Issue 01/2017

Editorial
dear
readers
I hope you all had a good start to the new year. And, even as I write these lines, our readers
in China are holding their own New Year’s celebrations as they enter the “Year of
the Fire Rooster”.
The new year also marks the start of a new series in bioplastics MAGAZINE. In
each issue, we will devote attention to a different part of the world, in order to
explore how well the concept of bioplastics is known and understood in the various
regions and countries around the globe. To that end, articles will be solicited
for each edition from companies, researchers and other stakeholders from the
region in focus in that issue. In addition, we have devised a simple survey, which
we ourselves will conduct among members of the local population to assess the
prevailing attitudes towards and general perception of bioplastics. This first issue
starts with the BENELUX countries. Other areas to follow this year are Germany/
Austria/Switzerland, China, Scandinavia, North America and Italy/France. More
areas, such as UK, New Zealand/Australia, Spain/Portugal, Poland and the Baltic
States, Thailand and so on to follow later.
The other highlight topics of this issue include Bioplastic Foams and Bioplastics in
Automotive Applications. In the Basics section, we once again examine the general
question of “Can additives make conventional plastics biodegradable?”
I’d also like to draw your attention to our two conferences this year. In early
May, our bio!PAC event will take place for the second time. As the World’s biggest
trade fair on packaging – interpack 2017 – will be hosted in Düsseldorf, Germany,
we decided to organize bio!PAC this time in the same way as we did the Bioplastics Business
Breakfast @K. See pp 8-9 for details. End of September, Stuttgart, Germany will again be the
place to be for all involved in Automotive Applications. The Call for Papers for the second
edition of bio!CAR is already open (see p. 17).
EcoComunicazione.it
www.novamont.com
BIODEGRADABLE AND COMPOSTABLE BIOPLASTIC
CONTROLLED, innovative, GUARANTEED
QUALITY OUR TOP PRIORITY
Using the MATER-BI trademark licence
means that NOVAMONT’s partners agree
to comply with strict quality parameters and
testing of random samples from the market.
These are designed to ensure that films
are converted under ideal conditions
and that articles produced in MATER-BI
meet a l essential requirements. To date
over 1000 products have been tested.
THE GUARANTEE
OF AN ITALIAN BRAND
MATER-BI is part of a virtuous
production system, undertaken
entirely on Italian territory.
It enters into a production chain
that involves everyone,
from the farmer to the composter,
from the converter via the retailer
to the consumer.
USED FOR ALL TYPES
OF WASTE DISPOSAL
MATER-BI has unique,
environmenta ly-friendly properties.
It is biodegradable and compostable
and contains renewable raw materials.
It is the ideal solution for organic
waste co lection bags and is
organica ly recycled into fertile
compost.
theoriginal_R8_bioplasticmagazine_flagEBC_11.12-2016_210x297_ese.indd 1 18/01/17 11:19
r8_03.2016
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 12
ISSN 1862-5258
Basics
Can additives make plastics
biodegradable? | 40
Highlights
Automotive | 10
Foam | 32
BENELUX-Special
Jan / Feb
01 | 2017
... is read in 92 countries
Until then, please enjoy reading this latest issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE.
Sincerely yours
Michael Thielen
The BENELUX Union is a politico-economic union of three neighbouring
states in western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
The name Benelux is formed from joining the first two or three
letters of each country‘s name – Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg
– and was first used to name the customs agreement that initiated
the union (signed in 1944). It is now used more generally to refer to the
geographic, economic and cultural grouping of the three countries.
In 1951, these countries joined West Germany, France, and Italy to form
the European Coal and Steel Community, a
predecessor of the European Economic Community (EEC) and
today‘s European Union (EU). (Source: Wikipedia)