potential of the
bioeconomy in Europe to reduce its dependency on fossilbased
products, tackle climate change challenges, and lead
to greener and more environmentally friendly growth.
PolyBioSkin will deliver: (i) A biodegradable diaper
consisting of an antimicrobial bio-based topsheet beneficial
for the skin and a bio-based superabsorbent layer; (ii) novel
facial beauty masks based on textiles or films made from
bio-based and biodegradable polymers and impregnated
with molecules beneficial for the skin; (iii) nano-structured
highly skin-compatible non-woven textiles for wound
dressings. To achieve the ambitious goal of greatly advancing
the use of biopolymers in selected skin-contact applications
and improving both their performance and sustainability, 12
partners from 7 countries are collaborating in this 3-year
project.
The selection of bio-based materials for the project
combines formulations based on engineered biopolymers
like polylactic acid (PLA) with naturally available ones like
polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) or chitin, with a significant
bio-based carbon content above 90 % according to
ASTM D6866, all of which are biodegradable in industrial
composting.
There are already some efforts to introduce PLA, the
biodegradable polymer with the largest market share,
which is also biocompatible and therefore, used in several
biomedical applications but also in diapers as an alternative
to polyethylene top-sheets. In fact, PLA being an aliphatic
polyester offers the same functionality as diaper topsheets
made from PE, i.e. keeping the skin dry, while at the same
time featuring an improved biocompatibility. PolyBioSkin
will drive this development also by additivating PLA
with chitin nanofibrils in order to provide PLA films with
excellent antimicrobial properties and avoid skin irritations.
Furthermore, natural absorbent cores based on modified
cellulose and starch will substitute the generally used
acrylic petrochemical absorbents.
Chitin is a polysaccharide present in the skeletons of
insects and the shells of crustaceans and readily available
from food industry processing waste (for instance sea
food waste). Chitin and its derived biopolymer chitosan
have shown excellent techno-functional properties in
different fields, for example for edible coatings with good
gas barrier properties, antimicrobial properties for wound
care, skin hydration and repairing in cosmetic application
or biostimulants for plants. Besides, in its nanofibril form,
chitin has been reported to be a potent skin inflammation
suppressant to be applied, for example, against atopic
dermatitis. This feature is of huge relevance for all skincontact
applications pursued in the project.
Another very versatile group of emerging biopolyesters
are polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). They can be synthesised
directly in the cells of a number of microorganisms and
the exacted polymer structure and molecular weight can
vary greatly depending on the microorganism nature and
culture conditions. As such, PHAs structure can be different
in terms of content of comonomers (3-hydroxybutyric
acid, 4-hydroxybutyric acid, 3-hydroxyvaleric acid, etc.)
or molecular weight, which in turn can lead to flexible or
rigid plastics and to different possibilities of processing in
conventional industrial machines. Among the commercially
available PHAs, most are from Gram negative bacteria.
Despite their unique biocompatibility and even, in some
cases, inherent antibacterial properties, PHAs from
Gram positive bacteria are still not commercially utilized.
Especially in the case of wound dressings, such new
materials could help to avoid immune reactivity and
maximise skin regeneration potential.
In PolyBioSkin, not only the materials themselves will
be optimised, but also process-driven structuring will be
given special attention to obtain films, fibres, and nonwoven
textiles with properties tailored to each of the
PolyBioSkin target applications. Indeed, a nanofibrous
morphology is known to result in a much faster liquidity
absorption than the regular bulk properties of the same
polymer, leading to optimal resource efficiency. As such,
PolyBioSkin aims at developing high quality products
by utilising the most advanced polymer conversion
techniques, such as electrohydrodynamic processing,
tailored surface modification, and the latest developments
in nanotechnology.
34 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Beauty & Healthcare
By:
Elodie Bugnicourt and Rosa Arias
Innovació i Recerca Industrial i Sostenible (IRIS)
Castelldefels, Spain
Maria-Beatrice Coltelli and Serena Danti
Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la
Scienza e Tecnologia dei Materiali (INSTM)
University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
Götz Ahrens,
Project Manager
European Bioplastics
Berlin, Germany
Thanks to the use of electrical forces, based on liquid
atomisation, electrospinning enables the production of
short to continuous fibres or particles. It is an extremely
versatile and promising technology as it can lead to
structures with variable density based on suspensions of
different materials and even to core shells. The controlled
release of active ingredients can be achieved through a
porous structure of the matrix at the nano to micro scale
produced through electrospinning. In PolyBioSkin, the
biopolymer non-wovens embedding antimicrobial and antiinflammatory
substances such as chitin will be based on
electrospun nanofibre meshes.
PolyBioSkin will boost the use of biopolymers that offer
unique antimicrobial, antioxidant, absorbence, and skin
biocompatibility properties for high performance skincontact
applications. This will be demonstrated in diaper,
facial beauty mask, and wound dressing applications. The
use of PolyBioSkin’s innovative materials in these widely
used products will result in enhanced quality of life and
wellbeing of EU citizens, reduced environmental impact,
and more environmentally friendly end-of-life options for
skin-contact products.
Fig. 1: Diapers, facial beauty masks, and wound dressings in the
European Waste Hierarchy
Current Scenario
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste Reduction
Reuse
Recycling/Composting
Energy Recovery
Landfill
POLYBIOSKIN innovation
The PolyBioSkin consortium combines the expertise of
twelve partners from seven European countries, including
five partners from academia and technology institutes:
Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Scienza e
Tecnologia dei Materiali (INSTM, Italy), the University of
Westminster (UK), Association pour la recherche et le
developpement des methodes et processus industriels
(ARMINES, France), Tehnoloski Fakultet Novi Sad (Serbia)
and University of Gent (Belgium); six industry participants
(SMEs): Innovació i Recerca Sostenible (IRIS, Spain, project
coordinator), Bioinicia (Spain), Fibroline (France), Texol
(Italy), Mavi Sud (Italy) and Exergy (UK), as well as the
European Bioplastics association (Germany).
PolyBioSkin has received funding from the Bio-based
Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s
Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under
grant agreement No. 745839.
www.polybioskin.eu
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 35

Beauty & Healthcare
Stronger superabsorbent
biopolymers for baby care
Ecovia Renewables, Inc. and their research and development
team in Ann Arbor, Michigan are working to
develop a suite of polyglutamic acid (PGA) biopolymers
from their patented EcoSynth fermentation process. Their
objective: to produce biodegradable, non-toxic, and highperforming
superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) at competitive
costs. Ecovia’s PGA SAPs can be used as thickeners for
cosmetics, soil amendments for agriculture, and absorbent
cores for hygiene products, to name a few applications.
“It was a tough realization,” Drew Hertig, Chief Business
Officer of Ecovia recalls. “We interviewed parent after
parent. Nobody wanted to pay more than a dime extra to
switch to a biobased diaper that couldn’t live up to the
performance of traditional diapers.”
The solution? Develop a scalable process that, at
large volumes, reduces the manufacturing cost of high
performing materials previously too expensive to use in
hygienic products. This concept allows for cost savings
without sacrificing performance.
Dr. Nina Lin and Dr. Jeremy Minty of the University of
Michigan Dept. of Chemical Engineering capitalized on
their research in constructing microbial ecosystems to
form the basis of the EcoSynth platform. Demonstrating
success at small scales, Minty and his team work around
the clock applying their platform to produce low-cost PGA, a
naturally occurring (and edible) biopolymer, from renewable
sources like waste glycerol.
“We are looking at application areas that can benefit both
the end-user and the environment, all while maintaining
profitability and economics of scale,” said Jeremy Minty,
Co-Founder and President. “Our long term vision is to
replace hundreds of synthetic polymer products with costcompetitive
PGA.”
One such area is baby care, where thousands of tonnes
of synthetic polymers are used and thrown away every day.
As the diapers pile up so do the expenses. As a result,
parents often have to choose between cost and performance
for diapers that are biobased and non-toxic for their baby
and the environment. Finding the right diaper at the right
price has led to an influx of experts catering to the demand
of concerned parents.
The result? A plethora of information and opportunities
for consumer research. Thought leaders and rating sites
like Rodale’s Organic Life and Baby Gear Lab have made
it easy for parents and parents-to-be to consider all their
options for adoption.
Most parents agree that for the superabsorbent material
that makes up the core of diapers—averaging 10g per
diaper—performance is key. Rigorous tests are performed
including absorbency under load, free swell, and centrifuge
retention capacity. Many more tests are kept confidential
by the market leaders for benchmarking internal products.
The winners are usually traditional diapers.
Traditional diapers incorporate synthetic polymers like
polyacrylic acid and its derivatives. These SAPs continue
to outperform most biobased polymer substitutes like
polysaccharides (i.e. starches and celluloses). As a result,
the material in the diaper core often limits sustainability
certifications.
However, the bar is rising. Biodegradability tests,
including ISO, ASTM, and OECD testing methods are no
longer enough for eco-brands to differentiate themselves.
Leading brands are looking to improve their sustainability
certifications, striving to reach the highest level possible,
such as Cradle-to-Cradle Gold status, and Nordic Swan,
which examines CO 2
emissions throughout the product
lifecycle.
“At the end of the day we hope to look back and think we
made it one step closer to fulfilling our mission,” Mr. Hertig
concludes, “having nature work for us so that we can give
back.” MT
www.ecoviarenewables.com
Linear gamma-poly glutamic acid (PGA). Biobased and nontoxic,
linear PGA can be crosslinked and derivatized into
superabsorbent materials. Image brightened for contrast.
36 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Beauty & Healthcare
Bioplastic
microbeads
for cosmetics
Few are aware that many cosmetics pollute the rivers and
seas due to the presence of microscopic particles of oilbased
and non-biodegradable plastic (polyethylene, polypropylene
and other types of polymers). To solve this problem
and make every beauty product environmentally friendly, Bioon
developed and patented a revolutionary, innovative solution
in 2016 based on the bioplastic Minerv PHAs, which is
made from renewable and biodegradable plant sources. The
new formulation, called Minerv Bio Cosmetics (type C1), is
designed to make microbeads suitable for the cosmetics industry.
The plastic micro particles (known as microbeads) currently
used as thickeners or stabilisers in such widely used products
as lipstick, lip gloss, mascara, eye-liner, nail polish, creams,
shampoo, foam bath and even toothpaste pollute the
environment because once they are rinsed off after use, they
become a permanent part of the natural cycle: plankton in the
rivers and seas swallow these microscopic plastic particles and
thus introduce them into the food chain. The level of pollution
is so serious that the USA government has decided to bring in
a law (Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015) banning the use of
oil-based polymers in body care products. This decision was
recently followed by other countries. The theme is also the
subject of many awareness campaigns around the world and
is one of the focuses of Clean Seas recently launched by the
United Nations.
Institutions and consumers alike are increasingly aware of
the issue but often limit their concern to scrub beads, which
though small fall within the visible range. The greater danger
arises from what cannot be seen, i.e. texturizing powder. These
micro powders invisible to the naked eye (10 µm) are made
from oil-based plastic (methacrylates and polyamides) and are
inserted into almost all formulations to change the sensory
characteristics of the product.
The new cosmetic grades of bioplastic developed by Bio-on
contain highly spherical micro powders with a diameter between
5 and 20 µm, with a porous or hollow structure to guarantee
high absorption of oil and sebum. The special characteristics
of these powders are further enriched by exceptional optical
qualities such as a soft focus effect, which reduces the effect of
wrinkles, making the skin brighter and less greasy.
The use in cosmetics products of Minerv Bio Cosmetics
bioplastic eliminates all pollutants because the micro particles
of bioplastic are naturally biodegradable in water and, therefore,
do not enter the food chain. What is more, the biopolymer
developed at the Bio-on laboratories actually decomposes into
a nutrient for some micro-organisms and plants present in
nature. The benefit for the environment is therefore two-fold.
“Our biopolymer is surprisingly versatile,” explains Paolo
Saettone, head of Bio-on’s cosmetics department, “and
performs at the very peak of its category, without taking into
account its unparalleled biodegradability and non-toxicity,
which truly sets it apart.”
“From now on, cosmetics companies will have the chance
to safeguard the environment and make their products 100 %
ecological,” explains Marco Astorri, Chairman and CEO of Bioon
S.p.A., “while retaining their performance and effectiveness.
Here too, Bio-on bioplastic demonstrates that it can replace
conventional oil-based plastic in terms of performance,
thermo-mechanical properties and versatility.”
Earlier this year, Bio-on had started to build a new plant to
produce the Minerv Bio Cosmetics microbeads.
The innovative plant, due to be completed by the end of this
year and beginning production in 2018 thanks to a 15 million
EUR investment, will employ approximately 40 people. The plant
will occupy an area of 30,000 m 2 , 3,700 of which is covered and
6,000 land for development, and will have a production capacity
of 1,000 tonnes per year expandable to 2,000. It will be equipped
with state-of-the-art technologies and the most advanced
research laboratories, where Bio-on will test and develop new
types of PHAs bioplastic using agricultural and agro-industrial
waste as raw material. Bio-on also demonstrates its focus on
sustainability in its choice of site, opting to convert a former
factory in Castel San Pietro Terme near Bologna, meaning no
new land is wasted.
“We are pleased because so far we have obtained the
necessary authorisations to begin construction on schedule,”
explains Marco Astorri.”We expect to keep to that set down
in our Industrial Plan which takes us through to 2020. We
are also extremely proud,” adds Astorri, “because thanks to
our technology the cosmetics sector can now take a ‘green’
turn that millions of consumers around the world have been
demanding for some time.” MT
www.bio-on.it
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 37

Politics
Biodegradable plastics in the
Circular Economy in Europe
At the beginning of this year, the European Commission
published its EU Roadmap for a Strategy on Plastics in a
Circular Economy. In the Roadmap, the Commission has
given priority to assess how to decarbonize the plastics
economy and to increase efficiency of waste management
with a strong focus on recycling of plastic in order to help
the transition from a linear to a circular economy model.
European Bioplastics (EUBP), the association representing
the interest of the bioplastics industry in Europe, welcomes
this clear focus in the roadmap, and hopes that this will
remain a main pillar of the upcoming Strategy on Plastics
in order to address some of the most pressing challenges
of our time, namely climate change and resource efficiency.
One important point missing in the roadmap, however,
is the need to consider recycling as both, organic and
mechanic recycling. Only if the separate collection of biowaste
and organic recycling is encouraged, the quality
of other waste streams as well as the efficiency of waste
management altogether can be increased. Organic recycling
(industrial composting and anaerobic digestion) is a wellestablished
industrial process ensuring the circular use for
biodegradable plastics while creating a strong secondary
raw material market and opportunity for renewable energy
generation.
In the context of the EU Plastics Strategy and the Circular
Economy Package, biodegradable plastics can play an
essential part in putting the envisioned circularity model
into practice. Discussing biodegradation of plastics only
from a ‘leakage-into-the-environment’ point of view will
not help to implement sound circular waste management.
EUBP therefore calls on the European Commission to focus
on circularity when discussing biodegradation of plastics
and to consider organic recycling and proven products and
applications for biodegradable products that are certified
according to harmonised standards (EN 13432) and labelled
accordingly.
Not all packaging should or can be made from
biodegradable plastics. But there are several key
products and applications that can amplify the benefits
and contributions of biodegradable plastics to a circular
economy. The following list can contribute to a more
concrete discussion and can show that biodegradable
plastics help to prevent and reduce waste.
Compostable bio-waste bags, fruit & vegetable
bags, lightweight carrier bags
Compostable bio-waste plastic bags support the separate
collection of organic waste. They are a convenient, clean,
and hygienic tool, which helps households to collect more
kitchen and garden waste while reducing the misthrow rate
of conventional plastics in organic waste streams. Likewise,
compostable fruit and vegetable bags and lightweight
carrier bags first serve as a convenient way for shoppers to
carry home groceries and can afterwards be used to collect
biodegradable kitchen and food waste.
By:
Hasso von Pogrell
Managing Director,
When discussing biodegradation of plastics and the
circular economy today, considerations should focus
on organic recycling as an existing and proven concept.
Harmonised and accepted standards, certification schemes,
and labels for industrial compostable plastics already exist.
Such materials, combined with accurate information for
consumers on how to dispose of the waste correctly, have
proven to help collect more bio-waste for organic recycling
and, that way, divert it from landfills or reduce contamination
with biodegradable waste in mechanical recycling streams.
European Bioplastics e.V.
Berlin, Germany
Compostable
light-weight fruit and
vegetable bag photo:
Unicoop
38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Buss Laboratory Kneader MX 30-22
Compostable fruit labels
Using fruit labels made from conventional, nonbiodegradable
plastics causes significant amounts of
plastic to be discarded in bio-waste bins, as consumers will
rarely remove these labels from fruit peels before disposing
them in the bio-waste. Compostable fruit labels can remain
attached to and be discarded together with fruit peels
without introducing impurities to the bio-waste stream.
Coffee capsules and tea bags
After they have been used, the organic content (coffee
or tea residues) and the capsules or bags are difficult to
separate, leading to confusion about the appropriate way
of disposal as well as misthrows. Coffee capsules and tea
bags made from fully compostable plastics provide the
same performance while offering an alternative that can
be organically recycled together with the organic content.
Coffee and tea waste are highly desired in industrial
composting plants as they stimulate microbial activity in the
composting process.
Buss Kneader Technology
Compostable coffee
capsules from Original
Food tested and certified
according to EN1342
photo: Original Food GmbH
Thin film applications for fruit and vegetable
packaging
Food that has past its expiry date and is packed in
conventional plastic packaging is usually not separated
from its packaging. The plastic packaging, together with
its contents, is usually either thrown into the bio-waste
bin, where it constitutes an impurity, or the biodegradable
food content still inside the packaging ends up in the
residual waste bin and is no longer available for organic
recycling and thus wasted as a possible valuable resource.
Compostable plastic packaging can help to solve this
problem as it can be discarded and recycled together
with its organic contents. When discussing these specific
applications in the context of a circular economy, EUBP
recommends focussing on highly food-contaminated
thin film packaging applications with a thickness below
100 microns such as fruit and vegetable packaging (e.g.
cucumber wrappings, flow packs).
Leading Compounding Technology
for heat and shear sensitive plastics
For more than 60 years Buss Kneader technology
has been the benchmark for continuous preparation
of heat and shear sensitive compounds –
a respectable track record that predestines this
technology for processing biopolymers such
as PLA and PHA.
> Uniform and controlled shear mixing
> Extremely low temperature profile
> Precise temperature control
> High filler loadings
www.european-bioplastics.org
Buss AG
Switzerland
www.busscorp.com
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 39

News Automotive from Science and Research
Turning industrial waste into PHA bioplastics
Dr. Damian Laird and Dr. Leonie Hughes, researchers
from the School of Engineering
and Information Technology (Murdoch University,
Perth, Australia) have been investigating
an environmentally friendly solution for the use of
oxalate, one of the major waste products of the alumina
industry.
“We are interested in finding a use for carbonbased
industrial waste, which is currently
stockpiled or is difficult to treat,” Dr Laird said. “By
upcycling the carbon from a waste stream, we are
able to avoid the production of carbon dioxide whilst
creating something useful.”
After sourcing an initial bacterial culture from
a local wastewater treatment plant, the team
created a synthetic wastewater to understand the
conditions required for bacteria to convert the oxalate waste product into the biodegradable plastic (polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB).
The research team is now identifying the suite of bacteria that can work in the process and examining ways to increase the
amount of oxalate that is converted.
“We are taking inspiration from the production of bioplastic from food waste and applying it to a toxic by-product of the
alumina industry,” Dr Hughes said.
“This will be a naturally produced plastic that is biocompatible and completely biodegradable, and one of our goals is to 3D
print products for the medical industry such as stents and sutures.”
The team is also collaborating with Murdoch University’s Algae Research and Development Centre to look at using
cyanobacteria (blue-green algae), organisms that have a blend of bacteria and algae, to find a way to accelerate the process.
“Eventually we envision this bioplastic production forming part of an integrated biorefinery at Murdoch University,” Dr Hughes
said.
This research was recently published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering and can be read here
tinyurl.com/ybfcsgm7.
www.murdoch.edu.au
Turning brewery waste into PHA bioplastics
Brewers’ spent grain (BSG in industrial terms) is a waste stream that every brewery generates in abundance. Approx. 85 %
of an average microbrewery’s solid waste is BSG. In many cases it is simply dumped into landfills. The correct way, as to the
Brewers Association’s guidance for environmentally friendly modes of disposal would be to feed BSG to cows, to turn it into
biofuel, compost it or mill it into baking flour. However, for cost and other reasons this is seldom done. Christopher M. Thomas,
a post-doctoral researcher at the State University of New York pondered about using this BSG to make bioplastic, namely
PHA. In Sierra, the national magazine of the Sierra Club, Thomas
said: “You’re diverting waste from landfills, and you’re creating a
biodegradable packaging. And it’s degradable in all environments,
no matter where it goes—freshwater, saltwater, or sewage.”
BSG offers all the components you need, Thomas said. These
are for example polysaccharides, long molecules that when broken
into simple sugar molecules using enzymes or acid, they become
bacterial food. As known from PHAs, special bacteria use this
food as energy reserve: polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), which can
be extracted from the microbes and convertied and compounded
into mouldable plastic resins.
www.sierraclub.org
40 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

©
-Institut.eu | 2017
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/reports
©
-Institut.eu | 2016
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets
©
-Institut.eu | 2017
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets
Bio-based Polymers & Building Blocks
The best market reports available
million t/a
3,5
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Selected bio-based building blocks: Evolution of worldwide
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Comprehensive trend report on PHA, PLA, PUR/TPU, PA
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Bio-based polymers, a
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2
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1
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Picture: Gehr Kunststoffwerk
2011
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July 2017
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at
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Authors: Lara Dammer, Michael Carus and Dr. Asta Partanen
nova-Institut GmbH, Germany
May 2017
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at
www.bio-based.eu/reports
Author: Jan Ravenstijn, Jan Ravenstijn Consulting, the Netherlands
April 2017
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at
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Data for
2016
Policies impacting bio-based
plastics market development
and plastic bags legislation in Europe
Bio-based Building Blocks
and Polymers
Global Capacities and Trends 2016 – 2021
Asian markets for bio-based chemical
building blocks and polymers
Share of Asian production capacity on global production by polymer in 2016
Bio-based polymers: Evolution of worldwide
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million t/a
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100%
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2011
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Epoxies
PBS
PET
PBAT
CA
PHA
Starch
Blends
EPDM
PLA
APC
PE
PEF
PTT
0%
PBS(X)
APC –
cyclic
PA
PET
PTT
PBAT
Starch
Blends
PHA
PLA
PE
Authors: Dirk Carrez, Clever Consult, Belgium
Jim Philp, OECD, France
Dr. Harald Kaeb, narocon Innovation Consulting, Germany
Lara Dammer & Michael Carus, nova-Institute, Germany
March 2017
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at
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Authors: Florence Aeschelmann (nova-Institute),
Michael Carus (nova-institute) and ten renowned international experts
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Both are available at www.bio-based.eu/reports.
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Brand Views and Adoption of
Bio-based Polymers
Market study on the consumption
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A comprehensive market research report including
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as well as by geography, plus analyses of key players,
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WPC/NFC Market Study 2014-10 (Update 2015-06)
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January 2016
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Authors: Harald Kaeb (narocon, lead), Florence Aeschelmann,
Lara Dammer, Michael Carus (nova-Institute)
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The full market study (more than 300 slides, 3,500€) is available at
bio-based.eu/top-downloads.
Authors: Michael Carus, Dr. Asta Eder, Lara Dammer, Dr. Hans Korte, Lena Scholz,
Roland Essel, Elke Breitmayer, Martha Barth
First version 2014-03, Update 2015-06
Download this study and further nova market studies at:
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www.bio-based.eu/reports
bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/17] Vol. 12 41

Opinion
Biodegradable plastics needed
to increase recycling efficiency
In the light of the current debates and consultations on the
upcoming EU Strategy on Plastics and the revision of the EU
waste legislation, European Bioplastics (EUBP), the association
for the bioplastics industry in Europe, echoes the call for
greater investments in the implementation of separate recycling
streams, made by the association of Plastics Recyclers
Europe (PRE) earlier this week. In a press release, PRE calls
for the development of separate recycling streams for biodegradable
plastics to improve waste management efficiency
throughout Europe. EUBP supports these efforts to ensure
a high quality of recycled plastics. In order to implement a
circular economy throughout Europe and to achieve higher
recycling rates, stronger investments in the modernisation
of the waste management infrastructure, including separate
mechanical and organic recycling streams, are needed.
Biodegradable plastics help to reduce contamination
of mechanical recycling streams by facilitating separate
collection of biowaste and therefore diverting organic waste
from other recycling streams. Organic recycling is a wellestablished
industrial process ensuring the circular use for
biodegradable plastics while creating a strong secondary
raw material market and opportunity for renewable energy
generation. Numerous beacon projects throughout Europe
demonstrate the positive effects of compostable bags on the
efficiency and quality of separate organic waste collection,
including in the cities of Milan, Munich, and Paris.
Currently, the share of biodegradable plastics designed
for organic recycling sold in the EU is comparatively small.
Therefore, the potential of misthrows by the consumer to
reach a critical volume that could impact the quality of
mechanical recycling streams is an unreasonable assumption
at this point in time. This has also been tested and confirmed
in a recent study by the University of Wageningen, which
analysed biodegradable plastics in mechanical recycling
streams and detected levels not higher than 0.3%. When
tested within the EU FP7 Open-Bio project, Wageningen
Food & Biobased Research found that there were no negative
effects on the properties of recycled film products containing
starch film and PLA film recyclates. If biodegradable plastic
products do, however, enter mechanical recycling streams,
they can easily be sorted out. Research by Knoten Weimar,
a scientific knowledge-cluster and institute at the Bauhaus-
University Weimar focussed on optimising utilities and waste
infrastructures, shows that available sorting technologies
such as NIR (near infrared) can easily detect biodegradable
plastic materials such as PLA (polylactic acid), PBAT
(polybutylene adipate terephthalate), and other starch or
cellulose based materials.
On the other hand, however, contamination of organic waste
streams by misthrows of non-biodegradable plastics is high
and constitutes a real problem for composting facilities and
negatively affects the quality of compost. This problem can
only be tackled by establishing mandatory separate collection
of organic waste supported and facilitated by the use of
biodegradable plastic bags and packaging and accompanied
by consumer education and information on correct ways of
organic and mechanic recycling.
EUBP urges all involved stakeholders to consider recycling
as both mechanical and organic recycling and to contemplate
the corresponding plastic materials in this context.
Furthermore, investments into sound waste management
infrastructure across Europe as well as comprehensive
projects to increase the consumers’ knowledge about correct
disposal need to be considered. Only then, recycling can
become more efficient, contamination can be limited, and a
strong secondary raw material market in a circular economy
will flourish.
For more information, please see the following expert
statements and studies on this issue:
• Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (2017): Biobased
and biodegradable plastics – Facts and Figures
tinyurl.com/ydaufx38
• Knoten Weimar: Entsorgungswege und
Verwertungsoptionen von Produkten aus biobasierten
Polymeren des post-consumer Bereichs (German only)
tinyurl.com/y9xkhnwa
www.european-bioplastics.org
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for Plastics
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and Services.
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for Specialists and Executive Staff in the Plastics Industry.
Up-to-date • Fast • Professional
42 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Basics
Land use
Just how much land is required to
produce bioplastics?
By:
Constance Ißbrücker
Head of Environmental Affairs
European Bioplastics
Berlin, Germany
Global land area
G13.4 billion ha = 100 %
Finite fossil oil resources and climate change constitute two
broadly acknowledged challenges for society in the coming
decades. Bioplastics, which are derived fully or in part from
renewable, plant-based resources, have the unique advantage
over conventional plastics to reduce the dependency on fossil
resources and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Today, bioplastics are predominantly produced from agrobased
feedstock, i.e. plants that are rich in carbohydrates,
such as corn or sugarcane. At the same time, the bioplastics
industry is investing in the research and development to
diversify the availability of biogenic feedstock for the production
of based plastics. The industry particularly aims to further
develop fermentation technologies that enable the utilisation
of ligno-cellulosic feedstock sources, for example non-food
crops or agricultural waste materials.
There are various ways to ensure a sufficient supply of
biomass for the production for food, feed, and industrial/
material uses (including bioplastics) now and in future. These
include:
1. Broadening the base of feedstock: The bioplastics
industry is currently working mostly with agro-based
feedstock. Several projects, however, are already looking into
using plant residues or other ligno-cellulosic feedstock.
2. Increasing yields: Increasing the efficiency of
industrial conversion of raw materials into feedstock, for
example by using optimised yeasts or bacteria and optimised
physical and chemical processes that would increase the total
availability of resources.
3. Taking fallow land into production: There is still
plenty of arable land in various geographical regions available
for production, even in the European Union (see separate box)
Pasture
3.5 billion ha
= 26.1 %
lobal agricultural area
Arable land*
1.4 billion ha
= 10.4 %
5 billion ha = 36.5 %
Food & Feed
1.24 billion ha
= 9.25 %
Graph
courtesy
IfBB [1]
Bioplastics
2015: 750 000 ha = 0.0056 %
2020: 1 784 000 ha = 0.0133 %
Material use
106 million ha = 0.79 %
Biofuels
53 million ha = 0.39 %
Latest numbers by the IfBB Hanover published in 2016
show that the area used to produce so-called new economy
bioplastics was 0.0056 % of the global agricultural area
in 2015. Considering continued high growth-rates of the
bioplastics market over the next years, this share would
increase to 0.0133 % of the agricultural area by 2020. The
approach of the IfBB is considered to be a conservative one,
as entire plants are allocated for the calculation, and a tenyear
average value considering harvest fluctuation as well as
full utilisation of plant capacities is being assumed. Not all
experts agree to this approach and suggest considering for
example more detailed allocation values for the crop usage
and the yield average values, since not necessarily all parts
of the plant are used to produce bioplastics. However, all
experts agree on one important point, namely the fact that
the actual amount of land used for bioplastics is very low
compared to the land used to produce food and feed, which
shows that there is no competition between using biomass
for the production for bioplastics and using biomass the
production of food and feed.
After all, responsibly sourced and monitored (i.e.
sustainable) food crops are still the main feedstock option for
bioplastics, since they are more land-efficient than non-food
crops due to highly efficient agricultural processes. What is
more, the use of bi-products of these food crops (i.e. lignocellulosic
feedstocks) in based industries allows to increase
resource efficiency even more. There is even evidence that
the industrial and material use of biomass may in fact serve
as a stabilizer for food prices, providing farmers with more
secure markets and thereby leading to more sustainable
production. Independent third party certification schemes for
sustainable sourcing and responsible agricultural practices
do already exist and can help to take social, environmental
and economic criteria into account and to ensure that
bioplastics are a purely beneficial innovation.
[1] N.N.: Biopolymers – facts and statistics; Institute for Bioplastics and
Biocomposites, 2016
www.european-bioplastics.org
Info:
Different sources come up with varying figures for „free“ arable
land, the French National Institute For Agricultural Research gives
2.6 billion hectares of untapped potential (article in ParisTech,
2011), the nova-Institute calculates 570 million hectares based on
figures of OECD and FAO (2009). The bottom line – there is an ample
amount of unused land available.
http://tinyurl.com/bioplastic-facts
* Also includes area growing permanent crops as well as approx.
1 % fallow land. Abandoned land resulting from shifting
cultivation is not included.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 43

Brand Owner
Brand-Owner’s perspective
on bioplastics and how to
unleash its full potential
More and more technical aspects are well within the comfort zone of the
bioplastic industry enabling the disruptive innovations our societies and
environment need. However, successful innovations are
as much business as technology driven. Having a great
idea is one thing, launching a proposition and get it to
market another.
So, quite often a biobased product is desirable
and even technically feasible. But bringing such a
(often) small scale innovation to market is something else. Before
economies of scale can be unlocked, there is this difficult phase
during which advocacy and government support are needed. The biobased
industry could help to open up discussions with the governmental
institutes like the EU to create funding programs around this.
Dennis van Eeten,
Packaging Innovation and (Interim) Design Manager
MARS CHOCOLATE EUROPE & EURASIA
Besides the boost for a first launch it would also be very beneficial if the European
legislation around bioplastics would be harmonised. This includes, icons for biocertificates,
end-of-life rules (what can I put in my green bin and what not) and of
course a harmonised EPR fee across all countries (in Europe).
www.mars.com
Report
Polit
Bioplastics Survey
In this edition of our series ”special focus on certain geographical
areas” we have a closer look to North America.
This time, however, we did not conduct our little non-representative
survey ourselves. We are grateful to the Plastics
Industry Assiciaton (PLASTICS), to grant permission
to publish some results of a survey they did in May 2016. In
this national poll of 1,107 adults throughout the USA were
asked. The results show a margin of error of +/- 3.07 % at
the 95 % confidence interval. Below we publish an excerpt
of the survey that is related to bioplastics.
Being asked how familiar they were about a type of
plastics called “bioplastics,” which are either made from
biobased materials like sugar cane or cornstarch or are
capable of biodegrading 27 % responded with “Yes” (defined
as somewhat or very familiar). 39 % were unsure and the
rest (34 %) said they were very unfamiliar with the terms.
The next question addressed the purchase behavior. More
or less half of the interviewed citizens committed they would
be willing to pay a little bit more for an item that was made
from bioplastics. The other 50 % said that they were not.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture initiated the
BioPreferred programme which includes a BioPreferred
Seal (cf. bM 01/2011), which verifies the percentage of
biologically grown ingredients in a consumer or wholesale
product. Asked if they had ever seen this logo, 14 %
responded with “Yes”, while the other 86 % were at least not
sure or responded with “No”.
The last question addressed the purchase behavior
after having seen the USDA BioPreferred Seal. “When
considering a plastic product for purchase, would seeing
a USDA BioPreferred Seal on that product make you more
likely to buy that product?” was positively responded by
57 %. The remaining 43 % wouldn’t.
The source of the data can be found here:
https://tinyurl.com/bio-marketwatch. MT
www
www
www
www
44 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12
30 bio

Automotive
10
Years ago
Published in
bioplastics
MAGAZINE
Rhodes Yepsen, Executive Director of the
Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI), said in
September 2017:
The topics presented 10 years ago continue to be important in North
America, albeit with significant progress made. It’s no longer just Wal-
Mart that has aggressive packaging goals, but other major retailers and
restaurants as well, including a focus on consumer-oriented education,
such as the How2Recycle and How2Compost labels.
As for state legislation, California’s labelling law has helped clean up bad
actors from the market, and became the basis for a model rule for other
states, with Maryland adopting a similar law in 2017.
Municipal interest in food scraps and compostable products is also at
an all-time high, with hundreds of communities across the US and Canada
offering residential and commercial food scraps collection, and New York City
on track to become the world’s largest program.
Avoiding methane generation is still a big driver, but so is the soil
connection, returning valuable materials back to the land in the form of
compost. Findacomposter.com has gone through several updates, as has
BPI’s database of certified products (products.bpiworld.org), which is now
searchable by keyword.
As was the case 10 years ago, compostable product companies are at the
forefront of the discussion on policies for diverting organics from landfill, and
we expect them to continue to play a leading role for the next decade as well.
http://tinyurl.com/northamerica2007
ics
What’s happening in the
New World?
New Legislation in California
.bpiworld.org
.biocycle.net
.findacomposter.com
.beps.org
Article contributed by Steven Mojo,
Executive Director of the
Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI),
New York, NY, USA
I
t is truly a new world in North America, as the
pace of organics diversion continues to increase.
Discussions around the issues of sustainability,
increasing use of renewable resources
and greenhouse gas reductions are coming to the
forefront.
Retailer Concerns about Packaging
In late 2005, Wal-Mart announced its sustainability
drive focused on three aggressive goals:
1. “To Be Supplied 100% By Renewable Energy”:
2. ”To Create Zero Waste”:
3. ”To Sell Products That Sustain Our Resources
& Environment”:
As part of this effort, Wal-Mart has developed a
“scorecard” for packaging and is asking suppliers
to document the use of recyclable and compostable
packaging (via ASTM D6400) and to verify the
use of renewable feedstocks (using ASTM D6866).
This scorecard came on-line in March 2007 and
manufacturers will be feeding it data throughout
this year.
Wal-Mart’s efforts, like Sainsbury’s in the UK,
call attention to the growing array of new materials
available to packagers around the globe. At the
same time, packagers are starting to inquire about
BPI certification and the benefits of the BPI Compostable
Logo. Also, manufacturers are striving to
increase the percentage of renewably based materials,
in order to help reduce their environmental
footprint and earn credits from Wal-Mart.
The BPI and its members are immersed in the
issues of renewable resources, compostability and
biodegradability for almost a decade. As such, they
are in a position to help Wal-Mart and others understand
the importance of using ASTM Test Methods
and Specifications for verifying claims.
This project is a “work in progress”. It will continue
to evolve as technology and properties improve
and importantly will impact suppliers, consumers
and everyone in between.
California continues to set the pace in the area of
compostables. Last year, Governor Schwarzenegger
signed labeling legislation which restricts the
use of the terms “biodegradable”, “compostable”
and “degradable” on plastic food containers to
only those products that meet ASTM D6400. This
legislation is similar to the one passed in 2004 for
labelling on plastic bags. Both of the new laws
are designed to address the abuse and misuse of
these terms and the resulting confusion.
New Ordinances in San Francisco
In 2006, San Francisco passed ordinance No
295-06 which bans the use of polystyrene food
service packaging and mandates the use of compostable
or recyclable alternatives, if their additional
costs are within 15% of non-compostable
or non-recyclable alternatives. This ordinance
is designed to help minimize the waste going to
landfills from these operations. Also, this ordinance
takes advantage of the City’s well developed
recycling and composting infrastructure for
businesses and households.
On March 27, 2007, San Francisco passed an
ordinance mandating the use of compostable
plastic bags or recyclable kraft paper bags by
large food chains and pharmacies. Given the city’s
widespread organic collection system, the compostable
bags can serve two purposes. First they
will bring home the groceries and then will have
a second life as a liner for residential “kitchen
catchers”. The new law takes effect by the end of
this year.
Food Scrap Diversion Programs Grow
More communities, especially in Eastern Canada
and on the West Coast are implementing food
scrap diversion efforts. Portland (Oregon) and
Seattle (Washington), join the ranks of San Francisco
and Oakland, (California) in implementing
commercial collection programs and in some
communities’ residential ones as well. In the
Canadian province of Ontario organics diversion
efforts are beginning to “skyrocket” according to
one BPI member.
These are driven by the dual goals of continuing
to increase the overall diversion rate from landfills
as well as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
from landfills. For example, in the US, landfills
are the single largest of anthropomorphic
methane releases into the atmosphere, according
to the US Environmental Protection Agency. Further
the same study shows that landfills are the
number 4 contributor of global warming gases.
Findacomposter.com introduced
The BPI and BioCycle magazine from Emmaus
(Pennsylvania) are joint sponsors of a
new website dedicated to increasing the awareness
of composting in the US. The new site
“findacomposter.com” was debuted in April 2007
at the BioCycle West Coast Conference in San Diego
(California). The site will provide consumers
information about food scrap collection programs
near them and will be available for all to use at
no charge. Composters can participate at no cost
and all entries will be verified by BioCycle. The BPI
and its members are proud to be the first sponsor
to support this effort and to help put composting
on the map.
The BPI and BEPS team up on
a meeting in October, 2007
The BEPS and BPI are jointly sponsoring a
conference from Oct. 17-19th in Vancouver,
Washington. This meeting will combine presentations
and discussions on biodegradable and
renewable materials from both academia and
industry. Presenters are being lined up from
North America, Europe and Asia. The conference
will be a “zero waste” event. It is being held at
the Hilton Hotel, which has been cited for sustainable
practices and it will have an active food
scrap diversion effort by the end of the summer.
Learn more about the conference at beps.org
bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/07] Vol. 2 31
plastics MAGAZINE [02/07] Vol. 2
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 45

©
3,5
actual data
3
2,5
2
1,5
1
0,5
2011 2012 2013
L-LA
Epichlorohydrin
Succinic
1,4-BDO
acid
-Institut.eu | 2017
forecast
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Sebacic
MEG
Ethylene
1,3-PDO
MPG
Lactide
acid
2,5-FDCA D-LA
11-Aminoundecanoic acid
Adipic
DDDA
acid
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/reports
©
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
-Institut.eu | 2017
PBS(X)
APC –
cyclic
PA
PET
PTT
PBAT
Starch
Blends
PHA
PLA
PE
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets
©
10
5
actual data
0
2011 2012
PUR
PA
-Institut.eu | 2016
2% of total
polymer capacity,
€13 billion turnover
2013 2014 2015 2016
Epoxies PET
CA
PBS
PBAT PHA
2017
Starch
Blends
EPDM
2018 2019 2020 2021
PLA
PE
PTT
APC
PEF
Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets
Largest biocomposites
conference in 2017
Organiser
www.nova-institut.eu
Picture © clockwise from top left: photo and design by colorFabb,
Faurecia, photo by colorFabb / design by LeFabshop, Coperion
Biocomposites Conference Cologne
7 th Conference on Wood and Natural Fibre Composites
6 – 7 December 2017, Maternushaus, Germany
Contact: Dr. Asta Partanen | +49 (0)151 – 1113 0128 | asta.partanen@nova-institut.de | www.biocompositescc.com
Bio-based Polymers & Building Blocks
The best market reports available
Data for
2016
Commercialisation updates on
bio-based building blocks
Standards and labels for
bio-based products
Bio-based polymers, a revolutionary change
Bio-based Building Blocks
and Polymers
Selected bio-based building blocks: Evolution of worldwide
production capacities from 2011 to 2021
Comprehensive trend report on PHA, PLA, PUR/TPU, PA
and polymers based on FDCA and SA: Latest developments,
producers, drivers and lessons learnt
Global Capacities and Trends 2016 – 2021
million t/a
Bio-based polymers, a
revolutionary change
million t/a
Bio-based polymers: Evolution of worldwide
production capacities from 2011 to 2021
Jan Ravenstijn 2017
E-mail: j.ravenstijn@kpnmail.nl
Mobile: +31.6.2247.8593
Picture: Gehr Kunststoffwerk
Author: Doris de Guzman, Tecnon OrbiChem, United Kingdom
July 2017
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at
www.bio-based.eu/reports
Authors: Lara Dammer, Michael Carus and Dr. Asta Partanen
nova-Institut GmbH, Germany
May 2017
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at
www.bio-based.eu/reports
Author: Jan Ravenstijn, Jan Ravenstijn Consulting, the Netherlands
April 2017
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at
www.bio-based.eu/reports
Authors: Florence Aeschelmann (nova-Institute),
Michael Carus (nova-institute) and ten renowned international experts
February 2017
This is the short version of the market study (249 pages, € 2,000).
Both are available at www.bio-based.eu/reports.
Policies impacting bio-based
plastics market development
and plastic bags legislation in Europe
Asian markets for bio-based chemical
building blocks and polymers
Brand Views and Adoption of
Bio-based Polymers
Market study on the consumption
of biodegradable and compostable
plastic products in Europe
2015 and 2020
Share of Asian production capacity on global production by polymer in 2016
A comprehensive market research report including
consumption figures by polymer and application types
as well as by geography, plus analyses of key players,
relevant policies and legislation and a special feature on
biodegradation and composting standards and labels
Bestsellers
Disposable
tableware
Biowaste
bags
Carrier
bags
Rigid
packaging
Flexible
packaging
Authors: Dirk Carrez, Clever Consult, Belgium
Jim Philp, OECD, France
Dr. Harald Kaeb, narocon Innovation Consulting, Germany
Lara Dammer & Michael Carus, nova-Institute, Germany
March 2017
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at
www.bio-based.eu/reports
Author: Wolfgang Baltus, Wobalt Expedition Consultancy, Thailand
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at
www.bio-based.eu/reports
Author: Dr. Harald Kaeb, narocon Innovation Consulting, Germany
January 2016
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at
www.bio-based.eu/reports
Authors: Harald Kaeb (narocon, lead), Florence Aeschelmann,
Lara Dammer, Michael Carus (nova-Institute)
April 2016
The full market study (more than 300 slides, 3,500€) is available at
bio-based.eu/top-downloads.
46 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12
www.bio-based.eu/reports

call for papers now open!
Save the Date
04-05 Sep 2018
Cologne, Germany
www.pha-world-congress.com
PHA (Poly-Hydroxy-Alkanoates or polyhydroxy fatty acids) is a family of biobased polyesters. As in many
mammals, including humans, that hold energy reserves in the form of body fat there are also bacteria that
hold intracellular reserves of polyhydroxy alkanoates. Here the micro-organisms store a particularly high level
of energy reserves (up to 80% of their own body weight) for when their sources of nutrition become scarce.
Examples for such Polyhydroxyalkanoates are PHB, PHV, PHBV, PHBH and many more. That’s why we speak
about the PHA platform.
This PHA-platform is made up of a large variety of bioplastics raw materials made from many different renewable
resources. Depending on the type of PHA, they can be used for applications in films and rigid packaging,
biomedical applications, automotive, consumer electronics, appliances, toys, glues, adhesives, paints, coatings,
fibers for woven and non-woven and inks. So PHAs cover a broad range of properties and applications.
That’s why bioplastics MAGAZINE and Jan Ravenstijn are now organizing the 1 st PHA-platform World Congress on
4-5 September 2018 in Cologne / Germany.
This congress will address the progress, challenges and market opportunities for the formation of this new polymer
platform in the world. Every step in the value chain will be addressed. Raw materials, polymer manufacturing,
compounding, polymer processing, applications, opportunities and end-of-life options will be discussed by parties
active in each of these areas. Progress in underlying technology challenges will also be addressed.
Platinum Sponsor:
organized by
Co-organized by Jan Ravenstijn

Basics
Biodegradation
Bioplastics and their behaviour in different biodegradation environments
The efficient management of plastic waste plays a key
role within the circular economy. Good waste management
requires the implementation of the waste hierarchy,
as set out by EU legislation in the form of Directive
2008/98/CE [1], which aims to encourage solutions providing
a better environmental result. The waste hierarchy sets
out the following hierarchy of steps for prioritising waste
management practices: (1) prevention; (2) preparation for
reutilisation; (3) recycling; (4) other kind of recovery, such
as energy recovery; and (5) disposal, such as in the case
of landfilling. Moreover, the package of circular economy
measures adopted by the European Union requires that
waste be transformed into resources again, so they can be
returned cyclically to the productive system, until reaching
the very ambitious target of “zero waste” to landfill (European
Commission, 2014). Thus, the end of life of plastics
continues to be a controversial point, since landfilling is still
a common practice. In the year 2014, 31 % of the post-consumer
plastic waste generated in Europe went to landfill.
The situation in Spain is even more unfavourable: here, just
over 50% of all post-consumer plastic waste ends up in a
landfill [2]
These decisions, combined with the push towards
creating a sustainable environment - in addition to a desire
to get away from landfilling and to reduce the amount of
litter in the environment – have led to heightened interest in
the production of bioplastics.
Biodegradable plastics are considered to be eco-friendly
materials. In recent years, they have been promoted in the
market as substitutes for conventional plastics in specific
applications in which biodegradability, as an end-of-life
solution, provides environmental benefits. However, we
must not forget their limitations regarding manufacturing
costs, mechanical properties or variable biodegradability
behaviour depending on the aggressiveness of the
different media, and focus the efforts on the research and
development of solutions and improvements.
There are several important factors affecting the
process or mechanism of biodegradation of biodegradable
plastics. On the one hand, the chemical structure, the
polymeric chain, crystallinity or complexity of the polymeric
formulation are key points to be studied. In this way, the
specific functional groups of the polymeric chain that
forms the bioplastic are selected by certain enzymes and
processed by them to trigger what is known as “material
biodegradation”. We can say that, normally, polymers with
short chains and more abundant amorphous area are more
susceptible to being biologically degraded.
On the other hand, the different environments in
which biodegradable plastics initiate the biodegradation
processes, must be studied. In this case, pH, temperature
and the presence of oxygen and microbial content are the
most significant factors in determining the aggressiveness
level, depending on the conditions under which the material
undergoes biodegradation. In such a reaction, the carbon
that is a part of the material’s polymeric chains will, in
the presence of biomass and hence of microorganisms,
temperature, light and water, turn into CO 2
and new
biomass.
The different possibilities that can occur regarding
environment are, among others: compost, natural, soil,
soil with normalized characteristics according to the test
standards, fresh water, seawater or sewage sludge. This
window of environments represents the existence of a
wide range of very different conditions when studying the
biodegradability of materials.
More specifically and bearing in mind the possibility of
recovering the plastic materials at the end of their shelf
life, the medium offering this possibility is compost. The
composting process is defined as the complete biological
recovering process, aerobic (in presence of oxygen) and
exothermal (with an increase of the temperature) of waste
fermentation in controlled conditions whose result is the
obtaining of CO 2
, water and fertilizer or compost where
wastes are not visually distinguishable and do not produce
eco-toxicological effects in the environment.
With regard to composting, it is important to highlight
the difference between industrial composting and home
composting due to the temperature difference in both
processes (58 ºC in the case of industrial composting and
below 30 ºC in the case of home composting) that makes a
material to biodegrade faster in an industrial facility than
home composting.
If we analyse another key factor, such as the presence of
microorganisms, the most important role is played by fungi.
The presence of fungi is needed for a good biodegradation
process. However, they can only be found in compost and
soil, although they are more abundant in compost and
less in soil. Both compost and soil have high microbial and
populations that biodegrade bioplastic materials and a high
diversity that is not found in other environments such as
fresh water and seawater (aquatic ecosystems), so this
environment is less aggressive.
Therefore, an estimation of the aggressiveness of different
environments can be given and we can affirm that the most
active environment is compost, followed by soil, fresh water,
seawater and finally ambient and landfill conditions (this
last option must be ruled out if we talk about efficient waste
management) [3].
In order to calculate the percentage of biodegradability
that a specific material has reached in an environment,
there are lab-scale tests that evaluate parameters such as
the amount of carbon dioxide generated when subjecting
plastic materials to certain conditions. This parameter is
an indirect measurement of the amount of carbon from
the polymeric chain that is transformed into carbon dioxide
by the mechanism of biodegradability. Based on this
measurement, different standards have been developed
with which the different biodegradation environments must
48 bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12

Basics
By:
Elena Domínguez Solera
Sustainability and Industrial Recovery Department,
AIMPLAS
Valencia, Spain
comply. Thus, for example, the standard EN ISO 14855 [4],
sets out a method to determine the final biodegradability
percentage of a plastic material. The material is subjected
to controlled composting conditions (58 ºC and 50 %
of humidity) using generated and automatic carbon
dioxide detection methods, such as infrared detection or
gravimetric methods of carbon dioxide absorption in certain
substances. Likewise, there are standards that simulate a
medium at an environmental temperature of 25 ºC, where
plastic materials are subject to the presence of a natural
or normalized soil, as in the standard EN ISO 17556 [5]
or to 30 ºC in a natural aqueous medium, normalized or
in other environments rich in microorganisms, such as
sewage sludge, as in the standard EN ISO 14852, which sets
out the testing procedure to determine the final aerobic
biodegradability in aqueous medium [6].
It is essential to establish in each case what we want to
analyse, in which environments and under what conditions,
in order to determine the behaviour of plastics and their
utility in different applications.
AIMPLAS, has been committed to this vision for
more than 20 years, and besides having developed and
taken part in different projects in the field of bioplastics,
continues to opt for them regarding biodegradability
tests in different environments. The institute has taken a
further step by becoming the first Spanish laboratory to
earn ENAC accreditation (National Accreditation Body)
for tests determining the final aerobic biodegradability in
composting conditions (EN ISO 14855-1), soil (EN ISO 17556)
and tests determining the degree of disintegration of plastic
materials under simulated composting conditions in a
laboratory scale (EN ISO 20200 [7]). Thanks to this extension
of the accreditation scope, AIMPLAS is at the forefront of
accredited tests in the field of plastic materials in Europe.
The fact that ENAC is a signatory of all the EA (European
Accreditation), ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation
Cooperation) and IAF (International Accreditation Forum)
international agreements, is very important Therefore, a
report or certificate issued under ENAC accreditation is
recognized by the other signatories in the entire world and
these agreements act like an international passport for trade.
www.aimplas.es
References:
[1] DIRECTIVE 2008/98/CE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE
COUNCIL of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain
directives.
[2] PlasticsEurope (PEMRG) / Consultic. Plastics - the Facts 2015. An
analysis of European plastics production, demand and waste data.
[3] Challenges and opportunities of biodegradable plastics: A mini review
(Maja Rujnić-Sokele and Ana Pilipović). Waste Management & Research
2017, Vol. 35(2) 132–140.
[4] EN ISO 14855-1:2013. Determination of the ultimate aerobic
biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting
conditions - Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide - Part 1:
General method. Part 2: Gravimetric method.
[5] EN ISO 17556:2013. Plastics. Determination of the ultimate aerobic
biodegradability of plastic materials in soil by measuring the oxygen
demand in a respirometer or the amount of carbon dioxide evolved.
[6] EN ISO 14852:2005. Determination of the ultimate aerobic
biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium - Method by
analysis of evolved carbon dioxide.
[7] EN ISO 20200:2016. Plastics - Determination of the degree of
disintegration of plastic materials under simulated composting
conditions in a laboratory-scale test.
AIMPLAS’ equipment (Plastics Technology Centre) for biodegradability tests in different environments.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/17] Vol. 12 49

Basics
Glossary 4.2 last update issue 02/2016
In bioplastics MAGAZINE again and again
the same expressions appear that some of our readers
might not (yet) be familiar with. This glossary shall help
with these terms and shall help avoid repeated explanations
such as PLA (Polylactide) in various articles.
Bioplastics (as defined by European Bioplastics
e.V.) is a term used to define two different
kinds of plastics:
a. Plastics based on → renewable resources
(the focus is the origin of the raw material
used). These can be biodegradable or not.
b. → Biodegradable and → compostable
plastics according to EN13432 or similar
standards (the focus is the compostability of
the final product; biodegradable and compostable
plastics can be based on renewable
(biobased) and/or non-renewable (fossil) resources).
Bioplastics may be
- based on renewable resources and biodegradable;
- based on renewable resources but not be
biodegradable; and
- based on fossil resources and biodegradable.
1 st Generation feedstock | Carbohydrate rich
plants such as corn or sugar cane that can
also be used as food or animal feed are called
food crops or 1 st generation feedstock. Bred
my mankind over centuries for highest energy
efficiency, currently, 1 st generation feedstock
is the most efficient feedstock for the production
of bioplastics as it requires the least
amount of land to grow and produce the highest
yields. [bM 04/09]
2 nd Generation feedstock | refers to feedstock
not suitable for food or feed. It can be either
non-food crops (e.g. cellulose) or waste materials
from 1 st generation feedstock (e.g.
waste vegetable oil). [bM 06/11]
3 rd Generation feedstock | This term currently
relates to biomass from algae, which – having
a higher growth yield than 1 st and 2 nd generation
feedstock – were given their own category.
It also relates to bioplastics from waste
streams such as CO 2
or methane [bM 02/16]
Aerobic digestion | Aerobic means in the
presence of oxygen. In →composting, which is
an aerobic process, →microorganisms access
the present oxygen from the surrounding atmosphere.
They metabolize the organic material
to energy, CO 2
, water and cell biomass,
whereby part of the energy of the organic material
is released as heat. [bM 03/07, bM 02/09]
Since this Glossary will not be printed
in each issue you can download a pdf version
from our website (bit.ly/OunBB0)
bioplastics MAGAZINE is grateful to European Bioplastics for the permission to use parts of their Glossary.
Version 4.0 was revised using EuBP’s latest version (Jan 2015).
[*: bM ... refers to more comprehensive article previously published in bioplastics MAGAZINE)
Anaerobic digestion | In anaerobic digestion,
organic matter is degraded by a microbial
population in the absence of oxygen
and producing methane and carbon dioxide
(= →biogas) and a solid residue that can be
composted in a subsequent step without
practically releasing any heat. The biogas can
be treated in a Combined Heat and Power
Plant (CHP), producing electricity and heat, or
can be upgraded to bio-methane [14] [bM 06/09]
Amorphous | non-crystalline, glassy with unordered
lattice
Amylopectin | Polymeric branched starch
molecule with very high molecular weight
(biopolymer, monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09]
Amylose | Polymeric non-branched starch
molecule with high molecular weight (biopolymer,
monomer is →Glucose) [bM 05/09]
Biobased | The term biobased describes the
part of a material or product that is stemming
from →biomass. When making a biobasedclaim,
the unit (→biobased carbon content,
→biobased mass content), a percentage and
the measuring method should be clearly stated [1]
Biobased carbon | carbon contained in or
stemming from →biomass. A material or
product made of fossil and →renewable resources
contains fossil and →biobased carbon.
The biobased carbon content is measured via
the 14 C method (radio carbon dating method)
that adheres to the technical specifications as
described in [1,4,5,6].
Biobased labels | The fact that (and to
what percentage) a product or a material is
→biobased can be indicated by respective
labels. Ideally, meaningful labels should be
based on harmonised standards and a corresponding
certification process by independent
third party institutions. For the property
biobased such labels are in place by certifiers
→DIN CERTCO and →Vinçotte who both base
their certifications on the technical specification
as described in [4,5]
A certification and corresponding label depicting
the biobased mass content was developed
by the French Association Chimie du Végétal
[ACDV].
Biobased mass content | describes the
amount of biobased mass contained in a material
or product. This method is complementary
to the 14 C method, and furthermore, takes
other chemical elements besides the biobased
carbon into account, such as oxygen, nitrogen
and hydrogen. A measuring method has
been developed and tested by the Association
Chimie du Végétal (ACDV) [1]
Biobased plastic | A plastic in which constitutional
units are totally or partly from →
biomass [3]. If this claim is used, a percentage
should always be given to which extent
the product/material is → biobased [1]
[bM 01/07, bM 03/10]
Biodegradable Plastics | Biodegradable Plastics
are plastics that are completely assimilated
by the → microorganisms present a defined
environment as food for their energy. The
carbon of the plastic must completely be converted
into CO 2
during the microbial process.
The process of biodegradation depends on
the environmental conditions, which influence
it (e.g. location, temperature, humidity) and
on the material or application itself. Consequently,
the process and its outcome can vary
considerably. Biodegradability is linked to the
structure of the polymer chain; it does not depend
on the origin of the raw materials.
There is currently no single, overarching standard
to back up claims about biodegradability.
One standard for example is ISO or in Europe:
EN 14995 Plastics- Evaluation of compostability
- Test scheme and specifications
[bM 02/06, bM 01/07]
Biogas | → Anaerobic digestion
Biomass | Material of biological origin excluding
material embedded in geological formations
and material transformed to fossilised
material. This includes organic material, e.g.
trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, algae and
waste of biological origin, e.g. manure [1, 2]
Biorefinery | the co-production of a spectrum
of bio-based products (food, feed, materials,
chemicals including monomers or building
blocks for bioplastics) and energy (fuels, power,
heat) from biomass.[bM 02/13]
Blend | Mixture of plastics, polymer alloy of at
least two microscopically dispersed and molecularly
distributed base polymers
Bisphenol-A (BPA) | Monomer used to produce
different polymers. BPA is said to cause
health problems, due to the fact that is behaves
like a hormone. Therefore it is banned
for use in children’s products in many countries.
BPI | Biodegradable Products Institute, a notfor-profit
association. Through their innovative
compostable label program, BPI educates
manufacturers, legislators and consumers
about the importance of scientifically based
standards for compostable materials which
biodegrade in large composting facilities.
Carbon footprint | (CFPs resp. PCFs – Product
Carbon Footprint): Sum of →greenhouse
gas emissions and removals in a product system,
expressed as CO 2
equivalent, and based
on a →life cycle assessment. The CO 2
equivalent
of a specific amount of a greenhouse gas
is calculated as the mass of a given greenhouse
gas multiplied by its →global warmingpotential
[1,2,15]
50 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/17] Vol. 12

Basics
Carbon neutral, CO 2
neutral | describes a
product or process that has a negligible impact
on total atmospheric CO 2
levels. For
example, carbon neutrality means that any
CO 2
released when a plant decomposes or
is burnt is offset by an equal amount of CO 2
absorbed by the plant through photosynthesis
when it is growing.
Carbon neutrality can also be achieved
through buying sufficient carbon credits to
make up the difference. The latter option is
not allowed when communicating → LCAs
or carbon footprints regarding a material or
product [1, 2].
Carbon-neutral claims are tricky as products
will not in most cases reach carbon neutrality
if their complete life cycle is taken into consideration
(including the end-of life).
If an assessment of a material, however, is
conducted (cradle to gate), carbon neutrality
might be a valid claim in a B2B context. In this
case, the unit assessed in the complete life
cycle has to be clarified [1]
Cascade use | of →renewable resources means
to first use the →biomass to produce biobased
industrial products and afterwards – due to
their favourable energy balance – use them
for energy generation (e.g. from a biobased
plastic product to →biogas production). The
feedstock is used efficiently and value generation
increases decisively.
Catalyst | substance that enables and accelerates
a chemical reaction
Cellophane | Clear film on the basis of →cellulose
[bM 01/10]
Cellulose | Cellulose is the principal component
of cell walls in all higher forms of plant
life, at varying percentages. It is therefore the
most common organic compound and also
the most common polysaccharide (multisugar)
[11]. Cellulose is a polymeric molecule
with very high molecular weight (monomer is
→Glucose), industrial production from wood
or cotton, to manufacture paper, plastics and
fibres [bM 01/10]
Cellulose ester | Cellulose esters occur by
the esterification of cellulose with organic
acids. The most important cellulose esters
from a technical point of view are cellulose
acetate (CA with acetic acid), cellulose propionate
(CP with propionic acid) and cellulose
butyrate (CB with butanoic acid). Mixed polymerisates,
such as cellulose acetate propionate
(CAP) can also be formed. One of the most
well-known applications of cellulose aceto
butyrate (CAB) is the moulded handle on the
Swiss army knife [11]
Cellulose acetate CA | → Cellulose ester
CEN | Comité Européen de Normalisation
(European organisation for standardization)
Certification | is a process in which materials/products
undergo a string of (laboratory)
tests in order to verify that the fulfil certain
requirements. Sound certification systems
should be based on (ideally harmonised) European
standards or technical specifications
(e.g. by →CEN, USDA, ASTM, etc.) and be
performed by independent third party laboratories.
Successful certification guarantees
a high product safety - also on this basis interconnected
labels can be awarded that help
the consumer to make an informed decision.
Compost | A soil conditioning material of decomposing
organic matter which provides nutrients
and enhances soil structure.
[bM 06/08, 02/09]
Compostable Plastics | Plastics that are
→ biodegradable under →composting conditions:
specified humidity, temperature,
→ microorganisms and timeframe. In order
to make accurate and specific claims about
compostability, the location (home, → industrial)
and timeframe need to be specified [1].
Several national and international standards
exist for clearer definitions, for example EN
14995 Plastics - Evaluation of compostability -
Test scheme and specifications. [bM 02/06, bM 01/07]
Composting | is the controlled →aerobic, or
oxygen-requiring, decomposition of organic
materials by →microorganisms, under controlled
conditions. It reduces the volume and
mass of the raw materials while transforming
them into CO 2
, water and a valuable soil conditioner
– compost.
When talking about composting of bioplastics,
foremost →industrial composting in a
managed composting facility is meant (criteria
defined in EN 13432).
The main difference between industrial and
home composting is, that in industrial composting
facilities temperatures are much
higher and kept stable, whereas in the composting
pile temperatures are usually lower,
and less constant as depending on factors
such as weather conditions. Home composting
is a way slower-paced process than
industrial composting. Also a comparatively
smaller volume of waste is involved. [bM 03/07]
Compound | plastic mixture from different
raw materials (polymer and additives) [bM 04/10)
Copolymer | Plastic composed of different
monomers.
Cradle-to-Gate | Describes the system
boundaries of an environmental →Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA) which covers all activities
from the cradle (i.e., the extraction of raw materials,
agricultural activities and forestry) up
to the factory gate
Cradle-to-Cradle | (sometimes abbreviated
as C2C): Is an expression which communicates
the concept of a closed-cycle economy,
in which waste is used as raw material
(‘waste equals food’). Cradle-to-Cradle is not
a term that is typically used in →LCA studies.
Cradle-to-Grave | Describes the system
boundaries of a full →Life Cycle Assessment
from manufacture (cradle) to use phase and
disposal phase (grave).
Crystalline | Plastic with regularly arranged
molecules in a lattice structure
Density | Quotient from mass and volume of
a material, also referred to as specific weight
DIN | Deutsches Institut für Normung (German
organisation for standardization)
DIN-CERTCO | independant certifying organisation
for the assessment on the conformity
of bioplastics
Dispersing | fine distribution of non-miscible
liquids into a homogeneous, stable mixture
Drop-In bioplastics | chemically indentical
to conventional petroleum based plastics,
but made from renewable resources. Examples
are bio-PE made from bio-ethanol (from
e.g. sugar cane) or partly biobased PET; the
monoethylene glykol made from bio-ethanol
(from e.g. sugar cane). Developments to
make terephthalic acid from renewable resources
are under way. Other examples are
polyamides (partly biobased e.g. PA 4.10 or PA
6.10 or fully biobased like PA 5.10 or PA10.10)
EN 13432 | European standard for the assessment
of the → compostability of plastic
packaging products
Energy recovery | recovery and exploitation
of the energy potential in (plastic) waste for
the production of electricity or heat in waste
incineration pants (waste-to-energy)
Environmental claim | A statement, symbol
or graphic that indicates one or more environmental
aspect(s) of a product, a component,
packaging or a service. [16]
Enzymes | proteins that catalyze chemical
reactions
Enzyme-mediated plastics | are no →bioplastics.
Instead, a conventional non-biodegradable
plastic (e.g. fossil-based PE) is enriched
with small amounts of an organic additive.
Microorganisms are supposed to consume
these additives and the degradation process
should then expand to the non-biodegradable
PE and thus make the material degrade. After
some time the plastic is supposed to visually
disappear and to be completely converted to
carbon dioxide and water. This is a theoretical
concept which has not been backed up by
any verifiable proof so far. Producers promote
enzyme-mediated plastics as a solution to littering.
As no proof for the degradation process
has been provided, environmental beneficial
effects are highly questionable.
Ethylene | colour- and odourless gas, made
e.g. from, Naphtha (petroleum) by cracking or
from bio-ethanol by dehydration, monomer of
the polymer polyethylene (PE)
European Bioplastics e.V. | The industry association
representing the interests of Europe’s
thriving bioplastics’ industry. Founded
in Germany in 1993 as IBAW, European
Bioplastics today represents the interests
of about 50 member companies throughout
the European Union and worldwide. With
members from the agricultural feedstock,
chemical and plastics industries, as well as
industrial users and recycling companies, European
Bioplastics serves as both a contact
platform and catalyst for advancing the aims
of the growing bioplastics industry.
Extrusion | process used to create plastic
profiles (or sheet) of a fixed cross-section
consisting of mixing, melting, homogenising
and shaping of the plastic.
FDCA | 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, an intermediate
chemical produced from 5-HMF.
The dicarboxylic acid can be used to make →
PEF = polyethylene furanoate, a polyester that
could be a 100% biobased alternative to PET.
Fermentation | Biochemical reactions controlled
by → microorganisms or → enyzmes (e.g.
the transformation of sugar into lactic acid).
FSC | Forest Stewardship Council. FSC is an
independent, non-governmental, not-forprofit
organization established to promote the
responsible and sustainable management of
the world’s forests.
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/17] Vol. 12 51

Basics
Gelatine | Translucent brittle solid substance,
colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless
and odorless, extracted from the collagen inside
animals‘ connective tissue.
Genetically modified organism (GMO) | Organisms,
such as plants and animals, whose
genetic material (DNA) has been altered
are called genetically modified organisms
(GMOs). Food and feed which contain or
consist of such GMOs, or are produced from
GMOs, are called genetically modified (GM)
food or feed [1]. If GM crops are used in bioplastics
production, the multiple-stage processing
and the high heat used to create the
polymer removes all traces of genetic material.
This means that the final bioplastics product
contains no genetic traces. The resulting
bioplastics is therefore well suited to use in
food packaging as it contains no genetically
modified material and cannot interact with
the contents.
Global Warming | Global warming is the rise
in the average temperature of Earth’s atmosphere
and oceans since the late 19th century
and its projected continuation [8]. Global
warming is said to be accelerated by → green
house gases.
Glucose | Monosaccharide (or simple sugar).
G. is the most important carbohydrate (sugar)
in biology. G. is formed by photosynthesis or
hydrolyse of many carbohydrates e. g. starch.
Greenhouse gas GHG | Gaseous constituent
of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic,
that absorbs and emits radiation at
specific wavelengths within the spectrum of
infrared radiation emitted by the earth’s surface,
the atmosphere, and clouds [1, 9]
Greenwashing | The act of misleading consumers
regarding the environmental practices
of a company, or the environmental benefits
of a product or service [1, 10]
Granulate, granules | small plastic particles
(3-4 millimetres), a form in which plastic is
sold and fed into machines, easy to handle
and dose.
HMF (5-HMF) | 5-hydroxymethylfurfural is an
organic compound derived from sugar dehydration.
It is a platform chemical, a building
block for 20 performance polymers and over
175 different chemical substances. The molecule
consists of a furan ring which contains
both aldehyde and alcohol functional groups.
5-HMF has applications in many different
industries such as bioplastics, packaging,
pharmaceuticals, adhesives and chemicals.
One of the most promising routes is 2,5
furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), produced as an
intermediate when 5-HMF is oxidised. FDCA
is used to produce PEF, which can substitute
terephthalic acid in polyester, especially polyethylene
terephthalate (PET). [bM 03/14, 02/16]
Home composting | →composting [bM 06/08]
Humus | In agriculture, humus is often used
simply to mean mature →compost, or natural
compost extracted from a forest or other
spontaneous source for use to amend soil.
Hydrophilic | Property: water-friendly, soluble
in water or other polar solvents (e.g. used
in conjunction with a plastic which is not water
resistant and weather proof or that absorbs
water such as Polyamide (PA).
Hydrophobic | Property: water-resistant, not
soluble in water (e.g. a plastic which is water
resistant and weather proof, or that does not
absorb any water such as Polyethylene (PE)
or Polypropylene (PP).
Industrial composting | is an established
process with commonly agreed upon requirements
(e.g. temperature, timeframe) for transforming
biodegradable waste into stable, sanitised
products to be used in agriculture. The
criteria for industrial compostability of packaging
have been defined in the EN 13432. Materials
and products complying with this standard
can be certified and subsequently labelled
accordingly [1,7] [bM 06/08, 02/09]
ISO | International Organization for Standardization
JBPA | Japan Bioplastics Association
Land use | The surface required to grow sufficient
feedstock (land use) for today’s bioplastic
production is less than 0.01 percent of the
global agricultural area of 5 billion hectares.
It is not yet foreseeable to what extent an increased
use of food residues, non-food crops
or cellulosic biomass (see also →1 st /2 nd /3 rd
generation feedstock) in bioplastics production
might lead to an even further reduced
land use in the future [bM 04/09, 01/14]
LCA | is the compilation and evaluation of the
input, output and the potential environmental
impact of a product system throughout its life
cycle [17]. It is sometimes also referred to as
life cycle analysis, ecobalance or cradle-tograve
analysis. [bM 01/09]
Littering | is the (illegal) act of leaving waste
such as cigarette butts, paper, tins, bottles,
cups, plates, cutlery or bags lying in an open
or public place.
Marine litter | Following the European Commission’s
definition, “marine litter consists of
items that have been deliberately discarded,
unintentionally lost, or transported by winds
and rivers, into the sea and on beaches. It
mainly consists of plastics, wood, metals,
glass, rubber, clothing and paper”. Marine
debris originates from a variety of sources.
Shipping and fishing activities are the predominant
sea-based, ineffectively managed
landfills as well as public littering the main
land-based sources. Marine litter can pose a
threat to living organisms, especially due to
ingestion or entanglement.
Currently, there is no international standard
available, which appropriately describes the
biodegradation of plastics in the marine environment.
However, a number of standardisation
projects are in progress at ISO and ASTM
level. Furthermore, the European project
OPEN BIO addresses the marine biodegradation
of biobased products.[bM 02/16]
Mass balance | describes the relationship between
input and output of a specific substance
within a system in which the output from the
system cannot exceed the input into the system.
First attempts were made by plastic raw material
producers to claim their products renewable
(plastics) based on a certain input
of biomass in a huge and complex chemical
plant, then mathematically allocating this
biomass input to the produced plastic.
These approaches are at least controversially
disputed [bM 04/14, 05/14, 01/15]
Microorganism | Living organisms of microscopic
size, such as bacteria, funghi or yeast.
Molecule | group of at least two atoms held
together by covalent chemical bonds.
Monomer | molecules that are linked by polymerization
to form chains of molecules and
then plastics
Mulch film | Foil to cover bottom of farmland
Organic recycling | means the treatment of
separately collected organic waste by anaerobic
digestion and/or composting.
Oxo-degradable / Oxo-fragmentable | materials
and products that do not biodegrade!
The underlying technology of oxo-degradability
or oxo-fragmentation is based on special additives,
which, if incorporated into standard
resins, are purported to accelerate the fragmentation
of products made thereof. Oxodegradable
or oxo-fragmentable materials do
not meet accepted industry standards on compostability
such as EN 13432. [bM 01/09, 05/09]
PBAT | Polybutylene adipate terephthalate, is
an aliphatic-aromatic copolyester that has the
properties of conventional polyethylene but is
fully biodegradable under industrial composting.
PBAT is made from fossil petroleum with
first attempts being made to produce it partly
from renewable resources [bM 06/09]
PBS | Polybutylene succinate, a 100% biodegradable
polymer, made from (e.g. bio-BDO)
and succinic acid, which can also be produced
biobased [bM 03/12].
PC | Polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyester,
petroleum based and not degradable, used
for e.g. baby bottles or CDs. Criticized for its
BPA (→ Bisphenol-A) content.
PCL | Polycaprolactone, a synthetic (fossil
based), biodegradable bioplastic, e.g. used as
a blend component.
PE | Polyethylene, thermoplastic polymerised
from ethylene. Can be made from renewable
resources (sugar cane via bio-ethanol) [bM 05/10]
PEF | polyethylene furanoate, a polyester
made from monoethylene glycol (MEG) and
→FDCA (2,5-furandicarboxylic acid , an intermediate
chemical produced from 5-HMF). It
can be a 100% biobased alternative for PET.
PEF also has improved product characteristics,
such as better structural strength and
improved barrier behaviour, which will allow
for the use of PEF bottles in additional applications.
[bM 03/11, 04/12]
PET | Polyethylenterephthalate, transparent
polyester used for bottles and film. The
polyester is made from monoethylene glycol
(MEG), that can be renewably sourced from
bio-ethanol (sugar cane) and (until now fossil)
terephthalic acid [bM 04/14]
PGA | Polyglycolic acid or Polyglycolide is a biodegradable,
thermoplastic polymer and the
simplest linear, aliphatic polyester. Besides
ist use in the biomedical field, PGA has been
introduced as a barrier resin [bM 03/09]
PHA | Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) or the
polyhydroxy fatty acids, are a family of biodegradable
polyesters. As in many mammals,
including humans, that hold energy reserves
in the form of body fat there are also bacteria
that hold intracellular reserves in for of
of polyhydroxy alkanoates. Here the microorganisms
store a particularly high level of
52 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/17] Vol. 12

Basics
energy reserves (up to 80% of their own body
weight) for when their sources of nutrition become
scarce. By farming this type of bacteria,
and feeding them on sugar or starch (mostly
from maize), or at times on plant oils or other
nutrients rich in carbonates, it is possible to
obtain PHA‘s on an industrial scale [11]. The
most common types of PHA are PHB (Polyhydroxybutyrate,
PHBV and PHBH. Depending
on the bacteria and their food, PHAs with
different mechanical properties, from rubbery
soft trough stiff and hard as ABS, can be produced.
Some PHSs are even biodegradable in
soil or in a marine environment
PLA | Polylactide or Polylactic Acid (PLA), a
biodegradable, thermoplastic, linear aliphatic
polyester based on lactic acid, a natural acid,
is mainly produced by fermentation of sugar
or starch with the help of micro-organisms.
Lactic acid comes in two isomer forms, i.e. as
laevorotatory D(-)lactic acid and as dextrorotary
L(+)lactic acid.
Modified PLA types can be produced by the
use of the right additives or by certain combinations
of L- and D- lactides (stereocomplexing),
which then have the required rigidity for
use at higher temperatures [13] [bM 01/09, 01/12]
Plastics | Materials with large molecular
chains of natural or fossil raw materials, produced
by chemical or biochemical reactions.
PPC | Polypropylene Carbonate, a bioplastic
made by copolymerizing CO 2
with propylene
oxide (PO) [bM 04/12]
PTT | Polytrimethylterephthalate (PTT), partially
biobased polyester, is similarly to PET
produced using terephthalic acid or dimethyl
terephthalate and a diol. In this case it is a
biobased 1,3 propanediol, also known as bio-
PDO [bM 01/13]
Renewable Resources | agricultural raw materials,
which are not used as food or feed,
but as raw material for industrial products
or to generate energy. The use of renewable
resources by industry saves fossil resources
and reduces the amount of → greenhouse gas
emissions. Biobased plastics are predominantly
made of annual crops such as corn,
cereals and sugar beets or perennial cultures
such as cassava and sugar cane.
Resource efficiency | Use of limited natural
resources in a sustainable way while minimising
impacts on the environment. A resource
efficient economy creates more output
or value with lesser input.
Seedling Logo | The compostability label or
logo Seedling is connected to the standard
EN 13432/EN 14995 and a certification process
managed by the independent institutions
→DIN CERTCO and → Vinçotte. Bioplastics
products carrying the Seedling fulfil the
criteria laid down in the EN 13432 regarding
industrial compostability. [bM 01/06, 02/10]
Saccharins or carbohydrates | Saccharins or
carbohydrates are name for the sugar-family.
Saccharins are monomer or polymer sugar
units. For example, there are known mono-,
di- and polysaccharose. → glucose is a monosaccarin.
They are important for the diet and
produced biology in plants.
Semi-finished products | plastic in form of
sheet, film, rods or the like to be further processed
into finshed products
Sorbitol | Sugar alcohol, obtained by reduction
of glucose changing the aldehyde group
to an additional hydroxyl group. S. is used as
a plasticiser for bioplastics based on starch.
Starch | Natural polymer (carbohydrate)
consisting of → amylose and → amylopectin,
gained from maize, potatoes, wheat, tapioca
etc. When glucose is connected to polymerchains
in definite way the result (product) is
called starch. Each molecule is based on 300
-12000-glucose units. Depending on the connection,
there are two types → amylose and →
amylopectin known. [bM 05/09]
Starch derivatives | Starch derivatives are
based on the chemical structure of → starch.
The chemical structure can be changed by
introducing new functional groups without
changing the → starch polymer. The product
has different chemical qualities. Mostly the
hydrophilic character is not the same.
Starch-ester | One characteristic of every
starch-chain is a free hydroxyl group. When
every hydroxyl group is connected with an
acid one product is starch-ester with different
chemical properties.
Starch propionate and starch butyrate |
Starch propionate and starch butyrate can be
synthesised by treating the → starch with propane
or butanic acid. The product structure
is still based on → starch. Every based → glucose
fragment is connected with a propionate
or butyrate ester group. The product is more
hydrophobic than → starch.
Sustainable | An attempt to provide the best
outcomes for the human and natural environments
both now and into the indefinite future.
One famous definition of sustainability is the
one created by the Brundtland Commission,
led by the former Norwegian Prime Minister
G. H. Brundtland. The Brundtland Commission
defined sustainable development as
development that ‘meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs.’
Sustainability relates to the continuity of economic,
social, institutional and environmental
aspects of human society, as well as the nonhuman
environment).
Sustainable sourcing | of renewable feedstock
for biobased plastics is a prerequisite
for more sustainable products. Impacts such
as the deforestation of protected habitats
or social and environmental damage arising
from poor agricultural practices must
be avoided. Corresponding certification
schemes, such as ISCC PLUS, WLC or Bon-
Sucro, are an appropriate tool to ensure the
sustainable sourcing of biomass for all applications
around the globe.
Sustainability | as defined by European Bioplastics,
has three dimensions: economic, social
and environmental. This has been known
as “the triple bottom line of sustainability”.
This means that sustainable development involves
the simultaneous pursuit of economic
prosperity, environmental protection and social
equity. In other words, businesses have
to expand their responsibility to include these
environmental and social dimensions. Sustainability
is about making products useful to
markets and, at the same time, having societal
benefits and lower environmental impact
than the alternatives currently available. It also
implies a commitment to continuous improvement
that should result in a further reduction
of the environmental footprint of today’s products,
processes and raw materials used.
Thermoplastics | Plastics which soften or
melt when heated and solidify when cooled
(solid at room temperature).
Thermoplastic Starch | (TPS) → starch that
was modified (cooked, complexed) to make it
a plastic resin
Thermoset | Plastics (resins) which do not
soften or melt when heated. Examples are
epoxy resins or unsaturated polyester resins.
Vinçotte | independant certifying organisation
for the assessment on the conformity of bioplastics
WPC | Wood Plastic Composite. Composite
materials made of wood fiber/flour and plastics
(mostly polypropylene).
Yard Waste | Grass clippings, leaves, trimmings,
garden residue.
References:
[1] Environmental Communication Guide,
European Bioplastics, Berlin, Germany,
2012
[2] ISO 14067. Carbon footprint of products -
Requirements and guidelines for quantification
and communication
[3] CEN TR 15932, Plastics - Recommendation
for terminology and characterisation
of biopolymers and bioplastics, 2010
[4] CEN/TS 16137, Plastics - Determination
of bio-based carbon content, 2011
[5] ASTM D6866, Standard Test Methods for
Determining the Biobased Content of
Solid, Liquid, and Gaseous Samples Using
Radiocarbon Analysis
[6] SPI: Understanding Biobased Carbon
Content, 2012
[7] EN 13432, Requirements for packaging
recoverable through composting and biodegradation.
Test scheme and evaluation
criteria for the final acceptance of packaging,
2000
[8] Wikipedia
[9] ISO 14064 Greenhouse gases -- Part 1:
Specification with guidance..., 2006
[10] Terrachoice, 2010, www.terrachoice.com
[11] Thielen, M.: Bioplastics: Basics. Applications.
Markets, Polymedia Publisher,
2012
[12] Lörcks, J.: Biokunststoffe, Broschüre der
FNR, 2005
[13] de Vos, S.: Improving heat-resistance of
PLA using poly(D-lactide),
bioplastics MAGAZINE, Vol. 3, Issue 02/2008
[14] de Wilde, B.: Anaerobic Digestion, bioplastics
MAGAZINE, Vol 4., Issue 06/2009
[15] ISO 14067 onb Corbon Footprint of
Products
[16] ISO 14021 on Self-declared Environmental
claims
[17] ISO 14044 on Life Cycle Assessment
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/17] Vol. 12 53

Suppliers Guide
1. Raw Materials
AGRANA Starch
Bioplastics
Conrathstraße 7
A-3950 Gmuend, Austria
technical.starch@agrana.com
www.agrana.com
Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou,
Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China
China contact: Grace Jin
mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843
Grace@xinfupharm.comEurope
contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang
mobile: 0032 478 991619
zxh0612@hotmail.com
www.xinfupharm.com
1.1 bio based monomers
Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd.
No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou
Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone,
Guangdong, P.R. China. 510663
Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696
info@ecopond.com.cn
www.ecopond.com.cn
FLEX-162 Biodeg. Blown Film Resin!
Bio-873 4-Star Inj. Bio-Based Resin!
Simply contact:
Tel.: +49 2161 6884467
suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com
Stay permanently listed in the
Suppliers Guide with your company
logo and contact information.
For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you
can be present among top suppliers in
the field of bioplastics.
For Example:
BASF SE
Ludwigshafen, Germany
Tel: +49 621 60-9995
martin.bussmann@basf.com
www.ecovio.com
PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd.
info@pttmcc.com / www.pttmcc.com
Tel: +66(0) 2 140-3563
MCPP Germany GmbH
+49 (0) 152-018 920 51
frank.steinbrecher@mcpp-europe.com
MCPP France SAS
+33 (0) 6 07 22 25 32
fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com
Corbion Purac
Arkelsedijk 46, P.O. Box 21
4200 AA Gorinchem -
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 (0)183 695 695
Fax: +31 (0)183 695 604
www.corbion.com/bioplastics
bioplastics@corbion.com
62 136 Lestrem, France
Tel.: + 33 (0) 3 21 63 36 00
www.roquette-performance-plastics.com
1.2 compounds
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH
Siemensring 79
D - 47 877 Willich
Tel. +49 2154 9251-0
Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51
sales@fkur.com
www.fkur.com
GRAFE-Group
Waldecker Straße 21,
99444 Blankenhain, Germany
Tel. +49 36459 45 0
www.grafe.com
39 mm
Polymedia Publisher GmbH
Dammer Str. 112
41066 Mönchengladbach
Germany
Tel. +49 2161 664864
Fax +49 2161 631045
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Microtec Srl
Via Po’, 53/55
30030, Mellaredo di Pianiga (VE),
Italy
Tel.: +39 041 5190621
Fax.: +39 041 5194765
info@microtecsrl.com
www.biocomp.it
API S.p.A.
Via Dante Alighieri, 27
36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy
Telephone +39 0424 579711
www.apiplastic.com
www.apinatbio.com
Green Dot Bioplastics
226 Broadway | PO Box #142
Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845, USA
Tel.: +1 620-273-8919
info@greendotholdings.com
www.greendotpure.com
Sample Charge:
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= 234,00 € per entry/per issue
Sample Charge for one year:
6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 €
The entry in our Suppliers Guide is
bookable for one year (6 issues) and
extends automatically if it’s not canceled
three month before expiry.
www.facebook.com
www.issuu.com
www.twitter.com
www.youtube.com
Tel: +86 351-8689356
Fax: +86 351-8689718
www.jinhuizhaolong.com
ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com
Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe
Polyester Co., Ltd.
No. 316, South Beijing Rd. Changji,
Xinjiang, 831100, P.R.China
Tel.: +86 994 2713175
Mob: +86 13905253382
lilong_tunhe@163.com
www.lanshantunhe.com
PBAT & PBS resin supplier
BIO-FED
Branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH
BioCampus Cologne
Nattermannallee 1
50829 Cologne, Germany
Tel.: +49 221 88 88 94-00
info@bio-fed.com
www.bio-fed.com
Global Biopolymers Co.,Ltd.
Bioplastics compounds
(PLA+starch;PLA+rubber)
194 Lardproa80 yak 14
Wangthonglang, Bangkok
Thailand 10310
info@globalbiopolymers.com
www.globalbiopolymers.com
Tel +66 81 9150446
NUREL Engineering Polymers
Ctra. Barcelona, km 329
50016 Zaragoza, Spain
Tel: +34 976 465 579
inzea@samca.com
www.inzea-biopolymers.com
Sukano AG
Chaltenbodenstraße 23
CH-8834 Schindellegi
Tel. +41 44 787 57 77
Fax +41 44 787 57 78
www.sukano.com
54 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/17] Vol. 12

Suppliers Guide
1.6 masterbatches
TECNARO GmbH
Bustadt 40
D-74360 Ilsfeld. Germany
Tel: +49 (0)7062/97687-0
www.tecnaro.de
1.3 PLA
Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co.,Ltd.
No.97 Waisha Rd, Jiaojiang District,
Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China
Tel: +86-576-88827723
pla@hisunpharm.com
www.hisunplas.com
weforyou PLA & Applications
office@weforyou.pro
www.weforyou.pro
1.4 starch-based bioplastics
BIOTEC
Biologische Naturverpackungen
Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32
46446 Emmerich/Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510
info@biotec.de
www.biotec.de
GRAFE-Group
Waldecker Straße 21,
99444 Blankenhain, Germany
Tel. +49 36459 45 0
www.grafe.com
2. Additives/Secondary raw materials
GRAFE-Group
Waldecker Straße 21,
99444 Blankenhain, Germany
Tel. +49 36459 45 0
www.grafe.com
3. Semi finished products
3.1 films
Infiana Germany GmbH & Co. KG
Zweibrückenstraße 15-25
91301 Forchheim
Tel. +49-9191 81-0
Fax +49-9191 81-212
www.infiana.com
INDOCHINE C, M, Y , K BIO C , M, Y, K PLASTIQUES
45, 0,90, 0
10, 0, 80,0
(ICBP) C, M, Y, KSDN BHD
C, M, Y, K
50, 0 ,0, 0
0, 0, 0, 0
D-09, Jalan Tanjung A/4,
Free Trade Zone
Port of Tanjung Pelepas
81560 Johor, Malaysia
T. +607-507 1585
icbp.bioplastic@gmail.com
www.icbp.com.my
Minima Technology Co., Ltd.
Esmy Huang, COO
No.33. Yichang E. Rd., Taipin City,
Taichung County
411, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Tel. +886(4)2277 6888
Fax +883(4)2277 6989
Mobil +886(0)982-829988
esmy@minima-tech.com
Skype esmy325
www.minima.com
Natur-Tec ® - Northern Technologies
4201 Woodland Road
Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA
Tel. +1 763.404.8700
Fax +1 763.225.6645
info@natur-tec.com
www.natur-tec.com
Molds, Change Parts and Turnkey
Solutions for the PET/Bioplastic
Container Industry
284 Pinebush Road
Cambridge Ontario
Canada N1T 1Z6
Tel. +1 519 624 9720
Fax +1 519 624 9721
info@hallink.com
www.hallink.com
6.2 Laboratory Equipment
MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer
SAIDA FDS INC.
143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu,
Shizuoka,Japan
Tel:+81-54-624-6260
Info2@moda.vg
www.saidagroup.jp
7. Plant engineering
EREMA Engineering Recycling
Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH
Unterfeldstrasse 3
4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA
Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0
Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-23
erema@erema.at
www.erema.at
Grabio Greentech Corporation
Tel: +886-3-598-6496
No. 91, Guangfu N. Rd., Hsinchu
Industrial Park,Hukou Township,
Hsinchu County 30351, Taiwan
sales@grabio.com.tw
www.grabio.com.tw
1.5 PHA
TIPA-Corp. Ltd
Hanagar 3 Hod
Hasharon 4501306, ISRAEL
P.O BOX 7132
Tel: +972-9-779-6000
Fax: +972 -9-7715828
www.tipa-corp.com
4. Bioplastics products
NOVAMONT S.p.A.
Via Fauser , 8
28100 Novara - ITALIA
Fax +39.0321.699.601
Tel. +39.0321.699.611
www.novamont.com
Uhde Inventa-Fischer GmbH
Holzhauser Strasse 157–159
D-13509 Berlin
Tel. +49 30 43 567 5
Fax +49 30 43 567 699
sales.de@uhde-inventa-fischer.com
Uhde Inventa-Fischer AG
Via Innovativa 31, CH-7013 Domat/Ems
Tel. +41 81 632 63 11
Fax +41 81 632 74 03
sales.ch@uhde-inventa-fischer.com
www.uhde-inventa-fischer.com
9. Services
Kaneka Belgium N.V.
Nijverheidsstraat 16
2260 Westerlo-Oevel, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)14 25 78 36
Fax: +32 (0)14 25 78 81
info.biopolymer@kaneka.be
Bio4Pack GmbH
D-48419 Rheine, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0) 5975 955 94 57
info@bio4pack.com
www.bio4pack.com
President Packaging Ind., Corp.
PLA Paper Hot Cup manufacture
In Taiwan, www.ppi.com.tw
Tel.: +886-6-570-4066 ext.5531
Fax: +886-6-570-4077
sales@ppi.com.tw
6. Equipment
Osterfelder Str. 3
46047 Oberhausen
Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227
Fax: +49 (0)208 8598 1424
thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de
www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de
TianAn Biopolymer
No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd,
Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800
Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2
Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0
enquiry@tianan-enmat.com
www.tianan-enmat.com
BeoPlast Besgen GmbH
Bioplastics injection moulding
Industriestraße 64
D-40764 Langenfeld, Germany
Tel. +49 2173 84840-0
info@beoplast.de
www.beoplast.de
6.1 Machinery & Molds
Buss AG
Hohenrainstrasse 10
4133 Pratteln / Switzerland
Tel.: +41 61 825 66 00
Fax: +41 61 825 68 58
info@busscorp.com
www.busscorp.com
Institut für Kunststofftechnik
Universität Stuttgart
Böblinger Straße 70
70199 Stuttgart
Tel +49 711/685-62814
Linda.Goebel@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de
www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/17] Vol. 12 55

Suppliers Guide
www.pu-magazine.com
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03/2017 JUNE/JULY
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trimming weight to more easily meet MPG and environmental goals.
Plus, it’s nonflammable and U.S. EPA SNAP-listed.
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Volume 8, May 2017
narocon
Dr. Harald Kaeb
Tel.: +49 30-28096930
kaeb@narocon.de
www.narocon.de
9. Services (continued)
10. Institutions
10.1 Associations
BPI - The Biodegradable
Products Institute
331 West 57th Street, Suite 415
New York, NY 10019, USA
Tel. +1-888-274-5646
info@bpiworld.org
IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics
and Biocomposites
University of Applied Sciences
and Arts Hanover
Faculty II – Mechanical and
Bioprocess Engineering
Heisterbergallee 12
30453 Hannover, Germany
Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 22 69
Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 99 - 22 69
lisa.mundzeck@hs-hannover.de
www.ifbb-hannover.de/
Simply contact:
Tel.: +49 2161 6884467
suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com
Stay permanently listed in the
Suppliers Guide with your company
logo and contact information.
For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you
can be present among top suppliers in
the field of bioplastics.
For Example:
nova-Institut GmbH
Chemiepark Knapsack
Industriestrasse 300
50354 Huerth, Germany
Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40
E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de
www.biobased.eu
Bioplastics Consulting
Tel. +49 2161 664864
info@polymediaconsult.com
European Bioplastics e.V.
Marienstr. 19/20
10117 Berlin, Germany
Tel. +49 30 284 82 350
Fax +49 30 284 84 359
info@european-bioplastics.org
www.european-bioplastics.org
10.2 Universities
10.3 Other Institutions
Green Serendipity
Caroli Buitenhuis
IJburglaan 836
1087 EM Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel.: +31 6-24216733
www.greenseredipity.nl
Polymedia Publisher GmbH
Dammer Str. 112
41066 Mönchengladbach
Germany
Tel. +49 2161 664864
Fax +49 2161 631045
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com
Sample Charge:
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Michigan State University
Dept. of Chem. Eng & Mat. Sc.
Professor Ramani Narayan
East Lansing MI 48824, USA
Tel. +1 517 719 7163
narayan@msu.edu
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SEEING POLYMERS
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Trim The Weight,
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Interviews: ISL-Chemie, Dow, Magna, Vencorex
PSE Europe 2017 preview
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Blowing Agents
FORUM FÜR DIE POLYURETHANINDUSTRIE
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56 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/17] Vol. 12
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/17] Vol. 12 57

Companies in this issue
Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert
A. Schulman 7
ABB 12
Adidas 13
Agrana 54
AIMPLAS 22, 49
Aitiip 6
AMC Innova Juice & Drinks 6
Amsilk 13
API Applicazioni Plastiche Industriali 54
Archer Daniels Midland 5
ARMINES 35
Barnet Europe 18
BASF 7, 13 54
Beoplast 55
Bio4pack 55
Biobrush 12
Bio-Fed Branch of Akro-Plastic 54
Bio-on 5, 28, 37
Biotec 55
Bosk Bioproducts 30
Bozzetto 18
BPI 45 56
Braskem 7, 28, 32
Bunzl 29
Buss 39, 55
Cathay Industrial Biotech 17
Center for Biobased Economy 13
Centexbel 19, 22
Dr. Heinz Gupta Verlag 56
DS Fibres 22
DuPont 5
Eastman Chemical Company 8
Ecovia Renewables 36
eKoala 26
Erema 55
Eroski 6
European Bioplastics 34, 38, 42, 43 31, 56
Exergy 35
Fakultet Novi Sad 35
Finroline 35
FKuR 32 2, 54
Fraunhofer UMSICHT 55
G.S. Stemeseder 7
Global Biopolymers 54
GRABIO Greentech Corporation 55
Grafe 54, 55
Green Serendipity 56
Greenboats 7
GreenDot Bioplastics 54
Hallink 55
Hexpol TPE 8
ICBP 1, 10, 55
ICEE 13
Indochine Bio Plastiques 1, 10, 55
Infiana Germany 55
INRS 30
Inst. F. Bioplastics & Biocomposites 43 56
Inst. Textiltechnik RWTH Aachen 18
INSTM 34
IRIS 34
Jinhui Zhaolong 23, 54
Kaneka 55
Kartell 27
Kering Eyeware 28
Kingfa 54
Linotech 7
Maip 12
Mars 44
Mavi Sud 35
Michigan State University 56
Microtec 54
Midwestern PET Foods 28
Minima Technology 55
Murdoch Univ. 40
narocon InnovationConsulting 56
NatureWorks 26
Naturtec 55
nova Institute 7 41, 46, 56
Novamont 26 55, 60
NPSP 7, 13
Nurel 54
Origin Materials 8
OWI 7
OWS 6
Peel Plastics Products 28
PHP Fibers 14
Plastic Recyclers Europe 42
plasticker 42
PLASTICS 44
Plastipolis 6
Plasto 28
polymediaconsult 56
President Packaging 55
PTT MCC Biochem 27, 54
Raimund Beck Nageltechnik 7
Roquette 54
Sabio Materials 27
Saida 55
Saurer 18
Schlafhorst 18
Sierra Club 40
Sintex 22
Sonae Arauco 7
Speick Naturkosmetik 32
State Univ. New York 40
Sukano 26 29, 54
Tecnaro 55
Tecos 6
Teijin Frontier 16
Texol 35
thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions 24
TianAn Biopolymer 55
Tipa 55
Total Corbion PLA 54
TU Eindhoven 7, 13
Uhde Inventa-Fischer 24 21, 55
Univ. Delft 13
Univ. Gent 35
Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 55
Univ. Westminster 35
Vredestein 6
Wageningen UR 6, 42
Weforyou 36 55
Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe Polyester 22 54
Yönsa 22
Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical 54
Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials 33, 54
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06/2017 Nov/Dec 04 Dec 17 03 Nov 17 Films/Flexibles/
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Rubber
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Special
01/2018 Jan/Feb 08 Jan 18 22 Dec 17 Automotive Foam Thailand (t.b.c) t.b.d.
Blown film extrusion
Trade-Fair
Specials
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