Issue 01/2016

ISSN 1862-5258 

Jan/Feb 

01 | 2016 

Basics 

ISSN 1862-5258 

Public Procurement | 34 

May 2006 

Highlights 

Automotive | 12 

Foam | 30 

bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 11 

bioplastics magazine 

Vol. 1 

Top Talk: 

Interview with Helmut Traitler, 

VP Packaging of Nestlé | 10

Editorial 

dear 

readers 

Ten years of bioplastics MAGAZINE… whew – how the time has flown. I remember well 

how it all began. I first came into contact with bioplastics when I took on an assignment 

from IBAW (today European Bioplastics) to act as a PR-consultant for the “Innovationparc 

– bioplastics in packaging” at interpack 2005 in Düsseldorf. And, 

like so many other people, I was impressed. Throughout the summer after 

the trade fair, I couldn’t sleep, obsessed by the thought that bioplastics 

were the future – and that I wanted to be a part of it. I had been badly bitten 

by the bioplastics virus, you might say. So, I asked the experts “What’s the 

name of your industry’s trade journal? I want a subscription!” But there 

was none... And that’s how it all started. 

This 10 th anniversary also means a year in which we’re rolling out a few 

special projects: 

First of all, we are promoting our new App for smartphones and tablets. 

The App itself is free of charge and can be downloaded from the Apple 

appstore and from the Android Google playstore. During our anniversary 

year, all our content can also be downloaded for free. This means that 

you can read bioplastics MAGAZINE and follow us on twitter on your mobile 

devices – wherever you are. 

Of course, we’ll also have a booth at K’2016, the world’s number one 

trade show for the plastics and rubber industry in October in Düsseldorf, 

Germany. Here, we’re planning a celebration party with music, cool 

drinks and snacks – and you, faithful reader, are invited. More details will 

follow in a later issue of the magazine. 

Now, about the current issue: we’re kicking off the new year with highlights on 

automotive applications and on foam. In the Basics section, we discuss the possibilities 

and challenges of public procurement. Can government stimulate and support 

the use of bioplastics by mandating their purchase and use in products for the public 

sector? 

We’d also like to introduce a new series in which we’re marking our anniversary 

year with a blast from the past. Here we’ll be re-publishing interesting articles from 

the early years of bioplastics MAGAZINE. Apart from the cover, have a look at page 32. 

Lastly, we’d like to invite you again to our 4 th PLA World Congress in Munich, Germany 

on May 25 th and 26 th . The Green Bag Conference, however, has regretfully had to 

be postponed to an as yet unknown date, due to insuperable challenges. 

For current news, be sure to check the latest reports, breaking news and daily news 

updates at www.bioplasticsmagazine.com. 

We hope you enjoy reading bioplastics MAGAZINE. 

Sincerely yours 


ISSN 1862-5258 

Basics 


Vol. 1 

ISSN 1862-5258 


Highlights 


Foam | 30 

Jan/Feb 

Top Talk: 


VP Packaging of Nestlé | 10 

May 2006 


Follow us on twitter! 

www.twitter.com/bioplasticsmag 

Like us on Facebook! 

www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine 

Michael Thielen 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/16] Vol. 11 3

Content 

Imprint 

01|2016 

Jan / Feb 

Automotive 

12 Lightweighting is key 

14 Carbon/Flax hybrid automotive roof 

15 Smart bioplastics for automotive 

applications 

16 Biocomposites in the automotive industry 

Materials 

18 The gluten solution 

20 Making Levulinic Acid happen 

24 Breakthrough platform technology for 

new building block 

Opinion 

26 Bioplastics industry struggling to meet 

expected demand 

38 Biopolymers will weather the crash in 

petroleum prices 

3 Editorial 

5 News 

22 Material News 

28 Application News 

Foam 

30 PLA foam expanding into new areas 

Basics: Public Procurement 

34 “The biobased office” for the procurement 

of the future 

34 Mandatory Federal purchasing of 

biobased products 

10 Years Ago 

32 Polyamide from bio-amber 

42 Glossary 

46 Suppliers Guide 

49 Event Calendar 

50 Companies in this issue 

Publisher / Editorial 

Dr. Michael Thielen (MT) 

Karen Laird (KL) 

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 

Media Adviser 

Florian Junker 

phone: +49(0)2161-6884467 

fax: +49(0)2161 6884468 

junker@showju-systems.de 

Chris Shaw 

Chris Shaw Media Ltd 

Media Sales Representative 

phone: +44 (0) 1270 522130 

mobile: +44 (0) 7983 967471 

Layout/Production 

Ulrich Gewehr (Dr. Gupta Verlag) 

Max Godenrath (Dr. Gupta Verlag) 

Print 

Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd. 

1004 Riga, Latvia 

bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on 

chlorine-free FSC certified paper. 

Total print run: 3,600 copies 


ISSN 1862-5258 

bM is published 6 times a year. 

This publication is sent to qualified 

subscribers (149 Euro for 6 issues). 

bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in 

92 countries. 

Every effort is made to verify all 

Information published, but Polymedia 

Publisher cannot accept responsibility 

for any errors or omissions or for any 

losses that may arise as a result. No 

items may be reproduced, copied or 

stored in any form, including electronic 

format, without the prior consent of the 

publisher. Opinions expressed in articies 

do not necessarily reflect those of 

Polymedia Publisher. 

All articies appearing in bioplastics 

MAGAZINE, or on the website www. 

bioplasticsmagazine.com are strictly 

covered by copyright. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE welcomes contributions 

for publication. Submissions are 

accepted on the basis of full assignment 

of copyright to Polymedia Publisher 

GmbH unless otherwise agreed in advance 

and in writing. We reserve the right 

to edit items for reasons of space, clarity 

or legality. Please contact the editorial 

office via mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com. 

The fact that product names may not be 

identified in our editorial as trade marks 

is not an indication that such names are 

not registered trade marks. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British 

spelling. However, in articles based on 

information from the USA, American 

spelling may also be used. 

Envelopes 

A part of this print run is mailed to the 

readers wrapped in bioplastic envelopes 

sponsored by Flexico Verpackungen 

Deutschland, Maropack GmbH & Co. 

KG, and Neemann 

Erratum 

For mailing our last issue we used envelopes 

that were we no longer permitted 

to use, as the new company name is 

Coveris Flexibles Deutschland GmbH. We 

sincerely apologize for this mistake. 

Cover 

Photo: Michael Thielen 

Follow us on twitter: 

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daily upated news at 


News 

SPC published position paper against oxo-additives 

The Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, has released a formal position paper against 

biodegradability additives for petroleum-based plastics, which are marketed as enhancing the sustainability of plastic by 

rendering the material biodegradable. The SPC has evaluated the use of biodegradability additives for conventional petroleumbased 

plastics, and has found that these additives do not offer any sustainability advantage and they may actually result in more 

environmental harm. 

The position paper lists the following reasons for the stance against these additives: 

• They don’t enable compostability, which is the meaningful indicator of a material’s ability to beneficially return nutrients to 

the environment. 

• They are designed to compromise the durability of plastic and the additive manufacturers have not yet demonstrated an 

absence of adverse effects on recycling. 

• The creation of a litter friendly material is a step in the wrong direction, particularly when the material may undergo 

extensive fragmentation and generation of micro-pollution before any biodegradation occurs. 

• The biodegradation of petroleum-based plastics releases fossil carbon into the atmosphere, creating harmful greenhouse 

gas emissions. 

Concerning litter and micro-pollution, the position paper says: “Most additives are designed to fragment petroleum-based 

plastics into small pieces in order to make it sufficiently available to the microorganisms that perform biodegradation.” 

However, bioplastics MAGAZINE has been waiting for 10 years now for satisfactory, scientifically backed evidence that a complete 

biodegradation by microorganisms will happen, in whatever timeframe. The SPC paper continues that the “fragmented micropieces 

remain invisible to the naked eye, yet their effects as micro-litter can be detrimental. Beyond the well-documented 

environmental impacts of micro-pollution, the marketing of biodegradable petroleum-based plastics as being less detrimental 

to the environment may contribute to improper end-of-life disposal and pollution.” 

In her December 30, 2015 article at Plastics Today (bit.ly/1OM7BeC) Clare Goldsberry expresses that she doesn’t think 

“that most people want plastics to disappear. What we’d like to see disappear is the litter in our communities and in the 

world’s waterways. And that’s not a plastics problem – that’s a people problem. An additive that makes plastic litter degrade to 

fragments in 180 days is not exactly what I’d call a solution.” MT 

The complete SPC position paper can be downloaded for free from http://bit.ly/200Nv8U 

Jumbo merger in the chemical industry 

DuPont (Wilmington, Delaware, USA) and The Dow Chemical Company (Midland, Michigan, USA) announced in mid December 

2015 hat their boards of directors unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which the companies will combine 

in an all-stock merger of equals. The combined company will be named DowDuPont. The parties intend to subsequently 

pursue a separation of DowDuPont into three independent, publicly traded companies through tax-free spin-offs. This would 

occur as soon as feasible, which is expected to be 18 – 24 months following the closing of the merger, subject to regulatory 

and board approval. 

The companies will include a leading global pure-play Agriculture company; a leading global pure-play Material Science 

company; and a leading technology and innovation-driven Specialty Products company. Each of the businesses will have clear 

focus, an appropriate capital structure, a distinct and compelling investment thesis, scale advantages, and focused investments 

in innovation to better deliver superior solutions and choices for customers. 

It is expected that the well known biobased plastic products will be continued under the the newly to be created Material 

Science Company: This company will be a pure-play industrial leader, consisting of DuPont’s Performance Materials segment, 

as well as Dow’s Performance Plastics, Performance Materials and Chemicals, Infrastructure Solutions, and Consumer 

Solutions (excluding the Dow Electronic Materials business) operating segments. The combination of complementary 

capabilities will create a low-cost, innovation-driven leader that can provide customers in high-growth, high-value industry 

segments in packaging, transportation, and infrastructure solutions, among others with a broad and deep portfolio of costeffective 

offerings. Combined pro forma 2014 revenue for Material Science is approximately USD 51 billion. 

Upon completion of the transaction, Andrew N. Liveris, President, Chairman and CEO of Dow, will become Executive 

Chairman of the newly formed DowDuPont Board of Directors and Edward D. Breen, Chair and CEO of DuPont, will become 

Chief Executive Officer of DowDuPont. In these roles, both Liveris and Breen will report to the Board of Directors. In addition, 

when named, the chief financial officer will report to Breen. MT 

www.dupont.com | www.dow.com | www.dowdupontunlockingvalue.com 


News 

daily upated news at 


Newlight, Innogas and FGV collaborate in Malaysia 

on biodegradable polymers from palm oil waste 

The world’s largest crude palm oil producer - Malaysia-based Felda Global Ventures Berhad – is collaborating with Newlight 

Technologies and Innogas Technologies on a project aimed at the development of biodegradable polymers from palm oil biomass 

waste in Malaysia. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by the three companies late December 2015. The MoU will 

remain valid for six months or such extended period as will be agreed in writing by the parties FGV-Newlight-Innogas MoU. 

Based in California, Newlight Technologies has developed a carbon capture technology that combines air with methanebased 

greenhouse gas emissions to produce a thermoplastic material called AirCarbon. Innogas Technologies is a Malaysiabased 

consulting company specialized in process plant engineering and technology for chemical and renewable energy. 

FGV Group President and CEO Dato’ Mohd Emir Mavani Abdullah said as part of the company’s commitment to sustainability, 

it is always looking for innovative ways to manage its palm oil waste effectively. The collaborative sustainable biomass project 

is also aimed at diversifying and further developing the company’s new revenue streams, in line with a core pillar in its five-year 

transformation strategy of revenue enhancement. “This waste to wealth project will elevate the sustainability standards of the 

palm oil industries in Malaysia and the region as a whole, significantly reducing carbon emissions emitted,” said Dato Emir. 

“FGV is keen to partner with Newlight Technologies and Innogas Technologies through this MOU to bring the first cost 

effective technology in the world to produce biodegradable plastic by processing 100 % of bio-waste from our palm oil mills.” 

Newlight Technologies will convert biogas from FGV’s palm oil mills into AirCarbon thermoplastics. “Together, FGV and 

Newlight Technologies have the opportunity to make important economic and environmental progress, and we look forward to 

working together in this project,” said CEO Mark Herrema. 

The project will launch in Q2 2016. Construction of the first plant will take around 14 months and is slated to begin in Q4 2016. 

The partners plan to expand the project to ten palm oil mills over the next five years. 

Innogas Technologies CEO Denny Yeoh said; “Innogas Technologies holds an exclusive license for a patented state-of-the 

art technology to process ligno-cellulosic biomass material such as palm oil mill waste which generates a significant amount 

of biogas, compared to conventional technologies. “The Company will transfer this license to the joint-venture company, which 

will then have the exclusive use of this license in Malaysia.” KL 

www.feldaglobal.com 

Anellotech brings 100 % biobased PET 

another step closer 

Anellotech, Pearl River, New York, USA, a sustainable technology company focused on producing 

cost-competitive renewable chemicals from non-food biomass, has announced that it has entered 

into the next phase of its strategic partnership with Osaka, Japan-based Suntory Holdings Limited, 

one of the world’s leading consumer beverage companies 

This marks a major milestone in making 100 % biobased polyester and biobased PET bottles a 

reality. 

The partnership, which began in 2012 under a collaboration agreement that has provided 

more than USD 15 million in funding to date, is focused on advancing the development and 

commercialization of cost-competitive 100 % biobased plastics for use in beverage bottles as part 

of Suntory’s commitment to sustainable business practices. 

Suntory currently uses 30 % plant-derived materials (sugar cane derived monoethylene glycol 

MEG) for their Mineral Water Suntory Tennensui brands and is pursuing the development of a 

100 % biobottle through this partnership. Approximately 54 million tonnes of PET are manufactured 

globally each year. Despite strong industry demand, there is no commercially-available, biobased 

paraxylene, the key component needed to make terephthalic acid, und thus 100 % biobased 

polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for use in beverage bottles, on the market today. 

The Anellotech alliance with Suntory supports the development of bio-aromatics including 

bio-paraxylene. As an integral component in the biobased value chain, Anellotech’s proprietary 

thermal catalytic biomass conversion technology (Bio-TCat) cost-competitively produces drop in 

green aromatics, including paraxylene and benzene, from non-food biomass. MT 

www.anellotech.com | www.suntory.com 

6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [01/16] Vol. 11

News 

BioAmber and 

Reverdia sign nonassertion 

agreement 

BioAmber Inc., which is headquartered in Montreal and 

Reverdia, the Netherlands-based joint venture between Royal 

DSM an d Roquette Frères, are both involved in the production 

and commercialization of bio-based succinic acid using their 

own unique proprietary yeast-based technologies. 

Pursuant to the key provisions of this agreement, BioAmber 

will benefit from non-assertion covenants with respect to 

certain intellectual property rights of Reverdia in the field 

of bio-based succinic acid, in exchange for undisclosed 

financial consideration. Furthermore, the agreement provides 

comfort to both BioAmber and Reverdia to continue the 

implementation of their respective businesses using their 

own unique, proprietary yeast-based technologies. 

“In today’s increasingly complex intellectual property 

environment, the conclusion of this agreement illustrates 

how two proactive companies operating in the same field can 

find a constructive solution that allows them to focus on the 

execution of their respective business plans rather than seeking 

confrontation and conflict,” said JF Huc, BioAmber’s Chief 

Executive Officer. “It allows BioAmber to eliminate the risk of 

litigation and uncertainty at a predictable cost,” he added. 

”This Agreement demonstrates that Reverdia’s 

Biosuccinium low pH yeast technology is a leading technology 

in the field of bio-based succinic acid and that by working with 

partners in the industry, we will speed up the adoption of biobased 

materials and validate bio-based succinic acid as a 

key building block for the bio-based economy,” said Marcel 

Lubben, Reverdia’s President. “It is our belief that the yeastbased 

technologies have a significant competitive advantage 

over bacterial-based technologies for the production of biobased 

succinic acid,” he added. 

Both Marcel Lubben and Jean-Francois Huc believe that 

the market for succinic acid will benefit from having strong 

players able to deliver on the rapidly growing demand in 

bio-plastics, polyurethanes, solvents, coatings and other 

applications. KL 

www.bio-amber.com | www.reverdia.com 

Bioplastic from 

biodiesel co-product 

glycerol 

An agreement signed today by Bio-on and S.E.C.I. S.p.A. 

(part of Gruppo Industriale Maccaferri Holding), will see 

Italy’s and the world’s first facility for the production 

of PHA bioplastics from a co-product from biodiesel 

production, namely glycerol. 

The two companies will collaborate on the construction 

of a production site with an initial output of 5 thousand 

tonnes/year, scalable to 10 thousand tonnes/year. 

S.E.C.I. is investing EUR 55 million in the facility, 

which will be located at an Eridania Sadam (also part 

of Maccaferri Holding) site and will be the world’s most 

advanced plant producing PHAs biopolymers from 

glycerol. 

PHAs, or polyhydroxyalkanoates, are bioplastics that 

can replace a number of traditional polymers currently 

made with petrochemical processes using hydrocarbons. 

The PHAs developed by Bio-on guarantee the same 

thermo-mechanical properties with the advantage of 

being completely naturally biodegradable. 

“We are investing EUR 4 million in purchasing the 

license for this new technology developed by Bio-on,” says 

Eridania Sadam Chairman Massimo Maccaferri, “because 

this all-natural bioplastic represents a technological 

challenge that can contribute towards the growth of our 

group in the new “green” chemistry industry, with an ecocompatible 

and eco-sustainable approach”. 

“We will create Italy’s first PHAs production plant from 

glycerol with one of Europe’s most important industrial 

groups,” explains Marco Astorri, Chairman of Bio-on 

“We have granted the first technological license from 

glycerol in line with our expectations and will be entering 

into a new collaboration to develop the promising highperforming 

biopolymers business developed by Bio-on. 

and produced in Italy from glycerol by S.E.C.I.” KL 

www.maccaferri.it | www.bio-on.it 

Magnetic 

for Plastics 

www.plasticker.com 

• International Trade 

in Raw Materials, Machinery & Products Free of Charge. 

• Daily News 

from the Industrial Sector and the Plastics Markets. 

• Current Market Prices 

for Plastics. 

• Buyer’s Guide 

for Plastics & Additives, Machinery & Equipment, Subcontractors 

and Services. 

• Job Market 

for Specialists and Executive Staff in the Plastics Industry. 

Up-to-date • Fast • Professional 


Events 

The world’s largest 

conference on 

biocomposites 

By: 

Asta Partanen and Michael Carus 

nova-Institute 

Hürth, Germany 

From 16 – 17 December 2015, the world’s largest conference 

on Wood-Plastic Composites (WPC) and Natural 

Fibre Composites (NFC) with more than 220 participants 

took place for the sixth time in Cologne, Germany. The 

conference was sponsored by Beologic, Corbion-Purac and 

Plasthill. Coperion sponsored the Wood and Natural Fibre 

Composite Award 2015. 

The range of topics that addressed the whole variety of 

bio-composites was presented by top speakers from the 

industry and research. Construction and automotive are the 

biggest markets for WPC and NFC today, these materials 

offer huge replacement potential in plastics and composites 

if one looks at application fields beyond decking and 

automotive interior applications. Biobased raw materials 

lead to local added value through innovative production 

processes and products, but require a great amount of 

know-how for raw materials, processes, properties, recipes 

and application fields. The conference provided an up-todate 

picture of different technologies and most promising 

applications. 

Dr. Asta Partanen, project leader of the conference, gave 

the outline of “Status and Future Markets for Biobased 

Composites in Europe until 2020”. The presentation gave 

insight into the new market and trend report, which was 

published in June 2015: “Wood-Plastic Composites (WPC) 

and Natural Fibre Composites (NFC): European and 

Global Markets 2012 and Future Trends in Automotive and 

Construction”. According to the study the share of WPC 

and NFC in the total composite market – including glass, 

carbon, wood and Natural Fibre Composites – is already 

an impressive 15 %. The production volume of WPC was 

260,000 t in the EU in 2012, for NFC 92,000 t. The full study 

can be downloaded at http://bio-based.eu/markets/. 

Ten years ago the WPC & NFC Conference started as 

First German WPC-Conference. Good reason for Dr. Hans 

Korte from Dr. Hans Korte Innovationberatung Holz & 

Fasern, Wismar, to summarize what happened in the 

technical development starting at the end of 1990s in the 

field of WPC. The German WPC market is continuously 

growing, as was reported by Dr. Peter Sauerwein from the 

“Association of the German Wood-Based Panel Industry 

(VHI)”. An analyses of commercially available European 

decking samples was presented by Dr. Andreas Haider 

from Wood K plus, Austria. Some products in the market 

show an overall better performance compared to 2008 – in 

particular regarding water absorbance and colour fading 

but also the mechanical properties. Dr. Wayne Song, WPCC 

(Wood-Plastic Composite Council of China) presented the 

latest market news and trends, especially in interior walls 

in the Chinese markets, that does not grow as much as 

was predicted by Chinese representatives in previous 

conferences. 

As every year, the Wood and Natural Fibre Composite 

Award was a highlight of the conference. The participants 

chose by far the natural fibre-reinforced, 100 % biobased 

coffin as their winner (Onora, s-Hertogenbosch, The 

Netherlands. 

Second highlight was the trend in WPC and NFC 

granulates. So far, also mainly small producers and traders 

were offering WPC and NFC granulates with a limited 

technical support and often missing data for simulations. 

But also this is changing since big global players are 

offering their new developed materials, such as PolyOne 

(see article on p. 12). 

Developments in the use of biobased polymers in the 

automotive industry were shown by a number of companies 

(see detailed report on p. 16f). 

Michael Carus, managing director of nova-Institute, 

summed up: “It was impressive to see the dynamic in the 

WPC and NFC sector: Improved bio-composite properties, 

a broad range of professional players and the penetration 

of new markets such as consumer goods. The participants 

enjoyed the high quality of the presentations and exhibition 

and meeting the who-is-who of the whole sector. Many 

reported excellent business opportunities.” 

The award winning coffin in the left corner of the picture. 

See a more detailed report on this product in 

bioplastics MAGAZINE issue 06/2015, p 36. 

Information: 

All presentations are now available at http://bio-based.eu/proceedings. 

In order to keep track of the the growing trends in the market and high 

demand the next conference will be held by nova-Institute in Cologne in 

Autumn 2017. 


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Events 

4 th PLA World Congress 

24 – 25 MAY 2016 MUNICH › GERMANY 

bioplastics MAGAZINE presents: 

3 rd PLA World Congress 

The PLA World Congress in Munich/Germany, organised by bioplastics MAGAZINE 

27 + 28 MAY 2014 MUNICH › 

now for the 4 GERMANY 

th time, is the must-attend conference for everyone interested in PLA, 

its benefits, and challenges. The conference offers high class presentations from 

top individuals in the industry and also offers excellent networkung opportunities 

along with a table top exhibition. Please find below the preliminary programme. 

Find more details and register at the conference website 

www.pla-world-congress.com 

4 th PLA World Congress, preliminary programme 

Constance Ißbrücker, European Bioplastics 

Michael Carus, nova-Institute 

Mariagiovanna Vetere, NatureWorks 

Patrick Zimmermann, FKuR 

Björn Bergmann, Fraunhofer ICT 

Udo Mühlbauer, Uhde Inventa-Fischer 

Vittorio Bortolon, Plantura Italia 

Jan Henke, ISCC 

Amparo Verdú Solís, AIMPLAS 

Tanja Siebert, Fraunhofer IVV 

Daniel Ganz, Sukano 

Hugo Vuurens, Corbion Purac 

Ramani Narayan, Michigan State University 

Jan Noordegraaf, Synbra 

Bert Lagrain, KU Leuven 

Gerald Schennink, Wageningen UR 

Panel discussion: t.b.d. 

Keynote Speech: t.b.d. 

The role of PLA in the Bio-based Economy 

Ingeo – developing new applications in a circular economy perspective 

t.b.d. 

InnoREX: European project reveals processing options for intensified PLA production 

New features of Uhde Inventa-Fischer’s PLAneo ® process 

Plantura, ecofriendly automotive biopolymer 

Sustainable supply chains for PLA production 

New PLA based fibres for automotive interior applications 

Present and potential future recycling of PLA waste – Chances and opportunities 

Sustainability without compromises – Discover a toolbox of solutions for PLA 

Latest application innovations in PLA bioplastics 

Understanding the PLA molecule – From stereochemistry to applicability 

An expanding update on BioFoam E-PLA foam applications 

PLA: a perfect marriage between bio- and chemical technology 

PLA for durable applications comparing PLA hybrids with nucleated PLA (t.b.c.) 

PLA market development: chances, obstacle and challenges (t.b.c.) 

Call for papers is still open. 

Please send your abstract to mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Info 

See a video-clip of the 

3 rd PLA World Conference 2014 

at https://youtu.be/5o-6Ej7Q0_0 



24 – 25 MAY 2016 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 4 th PLA World Congress on: 

24 – 25 May 2016 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 4 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 conference will comprise high class presentations on 

The team of bioplastics MAGAZINE is looking 

forward to seeing you in Munich. 

› Latest developments 

› Market overview 

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT 

Register now to benefit from the 

Early Bird fee of just EUR 799 

(after Feb 28, 2016 it will be 899). 

› High temperature behaviour 

› Barrier issues 

› Additives / Colorants 

› Applications (film and rigid packaging, textile, 

automotive,electronics, toys, and many more) 

› Fibers, fabrics, textiles, nonwovens 

Contact us at: mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

for exhibition and sponsoring opportunities 


› Reinforcements 

› End of life options 

(recycling,composting, incineration etc) 

organized by 

Gold Sponsor:

Automotive 

Lightweighting 

is key 

Reaching lightweighting goals 

with new natural fiber reinforced 

solutions 

Charpy 

unnotched 

Flexural 

modulus 

100 % 

80 % 

60 % 

40 % 

20 % 

0 % 

Tensile 

strength 

Flexural 

strength 

Tensile 

modulus 

Tensile 

elongation 

Coupling Technologie 1 Coupling Technologie 2 

Graph 1: Performance comparison between the two coupling 

technologies on Natural Engineered Fiber 1 

Graph 2: Comparison of reSound NF 40% natural fiber reinforced 

solution vs. ultimate target profile 

Specific gravity 

100 % 

HDT A 

HDT B 

Charpy unnotched 

impact strength 

80 % 

60 % 

40 % 

20 % 

0 % 

Flexural modulus 

Ultimate target 

Results 

Tensile strength 

at break 

Tensile modulus 

Flexural strength 

at break 

Manufacturers of semi-structural automotive applications 

now have the option to reduce part weight by 

5 % or more, maintain mechanical performance, and 

even use more sustainable materials. A triad of developments 

makes this possible. 

Automobile manufacturers need to improve their vehicles’ 

fuel efficiencies, as required by global regulations. Reducing a 

vehicle’s weight is one of the most direct ways to improve fuel 

efficiency. Not only do lower-weight vehicles use less fuel, but 

they also generate lower carbon dioxide (CO 2 

) emissions. For 

carmakers marketing their vehicles in Europe, failure to reach 

incremental CO 2 

limits imposed by the European Commission 

would force OEMs to pay a significant penalty of up to 95 € per 

gram of CO 2 

over the limit and for each new car sold. 

PolyOne recognized the challenges these new regulations 

placed on manufacturers in the automotive industry and set 

out to develop a solution that could meet the mechanical 

properties of parts made with short glass fiber reinforced 

polypropylene (GFR-PP), but with a density at least 5 % less 

than that of GFR-PP. The Company targeted more than 20 

demanding automotive applications; many of these are large 

parts, such as instrument panel carriers and lighting systems, 

so a 5 – 10 % reduction in density could lead to significant 

overall weight reduction. 

A reduction of this magnitude is what automotive customers 

said was necessary for them to consider alternate materials 

to those already proven suitable for commercial use. 

PolyOne’s search for a solution to the lightweighting challenge 

led to the development of a new natural fiber reinforced 

thermoplastic (NFR-TP) that supports lightweighting goals in 

the automotive and other industries, while also maintaining 

the necessary mechanical performance characteristics. 

Develop a novel compounding process 

The Company is one of the world’s leading developers of 

thermoplastic compounds, with research and development 

experts at laboratories around the world. As the process to 

develop a lightweight replacement for GFR-PP began, the experts 

there recognized that a new type of compounding process showed 

promise for the manufacture of strong, stable compounds even 

with materials of different polarities. R&D teams at PolyOne had 

been working for two years to optimize the process, and believed 

this new compounding technology could be key to manufacturing 

NFR-TP solutions with excellent mechanical properties. It seemed 

a critical part of the solution to the long-recognized challenge of 

the ability of a non-polar thermoplastic material to couple with a 

polar reinforcing material. 


Automotive 

This new compounding technology proved to be the first leg 

in the triad of developments that led to success. 

Find the best fiber for the job 

When it comes to reinforcing polypropylene with natural 

fiber, many routes, variables, and choices can have a 

significant influence on the final solution: 

• type of PP (homo- or copolymer) 

• melt index 

• type of reinforcing fiber 

• coupling technology 

• manufacturing process 

A design of experiment (DOE) helped reduce these input 

variables down to three: the type of fiber, coupling technology 

for the fiber and the PP, and manufacturing process 

(compound extrusion). PolyOne’s R&D experts already 

had developed what the researchers felt might be the best 

manufacturing process, but they needed to find the right 

materials. A PP homopolymer was determined to be the 

optimal matrix material with the appropriate melt index. 

So the best fiber for the applications targeted needed to 

be found, and a coupling technology to enable these fibers 

to bond well with the thermoplastic matrix material. Natural 

fibers made sense because of their low density; but to serve 

the automotive industry, fibers need to be available globally, 

with consistent sizing and quality. 

Testing of many types of natural fiber led to an engineered 

fiber, available globally as a modified product of an established 

wood fabrication industry. These fibers are supplied with 

consistent length and thickness, facilitating production 

of a compound with consistent properties – if the new 

compounding technology was able to evenly distribute the 

fibers throughout the matrix material, and helped create a 

powerful bond between fiber and matrix material. 

A powerful bond 

The best fibers would be worth little if they could not be 

properly mixed into and bonded with the thermoplastic matrix. 

PolyOne’s search for solutions to these challenges led them to 

a coupling technology that forged the necessary bond, as seen 

in Graph 1. Coupling Technology 1 is an advanced technology 

while Coupling Technology 2 is a more classical technology. 

Coupling Technology 1 was tested on multiple fibers but 

ultimately PolyOne settled on the natural engineered fiber 

mentioned earlier. 

Testing began to determine whether the positive results 

seen in lab testing could be maintained at commercial 

scale. In addition, it needed to be investigated whether the 

new compounding process had an influence on the property 

profile at various reinforcing fiber amounts (30 % and 40 % 

in weight). 

The properties of the material manufactured on industrial 

scale machinery are very similar to the original target, and 

realize a density reduction versus short glass fiber alternatives 

of at least 5 % (Graph 2). The new formulations were named 

reSound NF natural fiber reinforced solutions; reSound is 

PolyOne’s brand name for formulations that contain 30 % or 

more of renewably resourced materials. u 

By: 

Marc Mézailles 

Global Automotive Industry Manager, 

PolyOne Corporation 

Lyon, France 

Photo 1: Lightweight and strong: Tests have proven the mechanical 

performance of parts molded from reSound NF natural fiber 

reinforced solutions. 


Automotive 

Drop-in solution for your existing equipment and 

processes 

Injection molding of tensile bars and then larger parts 

(Photo 1) proved the mechanical performance and easy 

processability of reSound NF formulation. Like most natural 

fiber reinforced thermoplastics, reSound NF material should 

be processed at temperatures below 200 °C in order to 

maintain the integrity of the naturally-originating fibers. 

Using low temperatures also offers potential energy savings 

and short cooling times, providing an efficient yield for 

manufacturers. 

Further testing revealed that reSound NF material is 

compatible with and shows robust property retention when 

molded on machinery outfitted with the MuCell ® foaming 

technology from Trexel. The retention is as robust as PP‐SGF 

for tensile properties, is even more robust for flexural 

properties, and clearly more stable for impact properties. 

The reSound NF solutions also are compatible with chemical 

foaming technologies, and exhibit strong bonding with 

selected thermoplastic elastomers, also found in PolyOne’s 

solutions portfolio. Separate trials also proved that customers 

could select a reSound NF concentrate, rather than a fully 

compounded formulation with a predetermined percentage 

of fiber loading, if they wanted to adjust final reinforcement 

levels vs. application needs. 

Finally, tests also were conducted to determine the 

recyclability of reSound NF material. Tensile bars were 

molded, reground, and molded again with the regrind material 

only. This was repeated three times. 

These results show a very stable performance towards 

regrinding for reSound NF versus PP-SGF. It seems the 

limitation in the on-line re-introduction of reground PP-SGF 

into the manufacturing process does not apply to reSound 

NF material, which offers a potential “no scrap” process for 

manufacturers. 

Time for a change 

Advanced material and manufacturing technologies have 

been combined to create reSound NF, a NFR-TP solution 

with a low specific gravity but offering excellent mechanical 

properties. Manufacturers can select reSound NF natural fiber 

reinforced solutions to reduce parts’ weights 5 – 10 % lower 

than ones made using comparable glass fiber formulations. 

Compared to other natural fiber reinforced solutions, 

reSound NF solutions offer mechanical property improvements 

of more than 20 % for tensile and flexural properties, 10 °C 

to 20 °C higher heat deflection temperature, and more than 

50 % in impact strength. 

Customers can process reSound NF material on existing 

machinery and tooling at low injection molding temperatures, 

resulting in short cycle times. These new natural fiber 

reinforced polymer formulations enable automotive OEMs and 

their suppliers to meet goals for lightweighting, sustainability, 

production efficiency and performance. 

Customers from non-automotive industries that value 

lightweighting and sustainable solutions in technical 

applications can benefit from reSound NF formulations too. 

www.polyone.com 

Carbon/Flax hybrid automotive roof 

The CARBIO project has developed a carbon/flax hybrid automotive roof using Composite Evolution’s Biotex Flax material. 

The project, which involves Jaguar Land Rover, is developing novel carbon/flax hybrid composites to produce automotive 

structures with reduced weight, cost, environmental impact and improved noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). 

The adoption of carbon fibre-epoxy composites to reduce vehicle weight is presenting significant challenges to the volume 

automotive industry. Compared to carbon, flax fibres are renewable, lower in cost, CO 2 

neutral and have excellent vibration 

damping properties. In addition, bio-epoxy resins based on cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) can offer enhanced toughness, 

damping and sustainability over synthetic epoxies. 

By creating a hybrid structure using flax-bioepoxy to replace some of the carbon, enhanced properties such as lower weight, 

cost, NVH and environmental impact can be gained. 

A 50/50 carbon/flax hybrid biocomposite, made from Biotex Flax supplied by Composites Evolution and prepregged by SHD 

Composite Materials, has significantly contributed to achieving the objectives of the project. With equal bending stiffness to 

carbon fibre, the hybrid biocomposite has: 

• 15 % lower cost 

• 7 % lower weight 

• 58 % higher vibration damping 

The prototype roof, designed by Delta Motorsport and manufactured 

by KS Composites, was displayed at the Advanced Engineering show, last 

November in Birmingham, UK. 

The CARBIO project is part-funded by Innovate UK. The partners are 

Composites Evolution, SHD Composite Materials, KS Composites, Delta 

Motorsport, Jaguar Land Rover and Cranfield University. MT 

http://carbioproject.com 


Automotive 

Smart bioplastics for 

automotive applications 

By: 

Francesca Brunori 

Advanced Development Engine Systems 

Röchling Automotive 

Laives, Italy 

Röchling Automotive reports promising results on the development 

of automotive parts made of Plantura PLA 

based biopolymers. 

In collaboration with Plantura Italia Srl (Italy) and Corbion 

Purac (The Netherlands), Röchling Automotive is working 

towards greener products offering similar or enhanced 

technical functionality. 

Plantura has a CO 2 

equivalent emission of approximately 

0.5 tonnes for each ton of produced raw material. This is 

around 70 % lower than PP, and close to 90 % less than PA6. 

There are currently four standard grades available that are 

suitable for low to medium demanding automotive underthe-hood 

applications and – using the glass fiber filled 

grade – in underbody applications. The talc filled standard 

grade, as well as natural fiber filled grades, are suitable for 

automotive interior applications. As these different standard 

grades, which boast a biocontent of up to 95 %, can be finetuned 

to meet specific customer needs and final application 

requirements, the material has already been used in series 

production in sectors other than the automotive market. The 

compounds can be processed and recycled with conventional 

plastics processing and recycling technologies. 

In comparison to standard PLA, Plantura showed significant 

improvements in thermal stability and chemical resistance. 

Long term thermal stability was tested according to thermal 

cycle tests performed from -40 °C to 140 °C according to an 

OEM’s specification. When tested at temperatures as low as 

-30 °C, the material demonstrated an outstanding impact 

resistance for shockproof parts, showing that Plantura 30 % 

GF can offer values of up to 50 % higher Charpy impact 

strength compared to a PA6 GF+M30. The materials also 

exhibit excellent hydrolysis resistance. 

Prototype filter boxes (cf. fig. 1) as well as interior parts 

were tested according to the OEM’s complete specifications, 

with very promising results 

The use of Plantura for the air flaps (fig. 3) of an Active Grille 

Shutter (fig. 2) was investigated and the initial results bode 

well for the future. The injection molded Plantura component 

has a higher stiffness compared to the component produced 

with the standard material (PA6 GF30). Because of this, 

deflection is lower during use, which can be used to reduce 

air leakage. Moreover, thanks to the lower shrinkage of the 

material, it is also possible to reduce the deformation of the 

final component. Another big advantage to using Plantura for 

this application is that the dimensional stability will increase 

over the lifetime of the component, due to the fact that no 

humidity is absorbed. The scratch resistance behavior of PLA, 

an extremely important aspect when it comes to aesthetic 

components in general, and in this case for aesthetic Active 

Grille Shutters In particular, is well known and taken into 

consideration in the Plantura formulations. 

The continuous development of the material has led to 

higher, and increasingly interesting cost efficiency. With its 

significant contribution to an improved CO 2 

balance, Plantura 

could become an important concept in the automotive world. 

www.roechling.com 

Fig. 1: Filter box made of Plantura 30 % Wood Fibers 

Fig. 2: Assembled Active Grille Shutter 

Fig. 3: Air flaps of Active Grille Shutter made of 

Plantura 30 % Glass Fiber reinforced 


Automotive 

Biocomposites in the 

automotive industry 

By: 

Michael Carus and Asta Partanen 

Nova-Institute 

Hürth, Germany 

“Nature 50 – long fibre” for injection moulding with a cold-press 

method. These long fibre pellets with more than 50 % hemp 

fibre content, polypropylene and additives are produced with 

pellet technology. They can be used for injection moulded parts 

with standard machines and standard tools as a substitution 

of PC/ABS with 20 % glass fibre content. Their fibre structure 

gives them a unique look and makes them suitable also for 

use outside the automotive industry. (courtesy HIB TRIM PART 

SOLUTIONS) 

The second biggest application sector for biocomposites 

is the automotive interior sector. The main application is 

the construction sector and third is consumer goods. At 

the world’s largest conference on Wood-Plastic Composites 

(WPC) and Natural Fibre Composites (NFC) with more than 

220 participants in December 2015 in Cologne, Germany (see 

p. 8), one extended session informed about the latest status of 

biocomposites in the automotive industry. 

Biocomposites contain wood or natural fibres or/and 

biobased polymers. So far, almost all biocomposites contain 

wood or natural fibres, but only a few using biobased 

polymers. Experts speak about Wood-Plastic Composites 

(WPC) and Natural Fibre Composites (NFC). Especially in 

the interior applications in middle and high class cars, NFC 

are well established and a growing market. The dominating 

technology is compression moulding, with a natural fibre nonwoven 

fleece. One of the leading experts is Werner Klusmeier 

(Yanfeng Europe Automotive Interior Systems (formerly JCI)) 

and speaker at the conference summarized: “There is a 

diversity of reasons for the use of natural fibres: Advantages 

in the ecological footprint, affordable production costs as well 

as good acoustic and mechanical properties. Furthermore, 

natural fibre reinforced plastics convince with their low 

weight. They enable savings in mass of up to 30 % – which is 

a decisive plus in times of lightweight construction. Natural 

fibre composites have been and are still further developed 

in terms of lightweight construction and strength. They have 

become integral parts of the automotive industry.” 

The combination of compression moulding and simultaneous 

back injection moulding can bring further weight reduction, 

as Tayfun Buzkan and Motoki Maekawa from Toyota Boshoku 

Europe demonstrated in their presentation. The material 

performance completely meets automotive requirements and 

reduces production time. 

Developments in the use of biobased polymers in the 

automotive industry were shown by Global Marketing Director 

bioplastics at Corbion Purac, François de Bie, together 

Biocomposites with Natural Fibres, Wood Fibres and Recycled Cotton in the European Automotive Production in 2012 

Biocomposites 

Natural Fibre 

Composites 

Wood-Plastic 

Composites 

Recycled Cotton 

Reinforced Plastics 

Volume fibres in 

tonnes in 2012 

Volume 

biocomposites in 

tonnes in 2012 

30,000 60,000 

30,000 60,000 

Processing technologies 

95 % compression moulding, 

5 % injection moulding & others 

45 % extrusion & thermoforming, 

50 % compression moulding & others 

5 % injection moulding 

Matrice 

55 % thermoplastics, 

45 % thermosets 

Extrusion: 

100 % thermoplastics, 

compression moulding: 

>90 % thermoset 

20,000 30,000 mainly compression moulding >90 % thermoset 

Total 80,000 150,000 


Automotive 

with Francesca Brunori from Röchling Automotive. They 

presented their latest cooperation results on high heat PLA 

100% biobased natural fibre filled compounds with injection 

and compression moulding. The material is ready to use and 

Röchling is already in contact with different OEMs (see also 

page 15). 

Experts expect a growth in injection moulding for WPC and 

NFC: So far, also mainly small producers and traders were 

offering WPC and NFC granulates with a limited technical 

support and often missing data for simulations. But also 

this is changing since big global players are offering their 

new developed materials: “Sustainable Light weighting 

Thermoplastic Solutions for Automotives” (see also page 

12) was presented by Marc Mézailles from PolyOne Global 

Engineered Materials. This innovation from PolyOne breaks 

the conventional material property balance and opens 

the industrial use of natural fibres reinforced solutions in 

many demanding end applications and markets, including 

automotive, with a 5 to 10% light weighting potential vs. 

standard solutions. The material has a typical 30% fibre 

content, the fibre is an engineered industrial wood fibre, and 

a new coupling technology as well as a specific compounding 

process is used. PolyOne a first official OEM approval on a 

critical semi-structural application, and continues to be 

evaluated by several key OEMs and their Tier One suppliers. 

Today, as the last survey from nova-Institute showed, 

about 4 kg natural and wood fibres per vehicle in average 

are used European automotive production; but vehicles with 

considerably larger amounts of 20 kg natural and wood fibres 

have been successfully produced in series for years and could 

credit these amounts in the future. 

Most experts expect a continuously growth in the use of 

WPC and especially NFC in the automotive industry because 

of the high light weight potential of these materials, the 

continuously improvement of technologies and properties 

and new professional players. The combination with biobased 

polymers to realize fully biobased biocomposites is just 

starting and could become an additional market for biobased 

polymers such as PLA or PBS. 

www.nova-institute.com 

This table is showing the main reason, why Natural Fibre 

Composites (NFC) are such an exciting material for the automotive 

industry 

NF compression moulded – superior lightweight properties 

Automotive interior parts Area weight in g/m 2 

WPC – extruded and moulded 2,500 

Injection moulded pure plastc or glass fibre 

reinforced plastics 

>2,200 

Compression moulded PP-NF 1,800 

Compression moulded PP-NF with bonding 

agent MAPP 

1,500 

Compression moulded thermosets-NF 1,400 – 1,500 

Compression moulded thermosets-NF 

In development, production expected after 

2018 

800 – 1,000 

All figures and tables are teken from the study 

“Wood-Plastic Composites (WPC) and Natural 

Fibre Composites (NFC): European and Global 

Markets 2012 and Future Trends in Automotive and 

Construction“. The full study can be downloaded at 

http://bio-based.eu/markets 

All presentations of the conference are now available at 

http://bio-based.eu/proceedings 


Materials 

The gluten solution 

New TPVs derived from wheat gluten 

By Karen Laird 

While gluten has got a lot of bad press over the past 

few years, there is still good news to report. Gluten, 

it turns out, can actually serve as the basis for a new 

type of biobased plastic material, say scientists at the KU 

Leuven in Belgium. These researchers are working on the development 

of a new type of thermoplastic vulcanisate – based 

on gluten. 

But what is gluten? Very simply put, is the seed storage 

protein in mature cereal seeds. More specifically, it is a protein 

composite, meaning it is a substance made up of several 

different proteins, in this case gliadin and a glutenin. The 

cross-linking of gliadin molecules and glutenin molecules 

creates the primary properties associated with gluten. 

According to Lien Telen, a postdoctoral researcher at KU 

Leuven who has spent the past five years exploring the the 

use of wheat gluten to produce thermoplastic elastomers, 

there are a number of aspects that make gluten an attractive 

starting point for novel biobased materials. In the first place, 

there is a lot of it: as a co-product of industrial gluten-starch 

separation or bioethanol production, gluten is available in 

Europe in quantities of up to 1 million tonnes on an annual 

basis. Only part of this gluten is used as a high-value bakery 

ingredient, while the excess is mostly used in animal feed. 

Secondly, unlike most other proteinaceous resources, 

gluten contains high molar mass constituents and unique 

network forming properties, which means it can readily be 

converted into a variety of biobased materials. 

The development that has received the most attention of the 

gluten team at KU Leuven, said Telen, has been the glutenbased 

TPVs (TPV stands for thermoplastic vulcanizates). 

These new materials are colorable and can be processed on 

conventional processing equipment. Unlike the olefin-based 

rubbers in conventional TPVs, wheat gluten intrinsically 

crosslinks under the influence of heat, eliminating the need 

for an additional chemical crosslinker. Gluten-based TPVs 

combine the typical properties and functional performance 

of rubbers with the melt processability of thermoplastic 

polymers, resulting in recyclable materials. Telen explains: 

“The gluten TPV consists of (non-recyclable) crosslinked 

gluten particles within a thermoplastic matrix. The main 

advantage of these TPVs is that they have elastomeric 

characteristics at room temperature combined with the 

melt processability of thermoplastic materials. The rubber 

particles are very small (a few µm) and will flow in the melt 

of the thermoplastic matrix making the entire material 

recyclable using standard thermoplastic polymer processing 

equipment such as extrusion and injection molding.” 

The gluten team is also working on improving the 

properties of the new TPVs, which, said Telen, “fall short on 

water-resistance, oil and chemical resistance and operational 

temperature range”. Yet what also sets gluten-based TPVs 

apart is the possibility of combining elastomeric behavior and 

biodegradability in a single material, a combination not seen in 

conventional oil-based TPVs. Depending on the thermoplastic 

component, the gluten TPV’s can be designed to be fully 

biodegradable. TPVs with a polyethylene or polyamide matrix 

are not completely biodegradable, as the matrix remains 

intact, making them unsuitable for composting. 

“However, completely biodegradable and (home) 

compostable TPVs have also been developed using a 

biodegradable and (home) compostable matrix,” said Telen. 

Applications for these materials could include indoor soft 

touch materials, or functional biodegradation applications in 

the agricultural and horticultural sectors. 

Next to gluten-based TPVs, the researchers at KU Leuven 

are looking at other materials as well. “In the absence of 

a plasticizer, the heat induced crosslinking results in a 

glassy, rigid material with material properties comparable 

to Polystyrene (PS)”, said Telen. “Gluten composites: rigid 

gluten bioplastic reinforced with flax fibers are another focus. 

Research on these materials is ongoing and very promising.” 

http://chem.kuleuven.be 

60 – 80 % biobased non biodegradable 100 % biobased biodegradable 

anaerobic 

TPV 1 2 3 4 

Tensile modulus (MPa) 333 197 265 494 

Tensile elongation (%) 247 240 120 18 

Tensile strength (MPa) 16 12 9 12 

Shore D hardness 42 48 43 51 

Melting temperature (°C) 129 118 125 140 

Crystallization temperature (°C) 113 60 50 85 


Market study on 

Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers in the World 

Capacities, Production and Applications: Status Quo and Trends towards 2020 

Bio-based polymers: Will the positive growth trend continue? 

Bio-based polymers: Worldwide production 

capacity will triple from 5.7 million tonnes in 

2014 to nearly 17 million tonnes in 2020. The 

data show a 10% growth rate from 2012 to 2013 

and even 11% from 2013 to 2014. However, 

growth rate is expected to decrease in 2015. 

Consequence of the low oil price? 

million t/a 

Bio-based polymers: Evolution of worldwide production capacities 

from 2011 to 2020 

20 

actual data 

forecast 

The new third edition of the well-known 500 

page-market study and trend reports on 

“Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers 

in the World – Capacities, Production and 

Applications: Status Quo and Trends Towards 

2020” is available by now. It includes consistent 

data from the year 2012 to the latest data of 2014 

and the recently published data from European 

Bioplastics, the association representing the 

interests of Europe’s bioplastics industry. 

Bio-based drop-in PET and the new polymer 

PHA show the fastest rates of market growth. 

Europe looses considerable shares in total 

production to Asia. The bio-based polymer 

turnover was about € 11 billion worldwide 

in 2014 compared to € 10 billion in 2013. 


© 

15 

10 

5 


-Institut.eu | 2015 

2% of total 

polymer capacity, 

€11 billion turnover 


Epoxies 

PE 


PUR 

PBS 


CA 

PBAT 


PET 

PA 


PTT 

PHA 


PEF 


Starch 

Blends 

EPDM 

PLA 


2020 

Full study available at www.bio-based.eu/markets 

The nova-Institute carried out this study in 

collaboration with renowned international 

experts from the field of bio-based building 

blocks and polymers. The study investigates 

every kind of bio-based polymer and, for the 

second time, several major building blocks 

produced around the world. 

What makes this report unique? 

■ The 500 page-market study contains 

over 200 tables and figures, 96 company 

profiles and 11 exclusive trend reports 

written by international experts. 

■ These market data on bio-based building 

blocks and polymers are the main source 

of the European Bioplastics market data. 

■ In addition to market data, the report offers a 

complete and in-depth overview of the biobased 

economy, from policy to standards 

& norms, from brand strategies to 

environmental assessment and many more. 

■ A comprehensive short version 

(24 pages) is available for free at 


To whom is the report addressed? 

■ The whole polymer value chain: 

agro-industry, feedstock suppliers, 

chemical industry (petro-based and 

bio-based), global consumer 

industries and brands owners 

■ Investors 

■ Associations and decision makers 

Content of the full report 

This 500 page-report presents the findings of 

nova-Institute’s market study, which is made up 

of three parts: “market data”, “trend reports” 

and “company profiles” and contains over 200 

tables and figures. 

The “market data” section presents market 

data about total production capacities and the 

main application fields for selected bio-based 

polymers worldwide (status quo in 2011, 2013 

and 2014, trends and investments towards 

2020). This part not only covers bio-based 

polymers, but also investigates the current biobased 

building block platforms. 

The “trend reports” section contains a total of 

eleven independent articles by leading experts 

Order the full report 

The full report can be ordered for 3,000 € 

plus VAT and the short version of the report 

can be downloaded for free at: 

www.bio-based.eu/markets 

Contact 

Dipl.-Ing. Florence Aeschelmann 

+49 (0) 22 33 / 48 14-48 

florence.aeschelmann@nova-institut.de 

in the field of bio-based polymers. These trend 

reports cover in detail every important trend 

in the worldwide bio-based building block and 

polymer market. 

The final “company profiles” section includes 

96 company profiles with specific data 

including locations, bio-based building blocks 

and polymers, feedstocks and production 

capacities (actual data for 2011, 2013 and 

2014 and forecasts for 2020). The profiles also 

encompass basic information on the companies 

(joint ventures, partnerships, technology and 

bio-based products). A company index by biobased 

building blocks and polymers, with list of 

acronyms, follows.

Materials 

Making Levulinic Acid happen 

A new (?) building block not only for bioplastics 

No. Levulinic acid (LA) is not exactly a new building block 

or better a new platform chemical. It has been known 

of since 1840. “Everybody knows the benefits of levulinic 

acid, but few are using it yet – because it has been too 

expensive so far”, Maxim Katinov, CEO of Caserta, Italy based 

GFBiochemicals told bioplastics MAGAZINE during a plant visit 

in early December. 

GFBiochemicals is the first and only company to produce 

levulinic acid at commercial scale directly from biomass. The 

10,000 tonnes/annum commercial-scale production plant in 

Caserta started production in July 2015. The plant uses new 

and modified conversion, recovery and purification technology 

owned by GFBiochemicals. The company also has offices in 

Milan, Italy and Geleen, the Netherlands. In-house application 

and R&D is supported by a highly skilled and prolific 

management team with decades of experience in innovation, 

production and business development of biobased chemicals. 

“We have the best people and they are passionate about what 

they do”, as Maxim proudly told us. “Many of them left leading 

world renowned chemical companies in the Netherlands to 

join a startup“, he added. 

Levulinic acid is a biobased platform chemical with 

applications in the chemical and biofuel sectors. “Levulinic 

acid is an essential building block for a green future,” as 

Marcel van Berkel, CCO of GFBiochemicals pointed out. In 

2004, the US Department of Energy (DoE) identified LA as one 

of the 12 most important platform chemicals [1]. 

Levulinic acid for affordable prices 

Fundamentally lower price ranges are now possible for 

derivatives using GFBiochemicals technology. “We don’t need 

outputs of 150,000 tonnes to be successful,” said Maxim 

Katinov. “We can do it economically with three, five or ten 

thousand tonnes. And so we can produce and deliver levulinic 

acid for prices the market can afford”. The current price level 

is at about USD 4 – 5 per kg, but this company is targeting 

substantially lower prices, “in the range of one Dollar, when 

we reach maturity and produce at large scale,” Marcel van 

Berkel commented. 

Possible bioplastic applications 

Among the possible applications for LA we find quite 

a number of biopolymer-products or pre-products for 

bioplastics such as Me-BDO (Methyl butanediol for biobased 

polyesters or as building block for polyurethanes), Gamma 

valerolactone, an amino acid to make Nylons or specialty 

acrylates, DPA (Diphenolic acid to replace BPA, Bisphenol A, 

in Epoxies or Polycarbonate. BPA is cheaper but toxic), 

Co-nutrients during PHB production with metabolically 

engineered strains, and many more. 

Markets for levulinic acid and its derivatives include 

furthermore green solvents, coatings and resins, plasticizers, 

but also flavours and fragrances, personal care and 

pharmaceutical products, agrochemicals, fuel additives and 

biofuels. 

LA from renewable resources 

Traditionally levulinic acid is produced from petroleum via 

butane/benzene. “The first biobased routes went through 

furfural and furfuryl alcohole”, said Aris de Rijke, Director 

Technology & Engineering. “We however, go a direct route 

from biomass in a continuous process. Today we are using 

industrial corn starch, but in the long run we aim at using 

wood waste or other cellulosic waste streams such as straw 

or bagasse”. 

And a share of the energy used to run the process comes 

from char, a by-product of the LA-production from biomass. 

All in all, levulinic acid is a product of which we can expect 

interesting developments. Or maybe even “the transition to a 

new economy”, as Maxim Kativov said. MT 

[1] www.nrel.gov/docs/fy04osti/35523.pdf 

www.gfbiochemicals.com 

Pre-treatment Reactor Flash 

Energy recovery 

Cellulosic Biomass 

Steam 

Proprietary technology 

Solid/liquid 

separatrion 

Product 

recovery & 

concentration 

Final 

purification 

Biochar 

Steam 

O 

CH 3 

HO 

O 

Levulinic acid 


MARCH 30 – APRIL 1, 2016 

Orlando World Center Marriott 

A Collaborative Biopolymers Forum 

for the Global Ingeo Community 

@NatureWorks #ITR2016 www.innovationtakesroot.com

Material news 

New amorphous PHA 

grades as performance 

additives for PVC and PLA 

Metabolix (Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA) is launching its 

new line of amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) grades to be 

used as performance additives for PVC and PLA. Production of the 

new materials is underway at a U.S. pilot plant and will ramp up to 

270 tonnes (600,000 pounds) annual nameplate capacity during 2016. 

“The commercial launch of these new grades of amorphous PHA 

represents an important development for Metabolix as we advance 

our business strategy focused on specialty biopolymers,” said Johan 

van Walsem, Metabolix’s chief operating officer. “This expanded pilot 

capacity is strategic for us to support existing customers and opens 

new market development opportunities in our target application 

spaces.” 

Amorphous PHA (a-PHA) is a softer and more rubbery (low 

glass transition temperature or T g) version of PHA that offers a 

fundamentally different performance profile from crystalline forms 

of PHA. Metabolix’s a-PHA is produced by fermentation and extracted 

using a patented solvent recovery process. The production process has 

been reviewed by EPA and recently cleared the Premanufacture Notice 

(PMN) requirement for new materials placed into commerce. Several 

certifications are pending on a-PHA as a biobased material and for the 

full range of biodegradation scenarios enabled when a-PHA is used 

alone or with other complementary materials. Metabolix plans to seek 

FDA clearance for a-PHA in food contact applications, which would 

further expand the range of PHA compositions available for use in food 

contact materials. Metabolix previously received FDA clearance for use 

of its semi-crystalline PHA grades in food contact applications. 

At low loading levels, a-PHA can serve as a process aid and 

performance modifier for PVC. It increases productivity during 

processing and enhances mechanical performance, with the potential 

to also deliver cost savings in PVC material systems. In highly filled 

composite systems, the use of a-PHA enables increased use of wood 

pulp, mineral fillers and PVC recyclate to replace virgin PVC and 

achieve improved mechanical properties. Metabolix is working closely 

with customers on a wide range of applications utilizing a-PHA as a 

modifier for PVC. These applications include a floor backing material 

that utilizes PVC recyclate, a highly-filled vinyl flooring system, wire and 

cable insulation, roofing membranes, PVC/wood polymer composites 

and other construction and building materials (see p. 23). 

Amorphous PHA also complements the bio-content and 

compostability profile of the biopolymer PLA while delivering significant 

improvements in mechanical properties such as increased toughness, 

strength and ductility. Based on these product advantages, Metabolix 

is working with customers interested in achieving better performance 

with PLA biopolymers. Many of these customers are focused on 

developing a-PHA-modified PLA materials for sustainable, bio-based, 

and compostable packaging solutions. In addition to conducting 

numerous trials for transparent packaging films, Metabolix is working 

with customers interested in a-PHA-modified PLA for thermoformed 

transparent clamshells used in food service and consumer packaging 

as well as a-PHA-modified PLA for non-wovens used in personal care 

applications. MT 

www.metabolix.com 

Biobased and 

biodegradable 

thermoelastomers 

TerraVerdae BioWorks, Edmonton, Alberta, 

Canada, an industrial biotechnology company 

developing advanced bioplastics and biomaterials 

from environmentally sustainable, single-carbon 

(C1) feedstocks, has announced that 

it has entered into a strategic partnership agreement 

with PolyFerm, Kingston, Ontario, Canada. 

PolyFerm is a biopolymer company that 

is focused on developing renewable and 

biodegradable alternatives to petrochemicalbased 

elastomers. The partnership expands 

TerraVerdae’s product and technology portfolio 

into the high growth market of biodegradable 

thermoelastomers. 

PolyFerm has developed the only line of 

biodegradable thermoelastomers in the 

industry made entirely from renewable 

feedstocks. PolyFerm’s product line, marketed 

as VersaMer, is a medium-chain-length PHA 

material with enhanced elastomeric properties 

that can be engineered to multiple applications. 

This addresses a large unmet need within 

the biopolymer industry, with applications for 

adhesives and sealants, plastic additives, inks and 

toners, paints and coatings, and medical devices. 

“This strategic partnership allows us to offer 

our customers the most comprehensive product 

portfolio of high-value biodegradable polymers and 

opens up significant opportunities in new, highgrowth 

markets,” said William Bardosh, CEO and 

founder of TerraVerdae BioWorks. “ 

“With TerraVerdae, we have found an ideal 

partner to help us penetrate new markets with 

our high-performance polymer and elastomer 

products,” said Bruce Ramsay, Founder and CTO of 

PolyFerm Canada. “TerraVerdae’s demonstrated 

ability to scale up complex bioprocesses to meet 

the performance specifications demanded by 

industry is a great fit with our technology.” 

Elastomeric PHAs represent one of the 

most versatile classes of engineered materials 

for a number of commercial uses. These 

biodegradable materials combine the look, feel 

and elasticity of conventional thermoset rubber 

with improved processing efficiencies and are 

capable of withstanding large deformations 

while regaining their original shape. They also 

exhibit unique performance characteristics 

such as toughness, resilience, stretchability, and 

stiffness. KL 

www.polyfermcanada.com | www.terraverdae.com 


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© 2015 Honeywell International Inc. All rights reserved. 

SPM-FLP-472 Award Winner Ad_v2.indd 1 

06/2015 DECEMBER/JANUARY 

CPI and BuildingGreen’s Top 10 Green Building Products of 2015 award. 

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Kuraray Liquid Rubber (K-LR) is a reactive plasticizer based on isoprene 

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Also K-LR has very low VOC values. 

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Plasticizers 

Processing Aids, Activators 

Silanes, Desiccants 

Antitack Agents 

Heat Transfer Fluids 

Material news 

Volume 7, September 2015 

PHA in PVC-WPC applications 

In a recent blog posted by Metabolix Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications, Lynne Brum, the use 

of Metabolix I6003 PHAs in WPC was touted as a “cost effective solution which imparts superior mechanical properties and 

process benefits in wood filled PVC building materials.” 

Wood fiber polymer composites (WPC), wrote Brum, are materials made by combining wood particles or other fibrous materials with 

polymer resins and additives to improve performance. WPCs, which require little maintenance have become popular replacements 

for solid wood. Common applications for these composites are in products such as decking, fences, railings and outdoor landscaping 

features. PVC is one of the key base polymers used in wood polymer composites for decking and railing systems. 

Miscibility between PVC and plasticizer is essential for good performance. PHA and PVC materials are highly miscible and 

moreover, have similar processing windows. Because of their miscibility with PVC, the PHA additives will not migrate out of the 

PVC and are easy to handle and process under the same conditions as PVC. 

Exploring the use of Metabolix I6003 PHAs in WPC, it was found that I6003, a 

multifunctional process aid, acted as an efficient fusion promoter, improved wood filler 

incorporation and dispersion, and significantly reduced torque in the extrude. 

Metabolix has worked with customers to develop new PVC-WPC formulations 

for decking and railing systems. Incorporating Metabolix PHA material into these 

formulations at a low loading level, made it possible to increase the proportion of wood 

flour used and at the same time to decrease the amount of PVC needed. The data 

generated by Metabolix showed that during processing, the addition of PHA, even at 

a low level, reduced torque and improved processing of the wood polymer composite 

material. For railing applications, the end-product also exhibited significantly improved 

mechanical properties and surface finish. 

This work demonstrates that PHA materials can offer significant performance benefits 

– and consequently costs advantages, as well – in PVC wood polymer composite systems. 

Brum said the company is looking forward to working with PVC wood polymer composite 

manufacturers to develop new solutions for decking and railing systems. KL 

www.metabolix.com | http://bit.ly/1Rsqp4w 

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Materials 

Breakthrough 

platform technology for 

new building block 

In mid-January, science and agricultural leaders DuPont 

Industrial Biosciences, Wilmington Delaware, USA and 

Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM), Chicago, Illinois, 

USA announced a new breakthrough process with the 

potential to expand the materials landscape in the 21 st 

century with exciting and truly novel, high-performance 

renewable materials. The technology has applications in 

packaging, textiles, engineering plastics and many other 

industries. 

The companies have developed a method for producing 

furan dicarboxylic methyl ester (FDME) from fructose. 

FDME is a high-purity derivative of furandicarboxylic acid 

(FDCA), one of the 12 building blocks identified by the 

U.S. Department 

of Energy that 

can be converted 

into a number of 

high-value, biobased 

chemicals 

or materials that 

can deliver high 

performance in 

a number of applications. 

It 

has long been 

sought-after and 

researched, but 

has not yet been 

available at commercial 

scale and 

at reasonable 

cost. The new 

FDME technology 

is a more efficient 

and simple process 

than traditional conversion approaches and results 

in higher yields, lower energy usage and lower capital expenditures. 

generic bottle picture (no PTF) 

This partnership brings together ADM’s world-leading 

expertise in fructose production, and carbohydrate 

chemistry with DuPont’s biotechnology, chemistry, 

materials and applications expertise, all backed by a 

strong joint intellectual-property portfolio. 

“This molecule is a game-changing platform technology. 

It will enable cost-efficient production of a variety of 100 % 

renewable, high-performance chemicals and polymers 

with applications across a broad range of industries,” said 

Simon Herriott, global business director for biomaterials 

at DuPont. “ADM is an agribusiness powerhouse with 

strong technology development capabilities. They are the 

ideal partner with which to develop this new, renewable 

supply chain for FDME.” 

One of the first polymers under development utilizing 

FDME is polytrimethylene furandicarboxylate (PTF), a novel 

polyester also made from DuPont’s proprietary plant based 

Bio-PDO (1,3-propanediol). PTF is a 100 % renewable 

and recyclable polymer that, when used to make bottles 

and other beverage packages, substantially improves 

gas-barrier properties compared to other polyesters. 

This makes PTF 

a great choice 

for customers 

in the beverage 

packaging 

industry looking 

to improve the 

shelf life of their 

products. 

“We are excited 

about the potential 

FDME has to 

help our customers 

reach new 

markets and develop 

better-performing 

products, 

all made from 

sustainable, biobased 

starting 

materials,” said 

Kevin Moore, president, renewable chemicals at ADM. 

“With their strong leadership in the biomaterials industry, 

DuPont is a great partner that can help us bring this product 

to market for our customers.” 

ADM and DuPont are taking the initial step in the 

process of bringing FDME to market by moving forward 

on the scale-up phase of the project. The two companies 

are planning to build an integrated 60 tonnes/year 

demonstration plant in Decatur, Illinois, USA, which 

will provide potential customers with sufficient product 

quantities for testing and research. MT 

www.dupont.com | www.adm.com 


Drive Innovation 

Become a Member 

Join university researchers and industry members 

to push the boundaries of renewable resources 

and establish new processes and products. 

www.cb2.iastate.edu 

See us at K 2016 

October 19-26, 2016 

Düsseldorf, Germany 

Hall 5, US Pavilion

Opinion 

Bioplastics industry struggling 

to meet expected demand 

Avantium and Mitsui announced in December their 

plan to bring 100 % bio-based PEF (Polyethylene 

Furanoate) packaging to the Tokyo Olympics in 

2020. This press release captures the importance of both 

partnerships and professional marketing in today’s bioplastic 

business. 

Today, bioplastics are generally sold at a premium 

compared to conventional plastics, and the current low 

prices of crude oil are not making the competition any 

easier. It is therefore of the utmost importance to build 

maximum exposure for the new products. The higher price 

of bioplastics for instance in packaging is compensated 

by added brand or product value. Major sports events are 

the candy shops for marketing professionals. The London 

Olympic Games in 2012 were broadcast to 220 different 

countries with over 3.6 billion viewers. The bioplastic 

industry has been able to get its fair share of the publicity. 

McDonald’s decided to use Novamont’s Mater-Bi bioplastic 

for the disposable foodservice packaging in their Olympic 

park restaurant during London Olympic Games. Rio 2016 

has published sustainability guidelines encouraging the 

use of biodegradable compostable packaging for fast 

food outlets, and recyclable bioplastics for other types of 

packaging. The choice of event for Avantium’s and Mitsui’s 

launch was an expected yet very smart move. 

Along with the increasing media exposure, more and 

more brand owners are considering bioplastics as part of 

their sustainability programme. Shiseido plans to switch 

over 70 % of the polyethylene used in their domestic 

cosmetics containers from petroleum-based to bio-based 

by 2020. Procter & Gamble has announced replacing 25 % 

of their petroleum-based raw materials with renewable 

materials in all products and packaging by 2020. Also 

the Swedish furniture giant IKEA is planning to have all 

plastics used in the company’s home furnishings made 

from 100 % renewable and/or recyclable materials with 

the same schedule as Shiseido and P&G. These global 

brands are considered to be innovators in the adoption 

curve of bioplastics. We at Pöyry believe this trend of 

brand owner targets will expand from innovators to early 

adopters in the next ten years. Will there be enough supply 

to meet these targets? 

The market data of European Bioplastics forecasts 

that the production capacities of bioplastics will reach 

almost 8 million tonnes in 2019 with non-biodegradable 

bioplastics representing the major part of the growth. 

As a combined management consulting and engineering 

company we keep a tight eye on the development and 

realisation of investment projects. Today, we see some 

major challenges with the build-up of new bioplastic 

production. Much of the volume growth is counting on new 

bio-based PE, PET, PEF and PLA production. 

Braskem is still the only producer of sugar-based PE 

on the market with no announcements of new entrants. 

In addition, Mitsui decided to bury their bio-ethylene 

joint venture with Dow Chemical last October by selling 

all its shares of the company. On the positive side, SABIC 

launched a portfolio of renewable PE and PP in 2014 but 

the actual production volumes remain unknown. There is 

also an on-going debate whether these ISCC Plus certified 

renewable polyolefins can be marketed as bio-based 

products. 

The development of bio-based PET and PEF is going 

forward, but the production output is lagging behind 

The Chasm 

Innovators Early adopters Early majority Late majority Laggards 


Opinion 

By: 

Henna Poikolainen and Juulia Kuhlman 

Pöyry Management Consulting 

Vantaa, Finland 

market projections. For instance, the largest biobased 

monoethylene glycol project to date – 500,000 

t/a in Brazil by JBF Industries – has been put on hold 

and some sources expect it to be cancelled. There is 

a lot of activity in developing catalytic processes for 

bio-MEG but there will be little production available 

for P&G, IKEA and alike by 2020. 

The future supply looks more promising for PLA. 

Corbion succeeded in signing letters of intent for 

one-third of the 75,000 t/a capacity planned for their 

new facility in Thailand and decided to go forward 

with the investment. NatureWorks awarded the 

engineering contract of a new production plant in 

Southeast Asia to Jacobs back in 2013 but we are 

still waiting for news on the location. 

Press releases of new bioplastic projects paint 

a distorted picture of the supply volumes. Only 

few projects reach full capacity with the initially 

announced timing. New technologies, developing 

markets and exclusive partnerships make the 

bioplastics industry demanding, risky and timeconsuming 

to enter. Sustainable biomass sourcing 

with transparent traceability is a prerequisite for 

any collaboration with the major brand owners. 

Similarly to Corbion, many producers seek to 

secure major offtake of planned capacity prior to a 

final investment decision which prolongs time-tomarket. 

Project financing is rarely straightforward. 

Many bioplastics projects are risky investments 

even at high crude oil prices. It is challenging to 

convince investors of the profitability of capital 

intensive projects when the return on investment is 

dependent on a biopremium. 

The supply of bioplastics is expected to show 

double-digit growth for the next ten years, but the 

curve is unlikely to depict as exponential a growth 

as project announcements would indicate. Securing 

an adequate supply of bioplastics will be a major 

issue for the brands aiming to reach their targets 

by 2020. Most brands are unwilling to commit to a 

single supplier. There should be at least two or three 

certified suppliers to secure supply, but this is rarely 

the case in today’s bioplastic market. There is great 

variation in polymer grades and switching costs are 

still too high. Hence, bioplastic producers should 

not see new entrants as unwelcome competitors, 

but rather as a necessity for market formation. We 

foresee more and more partnerships with bioplastic 

producers and brand owners. Tight collaboration 

with brand owners can speed-up market entry and 

take the bioplastics industry to the next level. 

www.poyry.com 

About the authors: 

Henna Poikolainen and Juulia 

Kuhlman are both consultants at Pöyry 

Management Consulting. Pöyry is one 

of the leading advisors to the world’s 

energy, forest and bio-based industries. 

In the past 5 years, the authors have 

been supporting clients e.g. in market 

entry, product portfolio and partnering 

strategies; in supply, demand and cost 

analyses; and in technology evaluation 

and pre-feasibility assessments. In 

2015, Pöyry published a multiclient 

report “BioSight up to 2025” analysing 

the supply, demand and dynamics of 

the bio-based chemical business: www. 

poyry.com/biosight 


Application News 

New biobased 

sustainable eyewear 

Eyewear company Charmant USA has announced 

the launch of Awear, a line of eco-friendly eyeglasses. 

Composed of recyclable plant-based biobased plastics, 

plus biodegradable demo lenses. Its inaugural collection 

of ergonomic eyewear was designed to be lightweight, 

fashion-forward and completely eco-friendly. 

The brand boasts an unyielding commitment to 

environmentally conscious practices, from design to 

production. All of the glasses’ frames and sun lenses 

are made with sustainable materials – the frames 

themselves are created from recyclable plant-based 

biobased polyamide. And since the bio-polyamide is 

made from a plant-based material, each ergonomically 

fitted frame boasts reduced carbon-dioxide emissions 

and water use compared with conventional eyewear. 

Production is another important factor for the company. 

The temple pieces for each pair of glasses (made of a 

biobased elastomer material) are hand-assembled, 

ultimately making the process more energy efficient. The 

frames are also designed with a high-chemical resistant 

material that eliminates the need for spray coating pieces, 

a factor that reduces overall water usage in production. 

Even the demo lenses are biobased and biodegradable 

and are made from PLA. 

“Awear is different and exceptional from any other 

eyewear collection,” Michele Ziss, director of product 

and marketing at Charmant, said in a statement. “The 

materials and production processes have distinctive 

properties and a unique story because they are 

environmentally friendly.” 

Aimed at style-conscious and environmentally savvy 

millennials, Awear debuts this month with seven optical 

frames and two styles of sunglasses for men and women. 

Yosuke Shimano, the collection’s lead designer, 

credited the vivacity of life in the landscapes that 

surround him for inspiring the range of translucent yet 

saturated colors. 

“It is with this concept, that Awear can make an equally 

bold style and eco-savvy statement,” the company added. KL 

www.awearcharmant.com 

PHA for safer toys 

Italy-based Bio-on laboratories have created a new type 

of bioplastic, designed to make safe and eco-sustainable 

children’s toys. Dubbed Minerv PHA Supertoys, the new 

material has now been used for the first time for the 

manufacture of building bricks. 

Based on Bio-on’s biodegradable biopolymer (PHA), 

which has already been tested in applications ranging 

from automotive to design to biomedical, biobased 

Supertoys is safe, and hygienic, and it meets and exceeds 

the provisions of the recent European Directive 2009/48/ 

EC, known as the TDS (Toy Safety Directive), implemented 

into the standard international procedure for toy safety 

evaluation EN 71. 

Bio-On has developed an exclusive process for the 

production of a family of PHA polymers from agricultural 

waste (including molasses and sugar cane and sugar 

beet syrups). Bio-On PHA is certified by Vincotte and by 

USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) as 100 % 

biobased and completely biodegradable. 

The Minerv PHA Supertoys project was launched 

by Bio-on with no commercial goal, aiming solely to 

demonstrate whether or not specific, eco-sustainable and 

completely biodegradable formulations could be created 

to manufacture child-safe, environmentally friendly toys, 

without compromising on the functionality or aesthetic 

appeal of the end product. 

“The presence of toxic substances in toys is still a very 

serious problem today,” says Bio-on S.p.A. Chairman 

Marco Astorri. “We are convinced that this new discovery 

can make a decisive contribution to the health of our 

children.” 

The first product chosen as the demonstrator for the 

new material was a LEGO ® -style building bricks. Astorri 

explained that the company had chosen this product, 

because of the relative difficulty in producing it. “It has a 

tolerance of 2 µm and the fact that we have succeeded in 

guaranteeing such a high quality level gives us confidence 

for future developments,” he said. 

The research project is open to all laboratories and 

companies around the world working on toy design. The 

goal is to create two types of bioplastic by the end of 2017: 

Minerv PHA Supertoys type R, a rigid, strong grade, and 

Minerv PHA Supertoys type F, which will be ductile and 

flexible. KL/MT 

www.bio-on.it 


Application News 

New Ice-cream container 

At the SIGEP Exhibition in Rimini, Italy (23 – 27 January 2016) a new line of ice-cream containers made from BioFoam ® has 

been introduced by the companies Erreme (Foligno, Italy) and Domogel (Costa di Mezzate, Italy). They are two of the leading 

producers of ice-cream packaging in Italy. The BioFoam containers are produced by Synprodo, Wijchen, The Netherlands. The 

ice containers are put into the market under the name Greeny and come in two models 500 ml and 1000 ml. The insulating 

properties of the containers keep the ice cool 

for several hours allowing the consumers to 

take it home for consumption. Assuming an 

external temperature of 25 °C, the temperature 

of the ice cream stored in a BioFoam container 

will vary by 2 °C per hour. With a thermoformed 

layer of PLA on the inside the entire container 

is still completely bio-based and compostable 

(certified as industrially compostable according 

to EN13432). In Italy officially allowed by law since 

last year, consumers can dispose of the empty 

containers in their biowaste bin. 

After an official Press Conference and during the 

following days on the exhibition the revolutionary 

new concept for Italy gained a lot of interest and 

the producers are confident that the coming years 

the Greeny box will grow and take market share 

on the Italian and other markets. 

www.greeny.it 

www.synprodo.com 

9. Biowerkstoff-Kongress 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WORLDWIDE BIOECONOMY: 

1 st Day (5 April 2016) 

• Policy & markets 

• New bio-based building blocks 

• Biorefineries 

• Innovation Award 

“Bio-based Material of the Year 2016” 

2 nd Day (6 April 2016) 

• Building blocks and polymers 

• Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) 

• Lignin utilisation 

Organiser 

Venue & Accomodation 

Maternushaus Cologne, Germany 

Kardinal-Frings-Str. 1–3, 50668 Cologne 

+49 (0)221 163 10 | info@maternushaus.de 

Book now 

10% reduction – enter code bpm10 

during your booking process 

www.nova-institute.eu 

Contact 

Dominik Vogt 

Conference Manager 

+49 (0)2233 4814-49 

dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de 


Foam 

PLA foam expanding 

 

into new areas 

By: 

Sarah Heine, CEO 

Biopolymer Network 

Rotorua, New Zealand 

The Biopolymer Network Limited (BPN) team from Rotorua, 

New Zealand, who developed Zealafoam ® , a PLA based alternative 

to expanded polystyrene (EPS), continues to develop 

new opportunities for bio-based foam. Leveraging off their 

patented process which uses CO 2 

as a green blowing agent to 

produce low density particle PLA foam, BPN has developed a variety 

of prototypes of varying shape and dimension. These include 

cups, films or other articles depending on the target application. 

PLA foamed cups have been developed to target the growing 

demand for bio-based disposable cups for both hot and cold 

beverages. The foaming process increases the glass transition 

temperature (T g 

) and/or crystallinity of the PLA, depending on 

the grade of PLA used, resulting in better thermal stability than 

non-foamed PLA cups. Thermal conductivity measurements 

show that the foamed cups have good insulation properties, 

while mechanical testing indicates the prototypes have good 

impact resistant properties. While work is ongoing to target hot 

beverage applications, the current technology is ideal for cold 

beverages. 

Similarly, the team has created a thin PLA foamed film using 

this process. Currently there is interest from industry in the use 

of PLA film for packaging and labelling applications. Printing on 

clear PLA film can however prove a challenge, with a white base 

coat required prior to printing. The BPN process results in an 

opaque, smooth and shiny surface that is ideal for printing and 

the product is light weight. The manufacturing process can be 

manipulated to significantly improve the elastic modulus and the 

yield stress of the product, over solid PLA film, while decreasing 

the strain percentage at break. These properties make the 

material an excellent product for the targeted applications. 

BPN has also studied the incorporation of different biomass in 

all their foamed products, from particle foam to foamed film. The 

focus has been on available low value biomass such as pine bark, 

canola meal or dried distiller grains and excellent foam has been 

achieved with biomass loadings as high as 15 %. The resulting 

foam exhibits altered properties, depending on the biomass 

loading and therefore can target different applications, with a 

reduced product cost achieved by the substitution of a processed 

plastic with a low cost biomass. 

Traditionally, Zealafoam particle foam has been moulded using 

existing expanded polystyrene (EPS) equipment to produce low 

density foam with similar mechanical and thermal insulation 

properties to that of EPS. Zealafoam is a closed cell foam 

with properties primarily determined by the properties and 

morphology of the polymer, the foam or cellular structure, and 

the bulk density. Using these principles, BPN have produced a 

more diverse range of products incorporating their technology 

for new applications, combining the functionality of excellent 

insulating properties and light weight with the many advantages 

of a bio-based plastic. 

This research was funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of 

Business, Innovation and Employment. 

www.biopolymernetwork.com 


organized by 

supported by 

20. - 22.10.2016 

Messe Düsseldorf, Germany 

Bioplastics in 

Packaging 

BIOPLASTICS 

BUSINESS 

BREAKFAST 

B 

3 

PLA, an Innovative 

Bioplastic 

Bioplastics in 

Durable Applications 

Subject to changes 

Call for Papers now open 

www.bioplastics-breakfast.com 

Contact: Dr. Michael Thielen (mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com) 

At the World‘s biggest trade show on plastics and rubber: 

K‘2016 in Düsseldorf bioplastics will certainly play an 

important role again. 

On three days during the show from Oct 20 - 22, 2016 

bioplastics MAGAZINE will host a Bioplastics Business 

Breakfast: From 8 am to 12 noon the delegates get the 

chance to listen and discuss highclass presentations and 

benefit from a unique networking opportunity. 

The trade fair opens at 10 am. 

BIO-BASED START-UP DAY 

7 April 2016 · Maternushaus · Cologne · Germany 

Organiser 

www.nova-institute.eu 

Venue & Accomodation 

Maternushaus Cologne, Germany 

Kardinal-Frings-Str. 1–3, 50668 Cologne 

+49 (0)221 163 10 | info@maternushaus.de 

Contact 

Dominik Vogt 

Conference Manager 

+49 (0)2233 4814-49 

dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de 

HIGH-POTENTIAL START-UPS FROM BIO-BASED 

CHEMISTRY, POLYMERS AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 

The Bio-based Start-up Day will bring start-ups, investors and industry 

together by giving the floor to everyone and providing great opportunities of 

networking. The day will start with a keynote speech followed by presentations 

of start-ups. Related clusters such as CLIB2021 and IBB Netzwerk will also 

have the chance to present their own young start-ups. In a special meeting 

session the audience will have the opportunity to meet the start-ups and 

investors in person. Investors will afterwards provide 

an insight into their incentives and experiences working 

with start-ups in the bio-based and biotech sector. The 

day will end with a discussion and a coming together. 

Great networking opportunities all day long! 

More information: www.bio-based.eu/startup

Polyamides are made by polycondensation of dicarbonic acids with diamines or by polyaddition 

of lactames. e.g. PA 66 or PA 6. Succinic acid and its derivates 1,4 –di-amino butane or 

in academic research have been magnetic and crystallographic data. Furthermore, there is 

no clarity regarding melting point and temperature stability to be found in the literature, an 

important subject to enable its practical use. The Fraunhofer-UMSICHT scientists synthesized 

high melting point of 329 °C indicates high density of hydrogen bonding of the amide groups. 

10 years ago 

Published in bioplastics MAGAZINE 

10 YEARS AGO 

new 

series 

In January 2016, Dr. Stephan Kabasci (Fraunhofer UMSICHT) comments: 

“Succinic acid fermentation was improved considerably with respect to concentration 

and yield in the course of the project. PA44, however, proved to be highly sensitive to 

temperature so that thermoplastic melt processing was not feasible.” 

Materials 

Succinic acid: versatile platform chemical 

The Fraunhofer-Institut für Umwelt, Sicherheits- und Energietechnik UMSICHT 

in Oberhausen, Germany has recently published some basic findings about the 

synthesis of polyamide from succinic acid, a substance that can be derived from 

renewable sources. A poster, presented at the International Conference on Renewable 

Resources and Biorefineries in Ghent, Belgium (Sept. 19 – 21, 2005) won 

the conference’s “Poster Award”. 

Succinic acid [HOC(O)CH 2 

CH 2 

C(O)OH] is a platform chemical that can be used 

directly or as intermediate for a large number of applications such as for plastics, 

paints, food additives and other industrial and consumer products. Today, succinic 

acid is produced mainly by chemical processes from petrochemical feedstocks. 

“But it can also be won from renewable sources” says Dr. Stephan Kabasci, one 

of the authors of the poster. For the fermentation of succinic acid from glucose, 

From starch to polyamide – 

via succinic acid 

Polyamide from bio-amber 

Synthesis of polyamide 

two strains of anaerobic bacteria have been tested on a laboratory scale: Anaerobiospirillum 

succiniciproducens (DSM 6400) and Actinobacillus succinogenes 

(ATCC 55618). Other experiments with starch from different sources showed that 

the highest succinate concentration was achieved with maize starch (see Fig. 1). 

2-pyrrolidinone are therefore raw materials for the production of polyamide 4.4 or polyamide 

4. 

Only a few articles have been published in literature in relation to polyamide 4.4. Main topics 

polyamide 4.4 in a polycondensation process. The resulting product takes up water to form 

gelatinous mass and is a very hard material in dry state. 

The melting point of a sample that has not been fully refined is shown in Fig. 2. The extreme 

A comprehensive article about polyamides made from bio-based succinic acid, their potential 

for packaging and technical applications and including a discussion of the cost issue is 

planned for the next issue of bioplastics magazine. 

www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de/english 

Formation of Succinic acid by fermentation of starch types 

Start concentration of starch types :15gL -1 

Succinic Acid Concentration / gL -1 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

Maize Starch 

Potato Starch 

Wheat Sarch 

0 

0 40 80 120 160 200 240 

time / h 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

Succinate Yield 

[g/100 g substrate] 

Fig. 1: Left: Succinate production from starch types by fermentation 

Right: Specific Yield of succinate from different substrates 

Glucose 

Maize starch 

Wheat starch 

Potato starch 

Cellulose 

endo 0,45 

first heating and cooling 

20-250-50 °C, desorption of water 

0,40 

second heating 20 KMin -1 

0,35 

0,30 

0,25 

0,20 

0,15 

0,10 

329 °C 

80 120 160 200 240 280 320 360 

temperature / °C 

heat flow / mWmg -1 

Fig. 2: DSC thermogramof raw Polyamide 4.4 

14 bioplastics [06/01] Vol. 1 


SUSTPACK 2016 

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First 30 

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60 

days 

120 180 

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Runs well with 

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*This test was conducted under natural condition in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Dreaming of naturally compostable bioplastic ? Here is the answer. 

BioPBS is revolutionary in bioplastic technology by excelling 30°C compostable and being essentially bio-based in accordance 

with OK COMPOST (EN13432), OK COMPOST HOME marks, BPI (ASTM D6400) for composting and DIN CERTCO for biobased 

products. It is compostable without requiring a composting facility and no adverse effects on the environment. 

BioPBS is available in various grades, which can be applied in a wide range of end use applications ranking from paper 

packaging, flexible packaging, agricultural film, and injection molding. It provides non-process changing solution to 

achieve better results in your manufacturing needs, retains the same material quality, and can be processed in existing 

machine as good as conventional material. In comparison with other bioplastics, BioPBS is excellent heat properties 

both heat sealability and heat resistance up to 100 °C. In addition to those benefits, it is only few compostable polymers 

complying with food contact of U.S.FCN NO.1574, EU 10/2011 and JHOSPA. 

8C084/8C085 

8C083 

BioPBS is available in various grades that conform to the following international standards for composting and biobased. 

For more information 

PTTMCC Biochem : +66 (2) 2 140 3555 / info@pttmcc.com 

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 

PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd. A Joint Venture Company of PTT and Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation 

555/2 Energy Complex Tower, Building B, 14th Floor, Vibhavadi Rangsit Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand 

T: +66 (0) 2 140 3555 I F: +66(0) 2 140 3556 I www.pttmcc.com

Basics 

“The biobased office” for the 

procurement of the future 

The German Agency for Renewable Resources 

promotes a viable sustainable procurement. 

German law lacks a legal basis for sustainable public 

procurement. Legislation requiring resource and environmental 

considerations to be taken into account 

when purchasing goods and services for the public sector has 

not yet been put in place. 

Hence, the implementation of sustainable public 

procurement in Germany has been patchy in many aspects, a 

fact that is also reflected in the development of a recognized 

environmental label. It would therefore be helpful first to 

formulate significant sustainability criteria and thus to gain 

experience with public procurement and, at the same time, 

to gradually develop a sustainable procurement culture. That 

would also give producers the opportunity to adopt a goaloriented 

perspective. However, many public authorities are 

struggling with such an approach. 

Clearly, sustainable procurement is a new approach – and 

it is one that involves more effort, as information will have to 

be collected, old and familiar procurement habits abandoned 

and market availability studied. However, the single most 

important reason for the slow progress in this area is the lack 

of encouragement and support from decision makers. 

Of course there are good examples as well, such as that 

of Berlin. Berlin not only has administrative regulations 

providing for the implementation of environmental protection 

requirements in the procurement of goods, works and services 

[1], but has also developed specific minimum requirements for 

many product groups, which serve as practical procurement 

guides. Another positive sign was the recent publication from 

the Öko-Institute of a study showing the financial savings 

and environmental benefits potentially resulting from the 

implementation of environmentally-friendly procurement 

processes. 

The Agency for Renewable Resources (Fachagentur 

Nachwachsende Rohstoffe, FNR) also encourages 

environmentally friendly procurement. On behalf of the 

Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (BMEL), a project 

called the “Use of biobased products in public procurement” 

was established at the FNR in 2010. The project aims to 

promote environmental and natural resource stewardship, 

as well as to enhance the security of the resource supply by 

fostering the use of biobased products. Public institutions, 

in their role as pioneers, could leverage their purchasing 

The bio-based office 


Basics 

power to further advance the use of biobased products. This 

commitment to biobased products is also reflected in the EUfinanced 

projects of the FNR. 

The biobased office 

The FNR project entitled “Use of biobased products in public 

procurement” is currently touring Germany with a model of a 

biobased office serving as an exhibition booth. Tour schedule: 

http://www.das-nachwachsende-buero.de/service/tourenplan/ 

The booth showcases the products with which a biobased, 

environmentally-friendly office setting can be created. Given 

the 17 million office workspaces in Germany alone, the use 

of biobased office products offers enormous potential for a 

reduction of CO 2 

emissions. 

Nearly 100 biobased products, ranging from office furniture 

to office design and furnishings can be viewed and touched at 

the fully accessible, 12 m 2 exhibition booth. The selection of 

bioplastic products featured have been made available by a 

variety of companies, both large and small. The entire range of 

products featured in the exhibition booth, and the companies 

producing these, are listed in a complimentary brochure, but 

can also be found on: www.das-nachwachsende-buero.de. 

Sustainability in procurement law and procurement 

processes of biobased products 

Plastics play a major role in office equipment. In addition to a 

growing use of recycled plastic materials, products made from 

biobased materials are also on the rise. According to public 

procurement law, it may be necessary to substantiate and 

submit proof of the sustainability claims of biobased plastics 

(e.g. the environmental benefits of the product). 

Implementation of the European public procurement 

directives will require an overhaul of public procurement law and 

the strengthening of sustainable and innovative procurement 

practices. Following the incorporation of these directives 

into German law in April 2016, it should be easier for public 

procurers to write tenders with sustainable (environmental, 

social and innovative) requirements, which relate to: 

• the terms of references / technical specifications 

• the qualification / selection criteria 

• the contract / award criteria 

• requirements for the implementation of a contract 

as long as there is an objective connection with the contract 

at hand. 

Proof of the required properties can be provided by an 

overall reference to a recognized label or certificate. Moreover, 

e-procurement will be the standard procedure. 

However, for the heterogeneous group of manufacturers 

of biobased products – mainly made up of SMEs – such 

certifications and e-procurement requirements pose a serious 

impediment to doing business with public procurers. Another 

problem is the wide use of framework agreements, which make 

it difficult for SMEs to participate. Hence, SMEs are more likely 

to opt for direct award procedures with volumes below the 

€ 10.000 threshold. 

With sales figures like these, however, no real market 

breakthrough, of the kind envisioned by the “bioeconomy” 

policy strategy, is possible. 

 

By: 

Monika Missalla-Steinmann 

Public relations officer 

Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR) 

Gülzow, Germany 

Office materials made of biobased plastic 


Basics 

The Blauer Engel is highly accepted in Germany 

Environmentally-friendly procurement in Germany is 

strongly influenced by the ecolabel Blauer Engel (Blue 

Angel). The label is highly accepted among public procurers 

in Germany. The Blauer Engel was explicitly introduced 

as an environmental policy instrument by the state, which 

contributed to its credibility. Most product certifications, 

however, are based on energy saving and energy efficiency. 

Biobased plastics, can currently not be certified under the 

Blauer Engel. However, this may change in the near future, 

as a result of an ongoing study commissioned by the Federal 

Environment Agency, which is examining this issue. 

While the “Blauer Engel” is a respected national eco-label, 

the question is, what are the possibilities for certification 

available to businesses in the international market? 

In the EU, biobased plastics can be certified under the 

Vincotte/biobased certification system. However, this solely 

applies to the biobased content of a product, not to its 

sustainability. The Vincotte / compost certificate is not likely to 

play a role in the field of office supplies. Not many authorities 

will want to compost their biobased plastic stapler. 

Blauer Engel 

Raw materials associations and the different countries 

of origin complicate the verification process. A step in the 

right direction would be to establish criteria to determine 

the sustainability of individual commodities, which could 

then be granted a corresponding recognized quality label. A 

certification system of this kind would at least provide insight 

into the predominant raw material content (e.g. wood). The 

hurdles to sustainable procurement are particularly high 

at this point. No conventional product carries such a high 

burden of proof. 

Sustainable procurement requires creativity and 

dialogue 

Life cycle costs or life cycle assessments are also playing an 

increasingly important role in the sustainability assessment 

carried out as part of the process of evaluation and awarding 

of contracts. However, the difficulty is knowing how to go 

about a life cycle assessment of a granulate that is based 

on raw materials derived from different origins. Moreover, 

such calculations will mean very little in the case of office 

accessories. Nevertheless, these are questions that need to 


Basics 

be raised and addressed by the biobased sector, together 

with the decision makers in public procurement. 

What are other possibilities for biobased plastics in 

public procurement? 

Procurement law not only defines the what, but also 

the how of purchasing. One possibility would be to require 

the use of products or materials designated as biobased 

or from renewable resources in the specifications. The 

invitation to tender can state clearly and transparently 

that this requirement constitutes an award criterion, to 

which a particular weighting has been assigned. 

Relating resource security to the award of a 

procurement contract is slightly more complicated, as 

resource security is understood to refer not only to the 

finite supply of fossil fuels, but also to the dependency on 

imports. This makes establishing an objective connection 

somewhat more difficult. 

Security of supply is an important building block for 

the realization of a biobased economy. The same goes 

for the widely documented CO 2 

savings over the lifetime 

of a biobased product. Both aspects are difficult to prove, 

even when using eco-labels as proof for awarding a 

contract. 

At this point, general societal responsibility in 

public procurement will take the form of promoting 

an open and creative dialogue between producers and 

public procurers, with a view to achieving an effective 

breakthrough of biobased products in the market. 

Nevertheless, this does not excuse the sector from 

thinking about how a scientifically proven, independent 

and transparent and possibly globally applicable 

certification scheme or label could be launched. 

On the other hand, the tax-financed public sector has 

a duty to use the opportunities created by procurement 

law to support societal goals such as energy and 

resource security or climate protection measures for the 

benefit of the general public. 

The Agency for Renewable Resources, with its “Use 

of biobased products in public procurement” project, 

is open for a dialogue concerning the procurement of 

biobased products. 

The FNR is also involved in Europe-wide projects on 

biobased products and services in public procurement 

with the EU projects InnProBio “Forum for Bio-Based 

Innovation in Public Procurement” and OpenBio 

“Opening bio-based markets via standards, labelling and 

procurement”. 

[1] Verwaltungsvorschrift für die Anwendung von Umweltschutzanforderungen 

bei der Beschaffung von Liefer-, Bau- und 

Dienstleistungen - VwVBU 

http://beschaffung.fnr.de 

www.das-nachwachsende-buero.de 

www.innprobio.eu 

www.open-bio.eu 


Opinion 

Biopolymers 

will weather 

the crash in 

petroleum 

prices 

By: 

Ron Buckhalt 

Before you read this column, you should know that I retired 

on December 31, 2015 as Manager of the (USDA) 

BioPreferred Program. So anything I say here is as a 

private citizen, not a government employee. However I was 

involved with bioproducts for nearly 40 years and have some 

institutional knowledge. 

I would like to first thank, Michael Thielen for allowing me 

a few paragraphs to reflect on advancements made in the 

bioproducts industry over the last few decades. 

But before we discuss the recent advances I think we need 

to stop for a moment and think about how we got to where we 

are today, particularly as it relates to bioplastics. 

Humankind was using biobased products long before 

they were called natural or some other new catchword. Our 

paints, inks, coatings, dyes, lubricants, fuels, soaps, and other 

industrial products were made from plants and animals. It 

was only when petroleum was discovered in the 1860’s that 

we begin to move to a hydrocarbon economy away from a 

carbohydrate economy. 

There was even an argument about whether we would fuel 

our vehicles with plant-derived ethanol or petroleum-derived 

gasoline, or even electricity, and books have been written on 

the battles so I will not attempt to recount those issues, just 

be aware of them as part of the changing landscape. 

For the United States, in the 1930’s there emerged 

something called the Chemurgic Movement. Several leading 

industrialists and scientists felt we could create new industrial 

markets for agricultural materials and help prop up agriculture 

commodity prices. The 1938 Farm Bill created a series of US 

Department of Agriculture (USDA) research institutes to work 

on new industrial products using agricultural commodities. 

These would become the Agricultural Research Service 

where I worked in biobased technology transfer for 10 years. 

Meanwhile oil prices continued to go up and down with wild 

swings. Every time it seems biobased products were gaining a 

foothold once again, the price of oil would dip and any market 

advantage for biobased products disappeared. Finally, following 

the first world oil embargo in the mid-1970’s it appeared 

petroleum prices were only going one direction – up. This was 

true right up until the last few years. As this is being written a 

barrel of oil was priced at below USD 35. Gasoline in the U.S. is 

below two dollar a gallon and there are predictions of one dollar 

a gallon gasoline. It remains to be seen what impact these low 

petroleum prices will have on the development of alternative 

biobased feed stocks. However, many very large international 

industrial chemical companies have committed resources to 

develop alternative biological sources for many chemicals and 

are making and selling commercial materials. 

In the mid-80’s USDA published the findings of a Farm and 

Forest Task Force that looked at how many acres of agricultural 

products could be grown to meet industrial product demands. 

USDA’s Economic Research Service even published yearly 

updates about the number of acres or hectares that were 

grown and used to make biobased products. But it was not 

until 2002 that a decision was made by the Administration 

and Congress to help develop markets for the tremendous 

biomass in the U.S. Part of that 2002 Farm Bill was a provision 

to create a biobased markets development program to include 

a U.S. Certified Biobased Products label and to carve out a 

federal procurement preference for the purchase of biobased 

products. This was to become the BioPreferred program. 

Michael asked me to talk about the role of bioplastics in this 

movement. One of the first platforms to have success in the 

marketplace was PLA, particularly for single use items. But 

even that had many challenges and major investors pulled out 

because the technology was not making any money. That is no 

longer the case. Since those bold first steps there are at least 


five new pathways to bioplastics and each has different 

technologies at work. While bioplastics is only 1 % of the 

total worldwide market it is the fastest growing plastics 

sector. And with any new industry there will be winners 

and losers. Some technologies will advance and become 

profitable. Others will not. I am not sure even a crystal ball 

can tell us which technologies will succeed and which will 

fail. 

However, major world-wide chemical companies have 

now made significant financial investments to make 

polymers (not just plastic) using biomass, instead of 

petroleum. And many of those products are now being 

marketed commercially. There are also major advances in 

using bioplastics to produce the covers for our electronic 

products. And why not as our pocket phones are out of date 

as soon as we buy them. Same with our laptops. 

Many of the finished products and intermediate chemicals 

currently labeled as USDA Certified Biobased Products are 

either biopolymers or biobased building block chemicals 

used to make finished biopolymers. 

Some of you have heard me speak about the Great 

Garbage Patch of the Pacific Ocean which is filled with 

petroleum-based plastic particles hundreds of miles wide 

and miles deep from micro-particles to huge chunks of 

floating plastic debris. But these dumps exist in many other 

oceans and they are killing machines for seabirds and 

turtles as well as other marine life. 

Since humankind – to a great extent – seems to be 

unwilling to reduce, recycle, and reuse; and attempts 

to clean up these garbage patches is a daunting if not 

impossible task, would it not just make sense to make as 

many of our plastic materials we use in everyday life with 

a built-in expiration date preferable with a take-back policy 

for recycling. At the same time it also makes sense to buy 

and sell only single use items that can be fully biodegraded 

in composting facilities and not just break into smaller 

pieces that persist in the environment for eons. 

Additionally, research continues into the possible health 

impacts of using petroleum-based plastics and petroleumbased 

plasticizers to make containers to hold food and other 

products we consume. Whether or not there is a health issue 

with these containers in the final analysis is not the driver. 

In this case perception is reality. If consumers perceive a 

possible health issue from petro-plasticizers may exist 

they are already seeking and are willing to pay for biobased 

alternatives. One of the fastest growing biobased materials 

currently labeled by USDA are biobased plasticizers. 

Since this is an opinion piece, in conclusion I will state 

that I am bullish on the future of biobased products and 

bioplastics. I believe we will weather this current round 

of low oil prices and continue the research to make even 

better bioplastics and to make them price competitive with 

petroleum plastics. The price of petroleum will swing back 

the other way once marginal operations have been driven 

out of business. Again, my opinion, but it is the belief of many 

that the current glut of cheaper petroleum is a business 

practice to bankrupt operators that must have USD 75 – 100 

a barrel oil to be profitable. By making bioplastics an 

integral part of the plastic mix, even with lower petroleum 

prices, because of unique properties, the industry should 

be poised to explode when petroleum prices spike again. • 

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Basics 

Mandatory Federal purchasing 

of biobased products 

About the USDA BioPreferred ® Program 

By Michael Thielen 

Managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), 

the Federal Biobased Products Preferred Procurement 

Program (BioPreferred ® Program) provides that 

Federal agencies in the USA must give purchasing preference 

to biobased products designated by this program [1, 2]. The 

authority for the program is included in the Farm Security and 

Rural Investment Act (FSRIA) of 2002, reauthorized and expanded 

as part of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (the 2014 Farm 

Bill) [3]. Section 9002 of this Act provides for a preferred procurement 

and labeling program and defines biobased products 

as commercial or industrial products that are composed, 

in whole or in significant part, of biological products or renewable 

domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal, 

and marine materials) or forestry materials. Domestic content 

is interpreted to mean content not only from the USA 

but also from any country with which the United States has a 

preferential trade agreement. Countries that are signatories 

to NAFTA and CAFTA, for example, will have their qualifying 

biobased products treated as domestic products. 

The purpose of the BioPreferred program is to spur 

economic development, create new jobs and provide new 

markets for farm commodities. The increased development, 

purchase, and use of biobased products reduces the USA’s 

reliance on petroleum, increases the use of renewable 

agricultural resources, and contributes to reducing adverse 

environmental and health impacts [2]. 

Mandatory Federal Purchasing 

The program requires, that all Federal agencies in the USA 

must purchase biobased products in categories identified by 

USDA. To date, USDA has identified 97 categories of biobased 

products for which agencies and their contractors have 

purchasing requirements. These categories include such that 

refer to biobased plastic products, e.g. carpets of other floor 

coverings (7 %), plastic lumber (23 %), dispoasable containers 

(72 %), cutlery (48 %), tableware (72 %), films (non-durable: 

85 % – semi-durable: 45 %), packaging and insulating 

materials (74%), plastic insulating foam for construction 

(7 %), thermal shipping containers (durable: 21 % - nondurable: 

82 %), and some more. Each mandatory purchasing 

category specifies the minimum biobased content according 

to ASTM D6866 (see figures in parentheses). 

Excemptions from the mandatory purchasing are products 

that are 

• not reasonably available 

• fail to meet performance standards for the application 

intended 

• available only at an unreasonable price. 

The BioPreferred program does not provide financial support 

for its participants. However, USDA’s Rural Development 

agency offers loan and grant programs. More information 

about this offer can be found on the USDA’s BioPreferred 

website [4], 

Voluntary Labeling 

Consumers are increasingly looking for products with 

sustainable attributes. That’s why USDA wants to make it 

easy for consumers to identify biobased products. The USDA 

Certified Biobased Product label (see picture), displayed on 

a product certified by USDA, is designed to provide useful 

information to consumers about the biobased content of the 

product [2]. 

Companies offering biobased products that meet USDA 

criteria may apply for certification, allowing them to display 

the USDA Certified Biobased Product label on the product. 

This label assures a consumer that the product contains a 

verified amount of renewable biological ingredients (referred 

to as biobased content). Consumers can trust the label to 

mean what it says because manufacturer’s claims concerning 

the biobased content are third-party certified and strictly 

monitored by USDA [2]. 

What Are Biobased Products? 

Biobased products are derived from plants and other 

renewable agricultural, marine, and forestry materials and 

provide an alternative to conventional petroleum derived 

products. 

Biodegradability required 

For some products, such as single use bioplastic products 

must meet the appropriate standard for biodegradability 

(ASTM D 6400) in order to be designated for the BioPreferred 

procurement program. Some examples are cutlery, garbage 

bags or food containers [1]. 

www.biopreferred.gov 

[1] Duncan, M.: Federal Agencies in the USA shall buy bioplastics products, 

bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol 1, 2006, p 28-29 

[2] N.N.: What is BioPreferred, http://www.biopreferred.gov/BioPreferred/ 

faces/pages/AboutBioPreferred.xhtml 

[3] N.N.: The 2014 Farm Bill: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS- 

113hr2642enr/pdf/BILLS-113hr2642enr.pdf 

[4] N.N.: USDA Loans and Grants, http://www.biopreferred.gov/BioPreferred/ 

faces/pages/USDALoansAndGrants.xhtml 


Internationaler Kongress 

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Ihr Kongressleiter 

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Basics 

Glossary 4.1 last update issue 04/2015 

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. 

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] 


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. 


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] 

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. 

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 


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, 


[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, 


[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 


Suppliers Guide 

1. Raw Materials 

AGRANA Starch 

Thermoplastics 

Conrathstrasse 7 

A-3950 Gmuend, Austria 

Tel: +43 676 8926 19374 

lukas.raschbauer@agrana.com 

www.agrana.com 

Evonik Industries AG 

Paul Baumann Straße 1 

45772 Marl, Germany 

Tel +49 2365 49-4717 

evonik-hp@evonik.com 

www.vestamid-terra.com 

www.evonik.com 

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 

Showa Denko Europe GmbH 

Konrad-Zuse-Platz 4 

81829 Munich, Germany 

Tel.: +49 89 93996226 

www.showa-denko.com 

support@sde.de 

Jincheng, Lin‘an, Hangzhou, 

Zhejiang 311300, P.R. China 

China contact: Grace Jin 

mobile: 0086 135 7578 9843 

Grace@xinfupharm.com 

Europe contact(Belgium): Susan Zhang 

mobile: 0032 478 991619 

zxh0612@hotmail.com 

www.xinfupharm.com 

1.1 bio based monomers 

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 

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: 

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 

GRAFE-Group 

Waldecker Straße 21, 

99444 Blankenhain, Germany 

Tel. +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 

39 mm 



41066 Mönchengladbach 

Germany 

Tel. +49 2161 664864 

Fax +49 2161 631045 



Sample Charge: 

39mm x 6,00 € 

= 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. 

DuPont de Nemours International S.A. 

2 chemin du Pavillon 

1218 - Le Grand Saconnex 

Switzerland 

Tel.: +41 22 171 51 11 

Fax: +41 22 580 22 45 

www.renewable.dupont.com 

www.plastics.dupont.com 

Tel: +86 351-8689356 

Fax: +86 351-8689718 

www.ecoworld.jinhuigroup.com 

ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com 

62 136 Lestrem, France 

Tel.: + 33 (0) 3 21 63 36 00 

www.roquette-performance-plastics.com 

1.2 compounds 

API S.p.A. 

Via Dante Alighieri, 27 

36065 Mussolente (VI), Italy 

Telephone +39 0424 579711 

www.apiplastic.com 

www.apinatbio.com 

NUREL Engineering Polymers 

Ctra. Barcelona, km 329 

50016 Zaragoza, Spain 

Tel: +34 976 465 579 

inzea@samca.com 

www.inzea-biopolymers.com 

PolyOne 

Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 

Zoning de la Fagne 

5330 Assesse 

Belgium 

Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 


1.3 PLA 

www.facebook.com 

www.issuu.com 

www.twitter.com 

Shenzhen Esun Ind. Co;Ltd 

www.brightcn.net 

www.esun.en.alibaba.com 

bright@brightcn.net 

Tel: +86-755-2603 1978 

www.youtube.com 



1.4 starch-based bioplastics 

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients 

ZAC „Les Portes de Riom“ - BP 173 

63204 Riom Cedex - France 

Tel. +33 (0)4 73 67 17 00 

Fax +33 (0)4 73 67 17 10 

www.biolice.com 

BIOTEC 

Biologische Naturverpackungen 

Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32 

46446 Emmerich/Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510 

info@biotec.de 

www.biotec.de 

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 

PolyOne 

Avenue Melville Wilson, 2 

Zoning de la Fagne 

5330 Assesse 

Belgium 

Tel.: + 32 83 660 211 


2. Additives/Secondary raw materials 

GRAFE-Group 



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 

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 

NOVAMONT S.p.A. 

Via Fauser , 8 

28100 Novara - ITALIA 

Fax +39.0321.699.601 

Tel. +39.0321.699.611 

www.novamont.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 

6.1 Machinery & Molds 

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 

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 

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 

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 

Metabolix, Inc. 

Bio-based and biodegradable resins 

and performance additives 

21 Erie Street 

Cambridge, MA 02139, USA 

US +1-617-583-1700 

DE +49 (0) 221 / 88 88 94 00 

www.metabolix.com 

info@metabolix.com 

1.6 masterbatches 

GRAFE-Group 



Tel. +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 

Taghleef Industries SpA, Italy 

Via E. Fermi, 46 

33058 San Giorgio di Nogaro (UD) 

Contact Emanuela Bardi 

Tel. +39 0431 627264 

Mobile +39 342 6565309 

emanuela.bardi@ti-films.com 

www.ti-films.com 

4. Bioplastics products 

Minima Technology Co., Ltd. 

Esmy Huang, Marketing Manager 

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-tech.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 

narocon 

Dr. Harald Kaeb 

Tel.: +49 30-28096930 

kaeb@narocon.de 

www.narocon.de 

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 



9. Services (continued) 

UL International TTC GmbH 

Rheinuferstrasse 7-9, Geb. R33 

47829 Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0) 2151 5370-333 

Fax: +49 (0) 2151 5370-334 

ttc@ul.com 

www.ulttc.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 

Michigan State University 

Department of Chemical 

Engineering & Materials Science 

Professor Ramani Narayan 

East Lansing MI 48824, USA 

Tel. +1 517 719 7163 

narayan@msu.edu 

10.3 Other Institutions 

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: 

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@fh-hannover.de 

http://www.ifbb-hannover.de/ 

Biobased Packaging Innovations 

Caroli Buitenhuis 

IJburglaan 836 

1087 EM Amsterdam 

The Netherlands 

Tel.: +31 6-24216733 

http://www.biobasedpackaging.nl 



41066 Mönchengladbach 

Germany 

Tel. +49 2161 664864 

Fax +49 2161 631045 



Sample Charge: 

39mm x 6,00 € 

= 234,00 € per entry/per issue 

Sample Charge for one year: 

6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 € 

39 mm 

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. 

‘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). 

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. 

The author Michael Thielen is editor and publisher bioplastics MAGA- 

ZINE. 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. 

110 pages full color, paperback 

ISBN 978-3-9814981-1-0: Bioplastics 

ISBN 978-3-9814981-2-7: Biokunststoffe 

neu: 2. überarbeitete Auflage 

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) 


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May 2006 


BioMass for Sustainable Future: 

Re-Invention of Polymeric Materials 

09.02.2016 - 11.02.2016 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA 

www.BioPlastConference.com 

You can meet us 

Sustainable Plastics 2016 

01.03.2016 - 02.03.2016 - Cologne, Germany 

www.amiplastics-na.com/events/Event.aspx?code=C706&sec=5459 

Plastics in Automotive Engineering 

09.03.2016 - 10.03.2016 - Mannheim, Germany 

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World Bio Markets 

14.03.2016 - 17.03.2016 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

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Innovation Takes Root 

30.03.2016 - 01.04.2016 - Orlando Florida, USA 

www.innovationtakesroot.com 

9 th International Conference on Biobased Materials 

05.04.2016 - 06.04.2016 - Cologne, Germany 

biowerkstoff-kongress.de 

Empack 2016 (with Biobased Village) 

12.04.2016 - 14.04.2016 - Utrecht, The Netherlands 

bit.ly/1m03cuf 

3 rd Bioplastic Materials Topical Conference 

19.04.2016 - 21.04.2016 - Bloomington, (MN) USA 

www. www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/130808?eb=227133 

Chinaplas 2016 

25.04.2016 - 28.04.2016 - Shanghai, China 


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Companies in this issue 

Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert 

Agrana Starch Thermoplastics 46 

AIMPLAS 10 

Annellotech 6 

API 46 

Archer Daniels Midland 24 

Avantium 26 

Beologic 8 

BioAmber 7 

Biobased Packaging Innovations 48 

Bio-On 7, 28 

Biopolymer Network 30 

BioPreferred 38, 40 

Biotec 47 

BMEL 34 

BPI 28 48 

Braskem 2 

Braskem 26 

Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites 25 

Charmant 28 

Composites Evolution 14 

Coperion 8 

Corbion 8, 10, 15, 16, 27 46 

Cranfield University 14 

Delta Motorsport 14 

Domogel 29 

Dow 5, 26 

DowDuPont 5 

Dr. Hans Korte Innov.Beratung 8 

DSM 7 

DuPont 5, 24 46 

empack 39 

Erema 47 

Erreme 29 

European Bioplastics 10, 26 48 

Evonik 46, 51 

Fachagentur Nachw. Rohstoffe FNR 34 

Felda Global Ventures 6 

FKuR 10 2, 46 

Fraunhofer ICT 10 

Fraunhofer IVV 10 

Fraunhofer UMSICHT 32 47 

GFBiochemicals 20 

Grabio Greentech 47 

Grafe 46, 47 

Hallink 47 

HIB Trimpart Solutions 16 

IKEA 26 

Infiana Germany 47 

Innogas 6 

Innovate UK 14 

Institut for bioplastics & biocomp.(IfBB) 48 

ISCC 10, 26 

Jacobs 27 

Jaguar Land Rover 14 

JBF Industries 26 

Jinhui Zhaolong 46 

Kingfa 46 

KS Composites 14 

KU Leiven 10, 18 

LEGO 28 

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients 47 

Maccaferri Holding 7 

Mattiussi Ecologia 2 

McDonalds 26 

Metabolix 22, 23 47 

Michigan State University 10 48 

Minima Technology 47 

Mitsui 26 

narocon 47 

NatureWorks 10, 27 21 

Natur-Tec 47 

Newlight Technologies 6 

nova-Institut 8, 10, 16 19, 29, 31, 47 

Novamont 26 47, 52 

NUREL Engineering Polymers 46 

Öko Institut 34 

Onora 8 

Plantura Italia 10, 15 

Plasthill 8 

plasticker 7 

Plastics Today 5 

PolyFerm 22 

PolyOne 8, 12, 17 46, 47 

Pöyry 26 

President Packaging 47 

Procter & Gamble 26 

PTT MCC Biochem 33, 46 

Reverdia 7 

Röchling 15, 16 

Roquette 7 46 

S.E.C.I. 7 

Sabic 26 

Saida 47 

SHD Composite Materials 14 

SHENZHEN ESUN INDUSTRIAL 46 

Shiseido 26 

Showa Denko 46 

SPC, The Sustainable Packaging Coalition 5 

Sukano 10 

Suntory Holdings 6 

Synbra 10 

Synprodo 29 

Taghleef Industries 47 

TerraVeradae BioWorks 22 

TianAn Biopolymer 47 

Toyota Boshoku Europa 16 

Uhde Inventa-Fischer 10 47 

UL International TTC 47 

Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 47 

US Dept. of Energy DoE 20, 24 

USDA 38, 40 

VDI 41 

VHI 8 

Vinçotte 28, 36 

Wageningen (WUR) 10 

Wood K plus 8 

WPC Council of China 8 

Yanfeng Europe Autom. Int. Systems 16 

Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical 46 

TU Munich 46 

Uhde Inventa-Fischer 17,55 

UL International TTC 55 

UNEP 7 

Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 55 

Veolia 32 

Vinçotte 18,37 

World Economic Forum 8 

WWF 8 

ZERO 8 

Zhejiang Hangzhou Xinfu Pharmaceutical 54 

Editorial Planner 


Issue Month Publ.-Date 

edit/advert/ 

Deadline 

02/2016 Mar/Apr 04 Apr 16 04 Mar 16 Thermoforming / 

Rigid Packaging 

Editorial Focus (1) Editorial Focus (2) Basics 

Marine Pollution / 

Marine Degaradation 

Design for Recyclability 

03/2016 May/Jun 06 Jun 16 06 May 16 Injection moulding Joining of bioplastics 

(welding, glueing etc), 

Adhesives 

PHA (update) 

04/2016 Jul/Aug 01 Aug 16 01 Jul 16 Blow Moulding Toys Additives 

Trade-Fair 

Specials 

Chinaplas 

preview 

Chinaplas 

Review 

05/2016 Sep/Oct 04 Oct 16 02 Sep 16 Fiber / Textile / 

Nonwoven 

Polyurethanes / 

Elastomers/Rubber 

Co-Polyesters 

K'2016 preview 

06/2016 Nov/Dec 05 Dec 16 04 Nov 16 Films / Flexibles / 

Bags 

Consumer & Office 

Electronics 

Certification - Blessing 

and Curse 

K'2016 Review 


Green up your flooring 

High performance naturally 

Biobased polyamides for carpeted floors can improve the overall environmental sustainability of building 

interiors. Used for floorings, VESTAMID® Terra withstands typical mechanical and physical loads in office 

and public buildings, and durably retains the attractive surface of the floorings. 

Evonik offers a variety of technical longchain polyamides suchs as PA610, PA1010 and PA1012. They 

all share a similar to improved technical performance compared to conventional engineering polyamides 

while also having a significantly lower carbon footprint. 

www.vestamid-terra.com

www.novamont.com 

BIODEGRADABLE AND COMPOSTABLE BIOPLASTIC 

CONTROLLED, ITALIAN, GUARANTEED 

EcoComunicazione.it 

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 all 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, 

environmentally-friendly properties. 

It is biodegradable and compostable 

and contains renewable raw materials. 

It is the ideal solution for organic 

waste collection bags and is 

organically recycled into fertile 

compost. 

r7_10.2015

Issue 01/2016

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