Issue 05/2015

Basics
together with renowned specialists such as market research
and policy consultancy nova- Institute and the Institute for
Bioplastics and Biocomposites of the University of Applied Arts
and Sciences Hannover (both Germany). Both institutes will
present their latest insights at the 10th European Bioplastics
Conference on 5/6 November 2015 in Berlin and share their
newest data on the biomass available for industrial production
(nova-Institute) as well as different calculation scenarios for
an accurate determination of land-use for biobased plastics
production.
Hans-Josef Endres from the IfBB pointed out that in
order to engage in the discussion on land use for biobased
plastics, accurate calculations are needed. A comprehensive
sensitivity analysis of the IfBB shows that land use calculation
is impacted by a lot of different factors. “We identified strong
impact factors, like the assumed biomass yields, variable crops
producing the same polymer feedstock, different processing
routes for equal bioplastics, postulated biobased amounts
and particularly the inclusion of old economy bioplastics like
cellulosics or even rubber. Other impact factors like allocation
or conversation rates often have a much lower and therefore
overestimated influence on results of land use calculations.”
Florence Aeschelmann and Michael Carus from nova-
Institute confirm that it is important to allocate the land only
to the actual amount of biomass used for the production of
bioplastics: “Only a certain part of the harvested biomass is
used for the production of bio-based polymers – other parts
are used for food, feed or energy.“ The table below shows the
biomass allocation between bio-based plastics and other
uses, the correction factor, and the lower land use number
taking the adopted allocation into account.
Stakeholders interested in this important topic should
not miss this year’s anniversary of the leading bioplastics
conference in Europe.
Bio-based
polymer
Biomass
Bio-based plastics
Biomass allocation to
Food, feed and others
Correction
factor
Land use ha/t
full allocation to
bio-based plastics
Land use ha/t bio-based polymer,
nova-Institute with allocation to all uses
(w. correction factor)
PLA100 Sugar beet 70 % 30 % 0.7 0.18 0.13
PLA100 Sugar cane 30 % 70 % 0.3 0.16 0.05
PLA100 Wheat 60 % 40 % 0.6 1.04 0.62
PLA100 Corn 75 % 25 % 0.75 0.37 0.28
PET30 Sugar cane 30 % 70 % 0.3 0.08 0.024
PE Sugar cane 30 % 70 % 0.3 0.48 0.14
Source: nova-Institute
www.en.european-bioplastics.org/environment/sustainable-sourcing/land-use/
www.en.european-bioplastics.org/conference/
Global land area
13.4 billion ha = 100 %
Global agricultural area
5 billion ha = 37 %
GLOBAL AGRICULTURAL AREA
Pasture
3.5 billion ha = 70 %*
Arable land**
1.4 billion ha = 30 %*
Food & Feed
1.24 billion ha = 26 %*
Material use
106 million ha = 2 %*
Biofuels
53 million ha = 1 %*
Source: European Bioplastics | Institute for Bioplastics and
Biocomposites, nova-Institute (October 2015)
Bioplastics
2013: 0.6 million ha = 0.01 %*
2018: 1.3 million ha = 0.02 %*
* In relation to global agricultural area
** Also includes 1 % fallow land
bioplastics MAGAZINE [05/15] Vol. 10 49