issue 01/2022
Highlights: Automotive Foam Basics: Biodegradation
Highlights:
Automotive
Foam
Basics: Biodegradation
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Bioplastics - CO 2<br />
-based Plastics - Advanced Recycling<br />
Vol. 17<br />
Cover Story<br />
The Bioconcept-Car<br />
of 2007 has now three<br />
new siblings | 30<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
Jan/Feb <strong>01</strong> / <strong>2022</strong><br />
2007<br />
Highlights<br />
Automotive | 18<br />
Foam | 36<br />
Basics<br />
Biodegradation | 50<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
ISSN 1862-5258
“GREEN MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE" MADE OF BIOPLASTICS FROM<br />
THE BIOPLASTIC<br />
SPECIALIST<br />
With its new “BIO variant” PUSTEFIX offers a sustainable alternative<br />
to its traditional bubble bottle. PUSTEFIX trusts on closures made of<br />
bio-based I’m green Polyethylene in combination with a bottle made<br />
Bio-Flex ® . The injection-moldable Bio-Flex ® used for the bottle is characterized<br />
by a balanced ratio of stiffness and toughness combined with a good<br />
flow-ability and processability. In terms of strength, stability and weight,<br />
the Pustefix “BIO variant” can easily compete with those made from<br />
fossil plastics. An all-round successful "green message in a bottle" for<br />
dazzling soap bubbles that simply last longer. Let us show you how<br />
FKuR bioplastics and recyclates support you on your way to a<br />
circular economy.
dear<br />
Editorial<br />
readers<br />
Alex Thielen, Michael Thielen<br />
With the current cover, we are taking a small trip down memory lane –<br />
15 years ago we had our first <strong>issue</strong> featuring automotive applications and<br />
have since made it a tradition to kick off the new year with everything new<br />
and innovative in and around bioplastics in cars. Looking back at the first<br />
Bioconcept-Car from 2007 makes me realize how much has changed.<br />
Back then they were just like us, “crazy dreamers” thinking this whole<br />
bio-thing has a shot in our all too often “bottom-line driven” world. Now,<br />
15 years later they have three Bioconcept-Cars proving on the track how<br />
competitive bio-materials really are. However, they are not alone anymore<br />
as more and more big car brands are including biobased materials.<br />
One of them is Mercedes-Benz with their ambitious VISION EQXX an<br />
electrical vehicle that uses bioplastics for both interior design as well as<br />
technically demanding parts. Turns out, the crazy dreamers were right<br />
“going bio” – or better “going renewable” – has become a normal, even<br />
desirable choice for many in and outside the automotive industry.<br />
Bioplastics - CO 2<br />
-based Plastics - Advanced Recycling<br />
Jan/Feb <strong>01</strong> / <strong>2022</strong><br />
Our second focus point is almost as much a tradition as the first,<br />
Foam. Here we have new developments in both the fields of bioplastics<br />
and chemical recycling. But that is not all, we have an interesting<br />
look at Biodegradability in our Basics section as it is (sadly) a topic<br />
often misunderstood or misrepresented. Last but not least we talk<br />
about a topic that is important for everybody doing anything with<br />
bioplastics – LCAs. Those of you that were at the European Bioplastics<br />
Conference last year will know about the current debate about the LCA<br />
methodology the Joint Research Centre (JRC) developed for the European<br />
Commission – and the controversy around it. If you haven’t heard of it and<br />
are wondering what this is all about, the answer is 42.<br />
Vol. 17<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
2007<br />
Highlights<br />
Automotive | 18<br />
Foam | 36<br />
Basics<br />
Biodegradation | 50<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Even if our conference season starts with a purely digital bio!PAC on<br />
March 15 + 16, we desperately hope to meet you in person at our<br />
7 th PLA World Congress on May 24 + 25 in Munich, Germany. And for<br />
October we are already getting excited about the upcoming K-show and our<br />
Bioplastics Business Breakfast.<br />
Follow us on twitter!<br />
www.twitter.com/bioplasticsmag<br />
Until then, we hope you all got good into the new year, let’s hope it will be<br />
better than the last. Stay healthy, stay crazy, keep dreaming.<br />
Yours sincerely<br />
Like us on Facebook!<br />
www.facebook.com/bioplasticsmagazine<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 3
Imprint<br />
Content<br />
34 Porsche launches cars with biocomposites<br />
32 Bacteriostatic PLA compound for 3D printingz<br />
Jan/Feb <strong>01</strong>|<strong>2022</strong><br />
3 Editorial<br />
5 News<br />
45 Application News<br />
30 Cover Story<br />
50 Basics<br />
53 10 years ago<br />
54 Suppliers Guide<br />
58 Companies in this <strong>issue</strong><br />
Publisher / Editorial<br />
Dr. Michael Thielen (MT)<br />
Alex Thielen (AT)<br />
Samuel Brangenberg (SB)<br />
Head Office<br />
Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
Dammer Str. 112<br />
41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany<br />
phone: +49 (0)2161 6884469<br />
fax: +49 (0)2161 6884468<br />
info@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Media Adviser<br />
Samsales (German language)<br />
phone: +49(0)2161-6884467<br />
fax: +49(0)2161 6884468<br />
sb@bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Michael Thielen (English Language)<br />
(see head office)<br />
Layout/Production<br />
Kerstin Neumeister<br />
Print<br />
Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd.<br />
1004 Riga, Latvia<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on<br />
chlorine-free FSC certified paper.<br />
bioplastics magazine<br />
Volume 17 - <strong>2022</strong><br />
Events<br />
9 European Bioplastics Conferene 2021<br />
14 bio!PAC <strong>2022</strong><br />
16 Chinaplas <strong>2022</strong><br />
17 7 th PLA World Congress<br />
Automotive<br />
18 Bio-PA composites<br />
20 Lightweight biobased cellulose<br />
reinforcement for automotive applications<br />
22 Tyre News<br />
23 BIOMOTIVE<br />
24 Automotive Bioplastics Market<br />
26 Why cycle when you could travel in style?<br />
28 Sustainable materials in high-end luxury car<br />
34 Car headliner from plastic waste and old tyres<br />
Cover Story<br />
30 The Bioconcept Car has 3 new siblings<br />
Award<br />
12 And the winner is ...<br />
Foam<br />
36 Mattress recycling now a reality<br />
38 PHBH foam products<br />
Materials<br />
39 New 3D printing powder for<br />
the food industry<br />
Processing<br />
40 Extrusion lines for natural<br />
fibre waste<br />
41 PLA crystallisation and drying<br />
Opinion<br />
42 The new JRC’s “Plastics LCA<br />
method” already needs an update<br />
Basics<br />
50 Biodegradation<br />
One concept - many nuances<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
bM is published 6 times a year.<br />
This publication is sent to qualified subscribers<br />
(169 Euro for 6 <strong>issue</strong>s).<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in<br />
92 countries.<br />
Every effort is made to verify all Information<br />
published, but Polymedia Publisher<br />
cannot accept responsibility for any errors<br />
or omissions or for any losses that may<br />
arise as a result.<br />
All articles appearing in<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE, or on the website<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com are strictly<br />
covered by copyright. No part of this<br />
publication may be reproduced, copied,<br />
scanned, photographed and/or stored<br />
in any form, including electronic format,<br />
without the prior consent of the publisher.<br />
Opinions expressed in articles do not necessarily<br />
reflect those of Polymedia Publisher.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE welcomes contributions<br />
for publication. Submissions are<br />
accepted on the basis of full assignment<br />
of copyright to Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
unless otherwise agreed in advance and in<br />
writing. We reserve the right to edit items<br />
for reasons of space, clarity or legality.<br />
Please contact the editorial office via<br />
mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com.<br />
The fact that product names may not be<br />
identified in our editorial as trade marks<br />
is not an indication that such names are<br />
not registered trade marks.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE tries to use British<br />
spelling. However, in articles based on<br />
information from the USA, American<br />
spelling may also be used.<br />
Envelopes<br />
A part of this print run is mailed to the<br />
readers wrapped bioplastic envelopes<br />
sponsored by Sidaplax/Plastic Suppliers<br />
(Belgium/USA)<br />
Cover<br />
Michael Thielen, from cover shooting for<br />
<strong>issue</strong> <strong>01</strong>/2007<br />
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Bio-based acrylonitrile<br />
for carbon fibers<br />
Solvay (Brussels, Belgium) and Trillium<br />
Renewable Chemicals (Knoxville, Tennesse, USA)<br />
have signed a letter of intent to develop the supply<br />
chain for biobased acrylonitrile (bio-ACN). Trillium<br />
will supply Solvay with bio-ACN from Trillium’s<br />
planned commercial asset, and Solvay will evaluate<br />
bio-ACN for carbon fibre manufacturing as part of its<br />
long-term commitment to developing sustainable<br />
solutions from biobased or recycled sources. The<br />
aim of this partnership is to produce carbon fibre<br />
for use in various applications such as aerospace,<br />
automotive, energy, and consumer goods.<br />
Acrylonitrile is a chemical intermediate typically<br />
made from petroleum-based feedstocks like<br />
propylene and is the primary raw material used<br />
in the production of carbon fibre. Trillium’s Bio-<br />
ACN process delivers acrylonitrile from plantbased<br />
feedstocks like glycerol with a lower carbon<br />
footprint.<br />
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Trillium<br />
which aligns well with our Solvay One Planet<br />
commitment to more than double our revenue<br />
based on renewable or recycled materials by 2030,”<br />
comments Stephen Heinz, head of composite<br />
research & innovation, Solvay. “Innovation<br />
partnerships such as this are driven by a desire to<br />
make a real-world sustainability impact. Biobased<br />
feedstocks are a key part of Solvay’s sustainability<br />
strategy, and we look forward to being a consumer of<br />
bio-ACN from Trillium’s first biobased acrylonitrile<br />
plant.”<br />
“Trillium’s bio-ACN process technology enables<br />
bio-carbon fibre,” explains Corey Tyree, CEO of<br />
Trillium. “We are excited to continue our partnership<br />
with Solvay, who have supported the bio-ACN<br />
process technology development since 2<strong>01</strong>4. Solvay<br />
is a leader in the most rapidly-growing acrylonitrile<br />
segment (carbon fibre) and is market leader in biocarbon<br />
fibre and sustainable development.”MT<br />
www.trilliumchemicals.com | www.solvay.com<br />
NatureWorks: New headquarter<br />
and R&D facilities<br />
In response to rapid growth in the market for sustainable<br />
biomaterials, NatureWorks (Minnetonka, Minnesota, USA)<br />
recently announced their intent to open a new headquarters and<br />
advanced biopolymer research facility in Plymouth, Minnesota.<br />
Expanded laboratory capabilities will support research into the<br />
full circular lifecycle of Ingeo PLA biopolymers from nextgeneration<br />
fermentation technology to new applications, to<br />
increased functionality.<br />
The expanded R&D capabilities will also support the<br />
construction and operation of NatureWorks’ new fully integrated<br />
Ingeo PLA manufacturing complex located in Thailand. With<br />
an expected opening in 2024, the facility will have an annual<br />
capacity of 75,000 tonnes of Ingeo biopolymer and produce the<br />
full portfolio of Ingeo grades.<br />
“In the face of these challenging times, we’ve designed a<br />
space that will enable research, invention, and collaboration<br />
between us, our partners, and the market, no matter where<br />
we are located in the world,” said Rich Altice, President & CEO<br />
of NatureWorks. “These new facilities will help accelerate the<br />
pace of research and innovation as the urgent need for real,<br />
safe solutions that help address climate and environmental<br />
challenges from plastics and chemicals continues to grow.”<br />
The new space is designed to embody NatureWorks’s<br />
mission to create sustainable, high-performance materials by<br />
incorporating low environmental impact materials including<br />
lighting, flooring, and art made with Ingeo as well as systems for<br />
reducing water and energy usage. A robust organics recycling<br />
collection system will divert food waste away from landfills to<br />
compost with compostable food serviceware, coffee pods, and<br />
tea bags all available to visitors and employees.<br />
Whether participating in trials in NatureWorks’ applications<br />
lab or meeting with employees, visitors will find a redesigned<br />
experience that facilitates collaboration and showcases<br />
examples of Ingeo in applications from appliances to 3D printing,<br />
to compostable and recyclable paper coatings.<br />
The move to the new headquarters and R&D facility will begin<br />
in February <strong>2022</strong>. MT<br />
www.natureworksllc.com<br />
News<br />
daily updated News at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Picks & clicks<br />
Most frequently clicked news<br />
Here’s a look at our most popular online content of the past two months.<br />
The story that got the most clicks from the visitors to bioplasticsmagazine.com was:<br />
tinyurl.com/news-202112<strong>01</strong><br />
Global bioplastics production will more than triple<br />
within the next five years<br />
(<strong>01</strong> December 2021)<br />
At the 16 th EUBP Conference, taking place on 30 November and 1 December<br />
in Berlin, European Bioplastics presented a very positive outlook for the<br />
global bioplastics industry. Production is set to more than triple over the next<br />
five years according to market data which was compiled in cooperation with<br />
the nova-Institute (Hürth, Germany); (see also p. 11).<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 5
News<br />
daily updated News at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
Helian's PHA alliances<br />
Bluepha (Beijing, China) and Dutch company<br />
Helian Polymers (Belfeld) recently announced their<br />
cooperation. The aim of the cooperation is to bring a<br />
new PHA based building block to the market, targeting<br />
various applications as a replacement for existing<br />
petrochemically based plastics. This addition will enable<br />
Helian Polymers to create and offer an even broader<br />
range of PHA based material formulations.<br />
Helian Polymers has been active in bioplastics ever<br />
since 2007, as well as trading in colour concentrates<br />
and additives on an international scale. With increased<br />
regulatory pressure and social concerns regarding<br />
petrochemically based plastics, Helian is stepping up<br />
its efforts to supply both biobased and biodegradable<br />
materials and develop bespoke applications with its<br />
customers.<br />
Founded by scientists with interdisciplinary<br />
backgrounds in 2<strong>01</strong>6, Bluepha has strong research and<br />
engineering expertise in the area of cellular agriculture<br />
for molecule and material innovations. On Jan 1 st , <strong>2022</strong>,<br />
Bluepha's first industrial PHA project with 25,000 tonnes<br />
capacity per annum broke ground.<br />
Helian Polymers, who culminated in their own brand<br />
PHAradox last year, will start importing and using<br />
Bluepha's unique PHBH based building blocks for<br />
developing specific PHA based compounds. Under the<br />
PHAradox umbrella, multiple PHA based materials have<br />
been developed with the aim of offering more sustainable<br />
alternatives compared to existing materials.<br />
By using various PHA grades like P3HB, PHBV, and<br />
P3HB4HB, Helian Polymers is uniquely suited in the<br />
world to combine these grades with Bluepha's PHBH<br />
material to compound custom-made materials for<br />
various applications. By utilizing these natural building<br />
blocks Helian Polymers is able to mimic properties of<br />
more traditional plastics like PP and ABS. By copying,<br />
or at least approaching, the properties and thus the<br />
functionality of these materials the transition is easier<br />
to make and to communicate with converters and<br />
customers alike.<br />
Earlier in January, Helian already announced a<br />
cooperation with Genecis Bioindustries. (headquartered<br />
in Toronto, Canada). Together both companies will<br />
develop various resin formulations that include Genecis’<br />
PHAs for high-value applications, such as 3D printing<br />
filaments and biomedical applications. By combining<br />
both companies’ strengths, converting food waste into<br />
biodegradable plastics for Genecis and creating unique<br />
PHA based materials from various building blocks for<br />
Helian Polymers, the possibilities of unique materials<br />
arise.<br />
Genecis is a high growth biotechnology company that<br />
upcycles organic waste into compostable plastics. Their<br />
rapid scaling model makes high throughput production<br />
capacities possible by adding adding their technology<br />
onto biogas plants. MT<br />
www.pharadox.com |<br />
www.bluepha.com | www.genecis.co<br />
Green light for<br />
Avantium's FDCA<br />
flagship plant<br />
Avantium (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), a leading<br />
technology company in renewable chemistry, announced<br />
that on January 25 the shareholders have granted the<br />
requested approvals for all items on the agenda of the<br />
Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM).<br />
This includes the green light for Avantium's FDCA<br />
Flagship Plant. The company can begin the execution of<br />
all relevant documentation to complete the transaction<br />
(“Financial Close”), which is expected in the first quarter<br />
of <strong>2022</strong>. Construction of the FDCA Flagship Plant is<br />
planned to start after Financial Close and to be completed<br />
by the end of 2023. Avantium expects that the FDCA<br />
Flagship Plant will be operational in 2024, enabling the<br />
commercial launch of PEF from 2024 onwards. MT<br />
www.avantium.com<br />
Total Corbion PLA<br />
transitions to<br />
TotalEnergies Corbion<br />
Total Corbion PLA will transition to TotalEnergies<br />
Corbion, launching a new company name and logo over<br />
the coming months. TotalEnergies Corbion is a 50/50<br />
joint venture between TotalEnergies and Corbion.<br />
The name change follows the recent rebranding of<br />
TotalEnergies earlier last year, anchoring its strategic<br />
transformation into a broad energy company.<br />
TotalEnergies Corbion expects to launch its updated<br />
brand identity in a phased approach from this January.<br />
Earlier last summer TotalEnergies Corbion celebrated<br />
the cumulative production volume milestone of 100kT<br />
of Luminy ® PLA at its production plant in Thailand. The<br />
company has also entered the engineering stage for a<br />
second facility in Grandpuits (France) in order to respond<br />
to the growing PLA market demand.<br />
Luminy PLA resins from TotalEnergies Corbion are<br />
biobased and made from annually renewable resources,<br />
offering a reduced carbon footprint versus many<br />
traditional plastics. At the end of their useful life, PLA<br />
products can be mechanically or chemically recycled.<br />
The biodegradable and compostable functionalities of<br />
PLA make it the material of choice for a wide range<br />
of markets and applications including fresh fruit<br />
packaging, food service ware, durable consumer goods,<br />
toys, and 3D printing. TotalEnergies Corbion recently<br />
announced the launch of Luminy rPLA: the world’s first<br />
commercially available chemically recycled bioplastics<br />
product. MT<br />
www.totalenergies-corbion.com<br />
6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
WWF released new position:<br />
Chemical Recycling Implementation Principles<br />
On January 26, as part of the No Plastic in Nature vision, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Gland, Switzerland, released "Chemical<br />
Recycling Implementation Principles" (see link below). These principles aim to help decision-makers determine if and how<br />
chemical recycling – an emerging technology with unknown environmental and social outcomes – should be pursued as a<br />
plastic waste mitigation tactic. Alix Grabowski, director of plastic and material science at WWF said:<br />
“Even as technologies advance, we can’t recycle our way out of the growing plastic waste crisis. Instead of just focusing on<br />
recycling, we should prioritize strategies like reducing our overall single-use plastic consumption and scaling up reuse, which<br />
offer the best opportunity to achieve the widescale change we need.<br />
“For a technology like chemical recycling to be part of a sustainable material management system, we must carefully look at<br />
how it is designed and implemented and whether or not it offers environmental benefits over the status quo, adheres to strong<br />
social safeguards, and truly contributes to advancing our circular economy. These principles are designed to do exactly that.”<br />
News<br />
daily updated News at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
The paper lays out considerations for plastic-to-plastic recycling, not plastic-to-fuel applications. Plastic-to-fuel activities<br />
should not be considered recycling, nor a part of the circular economy.<br />
The paper also states that "Based on currently available evidence, there are significant concerns that these technologies<br />
are energy-intensive, pose risks to human health, and/or will not be able to practically recycle plastic beyond what mechanical<br />
recycling already achieves."<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE strongly encourages its readers,<br />
especially those involved in chemical recycling, to read and<br />
comment on the WWF paper. MT<br />
Info:<br />
1: The Chemical Recycling Implementation Principles can be<br />
downloaded form https://tinyurl.com/WWF-Principles<br />
tinyurl.com/WWF-Principles<br />
Arkema increases Pebax elastomer production<br />
Arkema (headquartered in Colombes, France) announced<br />
a 25 % increase in its global Pebax ® elastomer production<br />
capacity by investing in Serquigny in France. This investment<br />
will notably enable increased production of the bio-circular<br />
Pebax Rnew ® and traditional Pebax ranges.<br />
This new capacity will produce a variety of highly<br />
specialized grades to meet growing demand in numerous<br />
demanding applications thanks to the lightweight,<br />
flexibility, and excellent energy return of these materials.<br />
These properties are particularly appreciated in sports<br />
equipment, such as soles for running shoes, ski boots, or<br />
technical textile, in consumer goods such as smartphones<br />
and flexible screens, as well as in other markets such as<br />
medical equipment.<br />
delighted to add this new capacity to support our customers’<br />
growing demand for high-performance sustainable<br />
materials," said Erwoan Pezron, Senior Vice-President of<br />
Arkema’s High Performance Polymers Business Line. "We<br />
will also continue to produce many of these materials at our<br />
Birdsboro plant in Pennsylvania”. MT<br />
www.arkema.com<br />
Derived from renewable castor seeds, Pebax Rnew<br />
advanced bio-circular materials offer sustainables solution<br />
that have a carbon footprint that is up to 50 % lower, compared<br />
to other elastomers on the market, and can be fully recycled.<br />
In addition, this investment, which is scheduled to come on<br />
stream mid-2023, will lower the water consumption of the<br />
site by 25 % thanks to process optimization.<br />
“The Serquigny plant has a long proven legacy in the<br />
production of these advanced materials, and we are<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 7
News<br />
daily updated News at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
United Nations recommends bioplastics as a<br />
sustainable alternative to conventional plastics<br />
In mid-December, the Food and Agriculture Organisation<br />
of the United Nations (FAO) published a report assessing the<br />
sustainability of agricultural plastic products recommending<br />
the replacement of non-biodegradable, conventional<br />
polymers with biodegradable, biobased polymers (see link<br />
below) . “We welcome this recognition of the environmental<br />
benefits of these bioplastic products,” commented François<br />
de Bie, Chairman of European Bioplastics (EUBP). “Biobased<br />
and soil-biodegradable mulch films help both in reducing<br />
dependence on fossil carbon sources, by using renewable<br />
carbon instead, and by playing a valuable role in reducing<br />
residual plastic pollution in soil, which can significantly<br />
impact agricultural productivity.”<br />
The FAO study focuses on agricultural plastic products<br />
used in a range of different value chains. A qualitative risk<br />
assessment, which accompanies the study, analyses 13<br />
specific agricultural products. “Significantly, for six out of<br />
13 assessed products, biodegradable, biobased plastics are<br />
recommended as preferable substitutes for conventional<br />
plastic material,” said de Bie. The list of recommended<br />
products included mulch films, fishing gear, polymer-coated<br />
fertilizers, tree guards and shelters, plant support twines, and<br />
pesticide impregnated fruit protection bags.<br />
Mulch films represent the second largest share of plastic<br />
films used in agriculture. “These films, made from soilbiodegradable<br />
plastics, provide significant benefits where<br />
retrieval, recycling, and reuse of conventional plastics pose<br />
significant problems. They are specifically designed to<br />
biodegrade effectively in situ and can therefore be incorporated<br />
into the soil post-harvest," explained François de Bie. In<br />
contrast, especially thin, non- biodegradable mulching films<br />
display an insufficient collection, management, and retrieval,<br />
which can lead to a significant level of plastic pollution in<br />
the fields in which they are used. Even where conventional<br />
mulch films are removed from the field, they are often heavily<br />
contaminated with soils and plant residues, which inhibits the<br />
recycling process.<br />
The FAO report also emphasises the need to develop<br />
polymers that are biodegradable in the marine environment.<br />
“Although any kind of littering, should be avoided, a certain<br />
level of unavoidable loss of fishing gear will always take place.<br />
Therefore, it is important to foster the adoption of marinebiodegradable<br />
solutions,” stated the Chairman of EUBP. In<br />
the case of used products contaminated with fish residues,<br />
such as fish collection boxes, biopolymers, according to FAO,<br />
may ease the organic recycling process.<br />
Commenting on the study, Hasso von Pogrell, Managing<br />
Director of EUBP said: “EUBP welcomes all studies, such as<br />
this one, that contribute towards improving knowledge of the<br />
current data situation. This can’t be done by the bioplastics<br />
industry alone, and in order to establish a proper data pool,<br />
we also need stronger political support. For the European<br />
market, the European Commission should lead efforts to<br />
facilitate and coordinate data pooling in order to develop a<br />
more accurate picture of where the use of bioplastics brings<br />
real benefits in reducing conventional plastic pollution.” The<br />
report also highlights the role of research and innovation<br />
grants as means of pump-priming new ideas which lead to<br />
the development of new products. “However, the funding of<br />
research alone is not enough. An appropriate policy framework<br />
for biobased, biodegradable, and compostable plastics is also<br />
needed, to capture potential for innovation and the economic,<br />
environmental, and societal sustainable benefits of these<br />
products for the European Union,” concluded von Pogrell. MT<br />
https://tinyurl.com/FAO-recommendation<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
Danimer Scientific and TotalEnergies Corbion cooperate<br />
Danimer Scientific (Bainbridge, Georgia, USA) and TotalEnergies Corbion (Gorinchem, The Netherlands) have entered a<br />
long-term collaborative arrangement for the supply of Luminy ® PLA, a biobased polymer used to manufacture compostable<br />
products. The strategic collaboration is meant to support long-term growth of biopolymer production requiring a blend of<br />
polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polylactic pcid (PLA) inputs.<br />
As Danimer continues to scale up the commercial production of Nodax ® , its signature PHA, this agreement enhances<br />
Danimer’s ability to fulfil customer needs for resins that require a blend of PLA- and PHA-based inputs.<br />
Stephen E. Croskrey, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Danimer, said, “While growing commercial production of<br />
PHA remains the focus of our business, PLA is a part of some compounds that we formulate to meet specific customers’<br />
functionality needs for different applications. Teaming with TotalEnergies Corbion provides an ideal solution to support our<br />
long-term growth strategy while ensuring our short-term customer needs remain fulfilled.”<br />
Thomas Philipon, Chief Executive Officer of TotalEnergies Corbion, said, "The biopolymers market is experiencing strong<br />
growth and customers are requesting innovative solutions tailor-made to their market needs. In today’s dynamic market,<br />
strategic arrangements throughout the value chain are key to ensuring security of supply in both product and technology that<br />
will allow brand owners and ultimately consumers to be comfortable with selecting bioplastics as a sustainable alternative to<br />
traditional plastics." MT<br />
www.danimerscientific.com | www.totalenergies-corbion.com<br />
8 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Engineering tomorrow’s materials<br />
Your benefits<br />
International Congress<br />
March 30-31, <strong>2022</strong>, Mannheim, Germany<br />
News<br />
daily updated News at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
• International industry meeting-point with over 60 exhibitors<br />
• 42 hand-picked keynotes & lectures<br />
• Auto show<br />
• PIAE Afterparty<br />
Focus:<br />
Sustainable use<br />
of plastics!<br />
Sign up!<br />
www.piae-europe.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 9
Events<br />
European Bioplastics Conference<br />
At the 16 th annual European Bioplastics (EUBP) Conference, which<br />
took place from 30 November to 1 December in Berlin, industry<br />
experts discussed the role of bioplastics within the European<br />
Green Deal. The conference discussions confirmed that bioplastics<br />
make significant contributions to help with achieving the European<br />
Union’s ambitious climate goals described in the EU strategy.<br />
In his opening remarks, François de Bie, Chairman of European<br />
Bioplastics (EUBP), began by giving a clear answer to the overarching<br />
conference question about the role of bioplastics within the European<br />
Green Deal. “There are many fields of interaction between the European<br />
Commission’s Green Deal and bioplastics where our industry can<br />
make significant contributions towards helping achieve the European<br />
Union’s ambitious climate goals,” said de Bie. “Bioplastics are part of<br />
the solution needed to fix the <strong>issue</strong> that we have with plastics today,” he<br />
continued, referring to the challenges caused by plastic waste. The varied<br />
two-day conference programme, which examined key <strong>issue</strong>s along the<br />
bioplastics value chain, strongly reinforced his statement. In ten different<br />
sessions, which included an exciting keynote and presentations as well<br />
as lively panel discussions, over 40 speakers and moderators focused on<br />
the contribution that biobased, biodegradable, and compostable plastics<br />
can make to achieve a circular economy.<br />
In a pre-recorded address, Kestutis Sadauskas, Director for Circular<br />
Economy and Green Growth at the European Commission’s DG<br />
Environment, said “While biobased and biodegradable and compostable<br />
plastics can be part of the solution, they also present certain challenges.<br />
The feedback received tells us a policy framework is needed.” The<br />
subsequent policy session went on to discuss bioplastics’ role in<br />
achieving Europe’s Green Deal objectives by focussing on key processes,<br />
such as the framework for bioplastics and the Packaging and Packaging<br />
Waste Directive.<br />
Further conference sessions highlighted new opportunities for<br />
compostable plastics and discussed their performance in different<br />
open environments. New European Bioplastics market data, based<br />
on research from the nova-institute, gave a very positive outlook for<br />
bioplastics production, which is expected to more than triple within the<br />
next five years with a growth rate of over 200 % (see next page). The<br />
results correspond to the industry leaders’ perspectives on bioplastics<br />
shared during the conference as well as to the latest insights that were<br />
provided from emerging markets, such as textiles, packaging, and<br />
automotive.<br />
During the session on communicating sustainability of biobased<br />
plastics, participants followed a lively discussion on sustainability,<br />
including the results of a study developed by the Joint Research Centre<br />
(JRC) assessing the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of alternative feedstock for<br />
plastics. This coincided with the publication of a position by the European<br />
Bioeconomy Alliance criticising the methodology for favouring fossilbased<br />
over biobased plastics (see p. 42).<br />
This year, bioplastics’ leading business and networking platform was<br />
held in a hybrid format attracting over 320 participants. Around 140<br />
participants attended in person, while the other attendees were able to<br />
follow and actively engage online. At the conference exhibition, around<br />
20 companies and institutions showcased the high diversity of new<br />
products, materials, and applications. Innovation also requires research<br />
– thus the conference also included a poster exhibition with fifteen<br />
different universities and research institutes presenting bioplasticsrelated<br />
projects. MT<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
10 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
and market development update<br />
Market<br />
Bioplastics currently represent still less than 1 % of<br />
the more than 367 million tonnes of plastic produced<br />
annually1. However, contrary to a slight decrease in the<br />
overall global plastic production, the market for bioplastics<br />
has continuously grown. This development is driven by a rising<br />
demand combined with the emergence of more sophisticated<br />
applications and products. Global bioplastics production<br />
capacity is set to increase significantly from around 2.41 million<br />
tonnes in 2021 to approximately 7.59 million tonnes in 2026.<br />
Hence, the share of bioplastics in global plastic production will<br />
pass the two % mark for the first time.<br />
Applications and market segments<br />
Bioplastics are used for an increasing variety of applications,<br />
ranging from packaging and consumer products to<br />
electronics, automotive, and textiles. Packaging remains the<br />
largest market segment for bioplastics with 48 % (1.15 million<br />
tonnes) of the total bioplastics market in 2021.<br />
Global production capacities of bioplastics by market segment (2021)<br />
Global production capacities of bioplastics<br />
Material development and diversification<br />
Bioplastic alternatives exist for almost every conventional<br />
plastic material and corresponding application. Due to a<br />
strong development of polymers, such as PBAT (polybutylene<br />
adipate terephthalate) but also PBS (polybutylene succinate)<br />
and PAs (polyamides) as well as a steady growth of polylactic<br />
acids (PLAs), the production capacities will continue to<br />
increase significantly and diversify within the next 5 years.<br />
Global production capacities of bioplastics by material type<br />
top: 2021, bottom: 2026<br />
Land use share for bioplastics estimated to be at<br />
0.<strong>01</strong> % of the global agricultural area<br />
The land used to grow the renewable feedstock needed to<br />
produce bioplastics is estimated to remain at approximately<br />
0.70 million hectares in 2021. This accounts for just only<br />
over 0.<strong>01</strong> % of the global agricultural area of 5.0 billion<br />
hectares. Along with the projected increase of bioplastics<br />
production in 2026, the land use share is expected to be still<br />
below 0.06 %. In relation to the available agricultural area,<br />
this share is minimal. Thus, there is no competition between<br />
the renewable feedstock for food and feed and the production<br />
of bioplastics.<br />
Land use estimation for bioplastics 2021 to 2026<br />
About this market data update<br />
The market data update 2021 has been compiled in<br />
cooperation with the market experts of the nova-Institute<br />
(Hürth, Germany). The market data graphs are available for<br />
download (see link below). MT<br />
tinyurl.com/EUPB-market<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 11
Award<br />
And the winner is ...<br />
The 15 th Global Bioplastics Award 2021<br />
was given to Gruppo Fabbri Vignola<br />
for their Home Compostable Cling Film<br />
This year the prestigious annual Global Bioplastics<br />
Award, presented by bioplastics MAGAZINE, was given to<br />
Gruppo Fabbri Vignola (Vignola, Italy) for their Home<br />
Compostable Cling Film.<br />
Other than in previous years, the winner was not chosen<br />
by a jury. This year for the first time, the attendees of the<br />
16 th European Bioplastics Conference, which was held in<br />
a hybrid format in Berlin, Germany on November 30 th and<br />
December 1 st , voted for the winner, both on-site in Berlin<br />
and online.<br />
Nature Fresh is the first cling film worldwide suitable for<br />
both manual and automatic food packaging and certified<br />
as Home Compostable and Industrial Compostable (EN<br />
13432).<br />
The formulation of Nature Fresh is based on the BASF<br />
certified compostable polymers ecoflex ® and ecovio ® .<br />
It is also the first of its range to combine optimal<br />
breathability for an extended shelf life of fresh food with<br />
high transparency and excellent mechanical properties<br />
for automatic packaging: its tensile strength, elongation<br />
at break, breathability, transparency, gloss, extensibility,<br />
and anti-fogging are comparable to those of traditional<br />
films. Furthermore, Nature Fresh shows a better water<br />
vapour transmission rate, which is essential for optimal<br />
packaging. It preserves the freshness, and the nutritional<br />
and organoleptic properties of food, avoiding food waste.<br />
The shelf-life of mushrooms, for instance, can be extended<br />
to 5-fold, for lettuce even up to 7-fold.<br />
Nature Fresh can be used in minimal thickness and is<br />
also printable with compostable inks.<br />
It is food-contact approved according to the US and<br />
European standards and since no plasticisers are used,<br />
it can pack any kind of fresh foods, even those with high<br />
fat content.<br />
“It took us five years to develop this product,” said Stefano<br />
Mele, CEO of Gruppo Fabbri Vignola in his short statement,<br />
“and I am grateful for the support of our partners.” He<br />
also added that “Nature Fresh has already been produced<br />
in hundreds of tonnes and tens of thousands of reels with<br />
millions of packages already released onto the market.”<br />
Michael Thielen presenting the Award to Stefano Mele<br />
12 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
COMPEO<br />
Leading compounding technology<br />
for heat- and shear-sensitive plastics<br />
The runner up was Refork from the Czech Republic.<br />
The company has developed a new material based on<br />
sawdust, waste from wood processing combined with<br />
natural polymers PHB(V). Their first iconic product is a<br />
fork, but the company is already developing a toothbrush<br />
for the dental market to launch early next year.<br />
Last but not least, third place went to the bio!TOY<br />
conference (which was anonymously nominated).<br />
The 3D-printed award itself is of course also made from<br />
bioplastics. The two different PHA/PLA blends are filled<br />
with wood or stone flour, respectively. The trophy was<br />
provided by colorFabb from Belfeld, The Netherlands. MT<br />
www.gruppofabbri.com<br />
Uniquely efficient. Incredibly versatile. Amazingly flexible.<br />
With its new COMPEO Kneader series, BUSS continues<br />
to offer continuous compounding solutions that set the<br />
standard for heat- and shear-sensitive applications, in all<br />
industries, including for biopolymers.<br />
• Moderate, uniform shear rates<br />
• Extremely low temperature profile<br />
• Efficient injection of liquid components<br />
• Precise temperature control<br />
• High filler loadings<br />
www.busscorp.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 13
Events<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE presents:<br />
The 4 th bio!PAC conference on Biplastics & Packaging, a co-production of bioplastics<br />
MAGAZINE and Green Serendipity, will now be held strictly virtual, due to the latest<br />
developments of the Corona pandemic. The conference fee has been reduced.<br />
Experts from all areas of bioplastics & packaging will present their latest<br />
developments or research. The conference will also cover discussions like endof-life<br />
options, consumer behaviour <strong>issue</strong>s, availability of agricultural land for<br />
material use versus food and feed etc.<br />
bio!PAC uses the WHOVA app and web-platform to offer excellent opportunities for<br />
attendees to connect and network with other professionals in the field.<br />
All presentations will be recorded for a convenient “video-on-demand“ experience<br />
in your time zone. A local meet-up will be organized if covid measures allow!<br />
bio PAC<br />
www.bio-pac.info<br />
International<br />
Bioplastics & Packaging<br />
Conference<br />
15 - 16 March <strong>2022</strong><br />
Online Event<br />
Tuesday, March 15, <strong>2022</strong><br />
08:00 - 08:40 Welcome, solve technical <strong>issue</strong>s, if necessary<br />
08:45 - 09:00 Michael Thielen Welcome remarks<br />
09:00 - 09:20 Gert-Jan Gruter, University of Amsterdam Future of bioplastics & packaging<br />
09:20 - 09:40 Constance Ißbrücker, European Bioplastics European bioplastics pespective for bioplastics (t.b.c.)<br />
09:40 - 10:00 Christopher vom Berg, nova-Institute Packaging from Renewable Carbon Plastics (t.b.c.)<br />
10:00 - 10:15 Q&A<br />
10:15 - 10:40 Coffee– and Networking Break<br />
10:40 - 11:00 Heidi Koljonen, Sulapac Microplastics & Packaging<br />
11:00 - 11:20 Thijs Rodenburg, Rodenburg Biopolymers Starch-based compounds for packaging applications<br />
11:20 - 11:40 Patrick Zimmermann, FKUR From linear to circular - how bioplastics provide solutions for packaging<br />
11:40 - 12:00 Ella Yao, PureGreen PLA coated paper-based packaging<br />
12:00 - 12:15 Q&A<br />
12:15 - 13:15 Lunch- and Networking Break<br />
13:15 - 13:35 Bineke Posthumus, Avantium Plant-based solutions to realize a fossil-free & circular economy<br />
13:35 - 13:55 Martin Bussmann, Neste Renewable carbon solutions for packaging<br />
13:55 - 14:15 Allegra Muscatello, Taghleef Industries New developments in biobased and biodegradable packaging solutions<br />
15:15 - 14:35 Jan Pels, TNO Torwash: a new system for bioplastics recycling<br />
14:35 - 14:50 Q&A<br />
14:50 - 15:15 Coffee– and Networking Break<br />
15:15 - 15:35 Patrick Gerritsen, Bio4pack Bio4Pack moves the earth<br />
15:35 - 15:55 Blake Lindsey, RWDC Moving Past Recycling: Can We Stem the Microplastics Crisis?<br />
15:55 - 16:15 Jane Franch, Numi Organic Tea Practical application of bioplastics in packaging: Brand perspective<br />
16:15 - 16:30 Q&A<br />
Wednesday, March 16, <strong>2022</strong><br />
08:45 - 09:00 Michael Thielen Welcome remarks<br />
09:00 - 09:20 Lise Magnier, TU Delft Insights in consumer behaviour in relation to sustainable packaging<br />
09:20 - 09:40 Bruno de Wilde, OWS Environmental Benefits of biodegradable packaging?<br />
09:40 - 10:00 Johann Zimmermann, NaKu PLA packaging: returnable, recyclable, re...<br />
10:00 - 10:20 Erwin Vink, NatureWorks The Compostables Project<br />
10:20 - 10:35 Q&A<br />
10:35 - 11:00 Coffee- and Networking Break<br />
11:00 - 11:20 Jenifer Mitjà, Total Corbion Expanding end-of-life options for PLA bioplastics<br />
11:20 - 11:40 Remy Jongboom, Biotec The added value of compostable materials in packaging applications<br />
11:40 - 12:00 Julia Schifter, TIPA Creating a circular bio-economy through compostable packaging<br />
12:00 - 12:20 Philippe Wolff, Ricoh Europe (t.b.c.) PLAIR – a new material made from plants and air<br />
12:20 - 12:35 Q&A<br />
12:35 - 13:35 Lunch- and Networking Break<br />
13:35 - 13:55 Tom Bowden, Sidaplax Evolutions of Biopolymer Film Performance and Environmental Degradability<br />
13:55 - 14:15 Jojanneke Leistra, Superfoodguru PLA bottles from a brand owners perspective<br />
14:15 - 14:35 Alberto Castellanza, Novamont Mater-Bi ® : Novel Developments in Food Packaging Applications<br />
14:35 - 14:55 Caroli Buitenhuis, Green Serendipity Bioplastics in Packaging - Review and outlook<br />
14:55 - 15:10 Q&A<br />
15:10 - 15:30 Caroli Buitenhuis, Michael Thielen Closing remarks<br />
Subject to changes<br />
14 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
io PAC<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE presents:<br />
ONLINE<br />
#biopac<br />
www.bio-pac.info<br />
International Conference on Bioplastics & Packaging<br />
15 - 16 March <strong>2022</strong> - ONLINE<br />
Bioplastics packaging<br />
• can be recyclable, biodegradable and/or compostable<br />
• can be made from renewable resources or waste streams<br />
• can offer innovative features and beneficial barrier properties<br />
• can offer multiple environmental benefits in the end-of-life phase<br />
• helps to reduce the depletion of finite fossil resources and CO 2<br />
emissions<br />
At the bio!PAC the focus will be on packaging based on biobased feedstock that leads to genuine environmental benefits in the<br />
future. Specific and considerable attention will also be paid to the criteria for these applications.<br />
Silver Sponsors<br />
Bronze Sponsors<br />
Coorganized by<br />
supported by<br />
Media Partner
Events<br />
Green, the theme Colour<br />
of Chinaplas <strong>2022</strong><br />
The advent of the dual-carbon era has triggered further<br />
efforts in reducing carbon emissions. Many countries,<br />
regions and chemical enterprises have set the goal of<br />
net-zero emissions and carbon neutrality. Green and low<br />
carbon have become hot topics in the plastics and rubber<br />
industries. Chinaplas <strong>2022</strong>, to be held from April 25 to 28,<br />
will bring together more than 4,000 prominent exhibitors<br />
from all over the world to launch innovative green solutions.<br />
A lot of can’t-miss concurrent events will be organized<br />
during Chinaplas <strong>2022</strong>, focusing on green topics such as<br />
carbon neutrality and sustainable development.<br />
Plastics Recycling & Circular Economy<br />
Conference: Inspiring green ideas<br />
What are the macro trends in the global circular economy?<br />
What are the hot topics and technologies? By attending<br />
the 3 rd Chinaplas x CPRJ Plastics Recycling and Circular<br />
Economy Conference and Showcase, to be held one day<br />
prior to Chinaplas <strong>2022</strong> in Shanghai, attendees can get the<br />
answers from renowned speakers, who are to share their<br />
insights on relevant policies and industry trends, as well as<br />
the showcase of innovative solutions.<br />
Government officials, representatives from industry<br />
organizations, brands, machinery and material suppliers<br />
from different countries and regions are invited. They<br />
will deliver more than 50 speeches online and offline to<br />
400+ industry elites, of which over 60 % are end-product<br />
/ targeted manufacturers. The conference will outline the<br />
landscape and prospect of the plastics recycling industry<br />
in Asia and worldwide at large, by focusing on topics such<br />
as international trends and latest policies for plastics<br />
recycling, successful cases and achievements in recycling<br />
experiences, and innovative ideas.<br />
Thematic seminars will be held at the conference to<br />
facilitate the discussions on carbon neutrality, PCR/<br />
PIR, renewable plastics, recycled ocean plastics, monomaterials,<br />
eco-design/design for recycling, chemical<br />
recycling, innovative solutions for plastics recycling, and<br />
new technologies for recycled materials. At the same time,<br />
world-leading enterprises in the scope of plastics recycling<br />
will showcase their latest solutions for new materials,<br />
technologies, and automation. Experts will also introduce<br />
their latest technological achievements and interact with<br />
the participants.<br />
Tech Talk: a showcase for green technologies<br />
Green will be seen as a focus of Chinaplas <strong>2022</strong> from the<br />
topics of Tech Talk. This concurrent event is a series of open<br />
forums under 8 themes, including antibacterial solutions,<br />
surface treatment solutions, in-mould electronic solutions,<br />
5G applications, eco-friendly solutions, lightweight<br />
solutions, innovative materials, of which the last three are<br />
more relevant to the green technologies and development.<br />
Leading enterprises from the plastics and rubber<br />
industries will participate in the event. Among others, Cathay<br />
Biotech will show its thermoplastic high-temperatureresistant<br />
biobased polyamide engineering plastic products<br />
and green lightweight materials (see also p. 18).<br />
Chinaplas has become a product debut platform for the<br />
plastics and rubber industries, where exhibitors launch a<br />
wide range of new products. Tech Talk is the annual stage<br />
for the plastics and rubber industries, to bring the spotlight<br />
to the new and edge-cutting products, helping new<br />
technological products to gain more exposure while visitors<br />
can get quick access to the resources of quality suppliers.<br />
Under the theme of “New Era · New Potential · Innovation<br />
for Sustainability”, Chinaplas <strong>2022</strong> will proudly return to the<br />
National Exhibition and Convention Center in Hongqiao,<br />
Shanghai, from April 25 - 28, <strong>2022</strong>. MT<br />
www.chinaplasonline.com<br />
National Exhibition and Convention Center in Hongqiao, Shanghai<br />
16 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
7 th PLA World Congress<br />
24 + 25 MAY <strong>2022</strong> > MUNICH› GERMANY<br />
HYBRID EVENT<br />
Automotive<br />
organized by<br />
Call for papers still open<br />
www.pla-world-congress.com<br />
PLA is a versatile bioplastics raw material from renewable<br />
resources. It is being used for films and rigid packaging, for<br />
fibres in woven and non-woven applications. Automotive,<br />
consumer electronics and other industries are thoroughly<br />
investigating and even already applying PLA. New methods<br />
of polymerizing, compounding or blending of PLA have<br />
broadened the range of properties and thus the range of<br />
possible applications. That‘s why bioplastics MAGAZINE is<br />
now organizing the 7 th PLA World Congress on:<br />
24 + 25 May <strong>2022</strong> in Munich / Germany<br />
Hybrid event<br />
Experts from all involved fields will share their knowledge<br />
and contribute to a comprehensive overview of today‘s<br />
opportunities and challenges and discuss the possibilities,<br />
limitations and future prospects of PLA for all kind<br />
of applications. Like the six previous congresses the<br />
7 th PLA World Congress will also offer excellent networking<br />
opportunities for all delegates and speakers as well as<br />
exhibitors of the table-top exhibition. Based on the good<br />
experices with the hybrid format (bio!TOY and PHA World<br />
Congress 2021) we will offer this format also for future<br />
conferences, hoping the pandemic does no longer force us<br />
to. So the participation at the 7 th PLA World Congress will<br />
be possible on-site as well as online.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 17
Automotive<br />
Bio-PA<br />
composites<br />
Renewable 1,5 pentanediamine<br />
based polyamide composites for<br />
automotive applications<br />
250 —<br />
200 —<br />
150 —<br />
100 —<br />
50 —<br />
Comparison of basic physical properities of different materials<br />
Cathay Biotech, Shanghai, China, is a leader in<br />
synthetic biology specializing in the production of<br />
biobased polyamides that are based on its 100 %<br />
renewable 1,5-pentanediamine (DN5). The option of using<br />
either fossil-based or renewable diacids enables the biocontent<br />
level of PA5X to be as high as 100 %. Cathay has<br />
been engaged in the application and development of<br />
biobased PA5X and marketed these engineering polyamides<br />
under the tradename ECOPENT ® . The melting point of its<br />
Ecopent engineering materials can be varied from 197 ºC<br />
of Ecopent 3300 (E-3300) to 300 ºC of Ecopent 6300, which<br />
fulfils a plethora of different application requirements of<br />
polyamides.<br />
Recently, Cathay focused on the investigation and<br />
production of fibre-reinforced PA5X composite such as<br />
prepreg tape, which is an alternative solution for metal<br />
replacement. The continuous glass/carbon fibre-reinforced<br />
biobased PA5X (CFRT-PA5X) shows excellent mechanical<br />
properties, high specific strength, and specific modulus,<br />
among others. By modifying the manufacturing process,<br />
the fibre content of such CFRT-PA5X could be tuned flexibly<br />
from 50 % to 70 %, by weight, which provides for a high<br />
design flexibility of these products and would contribute to<br />
a significant weight reduction for automobile applications<br />
(among others).<br />
Using Ecopent 2260 (E-2260) as the matrix and glass/<br />
carbon fibre as reinforcement, composites with different<br />
mechanical properties could be easily produced by<br />
employing proper processing technology. The produced<br />
composite exhibits increased tensile strength and tensile<br />
modulus with increasing fibre retention length. For<br />
example, the CFRT of E-2260 70 % GF possesses tensile<br />
strength higher than 1,000 MPa, while its density is onefourth<br />
that of steel. More importantly, its specific strength is<br />
three times that of super-steel.<br />
Moreover, CFRT-PA5X composites with higher mechanical<br />
properties could be produced by using continuous carbon<br />
fibre instead of glass. For instance, the CFRT of E-2260<br />
50 % CF has only one-third the density of super-steel but<br />
exhibits 10 % higher tensile strength than it. In addition, the<br />
specific strength and specific modulus of CFRT of E-2260<br />
50 % CF are six times and two times that of super-steel,<br />
respectively.<br />
Continuous fibre reinforced unidirectional<br />
prepreg tape<br />
Basically, the thickness of CFRT-PA5X unidirectional<br />
prepreg tape is between 0.25 mm and 0.30 mm. Their<br />
tensile strength is usually higher than 1,000 MPa, which is<br />
0 —<br />
1600 —<br />
1400 —<br />
1200 —<br />
1000 —<br />
800 —<br />
600 —<br />
400 —<br />
200 —<br />
Steel Super steel Aluminium E-2260-<br />
70%GF (CFRT)<br />
Tensile modulus (GPa)<br />
E-2260-70GF tape<br />
Tensile modulus (MPa)<br />
E-2260-<br />
50%CF (CFRT)<br />
Specific modulus (GPa-cm3/g)<br />
Properities of different unidirectional prepreg tape<br />
0 —<br />
E-3300-70GF tape<br />
1200 —<br />
1000 —<br />
800 —<br />
600 —<br />
400 —<br />
200 —<br />
700 —<br />
600 —<br />
500 —<br />
400 —<br />
300 —<br />
200 —<br />
100 —<br />
Comparison of different composite board<br />
0°C/90°C Bending strength (Mpa)<br />
E-2260-50CF<br />
0 —<br />
E3300-70%GF board E-2260-70%GF board PP-composite board<br />
0 —<br />
E-2260-50CF tape<br />
0°C Bending strength (Mpa)<br />
0°C Interlaminar shear strength (Mpa) 90°C Bending strength (MPa)<br />
Comparison of bending strength of PA5X-70%GF at 23°C and 70°C for 2h<br />
546,26<br />
E3300<br />
603,20<br />
631,02<br />
23°C<br />
E-2260<br />
666,76<br />
70°C<br />
434,52<br />
PP<br />
382,06<br />
18 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
1800 —<br />
1600 —<br />
1400 —<br />
1200 —<br />
1000 —<br />
800 —<br />
600 —<br />
400 —<br />
200 —<br />
0 —<br />
Comparison of basic physical properities of different materials<br />
Steel Super steel Aluminium E-2260-<br />
70%GF (CFRT)<br />
Tensile strength (MPa)<br />
E-2260-70GF tape<br />
Tensile modulus (MPa)<br />
E-2260-<br />
50%CF (CFRT)<br />
Specific strength (MPa-cm3/g)<br />
Properities of different unidirectional prepreg tape<br />
90 —<br />
80 —<br />
70 —<br />
60 —<br />
50 —<br />
40 —<br />
30 —<br />
20 —<br />
10 —<br />
0 —<br />
E-3300-70GF tape<br />
70 —<br />
60 —<br />
50 —<br />
40 —<br />
30 —<br />
20 —<br />
10 —<br />
0 —<br />
Comparison of different composite board<br />
E3300-<br />
70%GF board<br />
E-2260-<br />
70%GF board<br />
0°C/90°C Bending modulus (Gpa)<br />
90°C Bending modulus (Gpa)<br />
PPcomposite<br />
board<br />
E-2260-50CF<br />
E-2260-<br />
55%CF board<br />
0°C Bending modulus (Gpa)<br />
Comparison of bending modulus of PA5X-70%GF at 23°C and 70°C for 2h<br />
25 —<br />
23,83<br />
21,80<br />
By:<br />
Yuanpin Li, Qilei Song<br />
Engineering Plastics Application Development Engineer<br />
Cathay Biotech Inc.<br />
Shanghai, China<br />
affected by the fibre content and fibre type. Furthermore,<br />
through winding or moulding process technology, these<br />
prepreg tapes could be further applied in automobiles such<br />
as fender, front cover, and battery pack etc.<br />
Biobased PA5X composite board<br />
In terms of 70 % continuous glass fibre reinforced E-2260<br />
composite, its 0° bending strength could be up to 1,033 MPa,<br />
twice as strong as a PP composite with the same glass fibre<br />
content. Its 0° bending modulus also reaches 38 MPa, which<br />
is 30 % higher than that of a 70 % glass fibre reinforced<br />
PP composite. Furthermore, the 90° bending strength<br />
and 0° interlaminar shear strength of such biobased PA5X<br />
composite are 1.5 times that of PP composites with the<br />
same glass fibre content.<br />
When CFRT of E-2260 70 % GF, CFRT of E-3300 70 % GF,<br />
and PP composite are baked at 70 ºC for 2 h, the bending<br />
strength of E-3300 70 % GF and CFRT of E-2260 70 % GF is<br />
increased by 5 %, while PP ones are reduced by 12 %. The<br />
bending modulus of CFRT of E-2260 70 % GF is higher 40 %<br />
than that of PP composite at 70 °C.<br />
Application<br />
CFRT of PA5X, due to their extremely high strength-toweight<br />
and stiffness-to-weight ratios, can be a sustainable<br />
lightweight solution to meet increasingly challenging<br />
requirements from different industries, e.g., automotive,<br />
construction, or shipping. In addition, CFRT of PA5X have<br />
shown excellent chemical resistance, anti-fatigue and antimar<br />
performance depending on the biobased polyamide<br />
selected. The increase in temperature will lead to a decrease<br />
in the rigidity of composites. CFRT of biobased polyamides<br />
(E-3300 and 2260) have proven its advantage of mechanical<br />
performance at 70 °C, when compared with general plastic,<br />
like PP. This can make CFRT of biobased polyamides strong<br />
candidates for new vehicles, compressed gas tanks, or<br />
shipping containers, which needs much lighter, safer, and<br />
more efficient materials.<br />
www.cathaybiotech.com<br />
Automotive<br />
20 —<br />
15 —<br />
16,74 17,07<br />
16,84<br />
15,80<br />
10 —<br />
5 —<br />
0 —<br />
E3300<br />
E-2260<br />
PP<br />
23°C<br />
70°C<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 19
Automotive<br />
Lightweight<br />
biobased<br />
cellulose<br />
reinforcement<br />
for automotive<br />
applications<br />
The automotive industry continuously strives to<br />
improve the driving range of cars. Whether being per<br />
litre of petrol for a combustion engine or in kilowatthour<br />
(kWh) for electrically powered vehicles. Car owners<br />
thereby receive a better mileage at lower cost, while CO 2<br />
emissions per kilometre driven are reduced as well. One<br />
way of achieving this is by reducing the overall weight of<br />
the car, which is becoming increasingly important for the<br />
comparatively heavier battery-powered electric vehicles.<br />
Cellulose fibre is one of the answers to address this<br />
need for weight reduction. Sappi Symbio is a lightweight<br />
cellulose solution to reinforce conventional thermoplastic<br />
and biobased plastics. Symbio provides a double advantage,<br />
it’s not only a lightweight material filler, but it also answers<br />
the increasingly important demand for more renewable and<br />
non-fossil based carbon materials.<br />
Symbio is a bio-renewable wood-based cellulose fibre<br />
that is an alternative to incumbent mineral materials like<br />
talc and (short) glass fibre. Due to its relatively low density<br />
of about 1.5 g/cm 3 , it decreases the overall material weight<br />
when added to a thermoplastic, in comparison to talc or<br />
glass. These are commonly used fillers to give a material<br />
more stiffness and strength. Figure 1 shows an example<br />
for a 20 % loaded polypropylene and its influence on the<br />
resulting material property in terms of weight. This weight<br />
saving opportunity, which can go up to 15 % (at 40 % cellulose<br />
load) has drawn the attention of several automotive OEMs<br />
who are already manufacturing car components with<br />
Symbio today.<br />
Symbio cellulose fibre reinforced compounds easily meet<br />
industry requirements of mechanical performance and can<br />
be a renewable alternative to typical mineral fillers. Table 1<br />
shows how the stiffness, in terms of flexural modulus, of<br />
polypropylene can be enhanced by Symbio in comparison<br />
to talc and short glass fibre (SGF). It also shows the heat<br />
deflection temperature for the various solutions which is<br />
increased compared to unfilled polypropylene but also to a<br />
talc-filled compound.<br />
As mentioned already, Symbio consists of wood-based<br />
cellulose. Cellulose is the most abundant organic polymer<br />
on earth and can be found in any plant-like material.<br />
There are many different sources today for cellulose fibre,<br />
like grass or bamboo, and likewise as many variations in<br />
quality and performance. Symbio is a premium quality<br />
cellulose fibre that is also used within Sappi for producing<br />
high-quality speciality paper or high-end paperboard. The<br />
fibre consistency, as well as the very high purity, is why<br />
car manufacturers and brand owners select Symbio as a<br />
material to use for interior car components. Where other<br />
natural fibres can have <strong>issue</strong>s with odour or emission of<br />
volatile components, Symbio passes the most stringent<br />
requirements measured by internationally accepted<br />
standards. In the VDA 270 odour test, Sappi Symbio,<br />
measured on a plaque produced with Symbio PP40<br />
(containing 40 % cellulose) by a German OEM, receives a<br />
rating 2 classified as “perceptible, non-disturbing” (the<br />
scale ranges from 1 “imperceptible” to 6 “unbearable”). This<br />
rating allows the parts to be used in automotive interiors.<br />
Fig. 1<br />
Glass fibre<br />
Talc<br />
Symbio<br />
Cellulpse<br />
Density of 20 % filled polypropylene<br />
0,94 0,96 0,98 1 1,02 1,04 1,06<br />
Specific gravity g/cm 3<br />
Table 1<br />
Property<br />
Test method<br />
Symbio<br />
PP20<br />
Symbio<br />
PP20MI<br />
Symbio<br />
PP20HI<br />
PP + 20% talc PP + 20% SGF Units<br />
Reinforcement<br />
content<br />
- 20 20 20 20 20 Weight %<br />
Density ISO 1183 0.98 0.99 0.98 1.05 1.04 g/cm³<br />
Tensile strength ISO 527-2/1A 49 34 23 28 85 MPa<br />
Flexural modulus ISO 178, 23°C 3,080 2,545 1,678 2,400 4,200 MPa<br />
Impact, Charpy<br />
notched (23°C)<br />
ISO 179-1 4.2 4.3 10 6 11 KJ/m²<br />
HDT-B at 0.45 MPa ISO 75 141 136 123 100 155 °C<br />
20 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Symbio has also been selected for other fields of<br />
application besides interior car components. Manufacturers<br />
of home appliances and lifestyle & furniture are interested<br />
in Symbio due to its haptic response and the warmer<br />
touch which provides a part with a natural touch and feel.<br />
The examples given above were based on polypropylene<br />
By:<br />
Juul Cuijpers, Product Manager Symbio<br />
Sappi Europe | Sappi Netherlands Services BV<br />
Maastricht, The Netherlands<br />
but of course, Symbio is not limited to this thermoplastic.<br />
Applications made from biobased and/or biodegradable<br />
filled polymers like PLA and PHA are also possible and<br />
are receiving increased interest. The aim is to expand the<br />
current portfolio of Symbio products in the coming period.<br />
www.sappi.com<br />
Automotive<br />
Instrument panel<br />
Interior trims<br />
Air ducts<br />
Luggage board<br />
Centre console and armrest<br />
Cable tray<br />
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co2-chemistry.eu<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 21
Tyre News<br />
How plastic bottles end up in tyres<br />
Tyres can’t last forever. However, the life cycle of the<br />
materials used in one tyre can be much longer than that<br />
of the tyre itself. Continental just got one<br />
step closer to the goal of tyres made<br />
from 100 % recycled or sustainable<br />
materials. “We are at the vanguard<br />
of a more eco-friendly automotive<br />
industry and are already committed<br />
to using new technologies that utilize<br />
recycled materials. From <strong>2022</strong>, we will<br />
be able to use reprocessed polyethylene<br />
terephthalate (PET) in the construction<br />
of Continental tyre carcasses, completely<br />
replacing the use of conventional<br />
virgin PET,“ as a press release stated<br />
To re-use recycled PET bottles in tyres,<br />
Continental teamed up with OTIZ, a fibre<br />
specialist and textile manufacturer, to develop a specialized<br />
technology that produces high-quality polyester yarn from<br />
recycled PET without the chemical steps<br />
previously required in the recycling<br />
process. Polyester may not be the first<br />
material you think of when you see a car<br />
tyre, PET yarn is actually an essential<br />
ingredient that makes up the tyre carcass<br />
in the form of textile cords that run from<br />
bead to bead (the inner circle of the<br />
tyre). The horseshoe-shaped layer sits<br />
just above the inner liner, affecting tyre<br />
durability, load carriage, and comfort.<br />
It’s the backbone of the tyre, sustains<br />
loads, and absorbs shock. It maintains its<br />
Picture: Continental<br />
shape even at very high temperatures, so<br />
thermal stability is crucial. MT<br />
www.continental-tires.com<br />
Biobased itaconate butadiene rubber<br />
Last year the the Beijing University of Chemical Technology introduced biobased itaconate butadiene rubber. This project, led<br />
by professor Liqun Zhang started the research in 2008. After 13 years a new generation of high performance and biobased<br />
itaconate butadiene rubber has been successfully developed by professor Zhang’s team. The first class of macromolecular<br />
chain structures based on an itaconic acid resource is epoxy group functionalized poly(dibutyl itaconate-co-butadieneglycidyl<br />
methacrylate) (PDBIBG). It can realize the high value-added utilization of biomass resources and promote green and<br />
sustainable development within the rubber industry.<br />
Itaconic acid is a promising organic acid that has been categorized as one of the top 12 building block molecules in advanced<br />
biorefineries. The specific steps for constructing high molecular weight, crosslinkable biobased rubber with itaconic acid as<br />
the main raw material are as follows (see graph):<br />
• Step 1: Fermentation of biomass resources such as corn and sugar cane to obtain itaconic acid.<br />
• Step 2: In order to obtain high molecular weight polymers, itaconate monomer is obtained by<br />
esterification of biobased alcohol.<br />
• Step 3: Preparation of itaconate/butadiene/glycidyl methacrylate copolymer by low-temperature<br />
redox emulsion polymerization.<br />
The comprehensive properties of the functionalized biobased itaconate butadiene rubber finally obtained are comparable<br />
or even superior to traditional rubbers. By calculation, the production of biobased itaconate butadiene rubber per tonne can<br />
reduce carbon emissions by 1.44 tonnes compared with traditional petroleum-based rubber, which can provide positive support<br />
for the world’s carbon peak and carbon neutral strategy.<br />
By combining a molecular structural design with non-petroleum based silica and an in situ process to tune the viscoelastic<br />
properties of the elastomer composites, silica/PDBIBG nanocomposite based green tyres that have low rolling resistance,<br />
excellent wet skid resistance, and good wear resistance were successfully manufactured, which can promote fuel efficiency<br />
and reduce dependence on petrochemical resources.<br />
With the joint efforts of the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Shandong Chambroad Sinopoly New Material, Shandong<br />
Linglong Tire and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, the world’s first one-tonne production line of PDBIBG materials<br />
was successfully established<br />
in China, and PDBIBG tyres<br />
were manufactured and tested.<br />
The rolling resistance and<br />
wet skid resistance are rated<br />
at the B level by the EU Tyre<br />
Labeling Regulation 1222/2009,<br />
which includes the first batch<br />
of functionalized biobased<br />
itaconate butadiene rubber<br />
radial tyres in the world. MT<br />
https://english.buct.edu.cn/<br />
22 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
BIOMOTIVE<br />
The amount of plastics used in the production of a car is<br />
over 20 % of its weight, excluding car tyres. The automotive<br />
sector production, despite the increasing use of advanced<br />
technologies and the implementation of further restrictions on<br />
the emission of harmful substances, still generates significant<br />
environmental costs. Shrinking crude oil resources and higher<br />
costs of its acquisition, as well as the production and recycling<br />
of plastics, are essential drivers of change throughout<br />
the production chain. Polyurethane foams and materials,<br />
synthetic components for vehicles in the automotive market,<br />
all these products are petroleum-based and force the market<br />
to look for sustainable alternatives.<br />
The Biomotive project, which is part of the European<br />
program Horizon 2020 and Bio-Based Industries Joint<br />
Undertaking, is a project dedicated primarily to the automotive<br />
sector, innovative technologies in the field of polyurethane<br />
production and presentation of their advantages over the<br />
previously used polyurethanes of petrochemical origin.<br />
The European Union declares to achieve climate neutrality<br />
by 2050, the solutions developed by the Biomotive Project offer<br />
an opportunity for manufacturers to meet new challenges<br />
and expectations of increasingly environmentally conscious<br />
customers and new legislations.<br />
The main objectives of the project are to demonstrate on<br />
an industrial scale the production of innovative polymeric<br />
materials of natural origin: thermoplastic polyurethanes,<br />
2-component polyurethane foams and regenerated cellulose<br />
fibres.<br />
The raw materials on which the production of Biomotive<br />
polymers is based are mainly wood pulp, sugars, and vegetable<br />
oils, they are fully renewable and do not interfere with food<br />
production. Another advantage is also that it can be grown on<br />
marginal lands, with low water demand and no special care<br />
related to its cultivation.<br />
Other materials were also tested: flexible car seat foams<br />
with 60 % biobased carbon content have been developed,<br />
offering the same level of comfort as current car seat foams.<br />
Also, upholstery fabrics that covered biofoams, i.e. seats in the<br />
broadly understood automotive industry (although they can<br />
also be used in the furniture industry), were made of almost<br />
100 % materials of biological origin. The use of natural fabrics<br />
increases the overall biological content to nearly 70 %.<br />
The Biomotive project brings together scientific and<br />
research institutes, producers of biomass raw materials,<br />
manufacturers of car parts as well as certification companies<br />
in a European consortium. The result of this cooperation is a<br />
complete, fully researched, and documented production chain,<br />
from the acquisition of bio-raw materials to the subsequent<br />
recycling of specific elements of car, coach, bus, and special<br />
vehicle equipment, as well as the above-mentioned furniture<br />
or vertical garden structures.<br />
Bio-polyurethane production technologies developed under<br />
the Biomotive project are also used in other industries in terms<br />
of ready products and recycled raw materials. For example,<br />
TPU and polyurethane foams will be used as additives for<br />
asphalts, second-component adhesives, and the production<br />
of soles.<br />
The implementation of the Biomotive project will not only<br />
significantly reduce the consumption of fossil resources in the<br />
production process of polyurethane foam or TPU but could also<br />
create new jobs in the sectors of bioproduction, green chemistry<br />
and agriculture.<br />
This project has received funding from the Bio-Based Industries<br />
Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020<br />
research and innovation programme under grant agreement No<br />
745766. MT<br />
https://biomotive.info<br />
Low-carbon PLA Film for Various Applications<br />
BiONLY TM , a novel PLA (polylactic acid)<br />
film, developed by Xiamen Changsu<br />
Industrial Co., Ltd.. This biodegradable<br />
material can be degraded into carbon<br />
dioxide and water under certain<br />
conditions, which can effectively<br />
reduce the carbon footprint. It’s an<br />
ideal eco-friendly packaging material.<br />
Biaxially oriented process greatly improves the mechanical properties<br />
of PLA film and further expands its application field, which is of great<br />
significance to packaging reduction, environmental protection and<br />
carbon reduction.<br />
Automotive<br />
www.changsufilm.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 23
Automotive<br />
Automotive Bioplastics Market<br />
Future Market Insights (FMI), Dubai, United Arab<br />
Emirates, has forecasted the Automotive Bioplastics<br />
Market to grow with a year on year growth of 10.3 % in<br />
<strong>2022</strong> reaching a value of about USD 687.5 Mn by <strong>2022</strong> end.<br />
The new research study on the automotive bioplastic<br />
market contains global industry analysis for 2<strong>01</strong>4-2<strong>01</strong>8 and<br />
opportunity assessment for <strong>2022</strong>–2029.<br />
Automotive Bioplastics Market Base Year Value (2021A) USD 623.3 M<br />
Automotive Bioplastics Market Estimated Year Value (<strong>2022</strong>E) USD 687.5 M<br />
Automotive Bioplastics Market Projected Year Value (2029F) USD 1,442.2 M<br />
Value CAGR (<strong>2022</strong>–2029) 10.7%<br />
Collective Value Share: Top 3 Countries (<strong>2022</strong>E) 49.4%<br />
The research study covers the latest trends, market<br />
influencing factors, key success factors, forecasting factors,<br />
macroeconomics factors, key information, and past market<br />
scenario. The report examines the automotive bioplastic<br />
market and delivers critical insights for the forecast period<br />
of <strong>2022</strong>–2029.<br />
The global automotive bioplastic market is estimated<br />
to be valued at ~USD 687.5 Mn in <strong>2022</strong> and is expected to<br />
increase at a CAGR of ~11 % during the forecast period. As<br />
per the comprehensive analysis provided in the report, the<br />
global automotive bioplastic market is anticipated to witness<br />
considerable growth in the coming years owing to the steady<br />
increase in the adoption of bioplastic materials for various car<br />
components.<br />
Application-wise, the interior segment is expected to hold<br />
a prominent value share of the global automotive bioplastic<br />
market. This segment includes seats, dashboard, air-duct,<br />
HVAC, and other related interior components.<br />
Automotive bioplastic materials tend to reduce dependency<br />
on fossil resources, according to FMI’s analysis. They<br />
materials are not as affected by oil price instability the way<br />
petroleum-based materials are. Automotive bioplastics help<br />
reduce the dependency on limited fossil resources, which is a<br />
key growth driver for the market, with fuel prices projected to<br />
surge significantly over the coming years.<br />
Rising Demand for Electric Vehicles to Create<br />
High Growth Opportunities<br />
Increasing environmental awareness and inconsistent<br />
fuel prices have influenced consumers, particularly in<br />
developed countries of North America and Europe, to opt<br />
for electric car models, such as plug-in hybrid electric<br />
vehicles (PHEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV).<br />
Growing urban population, incentives for use of<br />
electric vehicles, reducing battery prices, strengthening<br />
transportation infrastructure in developed and emerging<br />
countries, and inter-governmental steps for electric<br />
vehicles are further driving the adoption of electric cars.<br />
This, in turn, is anticipated to contribute to the demand for<br />
automotive bioplastic materials during the forecast period.<br />
Governments have put immense pressure on automotive<br />
manufacturers to reduce vehicle weight to achieve fuel<br />
economy. Nowadays, weights of vehicle modules in newer<br />
vehicles are much lighter than conventional ones, which<br />
had metal bodywork. It has been observed that these were<br />
nearly 20 % heavier than today’s modules.<br />
Companies are heavily investing in research &<br />
development and manufacturing strategies to reduce the<br />
weight of several body components. OEMs prefer bioplasticbased<br />
materials over conventional raw materials (steel)<br />
for specific applications as these help reduce the weight<br />
of the vehicle significantly and have other technological<br />
advancements over other materials.<br />
The report highlights some of the prominent market<br />
players, who have established themselves as leaders in the<br />
global automotive bioplastic market. A few examples of key<br />
players in the automotive bioplastic market are Mitsubishi<br />
Chemical Corporation, Total Corbion PLA, NatureWorks<br />
LLC, Solvay Group, Eastman Chemical, Arkema Group,<br />
Braskem, Evonik Industries AG, BASF SE, and Dow<br />
Chemical Company, among others.<br />
The complete report can be purchased from USD 5,000<br />
at Future Market Insights (see website). MT<br />
www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/automotive-bioplastic-market<br />
Magnetic<br />
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www.plasticker.com<br />
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24 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
fossil<br />
available at www.renewable-carbon.eu/graphics<br />
Refining<br />
Polymerisation<br />
Formulation<br />
Processing<br />
Use<br />
renewable<br />
Depolymerisation<br />
Solvolysis<br />
Thermal depolymerisation<br />
Enzymolysis<br />
Purification<br />
Dissolution<br />
Recycling<br />
Conversion<br />
Pyrolysis<br />
Gasification<br />
allocated<br />
Recovery<br />
Recovery<br />
Recovery<br />
conventional<br />
© -Institute.eu | 2021<br />
© -Institute.eu | 2020<br />
PVC<br />
EPDM<br />
PMMA<br />
PP<br />
PE<br />
Vinyl chloride<br />
Propylene<br />
Unsaturated polyester resins<br />
Methyl methacrylate<br />
PEF<br />
Polyurethanes<br />
MEG<br />
Building blocks<br />
Natural rubber<br />
Aniline Ethylene<br />
for UPR<br />
Cellulose-based<br />
2,5-FDCA<br />
polymers<br />
Building blocks<br />
for polyurethanes<br />
Levulinic<br />
acid<br />
Lignin-based polymers<br />
Naphtha<br />
Ethanol<br />
PET<br />
PFA<br />
5-HMF/5-CMF FDME<br />
Furfuryl alcohol<br />
Waste oils<br />
Casein polymers<br />
Furfural<br />
Natural rubber<br />
Saccharose<br />
PTF<br />
Starch-containing<br />
Hemicellulose<br />
Lignocellulose<br />
1,3 Propanediol<br />
polymer compounds<br />
Casein<br />
Fructose<br />
PTT<br />
Terephthalic<br />
Non-edible milk<br />
acid<br />
MPG NOPs<br />
Starch<br />
ECH<br />
Glycerol<br />
p-Xylene<br />
SBR<br />
Plant oils<br />
Fatty acids<br />
Castor oil<br />
11-AA<br />
Glucose Isobutanol<br />
THF<br />
Sebacic<br />
Lysine<br />
PBT<br />
acid<br />
1,4-Butanediol<br />
Succinic<br />
acid<br />
DDDA<br />
PBAT<br />
Caprolactame<br />
Adipic<br />
acid<br />
HMDA DN5<br />
Sorbitol<br />
3-HP<br />
Lactic<br />
acid<br />
Itaconic<br />
Acrylic<br />
PBS(x)<br />
acid<br />
acid<br />
Isosorbide<br />
PA<br />
Lactide<br />
Superabsorbent polymers<br />
Epoxy resins<br />
ABS<br />
PHA<br />
APC<br />
PLA<br />
available at www.renewable-carbon.eu/graphics<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
O<br />
OH<br />
HO<br />
OH<br />
HO<br />
OH<br />
O<br />
OH<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
■<br />
HO<br />
OH<br />
O<br />
OH<br />
O<br />
OH<br />
© -Institute.eu | 2021<br />
All figures available at www.bio-based.eu/markets<br />
Adipic acid (AA)<br />
11-Aminoundecanoic acid (11-AA)<br />
1,4-Butanediol (1,4-BDO)<br />
Dodecanedioic acid (DDDA)<br />
Epichlorohydrin (ECH)<br />
Ethylene<br />
Furan derivatives<br />
D-lactic acid (D-LA)<br />
L-lactic acid (L-LA)<br />
Lactide<br />
Monoethylene glycol (MEG)<br />
Monopropylene glycol (MPG)<br />
Naphtha<br />
1,5-Pentametylenediamine (DN5)<br />
1,3-Propanediol (1,3-PDO)<br />
Sebacic acid<br />
Succinic acid (SA)<br />
© -Institute.eu | 2020<br />
nova Market and Trend Reports<br />
on Renewable Carbon<br />
The Best Available on Bio- and CO2-based Polymers<br />
& Building Blocks and Chemical Recycling<br />
Automotive<br />
Bio-based Naphtha<br />
and Mass Balance Approach<br />
Status & Outlook, Standards &<br />
Certification Schemes<br />
Bio-based Building Blocks and<br />
Polymers – Global Capacities,<br />
Production and Trends 2020 – 2025<br />
Polymers<br />
Carbon Dioxide (CO 2) as Chemical<br />
Feedstock for Polymers<br />
Technologies, Polymers, Developers and Producers<br />
Principle of Mass Balance Approach<br />
Building Blocks<br />
Feedstock<br />
Process<br />
Products<br />
Intermediates<br />
Use of renewable feedstock<br />
in very first steps of<br />
chemical production<br />
(e.g. steam cracker)<br />
Utilisation of existing<br />
integrated production for<br />
all production steps<br />
Allocation of the<br />
renewable share to<br />
selected products<br />
Feedstocks<br />
Authors: Michael Carus, Doris de Guzman and Harald Käb<br />
March 2021<br />
This and other reports on renewable carbon are available at<br />
www.renewable-carbon.eu/publications<br />
Authors: Pia Skoczinski, Michael Carus, Doris de Guzman,<br />
Harald Käb, Raj Chinthapalli, Jan Ravenstijn, Wolfgang Baltus<br />
and Achim Raschka<br />
January 2021<br />
This and other reports on renewable carbon are available at<br />
www.renewable-carbon.eu/publications<br />
Authors: Pauline Ruiz, Achim Raschka, Pia Skoczinski,<br />
Jan Ravenstijn and Michael Carus, nova-Institut GmbH, Germany<br />
January 2021<br />
This and other reports on renewable carbon are available at<br />
www.renewable-carbon.eu/publications<br />
Chemical recycling – Status, Trends<br />
and Challenges<br />
Technologies, Sustainability, Policy and Key Players<br />
Production of Cannabinoids via<br />
Extraction, Chemical Synthesis<br />
and Especially Biotechnology<br />
Current Technologies, Potential & Drawbacks and<br />
Future Development<br />
Commercialisation updates on<br />
bio-based building blocks<br />
Plastic recycling and recovery routes<br />
Bio-based building blocks<br />
Evolution of worldwide production capacities from 2<strong>01</strong>1 to 2024<br />
Primary recycling<br />
(mechanical)<br />
Virgin Feedstock Renewable Feedstock<br />
Monomer<br />
Polymer<br />
Plastic<br />
Product<br />
Secondary recycling<br />
(mechanical)<br />
Tertiary recycling<br />
(chemical)<br />
Secondary<br />
valuable<br />
materials<br />
CO 2 capture<br />
Chemicals<br />
Fuels<br />
Others<br />
Plant extraction<br />
Chemical synthesis<br />
Cannabinoids<br />
Plant extraction<br />
Genetic engineering<br />
Biotechnological production<br />
Production capacities (million tonnes)<br />
4<br />
3<br />
2<br />
1<br />
2<strong>01</strong>1 2<strong>01</strong>2 2<strong>01</strong>3 2<strong>01</strong>4 2<strong>01</strong>5 2<strong>01</strong>6 2<strong>01</strong>7 2<strong>01</strong>8 2<strong>01</strong>9 2024<br />
Product (end-of-use)<br />
Quaternary recycling<br />
(energy recovery)<br />
Energy<br />
Landfill<br />
Author: Lars Krause, Florian Dietrich, Pia Skoczinski,<br />
Michael Carus, Pauline Ruiz, Lara Dammer, Achim Raschka,<br />
nova-Institut GmbH, Germany<br />
November 2020<br />
This and other reports on the bio- and CO 2-based economy are<br />
available at www.renewable-carbon.eu/publications<br />
Authors: Pia Skoczinski, Franjo Grotenhermen, Bernhard Beitzke,<br />
Michael Carus and Achim Raschka<br />
January 2021<br />
This and other reports on renewable carbon are available at<br />
www.renewable-carbon.eu/publications<br />
Author:<br />
Doris de Guzman, Tecnon OrbiChem, United Kingdom<br />
Updated Executive Summary and Market Review May 2020 –<br />
Originally published February 2020<br />
This and other reports on the bio- and CO 2-based economy are<br />
available at www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Levulinic acid – A versatile platform<br />
chemical for a variety of market applications<br />
Global market dynamics, demand/supply, trends and<br />
market potential<br />
HO<br />
O<br />
O<br />
OH<br />
diphenolic acid<br />
O<br />
O<br />
H 2N<br />
OH<br />
O<br />
levulinate ketal<br />
O<br />
OH<br />
O<br />
OH<br />
5-aminolevulinic acid<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
levulinic acid<br />
OR<br />
levulinic ester<br />
O<br />
O<br />
ɣ-valerolactone<br />
OH<br />
HO<br />
H<br />
N<br />
O<br />
O<br />
O<br />
succinic acid<br />
5-methyl-2-pyrrolidone<br />
OH<br />
Succinic acid – From a promising<br />
building block to a slow seller<br />
What will a realistic future market look like?<br />
Pharmaceutical/Cosmetic<br />
Acidic ingredient for denture cleaner/toothpaste<br />
Antidote<br />
Calcium-succinate is anticarcinogenic<br />
Efferescent tablets<br />
Intermediate for perfumes<br />
Pharmaceutical intermediates (sedatives,<br />
antiphlegm/-phogistics, antibacterial, disinfectant)<br />
Preservative for toiletries<br />
Removes fish odour<br />
Used in the preparation of vitamin A<br />
Food<br />
Bread-softening agent<br />
Flavour-enhancer<br />
Flavouring agent and acidic seasoning<br />
in beverages/food<br />
Microencapsulation of flavouring oils<br />
Preservative (chicken, dog food)<br />
Protein gelatinisation and in dry gelatine<br />
desserts/cake flavourings<br />
Used in synthesis of modified starch<br />
Succinic<br />
Acid<br />
Industrial<br />
De-icer<br />
Engineering plastics and epoxy curing<br />
agents/hardeners<br />
Herbicides, fungicides, regulators of plantgrowth<br />
Intermediate for lacquers + photographic chemicals<br />
Plasticizer (replaces phtalates, adipic acid)<br />
Polymers<br />
Solvents, lubricants<br />
Surface cleaning agent<br />
(metal-/electronic-/semiconductor-industry)<br />
Other<br />
Anodizing Aluminium<br />
Chemical metal plating, electroplating baths<br />
Coatings, inks, pigments (powder/radiation-curable<br />
coating, resins for water-based paint,<br />
dye intermediate, photocurable ink, toners)<br />
Fabric finish, dyeing aid for fibres<br />
Part of antismut-treatment for barley seeds<br />
Preservative for cut flowers<br />
Soil-chelating agent<br />
Standards and labels for<br />
bio-based products<br />
Authors: Achim Raschka, Pia Skoczinski, Raj Chinthapalli,<br />
Ángel Puente and Michael Carus, nova-Institut GmbH, Germany<br />
October 2<strong>01</strong>9<br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Authors: Raj Chinthapalli, Ángel Puente, Pia Skoczinski,<br />
Achim Raschka, Michael Carus, nova-Institut GmbH, Germany<br />
October 2<strong>01</strong>9<br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
Authors: Lara Dammer, Michael Carus and Dr. Asta Partanen<br />
nova-Institut GmbH, Germany<br />
May 2<strong>01</strong>7<br />
This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at<br />
www.bio-based.eu/reports<br />
renewable-carbon.eu/publications<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 25
Automotive<br />
Why cycle<br />
when you could travel in style?<br />
By Alex Thielen<br />
The Finnish entrepreneur and guitar maker Ari-Jukka<br />
Luomaranta introduces a new way to travel in style – the<br />
Kinner-car, a modern retro-style velomobile. The Kinner is a<br />
two-seat four-wheel muscle-powered pedalcar – a humanpowered<br />
sportscar if you will. It has an electrical engine<br />
comparable to e-bikes with an assisted top speed of 25 km/h<br />
– you can go faster, on pure muscle power. The electrical<br />
assist can be turned off for the really ambitious drivers, but if<br />
active it makes low speed driving easy and comfortable.<br />
It has narrow and light road bike wheels, but tyres can be<br />
changed bigger for gravel roads. All composite parts can<br />
be made of fibreglass, carbon fibre, or a green biobased<br />
composite material making it overall very light. The Kinnercar<br />
won’t get a roof, but rather some kind of cover to protect<br />
the cockpit from the elements when left outside.<br />
However, at this point it is still a working prototype, so we<br />
do not have any information on the exact weight just yet. The<br />
first prototype is made of composites using fibreglass and<br />
carbon fibre. So there is no green prototype yet, but Ari-Jukka<br />
told bioplastics MAGAZINE that he plans to experiment with<br />
composite parts infused with greenpoxy and flax fibre. “Here<br />
in my area, west coast of Finland, we have a lot of knowhow<br />
in composites as we have many boat factories. (They are)<br />
making various kinds of motorboats, as well as sailboats also<br />
for competition, with a range of extreme requirements. We got<br />
the idea from Finnish boatmakers like Swan and Baltic-yacht.<br />
Baltic, for example, is making their Cafe racer by using the<br />
same principle to substitute as much carbon fibre as possible<br />
with flax.”<br />
What we do know are the general specs of the Kinner-car,<br />
it’s (currently) 285 cm long, 100 cm wide and has a wheelbase<br />
of 220 cm. Furthermore, it is registered as a power-assisted<br />
bicycle – no driving license is needed (in the EU). It is great for<br />
both shopping and travel as it has a large space for luggage<br />
under the hood. An integrated PIN-code-activated anti-theft<br />
system is planned as well.<br />
There will be various customizable options for the Kinnercar.<br />
Beyond the choice of various colours, there are also<br />
nice extras like side windscreen, mirrors, lights & blinkers<br />
integrated into the electric system which can be used like a<br />
sport watch.<br />
The stylish velomobile is a local production to make it as<br />
eco-friendly as possible, no overseas production is used for<br />
cheap labour or to get rid of environmental regulations. The<br />
individual parts don’t have to travel far either – everything is<br />
based around the town of Kokkola, Finland.<br />
The Kinner-car certainly is a luxury means of transportation<br />
with a price tag of 15,000 EUR (~12,000 EUR tax-free outside<br />
of the EU). There is a reservation option of 500 EUR that will<br />
help with getting the things rolling, which will be paid back<br />
with a 20 % bonus (so 600 EUR) after delivery – starting in<br />
April <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
www.kinner-car.com | https://greenpoxy.org<br />
26 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Automotive<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 27
Automotive<br />
Sustainable materials in<br />
high-end luxury car<br />
Pictures courtesy Daimler<br />
The VISION EQXX is the result of a mission Mercedes-<br />
Benz (Stuttgart, Germany) set themselves to break<br />
through technological barriers across the board and<br />
to lift energy efficiency to new heights. It demonstrates<br />
the gains that are possible through rethinking the<br />
fundamentals from the ground up. This includes advances<br />
across all elements of its cutting-edge electric drivetrain as<br />
well as the use of lightweight engineering and sustainable<br />
materials.<br />
While Vision EQXX offers many innovations that are<br />
worthwhile to talk about this article will focus mainly on the<br />
sustainable materials used.<br />
Marking the launch of a new, super-purist design style,<br />
the Vision EQXX represents a new expression of efficiency in<br />
interior design. In a departure from the conventional design<br />
approach, the interior layout focuses on just a few modules<br />
and the beautiful simplicity of lightweight design. This is<br />
expressed through the absence of complex shapes and<br />
the integration of lightweight structures into the interior<br />
aesthetic in a wholly organic way, making traditional trim<br />
elements superfluous.<br />
The interior features many innovative materials sourced<br />
from start-ups around the world. For example, the<br />
door pulls are made from AMsilk’s (Planegg, Germany)<br />
Biosteel® fibre. This high-strength, certified-vegan, silklike<br />
fabric is made using AMSilk’s proprietary biotechnology<br />
expertise. AMSilk is the world’s first industrial supplier<br />
of vegan silk biopolymers which are biodegradable,<br />
recyclable, renewable, and zero-waste. Marking a first<br />
in the automotive sector, Biosteel provides a solution to<br />
the car industry whose need to replace petroleum-based<br />
content with natural, biobased materials is increasingly<br />
growing. (For some more info on Biosteel see bM 04/17)<br />
Another sustainable material gracing the interior of the<br />
Vision EQXX is Mylo TM (Emeryville, California, USA), a verified<br />
vegan leather alternative made from mycelium, which is the<br />
underground rootlike structure of mushrooms. It is certified<br />
biobased, which means it is made predominantly from<br />
renewable ingredients found in nature. This completely new<br />
material category created by the power of biotechnology is<br />
designed to be less harmful to the environment and is used<br />
for details of the seat cushions in the Vision EQXX.<br />
The animal-free leather alternative called Deserttex ® ,<br />
made by Desserto’s (Guadalajara, Mexico), is a sustainable<br />
cactus-based biomaterial made from pulverised cactus<br />
fibres combined with a sustainable biobased polyurethane<br />
matrix. In this combination, the leather alternative has<br />
an exceptionally supple finish that is extremely soft to the<br />
touch. Forthcoming versions have a higher cactus content,<br />
giving this material the potential to halve the ecological<br />
footprint associated with conventional artificial leathers.<br />
On the floor, the carpets in the Vision EQXX are made<br />
from 100 % bamboo fibre. In addition to being fastgrowing<br />
and renewable, this natural raw material offers an<br />
extremely luxurious look and feel. Mercedes-Benz chose<br />
these sustainable, innovative, high-performance materials<br />
because they, and others like them, have the potential to<br />
replace all sorts of petroleum- and animal-based products<br />
currently used in automotive applications. Together, they<br />
show a way forward for luxury design that conserves<br />
resources and is in balance with nature.<br />
Elsewhere, the Vision EQXX makes extensive use of<br />
recycled waste materials, such as the recycled PET bottles<br />
used in a shimmering textile to enhance the floor area<br />
and door trim. Higher up in the interior, the designers<br />
used DINAMICA®, from Vyva Fabrics (Amsterdam, The<br />
Netherlands) made from 38 % recycled PET to create a<br />
wrap-around effect linking the upper edge of the onepiece<br />
screen with the doors and headliner. The interior also<br />
features UBQ material, a sustainable plastic substitute<br />
made from household and municipal landfill waste.<br />
28 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Automotive<br />
UBQ is also used in the largest aluminium structural<br />
casting at Mercedes-Benz, BIONEQXX is the major<br />
structural component at the rear end of the VISION EQXX<br />
– the rear floor.<br />
The most important of the structural criteria here<br />
is the need for very high stiffness and excellent crash<br />
performance. The beauty of the one-part BIONEQXX casting<br />
is the ability to pair this with functional integration within<br />
an extremely lightweight single component rather than an<br />
assembly of multiple parts joined together.<br />
The one-part casting has a web-like appearance with gaps<br />
where there is no need for structural elements. However,<br />
the rear floor of a vehicle is subject to more than just<br />
physical loads in everyday use. It has to withstand attempts<br />
by nature to get inside the car in the form of water and dirt.<br />
To address this, Mercedes-Benz engineers turned once<br />
more to external partner UBQ Materials. The sustainable<br />
plastic substitute developed by the Israel-based (Tel Aviv)<br />
start-up is made from the kind of waste that typically ends<br />
up in landfill. The cooperation between Mercedes and UBQ<br />
won the Sustainability Award in Automotive 2021 in the “best<br />
start-up” category. UBQ is not just suitable for prototype<br />
applications, it also offers very strong potential for transfer<br />
into series production in the near future.<br />
The openings in the BIONEQXX rear-floor casting were<br />
closed using patches made from UBQ produced on a 3D<br />
printer. A total of 42 UBQ patches were designed using<br />
shape optimisation to achieve extremely high stiffness<br />
and good sound-dampening qualities. Once inserted into<br />
the BIONEQXX casting using a special bonding process,<br />
the final unit is fully sealed against the ravages of water<br />
and dirt. The resulting part indicates that this innovative<br />
engineering approach has the potential to achieve weight<br />
savings of 15–20 % compared to a conventionally produced<br />
component. It marks a milestone in lightweight design that<br />
meets the exacting Mercedes-Benz quality requirements<br />
Jack “Tato” Bigio, Co-CEO and Co-Founder at UBQ-<br />
Materials, talked about their collaboration with Mercedes-<br />
Benz. “UBQ is used for a large number of plastic parts (in<br />
the Vision EQXX), it’s inside the rear of the car, it’s in the car,<br />
it’s in the motor – it was a very fruitful collaboration. (…)<br />
Mercedes-Benz is among the leading luxury car companies<br />
in the world and working together with them has just been<br />
really rewarding. They have very demanding requirements,<br />
certifications, and validating processes. Crossing all those<br />
barriers and becoming part of a Mercedes car is a dream<br />
come true,” Tato told bioplastics MAGAZINE. Due to time and<br />
space constraints we decided to publish the remainder of<br />
this interview in a later <strong>issue</strong> focusing on UBQ materials<br />
as a whole.<br />
In any case, it is great to see so many renewable materials<br />
used in high-end luxury cars, showing not only that they are<br />
viable design choices, but can compete with conventional<br />
plastic materials for technical applications as well. AT<br />
www.daimler.com | www.biosteel-fiber.com | www.mylo-unleather.com<br />
www.deserttex.com | www.vyvafabrics.com | www.ubqmaterials.com<br />
VISION EQXX: key technical data at a glance*<br />
Battery energy<br />
content, usable<br />
kWh 900<br />
Energy consumption<br />
kWh/100 km<br />
6)<br />
cd value 0.17**<br />
Max. power output kW ~150<br />
Wheelbase cm 280<br />
Gross vehicle weight kg ~1,750<br />
*: Range figures preliminary and based on digital simulations in<br />
real-life traffic conditions. The VISION EQXX has not undergone<br />
type approval or homologation<br />
** cd figure measured in the Daimler aero-acoustic wind tunnel at<br />
a wind speed of 140 km/h<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 29
Automotive<br />
Bioconcept-Car has 3 new siblings<br />
The development goes on with a lot of natural fibre composites, and more…<br />
Photo: Four Motors, Johannes Nollmeyer<br />
L<br />
ongtime readers of bioplastics MAGAZINE know that the<br />
Bioconcept-Car, created by Four Motors (Reutlingen,<br />
Germany) has always been one of our favourite subjects.<br />
When we visited the first edition (a biodiesel Ford Mustang) at<br />
the famous Nürburgring racetrack in Germany for our <strong>01</strong>/2007<br />
cover story, Alex, still a teenager then, was already on board. A<br />
Renault Mégane, a Volkswagen Scirocco and several Porsches<br />
followed. Some editions were even presented live at our bio!CAR<br />
conferences.<br />
For many, sustainability and racing sounds like a contradiction<br />
in terms. But it is not: “Especially in view of today’s diesel and<br />
particulate matter debates, environmentally-friendly mobility is<br />
becoming increasingly important. A switch to electric mobility<br />
is not possible from one day to the next. Alternatives must be<br />
created for a continuous transition to conserve finite resources<br />
and make them available to future generations for as long<br />
as possible,” explained Thomas (Tom) von Löwis of Menar,<br />
Managing Director of Four Motors.<br />
Driven by this pioneering spirit, every two to three years<br />
since 2006 unique prototypes have been created which serve<br />
as a platform for environmentally-friendly technologies, set<br />
standards and have had to prove themselves many times under<br />
the extreme competitive conditions of motorsports. As the<br />
“fastest test laboratory in the world,” Four Motors is competing<br />
with the Bioconcept-Car in the Nürburgring Endurance Series<br />
(NLS) and the international 24-hour race at the Nürburgring<br />
to test the sustainable concepts under the toughest real-life<br />
conditions and to make the abstract topic of renewables tangible.<br />
“In our beloved Green Hell, we show that sustainable mobility and<br />
driving pleasure are not mutually exclusive,” said driver Smudo,<br />
who is – by the way – the frontman of the famous and successful<br />
German Hip-hop band Die Fantastischen Vier (The Fantastic<br />
Four – not to be confused with the Marvel superheroes). After<br />
all, the aim of the project is not only to make effective use of<br />
renewable resources and promote the development of a climatefriendly<br />
car. Together with its various partners, Four Motors is<br />
also providing food for thought to draw public attention to the<br />
new possibilities and performance of these promising materials.<br />
The Bio-Trio<br />
Now the racing team around Tom owns and races three<br />
Porsche Bioconcept-Cars at the same time. The Bio-Trio<br />
consists of:<br />
1) a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup<br />
2) a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport<br />
3) a Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport 981<br />
The green pioneers take their responsibility seriously without<br />
losing the fun of racing. In these three vehicles, the Bioconcept-<br />
Car team combines three pillars of sustainability:<br />
These are, of course, biobased materials which we will touch<br />
on in more detail below. In addition, the team looks into reducing<br />
CO 2<br />
through re-refined engine and gearbox oil and advanced<br />
fuels.<br />
The Bio-Trio is driving with re-refined engine and gearbox<br />
oil from sponsor duo Wolf Oil Corporation and Teco2il. Using<br />
patented high-tech processes, the Finnish refinery Teco2il<br />
processes used oils up to high-quality base oils, which are<br />
even purer than freshly produced base oils originating from<br />
crude oil. The Belgian lubricants company Wolf Oil Corporation<br />
formulates the base oils into high-performance oils so that they<br />
can be used in the engine and transmission sector. The use of<br />
these sustainable oils significantly reduces the CO 2<br />
footprint.<br />
Consistently implemented, this means a crude oil saving of more<br />
than two thirds and a corresponding reduction in CO 2<br />
emissions<br />
up to 80 % in the manufacturing process.<br />
The second pillar is the fuel. The E20 high-performance fuel<br />
from CropEnergies also ensures a significantly improved energy<br />
balance of the three Porsche race cars. E20 is a blend of 80 %<br />
petrol and 20 % sustainably produced bioethanol, which reduces<br />
CO 2<br />
emissions by approximately 70 % compared to a conventional<br />
super petrol. During the production of bioethanol, the CO 2<br />
emission is completely captured during the entire process chain,<br />
annually examined and certified by independent institutions. The<br />
production of domestic agricultural raw materials requires only<br />
1 % of the agricultural land for the entire European bioethanol<br />
industry. “And the development in terms of fuels goes on,” as<br />
Tom von Löwis told bioplastics MAGAZINE.<br />
And last but not at all least, lightweight components from<br />
bio-fibre composites. Since the beginning, in 2006, Four Motors<br />
has been using resource-conserving biomaterials in their<br />
Bioconcept-Cars, which are also particularly light to reduce the<br />
vehicle’s fuel consumption. They have been working together<br />
with the Fraunhofer WKI application centre in Hannover,<br />
Germany for nine years. In 2<strong>01</strong>7, the partners were strengthened<br />
for the first time by innovative German car manufacturer<br />
Porsche. The development cooperation is funded by the German<br />
Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). Together with<br />
the natural fibre specialists from Bcomp (Fribourg, Switzerland),<br />
pioneering lightweight components made of natural fibre<br />
composites are being developed, designed, produced, and tested<br />
for suitability for series production in the Bioconcept-Car. By<br />
using lightweight components based on flax fibres, the weight<br />
of the bio-components has been almost matched to that of<br />
lightweight carbon versions.<br />
As part of the project, Bcomp conducted a full sustainability<br />
analysis comparing the natural fibre composites to the<br />
conventional carbon fibre parts. The Bcomp solution offered a<br />
94 % reduction in material emissions and a 90 % reduction in<br />
30 bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/21] Vol. 16
cradle-to-gate emissions. While carbon fibre parts are often<br />
discarded in landfills, Bcomp’s alternative brings a number of<br />
sustainable end-of-life options to help further minimise the<br />
cradle-to-grave impact. Thanks to highly efficient<br />
thermal energy recovery, components that are no<br />
longer in use or broken can be used to supply the<br />
production of new parts with renewable energy and<br />
form a sustainable process without residual waste.<br />
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup<br />
Vol. 2 ISSN 1862-5258<br />
The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup II is the first car to<br />
feature bio-fibre-doors produced using an RTM (Resin<br />
Transfer Moulding) process that enables the lightweight<br />
components to be mass-produced. In our interview,<br />
Tom told bioplastics MAGAZINE that the 911 had a severe<br />
accident in 2021, and “the whole car was destroyed, but<br />
NOT the doors,” as he pointed out.<br />
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport<br />
The 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport is the first series-produced<br />
racing car to rely on sustainably manufactured body parts: The<br />
doors, rear wing, and front lip are made of the biocomposite<br />
materials that were previously successfully tested by Smudo<br />
on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. In 2020 Four Motors, Bcomp,<br />
Porsche Motorsport, and Manthey-Racing also constructed<br />
and produced a lightweight kit with the natural fibre materials.<br />
Front and rear bumper, as well as rear and front hood,<br />
performed perfectly during the 24h race endurance test in the<br />
Four Motors’ 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.<br />
In addition, the 718 has been equipped with a sustainable<br />
interior since September 2021. Together with Porsche,<br />
the Swiss sustainable lightweighting company Bcomp has<br />
developed a high-performance natural fibre interior for this<br />
car. Nine parts were subjected to reverse engineering by<br />
Bcomp, including the air ducts, consoles, instrument cluster,<br />
glove compartment, and roof module. All optical components<br />
have been given a semi-transparent matt finish to match the<br />
finish of the GT4 CS series rear wing, which also features<br />
ampliTex and powerRibs from Bcomp. The powerRibs<br />
reinforcement grid uses the high specific bending stiffness<br />
of flax to build up height very efficiently, boosting the flexural<br />
stiffness of thin-walled shell elements significantly (cf. bM<br />
03/15, 06/17, 04/18, <strong>01</strong>/19, <strong>01</strong>/21).<br />
The sustainable flax-fibre composite components also offer<br />
250 % better vibration damping than carbon fibre, which leads<br />
to less noise, less vibration, and harshness (NVH) advantages.<br />
At the end of 2021, Porsche presented the successor to<br />
the 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport – the new GT4 RS. While the<br />
previous 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport was the first-ever series<br />
production race car to use body parts made of renewable<br />
natural-fibre composite material. In the case of the new GT4 RS<br />
Clubsport, even more extensive use of this material is made in<br />
the vehicle as a whole. In addition to the doors and the rear wing,<br />
the bonnet, the wings, the aerodynamic components at the front<br />
end, and the steering wheel are now made of this material.<br />
Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport 981<br />
And finally, “the 981 is our rolling test-lab,” as Tom von<br />
Löwis explained. This car had an accident in 2021 as well.<br />
In this case, the doors were damaged too. “But the doors<br />
broke without splintering,” Tom said. “This is a big advantage,<br />
especially in a race, as there are no sharp-edged splinters on<br />
the road that could damage the tyres of the following cars.”<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
<strong>01</strong>/2007<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 5 ISSN 1862-5258<br />
<strong>01</strong> | 2007<br />
Biodiesel racing car<br />
made of linseed oil acrylate | 10<br />
Basics<br />
Cellulosics | 44<br />
Highlights:<br />
Automotive | 10<br />
Foam | 22<br />
Bioplastics in<br />
Automotive Applications | 10<br />
How much „bio“ is in there? | 15<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 7 ISSN 1862-5258<br />
<strong>01</strong> | 2<strong>01</strong>0<br />
. is read in 85 countries<br />
<strong>01</strong>/2<strong>01</strong>0<strong>01</strong>/2<strong>01</strong>2<br />
January/February <strong>01</strong> | 2<strong>01</strong>2<br />
Highlights<br />
Automotive | 10<br />
Basics<br />
Basics of PLA | 54<br />
Highlights<br />
Automotive | 10<br />
Foam | 26<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 8 ISSN 1862-5258<br />
. is read in 91 countries<br />
Porsche 911 GT3 Cup<br />
(Photo: Four Motors / Gruppe C Photography)<br />
Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport<br />
(Photo: Four Motors / Gruppe C Photography)<br />
Basics<br />
PTT | 44<br />
Cayman GT4 Clubsport 981<br />
(Photo: Four Motors / ElfImages Motorsport)<br />
<strong>01</strong>/2<strong>01</strong>3<br />
By Michael Thielen<br />
January / February<br />
Cover-Story<br />
Bioconcept Car | 10<br />
. is read in 91 countries<br />
<strong>01</strong> | 2<strong>01</strong>3<br />
Automotive<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [04/21] Vol. 16 31
Conference Automotive Review<br />
Porsche 718 GT4 CS Interieur (Photo: Four Motors)<br />
Biocomposite rear wing and bumper<br />
(Photo: Four Motors / ElfImages Motorsport)<br />
Even the wheel rims (RONAL) are made of mostly recycled<br />
aluminium and manufactured with 100 % green electricity.<br />
The more durable tyres from Michelin, as well as the<br />
planned development of low-abrasion and environmentally<br />
friendly brake pads from PAGID Racing round off the<br />
sustainable wheels<br />
(Photo: Four Motors / ElfImages Motorsport)<br />
In 2<strong>01</strong>1, Michael Thielen took a round through the<br />
Nürburgring Nordschleife himself in the Volkswagen<br />
Scirocco Bioconcept-Car (Photo: Hans-Josef Endres)<br />
Voices<br />
“On the race track the evidence is shown: A racing car<br />
with components made of plant fibres and other biogenic<br />
raw materials is just as powerful as a conventional racing<br />
car. And what works under high performance and extreme<br />
conditions is even more reliable in everyday life. This once<br />
again shows just how much potential the bio-economy<br />
has to offer. It is all about sustainability and finding<br />
environmentally-friendly mobility solutions. My goal is to<br />
ensure that alternative raw materials, i.e. raw materials<br />
that are not dependent on crude oil, are used to a much<br />
greater extent in everyday products. In this way, we are<br />
also making a contribution to climate protection and the<br />
protection of our resources,” said the former German<br />
Minister of Agriculture, Julia Klöckner.<br />
Smudo added: “Bio in automotive engineering is hightech.<br />
Biotechnologies make the car even more competitive.<br />
For the first time, we have succeeded in winning an<br />
automobile manufacturer in Porsche with whom we can<br />
bring bio-lightweight components into series production.”<br />
“Given the popularity of race-to-road technology transfer<br />
– and the similarity between GT4 and road-going sportscars<br />
– this proves the possibility of volume road applications<br />
for our technology,” said Christian Fischer, CEO and Co-<br />
Founder of Bcomp. “We look forward to continuing our work<br />
with Porsche Motorsport and exploring new possibilities<br />
and applications for sustainable composites in racing and<br />
beyond.”<br />
Eduard Ene, Specialist Interior GT-Road Cars, Porsche<br />
Motorsport, commented: “We must all ensure that natural<br />
fibre composites are used more and more in the world of<br />
automotive components.”<br />
Kay-Alexander Breitbach, project leader GT racecars,<br />
adds: “Porsche has proven in the GT4 RS that natural fibrebased<br />
plastics are competitive and believes in the potential<br />
of sustainable racing.”<br />
And finally, Tom von Löwis said: “Thanks to the<br />
collaboration between the Porsche engineers and the<br />
natural fibre specialists at Bcomp, the quality of natural<br />
fibre components has been raised to a new level in recent<br />
years and beats carbon fibre components particularly in<br />
terms of the carbon footprint. We are pleased that with the<br />
bio-interior we can now gradually replace all carbon fibre<br />
parts in our 718 Cayman GT4 CS with natural-fibre parts.”<br />
Outlook<br />
Four Motors and the Bioconcept-Car team are<br />
enthusiastic about future developments. In <strong>2022</strong> they are<br />
planning to investigate 100 % biobased composites. “We<br />
call that B100, or Bio100,” as Tom von Löwis pointed out.<br />
“We are thinking of combining the natural fibres with 100<br />
% biobased resins in so-called prepregs.” The second<br />
approach, while not exactly a bioplastics topic, is no less<br />
important: “As electromobility is not an <strong>issue</strong> for us – at<br />
least not yet – we are looking into more sustainable fuel<br />
mixtures.” More details, however, could not be disclosed<br />
so far. So, stay tuned. bioplastics MAGAZINE will continue<br />
its now 15-year lasting observation of the Bioconcept-Car<br />
development.<br />
www.fourmotors.com | www.bcomp.ch<br />
32 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 33
Automotive<br />
Car headliner from<br />
plastic waste and old tyres<br />
Grupo Antolin, (Burgos, Spain), a global supplier of<br />
technological solutions for car interiors, presents the<br />
first headliner substrate produced by thermoforming a<br />
PU foam with materials made from urban & post-consumer<br />
plastic waste and end-of-life tyres. Working with recycled<br />
materials is a natural step in the company’s commitment<br />
to developing a sustainable business. The aim is to reduce<br />
waste and energy consumption during manufacturing and<br />
to meet the demand for eco-friendly interiors, something<br />
increasingly valued by car buyers’ choices.<br />
The headliner part looks like a standard headliner and<br />
performs exactly the same (sustainability surge comes<br />
without any reduction in the physical properties of the<br />
headliner). This accomplishment has been possible thanks<br />
to a material’s manufacturing process developed by the<br />
partner BASF (using of chemical recycling) that Antolin<br />
has validated and introduced in a fully electric European<br />
premium car that has just been launched to the market.<br />
Approximately 50 % of the headliner weight is recycled. In<br />
this particular project, 100 % of the textile, 70 % of the core<br />
foam, and 70 % of the plastic sunroof reinforcement frame<br />
have been obtained from residues that couldn’t be recycled<br />
in any other way and would have been, ultimately, disposed<br />
of in landfills or incinerated.<br />
“This project is a step towards a more sustainable car<br />
interior trim and a huge leap for the Wet PU technology.<br />
A technology that has demonstrated to be the most<br />
competitive in terms of cost and quality, fulfilling at the<br />
same time the most demanding specifications from our<br />
clients,” says Enrique Fernandez, Advanced Engineering<br />
Director, Overhead Systems BU.<br />
“We are going one step further by deploying the strategy<br />
among our clients worldwide. Our next project featuring<br />
recycled core PU foam will be unveiled in <strong>2022</strong> and it will be<br />
manufactured using renewable electricity. Our commitment<br />
is to reduce the generation of waste and emissions in all<br />
our production processes,” highlights Javier Blanco, Grupo<br />
Antolin’s Sustainability Director. These types of solutions are<br />
an example of the company’s technological commitment to<br />
help its customers to develop more sustainable vehicles by<br />
reducing waste, weight and emissions.<br />
This action is part of the Sustainability Master Plan that<br />
has been designed with the United Nations Sustainable<br />
Development Goals’ 2030 Agenda as a roadmap.<br />
Mechanical recycling<br />
As the leading overhead systems supplier, Grupo Antolin<br />
focuses on different methods and technologies to recycle<br />
interior trim parts as part of its objective to make a positive<br />
contribution to society and reduce carbon footprint. In<br />
this sense, mechanical recycling is another well-known<br />
procedure that helps to reintegrate plastic products into<br />
the production cycle. This is a mature technology that has<br />
found many applications and it’s well integrated in industrial<br />
processes. This type of recycling is currently being used<br />
with thermoplastic structures. With thermoset materials,<br />
mechanical recycling is not possible in many cases, though.<br />
Antolin has developed<br />
technologies that allow to process<br />
a wider quality range of recycled<br />
plastic sources that are transformed<br />
into automotive parts using a<br />
process called Novaform. On the<br />
other hand, it has also introduced<br />
in serial production in Europe a<br />
method to recycle the thermoset<br />
run-offs and technical scrap from<br />
headliners and transform them<br />
into construction boards. These<br />
boards are currently being used in<br />
Europe, Africa, and South America.<br />
The product, branded Coretech, is<br />
capable of transforming a composite<br />
thermoset product (that couldn’t be<br />
recycled in other ways) into a board<br />
with outstanding insulation and<br />
endurance properties. MT<br />
www.grupoantolin.com<br />
34 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 35
Foam<br />
Mattress recycling now a reality<br />
Dow Polyurethanes, a business division of Dow (Midland,<br />
Michigan, USA), and Orrion Chemicals Orgaform<br />
(Semoy, France) together with Eco-mobilier (Paris,<br />
France), H&S Anlagentechnik (Sulingen, Germany), and The<br />
Vita Group (Manchester, UK) have inaugurated a pioneering<br />
mattress recycling plant as part of the RENUVA program.<br />
Old mattresses made of polyurethane foam will now be<br />
recovered, dismantled, and chemically recycled to create<br />
a new polyol, which is a key starting material to produce<br />
polyurethane. This Renuva polyol is designed for various<br />
applications including mattresses. The recent unveiling<br />
is a major step forward for the recovery and recycling of<br />
polyurethane foam and a significant advance for closing the<br />
loop for end-of-life mattresses. At full capacity, the plant<br />
will process up to 200,000 mattresses per year to tackle the<br />
growing mattress waste problem.<br />
“We are immensely proud to have unveiled this plant.<br />
By doing so we are answering the question of what can be<br />
done with recycled polyurethane foam. It is part of Dow’s<br />
strong commitment to delivering solutions that help close<br />
the loop and protect our environment,” commented Marie<br />
Buy, Sustainability Leader EMEAI, Dow Polyurethanes, “As<br />
Renuva now shifts focus to the production phase and the<br />
first foam made with the new polyol, our Dow Polyurethane<br />
sustainability journey continues. We are actively exploring<br />
future possibilities for recycled material and potential<br />
applications. It is really a new beginning.”<br />
The Renuva mattress recycling plant is the result of<br />
strong collaboration between Dow and key players from<br />
across the mattress lifecycle: chemical innovator Orrion<br />
Chemicals Orgaform, expert mattress collector Ecomobilier,<br />
turnkey solutions provider H&S Anlagentechnik,<br />
and foam manufacturer The Vita Group.<br />
“This really is a first for our company and for France.<br />
We have a longstanding commitment to creating more<br />
sustainable solutions and have long recognized the need<br />
for the industry to be part of the solution,” commented<br />
Christian Siest, President, Orrion Chemicals Orgaform,<br />
“Our plant uses a chemical recycling process in which the<br />
polyurethane foam is decomposed and converted into a<br />
novel single product. The great thing about this is versatility;<br />
we can process foam from any mattress and the Renuva<br />
polyol recipe itself can be tailored for different applications.”<br />
“Our ambition is to ensure the quality of the materials<br />
collected and delivery to Renuva so that we keep to the<br />
promise of a closed loop”, stated Dominique Mignon,<br />
President of Eco-mobilier.<br />
As previously announced, flexible polyurethane foam<br />
solutions provider, The Vita Group will use the Renuva polyol<br />
to create its award-winning Orbis flexible foam, providing a<br />
more sustainable offering to the bedding market.<br />
“Consumer attitudes have changed significantly, and<br />
people are becoming a lot more focused on making<br />
sustainable choices. We have already seen strong interest<br />
from customers across Europe for Orbis foam and interest<br />
in the Renuva technology, providing exciting opportunities<br />
for our product lines,” commented Mark Lewis, Operations<br />
and Projects Director at The Vita Group.<br />
Last year in late September, Dow and Renuva partners<br />
hosted a special virtual event “Closing the Loop for<br />
Mattresses: A New Beginning with Renuva” to reflect on the<br />
future of the program and share a closer look at what this<br />
plant means for the bedding industry (see video link).<br />
Eco-mobilier is also collaborating with materials<br />
manufacturer Covestro (Leverkusen, Germany), aspiring<br />
to generate enhanced value aiming at mattresses and<br />
upholsteries. Both parties want to further develop waste<br />
markets for foam used in such applications, to enable its<br />
use in chemical recycling processes with high efficiency<br />
at an industrial level. Furthermore, the parties underline<br />
their commitment through an agreement, which sets out<br />
a common understanding of strategic goals, projects, and<br />
activities, forming the basis for a long-term cooperation<br />
between them.<br />
Covestro and Eco-mobilier want to keep mattrasses out<br />
of landfill and minimize incineration, thus reducing their<br />
environmental impact, and giving the material a new life.<br />
For this purpose, they want to combine their expertise<br />
and jointly develop a new solution and a business model<br />
for the chemical recycling of polyurethane foam from postconsumer<br />
mattresses and upholsteries.<br />
Eco-mobilier has extensive experience in the collection,<br />
logistics and processing of used furniture, such as<br />
mattresses and upholsteries. This mainly concerns the<br />
dismantling of used furniture and pre-sorting materials in<br />
Dismantling of old matresses<br />
Chemical recycling step<br />
36 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Foam<br />
order to obtain pure foam parts as raw materials for<br />
recycling. A key topic of the collaboration is to further<br />
develop the decentralized dismantling process of<br />
mattresses to avoid ecologically unfavourable transport<br />
of the foam parts to the chemical recycling plant.<br />
At a later stage, the partners also plan to evaluate<br />
possibilities and develop a corresponding process<br />
for recycling upholstered furniture with polyurethane<br />
foams.<br />
Brand<br />
owner<br />
Retail<br />
End customer<br />
End-of-life<br />
products<br />
“For ten years, Eco-mobilier has been acting to set<br />
up and improve a specific scheme for End-of-Life PU<br />
foam collecting and recycling. The partnership between<br />
Eco-mobilier and Covestro will allow to increase and<br />
to diversify the existing solutions for the chemical<br />
recycling of PU foam and to extend the perspectives<br />
for a material which had been considered, yet recently,<br />
as non-recyclable. Especially, by experiencing padded<br />
furniture recycling with Covestro, Eco-mobilier is<br />
delighted to start a new stage of development of its<br />
strategy targeting ´zero landfilling´ for furniture,” said<br />
Dominique Mignon.<br />
As part of its new collaboration with Eco-mobilier,<br />
Covestro intends to make use of a novel process<br />
compared to other chemical recycling approaches,<br />
which it has developed for recycling the foam chemically.<br />
The technology has competitive advantages as it allows<br />
the recovery of both core raw materials originally used.<br />
To this end, the company also operates a pilot plant<br />
for flexible foam recycling at its site in Leverkusen,<br />
Germany, which is used for test purposes.<br />
“We are thrilled to complement Eco-mobilier´s<br />
unique expertise in furniture recycling with our chemical<br />
recycling technology in this powerful partnership,” says<br />
Christine Mendoza-Frohn, Executive Vice President &<br />
Info<br />
See a video-clip at:<br />
tinyurl.com/<br />
mattress-recycling<br />
Manufacturing<br />
SeekTogether<br />
Recycling<br />
Collection<br />
Dismantling<br />
Collaborating across the value chain<br />
(Source: www.corporate.dow.com)<br />
Head of Sales EMLA for Performance Materials at Covestro.<br />
“The strategic intent of our collaboration is to design and<br />
validate a joint pilot model to encourage and make real an<br />
accelerated adoption of recycling and reusing polyurethane<br />
foams from used furniture in Europe and beyond.”<br />
Both these collaborations aim at changing part of our<br />
linear consumer system towards a more circular one, such<br />
undertakings are difficult to implement as Mila Skokova,<br />
Sales and Product manager at H&S Anlagentechnik, points<br />
out, “Renuva has created an echo system that brings together<br />
all the players in mattress recycling, otherwise it would never<br />
be possible to implement innovative recycling solutions of this<br />
magnitude. There are many hurdles to overcome in building<br />
a new industrial echo system – a changed process can only<br />
succeed if all players involved pull in the same direction. It<br />
requires determination to make the shared vision a reality<br />
– every partner must have the unconditional will to take on<br />
the role of gamechanger. This way, barriers such as legal<br />
frameworks or antiquated ways of thinking can be overcome.”<br />
Hopefully, in the future more key players, not just in the fields<br />
of mattress recycling and polyurethane, will work together to<br />
change the system and as Mila astutely states, “this requires<br />
a shared value system of trust, reliability, and fairness.” AT<br />
www.dow.com<br />
www.oc-orgaform.com<br />
www.eco-mobilier.fr<br />
www.hs-anlagentechnik.de<br />
www.thevitagroup.com<br />
www.covestro.com<br />
Production of new matresses (all photos from the video (see link)<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 37
Foam<br />
KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet (Expanded beads)<br />
Kaneka Corporation (Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan) announced<br />
last year that they have been developing technology for<br />
turning KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer Green Planet<br />
(PHBH) into a foam material. Recently, Kaneka’s new foam<br />
products were adopted by fishery businesses for fish boxes<br />
that store fresh fish.<br />
In search of measures to help solve the <strong>issue</strong> of marine<br />
microplastics, the adoption by fishery businesses of Green<br />
Planet PHBH foam products for fish boxes opens a door to<br />
a solution that deals directly with ocean pollution, and there<br />
is growing interest from the fisheries industry.<br />
Kaneka’s biodegradable polymer Green Planet is a<br />
100 % plant-derived biodegradable polymer (PHBH)<br />
developed by integrating fermentation and macromolecule<br />
technologies. It has excellent biodegradability in a wide<br />
range of environments and has the unique characteristic<br />
of biodegrading especially well in seawater. Already almost<br />
four years ago, the OK Biodegradable MARINE certification<br />
was <strong>issue</strong>d to Green Planet TÜV AUSTRIA Belgium (then still<br />
Vinçotte), an international certifying body headquartered in<br />
Belgium.<br />
By using Kaneka’s proven expandable plastic technology,<br />
the company developed the Green Planet Molded Foam<br />
Products, as a new use of its PHBH resins. It is the result<br />
of the combination of technologies that Kaneka masters<br />
particularly well. Kaneka announced to continue developing<br />
materials for products such as containers for shipping<br />
perishable foods for the fishing and farming industries,<br />
fishing industry materials such as floats for culturing, and<br />
cushions that are made of foam beads and shock-absorbing<br />
materials for home electrical appliances and furniture.<br />
Kaneka has declared its alignment with the<br />
recommendations of the TCFD (Taskforce on Climaterelated<br />
Financial Disclosures, as established by the<br />
Financial Stability Board on the request of the G20).<br />
Here, one particular area the company plans to tackle is<br />
“Contributing to a Recycling-oriented Society”. Adoption<br />
of Green Planet is progressing in various fields, including<br />
straws and cosmetics packages. Kaneka will increasingly<br />
broaden the usage of Green Planet PHBH as a material that<br />
helps reduce the impact on the environment and provide<br />
solutions to environmental <strong>issue</strong>s. MT<br />
www.kaneka.co.jp/en<br />
PHBH foam<br />
products<br />
KANEKA Biodegradable Polymer<br />
Green Planet Molded Foam<br />
products adopted for fish boxes<br />
Containers for storing and transporting fish boxes<br />
(Green Planet particle foam products)<br />
38 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
New 3D printing powder<br />
for food industry<br />
Materials<br />
FABULOUS, an expert company in polymeric 3D<br />
printing materials, brings innovation to a market now<br />
focused on production. Fabulous is a French company<br />
from Lyon. Recently they introduced BLUECARE, a mass<br />
blue PA 11 based material for the powder-based additive<br />
manufacturing (3D-printing) systems (LS, SLS, HSS, IRS).<br />
It has been certified for Food Contact Application following<br />
the European Commission Regulation (EU) No 10/2<strong>01</strong>1 on<br />
plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact<br />
with food and alcohol.<br />
Material requirements of the food industry<br />
Additive Manufacturing is a production technology growing<br />
in every market, changing from prototyping applications to<br />
production. The food industry market (and others) follows<br />
this trend and Bluecare comes to answer some of its needs:<br />
1. Safety Blue Plastic Parts are used in different industrial<br />
areas, as prevention in the food industry, due to their<br />
visibility and identification in real-time production lines<br />
(identification of foreign bodies or fragments of plastics in<br />
food by visual or optical blue detection).<br />
2. Final machinery parts certified for food contact: parts<br />
made of plastic materials and in direct contact with food<br />
must meet strict requirements in regard to the materials<br />
used, especially when it comes to verifying that the contact<br />
is not harmful from a physiological point of view. Blue<br />
Care, through its certifications, meets the requirements<br />
of international regulations for parts in contact with food.<br />
Also, with Bluecare, component cleanliness is easier to<br />
evaluate, as spores, mould, food, or detergent residue are<br />
clearly visible.<br />
Environmental benefits of Bluecare material :<br />
In addition to safety blue colour needed for food line<br />
production, Blue Care material got two main benefits for<br />
sustainability :<br />
More than ten European customers specialized in the<br />
food industry are now using Bluecare. FDA certification is<br />
currently in progress for USA/Canada market.<br />
At https://tinyurl.com/fabulous-3D several videoclips<br />
about Bluecare can be seen.<br />
More powder innovations<br />
Fabulous has become a key player in innovation in the<br />
industrial 3D printing powders market. At the recent<br />
Formnext world fair (November 2021, Frankfurt/M.,<br />
Germany) two other materials were introduced:<br />
• DETECT: Polymer metal composite, with magnetic<br />
detection functionality and certifications for different<br />
sectors.<br />
• RED STOP: the equivalent of Bluecare but mass red, to<br />
manufacture parts requiring safety visibility. MT<br />
https://fabulous.com.co/en/<br />
Info<br />
See a video-clip at:<br />
https://tinyurl.com/<br />
fabulous-3D<br />
• Biosourced polymer, compared to conventional fossilbased<br />
polymers.<br />
• Refresh rate is the highest possible for 3d printing<br />
material: 50 % of the powder reusable<br />
The first applications of Bluecare :<br />
Partner customers already started producing parts using<br />
Blue Care in January 2021: this is the case of the IDPRINT<br />
3D printing service in Laiz, France: Bluecare powder was<br />
used to design 30 cm wide modular food conveyor belts.<br />
A success, according to Patrice Panchot, manager of<br />
Idprint 3D, who believes that the material is perfectly<br />
adapted to his needs: “Bluecare is the ideal material for<br />
additive manufacturing of parts for food conveyors, avoiding<br />
the manufacture of a mould that is too expensive for the<br />
number of parts to be made.”<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 39
Processing<br />
Extrusion lines<br />
for natural fibre waste<br />
Sustainability is now a key concept that affects all<br />
economic sectors, first and foremost construction,<br />
where attention is increasingly required when<br />
dealing with innovative and eco-sustainable materials,<br />
also for interior furnishings. In this respect, Bausano<br />
(Rivaroio Canavese, Italy) leading international player in<br />
the design and production of custom extrusion lines for the<br />
transformation of plastic materials responds to the new<br />
needs of the sector, enhancing its extrusion lines for plastic<br />
waste (PVC, PE, or PP) and natural fibres, including wood<br />
dust and substances of plant origin, such as rice husks,<br />
coffee grounds, banana peels, seaweed, almond shells,<br />
avocado kernels, cork, and other plant residues.<br />
In detail, the market for composites obtained from<br />
natural fibres is experiencing significant growth thanks to<br />
the properties that make these materials unique in terms<br />
of versatility, reliability, and environmental impact. In fact,<br />
they are 100 % recyclable and can be transformed into a<br />
new product at low cost. By virtue of their exceptional<br />
performance characteristics, in terms of high resistance to<br />
corrosion, atmospheric agents, UV rays, and impermeability,<br />
they are ideal for cladding, furniture and indoor and outdoor<br />
flooring, especially decking. Furthermore, thanks to their<br />
increased lifespan, plant fibre-plastic composite materials<br />
are also increasingly used in the automotive sector, for<br />
the internal lining of door panels, dashboards, trunks and<br />
for the production of particularly light components, which<br />
contribute reducing the weight of vehicles.<br />
Bausano’s extrusion technology has been perfected<br />
to incorporate up to 100 phr of wood or natural fibre. The<br />
specific counter-rotating twin-screw configuration makes<br />
it possible to achieve an accurate mixing between melted<br />
polymer and fibre, passing it through the die without the<br />
need for a melting pump. Specifically, profiles can be<br />
directly extruded from the raw material (direct extrusion)<br />
or the material can be processed starting from the granule<br />
(indirect extrusion). In direct extrusion, Bausano machines<br />
ensure the processing of fibres with a moisture content<br />
of up to 12 % at a speed three times higher with respect<br />
to other solutions on the market. The granulation lines,<br />
specifically designed to ensure maximum performance<br />
at any production speed, also enable the use of recycling<br />
materials and can be configured with premixing or<br />
gravimetric dosing systems upstream. The granules<br />
obtained can thus be transformed into a finished product<br />
either through injection moulding or extrusion, with twin<br />
or single screw. Lastly, the lines are distinguished by the<br />
high degree of customisation, the wide range of modular<br />
accessories and a special coating, on request, which<br />
extends the useful lifespan of screws and cylinders up to<br />
25,000 hours, before replacement is required.<br />
Clemente Bausano, Vice President of the Company states<br />
“The plant fibre-plastic composite materials are a valid<br />
alternative in construction and architecture. In fact, they<br />
are part of a circular economy perspective: for example, the<br />
wood used is usually a product of waste from the furniture<br />
industry that is recycled to be extruded again, thus reducing<br />
deforestation”, and continues “Europe is currently the thirdlargest<br />
market in the world for wood-plastic composites<br />
and I believe that EU policies for the environment and<br />
climate provide significant opportunities for the growth of<br />
the sector, in particular through the “Renovation Wave”<br />
strategy, an integral part of the Green Deal promoted by<br />
Brussels.” And he concludes: “For Bausano, enhancing this<br />
range of extruders is part of a broader programme, aimed at<br />
pursuing the sustainable development goals drafted in the<br />
United Nations 2030 Agenda. A path that sees us engaged<br />
on three levels: social, environmental, and economic, acting<br />
as the spokespeople for a virtuous change that also involves<br />
our customers.”<br />
Bausano also offers counter-rotating twin-screw<br />
extrusion lined specially dedicated to the processing of<br />
biodegradable polymers such as PVA. Bausano meets the<br />
special requirements of such polymers thanks to its special<br />
extrusion lines, of the MD Nextmover product family, for the<br />
production of water-soluble bioplastic granules, which are<br />
ideal for subsequent blown film extrusion. There are some<br />
special aspects to be taken into consideration, including the<br />
length of the barrel, which must allow the material to pass<br />
through for the time strictly necessary. In fact, if it remains<br />
there for too long, it will be subject to excessive stress.<br />
The second aspect is temperature, as processing takes<br />
place at much higher temperatures than with PVC, for<br />
example. In addition, in order to obtain a granule without<br />
impurities, the gel point must be determined with absolute<br />
accuracy. bioplastics MAGAZINE will report about this in more<br />
detail in one of the future <strong>issue</strong>s. MT<br />
www.bausano.com<br />
40 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
PLA crystallization and drying<br />
Now possible in just minutes instead of hours<br />
Processing<br />
A<br />
particular challenge in processing PLA is<br />
crystallization and drying. Because PLA is a<br />
hygroscopic thermoplastic, it readily absorbs<br />
moisture from the atmosphere. The presence of even small<br />
amounts of moisture hydrolyzes the biopolymer in the melt<br />
phase and reduces the molecular weight. As a result, the<br />
mechanical properties of PLA decrease and the quality of<br />
the final product is compromised. Therefore, PLA must be<br />
thoroughly dried directly before melt-processing. In many<br />
cases, recycled polymers must also be crystallized before<br />
drying.<br />
With its infrared rotary drum (IRD), KREYENBORG (Senden,<br />
Germany) offers a fast, energy-saving and product-friendly<br />
solution. Feed material is first introduced into the rotary<br />
drum by a volumetric dosing system. High-level heat is then<br />
quickly and directly introduced into the core of the material<br />
by means of infrared light. With its special wavelength, the<br />
infrared light penetrates the granules, thus the introduced<br />
energy heats the material from the inside and drives the<br />
moisture out through heat flow from the inside out. The air,<br />
laden with moisture, is discharged by a constant flow of<br />
air from within the drum. The air itself is not heated by the<br />
infrared light, just by the heat coming from the granules.<br />
This makes the process even more energy efficient.<br />
A continuously moving spiral welded into the rotary<br />
drum ensures a homogeneous mass-flow with a defined<br />
residence time (first-in/first-out principle) (see picture).<br />
The mixing elements integrated in the spirals, as well<br />
as the rotation, ensure continuous mixing of the feed<br />
material. In the process, the material at the surface is<br />
constantly exchanged. These continuous rotary movements<br />
prevent the product from blocking and clumping. With<br />
these advantages, drying times of only 15 minutes can be<br />
achieved.<br />
In conventional hot-air dryers, the previously crystallized<br />
PLA can be dried at only 65–90 °C (150-190 °F) using<br />
dehumidified air. Here, higher drying temperatures could<br />
lead to softening and blocking of the polymer in the dryer.<br />
Typically, this results in drying times of between 2 and<br />
8 hours, while lower drying temperatures result in even<br />
longer drying times. The energy input necessary for these<br />
conventional processes is sometimes considerable.<br />
Generally, PLA must be dried to a moisture level of < 250<br />
ppm and maintained at this level to minimize hydrolysis<br />
during melt processing. Achieving and maintaining these<br />
kinds of levels is not optional, but is an absolute necessity,<br />
and is feasible using Kreyenborg’s infrared rotary drum. A<br />
dry granule helps control relative viscosity (RV) loss, which<br />
should be less than 0.1. Controlling RV loss is critical to<br />
maintaining impact resistance, melt-viscosity, and other<br />
important properties of the feedstock.<br />
Kreyenborg invites customers who want to see the<br />
performance of the machinery in action to participate in<br />
pilot plant trials, which now can even be conducted online.<br />
MT<br />
https://www.kreyenborg.com<br />
Kreyenborg crystallisation and drying principle<br />
1<br />
Feeding+material flow+temperature scheme<br />
1 Dosing hopper<br />
2<br />
2<br />
Drum with weldedhelix<br />
3<br />
3<br />
Infraredmodule<br />
4<br />
4<br />
Temperature measurement<br />
9<br />
Material outlet<br />
9<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 41
Opinion<br />
The new JRC’s<br />
“Plastics LCA method”<br />
already needs an update<br />
Constance Ißbrücker, Head of Environmental Affairs at European Bioplastics e.V.<br />
Erwin Vink, Sr. Sustainability Manager, NatureWorks LLC<br />
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is basically the only tool<br />
we currently have for making comparisons between<br />
products from an environmental point of view. The<br />
development of LCA tools started more than 30 years ago<br />
but it seems that they are still far from perfect. In that time,<br />
a wide range of different LCA methods and databases have<br />
been created, all competing with each other. Do we really<br />
need them all? Maybe we should have one globally accepted<br />
methodology and database, but that probably will never<br />
happen. Another serious shortcoming is that several very<br />
critical environmental problems, like loss of biodiversity<br />
and plastic pollution of our soil and oceans, are still not<br />
incorporated in LCAs because the assessment methods<br />
are not available yet. This means that LCAs still only<br />
incorporate a part of the total environmental impact. For<br />
some environmental impacts, such as climate change, one<br />
would expect that the LCA tool would work very well, but<br />
also here we see many different calculation procedures and<br />
‘incomparable’ data sets. So, even for this most basic global<br />
environmental impact, the tool comes with challenges. The<br />
LCA community still has some significant challenges for<br />
the years to come. So, at this point, it remains important to<br />
be always very cautious and critical in judging LCAs and the<br />
methodologies behind them.<br />
In the EU Plastics Strategy, a vision was presented where<br />
innovative materials and alternative feedstocks would<br />
ultimately replace fossil resources. In this context, and<br />
with the knowledge about the shortcomings of available<br />
LCA methods, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) was tasked<br />
in 2<strong>01</strong>8 by the European Commission to develop a new<br />
LCA methodology to evaluate the potential environmental<br />
impacts of plastic products from different feedstocks. This<br />
resulted in July 2021, in the publication of a 308-page LCA<br />
methodology study called: ‘LCA of alternative feedstocks for<br />
plastic products’ Part 1: the Plastics LCA methodology [1].<br />
(In Part 2, ten LCA case studies will be published based on<br />
this methodology.)<br />
Over those three years, European Bioplastics (EUBP)<br />
had had personal meetings with the JRC experts and<br />
additionally provided numerous reports, reviews, and<br />
comments. A significant amount of time was invested in<br />
this effort for many reasons, one of them being that this<br />
LCA methodology could become the basis to create policies<br />
around biobased and biodegradable polymer products.<br />
42 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
However, the resulting JRC “Plastics LCA method”, turned<br />
out to be highly problematic and rather biased, making it<br />
impossible to carry out complete and well-balanced LCA<br />
comparisons between biobased and fossil-based plastics.<br />
In its current form, the method strengthens the current<br />
dominance of fossil-based plastics and often just neglects<br />
the negative impacts of the extraction of fossil resources<br />
on climate and environment. This is grossly at odds with<br />
the EU’s commitment towards reducing the dependency<br />
on fossil-carbon and becoming climate neutral. The<br />
methodology also undermines many of the targets set out<br />
in the EU Green Deal and Plastics Strategy. It is therefore<br />
also not in line with the latest IPCC report saying we need<br />
to stop using fossil resources.<br />
However, the whole <strong>issue</strong> is not only about bioplastics.<br />
European Bioplastics drafted a two-page Position Paper [2]<br />
N.N.: EUBA position on the JRC LCA Methodology and got<br />
the support of other European Biobased Industry Groups,<br />
organized in the European Bioeconomy Alliance (EUBA).<br />
This is important support since this is not only touching the<br />
bioplastics industry but the whole EU bioeconomy industry.<br />
Therefore, EUBP, together with the other members of the<br />
European Bioeconomy Alliance, have recently called upon<br />
the Commission not to make use of the methodology until it<br />
has been re-opened and significantly revised and improved.<br />
Herewith a summary of our findings to illustrate<br />
the significant asymmetry and shortcomings of the<br />
methodology.<br />
Biogenic carbon sequestration<br />
The methodology ignores the key advantage of biobased<br />
products, which is the uptake of carbon dioxide from<br />
the atmosphere, sequestering it into products, and so<br />
preventing that carbon dioxide from contributing to climate<br />
change. This is a key advantage over fossil-based plastics.<br />
Biobased products replace fossil carbon in plastics and<br />
reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases. This fact should<br />
be accounted for by being a mandatory part of a fair and<br />
balanced assessment of environmental impacts. As an<br />
example, the EU standard EN 16760 (“Biobased products –<br />
Life cycle assessment”) provides guidance on how biogenic<br />
carbon uptake should be accounted for in the assessment of<br />
biobased plastics, but this calculation remains a voluntary,<br />
meaningless option in the suggested methodology.<br />
Comparing mature and immature production<br />
systems<br />
For fossil-based plastics, the raw material extraction,<br />
production, conversion, logistics, and end-of-life options<br />
have been optimized for the last 50–70 years, while<br />
many biobased plastics are still in their early stage of<br />
development. They are at the beginning of their maturity or<br />
optimization curve.<br />
The LCA methodology provides no real answer on how to<br />
compare systems that have different levels of maturity. In a<br />
meaningful assessment (LCA should inform about decisions<br />
that shape the future) of biobased plastics, this potential<br />
for further improvements should be incorporated. By not<br />
acknowledging these differences, the LCA methodology<br />
mainly supports the status-quo and ignores the potential of<br />
innovation. That clearly can’t be the goal.<br />
Data reporting requirements<br />
In an area where the report really goes wrong are the<br />
requirements on data reporting (this is the basic data that<br />
goes into the life cycle inventory). It is not demanding for<br />
the same requirements for data sets for biobased and<br />
fossil-based feedstocks. For biobased production systems,<br />
detailed company-specific data are required, while for<br />
fossil-based systems, the industry average (black boxes)<br />
data sets are still acceptable. It is still allowed to just exclude<br />
emissions coming from accidents, spills, and oil fires. After<br />
30 years of performing LCA studies, these practices need<br />
to be stopped. For biobased plastics products, all kind<br />
sof details are requested, which as such is totally correct,<br />
about agricultural emissions, machinery use, heavy metals,<br />
chemical use, resource types, production locations and<br />
water consumption, while there is no or hardly any attention<br />
paid to similar aspects for the fossil-based alternatives.<br />
Incorporation of Land Use Change (LUC)<br />
For biobased plastics, LUC shall be included, while for<br />
fossil-based plastics, the methodology is much less strict.<br />
This is not correct, including aspects should be consistent<br />
for all types of materials. Even if the contributions seem<br />
to be relatively small (which is often used as an excuse for<br />
ignoring it), they should be included to increase awareness<br />
and the fact that several relatively small contributions<br />
can lead to a significant contribution. Further, continuous<br />
improvement of agricultural practices, such as soil carbon<br />
uptake by improved management, needs to be taken up in<br />
the LCA calculations, instead of being parked at the side-line<br />
under the header: ‘additional environmental information.’<br />
Inconsistent inclusion of indirect effects<br />
Negative indirect effects for biobased plastics, such as<br />
Indirect Land Use Change(iLUC), are considered relevant<br />
and recommended to be included, while the inclusion of<br />
negative indirect effects of fossil-based plastics is explicitly<br />
ruled out. A big omission is the lack of methodology to<br />
include the direct and indirect effects of the leakage of<br />
persistent plastics into our environment. On the other<br />
hand, great importance is given in the LCA methodology<br />
to the scientifically controversial <strong>issue</strong> of Indirect Land<br />
Use Change (iLUC). It’s based on mere model calculations<br />
that vary greatly due to the lack of standardized methods<br />
– interestingly, unlike the calculation methods for biogenic<br />
carbon uptake. Despite of the uncertainty, the assessment<br />
of iLUC is considered important and mandatory in the LCA<br />
methodology. Further iLUC contributions are often included<br />
while no proof has been provided if it also takes place.<br />
Requirements for providing proof<br />
Also, with this aspect, the methodology is not consistent.<br />
For positive indirect effects of biobased plastic products,<br />
such as soil carbon storage by improved agricultural<br />
management, proof is required, while no proof is required<br />
for negative indirect effects of biobased materials, like iLUC.<br />
Biodiversity impacts<br />
In the JRC LCA method, the topic of biodiversity is<br />
strongly linked to the agricultural production process of<br />
biobased products. For fossil-based products, there is<br />
much less attention for this topic, while there is a direct,<br />
Opinion<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 43
Opinion<br />
clear link via climate change between the emissions of<br />
fossil carbon and the effects on biodiversity. The main<br />
reasons for the decrease in biodiversity are overpopulation,<br />
global warming, deforestation, and pollution. And according<br />
to the latest IPCC report, Global warming is largely driven<br />
by emissions from fossil resources (including incineration<br />
of fossil plastics) and agriculture (dominated by livestock).<br />
Reflecting end-of-life realities<br />
All recycling options, including organic recycling, need<br />
to be treated equally and correctly represent existing and<br />
potential future waste infrastructure. To capture the real<br />
value of industrial composting in comparison to other EOL<br />
options, the LCA should be performed on waste stream<br />
level, rather than on product level.<br />
Normalization and weighting<br />
In the JRC LCA method, weighting is a mandatory step.<br />
As such this is already a debatable step since a lot of<br />
information is condensed (and lost) into one number and<br />
the number is also excluding all information that should<br />
be reported under ‘additional environmental information,’<br />
as suggested many times in the report. Setting weighting<br />
factors can be a subjective process. The suggested factors<br />
are from 2<strong>01</strong>8, which makes it unclear how representative<br />
they are for current reality and the years to come. Finally, it is<br />
always unclear how EU weighting factors can be applied for<br />
non-EU production systems. The set up of such significant<br />
factors might need a regular revision by a dedicated team<br />
of experts.<br />
Feedstock supply data requirements<br />
For biobased plastics, feedstock certification schemes<br />
like RSB, ISCC PLUS, and Bonsucro are developed and<br />
in use. They deal with a wide range of topics such as<br />
biodiversity, emission reductions, carbon sequestration,<br />
and exposure to harmful substances. Nothing similar is in<br />
place for fossil-based feedstock. This aspect is completely<br />
excluded from a methodology comparing and judging the<br />
life cycles of biobased and fossil-based systems, of which<br />
feedstock production is one of the most important steps, if<br />
not the most important one.<br />
Some final considerations<br />
EUBP and EUBA consider the LCA methodology, as<br />
presented by the JRC, not fit for the purpose of comparing<br />
biobased with conventional fossil-based plastics. The<br />
Commission should stop the wider dissemination or<br />
application of this methodology and start a new review.<br />
Otherwise, it will adversely affect EU progress in the field of<br />
sustainable and renewable climate-neutral materials.<br />
It is disappointing to see how unfit for purpose the final<br />
LCA methodology turned out to be after three years of<br />
extensive discourse and contributions of scientific expertise<br />
by the biobased industries and related experts. There is<br />
a choice whether we want to continue with business as<br />
usual or whether we are serious about a transition to a<br />
fossil-independent, biobased circular economy. Of course,<br />
it would be desirable for the EU Commission to consider<br />
reopening the JRC study in order to make the necessary<br />
adaptations to replace fossil carbon in plastics. LCAs are<br />
seen as an important and popular method to assess the<br />
sustainability of products. But are they, really? In the light<br />
of the JRC method’s shortcomings, we might need to start<br />
a discussion on whether LCAs, as currently conducted,<br />
really are the best tool to properly assess the benefits and<br />
impacts of a biobased circular economy.<br />
Finally, plastics are essential to modern life. There is a<br />
choice to make as to whether humanity continues to obtain<br />
the required carbon for plastics from underground deposits<br />
of oil and gas, or whether a transition towards obtaining this<br />
necessary carbon from the atmosphere is not just desirable<br />
but essential. But, unfortunately, the JRC study is again<br />
a mere comparative life cycle assessment between fossil<br />
and biobased products, affected by the above-mentioned<br />
weaknesses and without a vision for the future, since the<br />
pivotal role of bioplastics in building a renewable carbonbased<br />
economy is, de facto, ignored.<br />
[1] Nessi, S. et.al.: LCA of alternative feedstocks for plastic products’ Part<br />
1: the Plastics LCA methodology; https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/<br />
repository/bitstream/JRC125046/plastics_lca__method_final_online.pdf<br />
[2] N.N.: EUBA position on the JRC LCA Methodology; https://docs.<br />
european-ioplastics.org/publications/EUBA_Position_on_JRC_LCA_<br />
Methodology.pdf<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org | www.natureworksllc.com<br />
Info<br />
For a more in-depth analysis of the JRC LCA<br />
methodology, please view the presentation by<br />
Erwin Vink, NatureWorks: “A review of the JRC<br />
report on LCA of alternative feedstocks for plastics<br />
production”, held at the recent 16 th European<br />
Bioplastics Conference 2021 in Berlin<br />
See a video-clip at: https://tinyurl.com/EUBP-Vink<br />
44 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Celebrating 85 years of<br />
twist wrapping!<br />
Applications<br />
A lifetime of wrapping sweets, with an end of life<br />
to help the future<br />
End of last year, Futamura (Wigton, Cumbria, UK)<br />
celebrated a significant milestone in the history of its<br />
packaging films: 85 years of twist wrapping individual<br />
sweets. The company’s Cellophane films were used<br />
for the first automated twist wrap machines. In the early<br />
days, they were often referred to as a ‘transparent paper’<br />
as they were made from renewable wood pulp. Over the<br />
years, the films became synonymous with confectionery<br />
wraps, being established as the packaging of choice thanks<br />
to their excellent technical performance on the packaging<br />
machinery and aesthetic appeal.<br />
With its inherent dead-fold properties, Cellophane was<br />
the ideal choice for twist wrapping: the films ran extremely<br />
well on packaging machines, static-free, wrapping at high<br />
speeds with an incredibly low level of miswraps. They also<br />
held their twist naturally, without the need for heat sealing<br />
or adhesives. This meant that the wraps could be easily<br />
opened, even by younger consumers – a must when you<br />
wrap sweets!<br />
In the last 20 years, acknowledging the growing demand<br />
for environmentally responsible packaging, Futamura<br />
launched NatureFlex films. This new generation of films<br />
is the natural evolution of the original Cellophane: the<br />
technical performance of Cellophane, renewable raw<br />
materials sourced from sustainably managed plantations<br />
and the additional benefit of more sustainable end-of-life<br />
options. NatureFlex is certified for home composting by<br />
TUV Home compost and meets European and international<br />
norms for industrial composting including EN13432 and<br />
ASTM D6400.<br />
Compostability, the solution to the small format<br />
flexible <strong>issue</strong><br />
Whilst we have all seen companies and authorities<br />
making statements and committing to the path of<br />
mechanical recycling, it is becoming increasingly apparent<br />
that recycling will not be the solution for all applications.<br />
The study ‘Breaking the plastic wave’ made it very clear that<br />
there is no silver bullet: the industry must use all options<br />
available to resolve the current packaging end of life <strong>issue</strong>s.<br />
Today, brands and waste management operators are<br />
acknowledging that small format flexibles will be extremely<br />
difficult to handle and recycle. Small format, traditional<br />
twist wraps fall into this category: small by definition and<br />
often scrunched up or torn, rendering them even smaller.<br />
In this specific application, using a compostable film such<br />
as NatureFlex enables a positive end of life: consumers can<br />
simply place it in a home compost bin and the film will break<br />
down within 6 to 8 weeks. As facilities develop, industrial<br />
composting will also become an option, and this is certainly<br />
already happening in some European countries such as Italy<br />
and Ireland. Both options – home and industrial composting<br />
– enable the production of soil-enriching compost. Finally,<br />
in the unfortunate event that sweet wrappers were littered<br />
(not something Futamura would ever condone), then<br />
NatureFlex wrappers would certainly break down, with<br />
a lower environmental impact than ones produced with<br />
conventional plastics.<br />
According to Futamura Sales & Marketing Director,<br />
Andy Sweetman; “the combination of exceptional wrapping<br />
performance coupled with an enhanced end of life solution<br />
make NatureFlex the logical choice in small format flexible<br />
applications such as twist wrap.”<br />
High-performance packaging<br />
When it comes to twist wrapping, NatureFlex films offer<br />
a renewable and compostable alternative. They are most<br />
effective on packing machinery. SACMI Chocolate Spa.,<br />
a machine manufacturer that began in 1907, under the<br />
earlier name of Carle & Montanari, has been producing<br />
wrapping machines for sweets since 1957, regularly runs<br />
NatureFlex on their machines. Valentina Bergami from<br />
SACMI Chocolate Spa. sales and marketing department<br />
said: “NatureFlex is a very reliable material, with all the<br />
features a material needs to have when running on a<br />
wrapping machine: elasticity to withstand the traction in<br />
the unwinding process, where the film is unwound from its<br />
reel and fed to the wrapping area. Rigidity, so the film can<br />
be pushed through the feeding unit of our wrappers where it<br />
is cut to length right on top of the product. And last, but not<br />
least: elasticity to be twisted and memory effect so that the<br />
twists are held and don’t re-open.”<br />
Valentina Bergami added: “We have tested various<br />
versions of NatureFlex with various looks, transparent or<br />
metallised, and the material passed with very good results<br />
through our trials. This is why we actively recommend it<br />
to our clients seeking for new eco-friendly alternatives to<br />
plastics.”<br />
NatureFlex films are used to wrap many different brands<br />
of sweets, from your family’s favourite colourful chocolates<br />
to niche vegan brands. MT<br />
https://www.natureflex.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 45
Application News<br />
Eco-consciousness<br />
comes to yoga mats<br />
Yoloha (Charleston, South Caroline, USA) is a company<br />
that sets out to make things better. In their pursuit of<br />
quality yoga mats made from high levels of renewable<br />
materials, they chose to work with HEXPOL TPE.<br />
Seven years ago, Yoloha Founder Chris Willey sat<br />
down in his garage, thought outside the box and made<br />
a yoga mat out of the most sustainable materials he had<br />
on hand. By combining cork with recycled rubber, Chris<br />
created the world’s first cork yoga mat.<br />
The mat was more than just an eco-friendly alternative<br />
to the traditional yoga mat. It was naturally high<br />
performing with impeccable grip and antimicrobial<br />
properties. It was then and there that Yoloha Yoga was<br />
born with the mission of bringing sustainable movement<br />
to people all around the world.<br />
To support Yoloha’s sustainability goals, Hexpol TPE<br />
developed a customised material from the Dryflex Green<br />
family of biobased thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). The<br />
TPE has 55 % biobased content. It has a high melt strength<br />
and drawability to easily produce foamed materials with<br />
a uniform foam structure. Foaming brings lightweight<br />
advantages and cushioning in applications such as mats,<br />
protective clothing, and seating.<br />
“I have worked with and tested most foams on the<br />
market from Natural rubber, EVA, PU, etc., and I have<br />
found TPE foam to be the perfect blend of support,<br />
durability, and weight,” said Yoloha founder Chris Willey.<br />
“With that in mind, I discovered Hexpol TPE with their<br />
focus on sustainability. We quickly developed a great<br />
relationship and worked together to develop a customised<br />
material.”<br />
The Dryflex Green family of biobased TPEs contain<br />
raw materials from renewable resources, including<br />
by-products from agriculture rich in carbohydrates,<br />
especially saccharides such as grain, sugar beet, or<br />
sugar cane. TPEs are available with amounts of biobased<br />
content to over 90 % (ASTM D 6866) with hardnesses from<br />
15 Shore A to 60 Shore D.<br />
Kathrin Heilmann, technical sales for sustainable<br />
TPE at Hexpol TPE GmbH added, “We’re proud to work<br />
with Yoloha on this project. We aimed to achieve a high<br />
biobased content while keeping mechanical performance<br />
and processability. The material shows a good foamability<br />
for mats and other extruded products.” MT<br />
www.hexpolTPE.com<br />
| www.yolohayoga.com<br />
Industrial compostable<br />
stretch film<br />
Cortec Corporation (St. Paul, Minnesota, USA) just<br />
received OK compost INDUSTRIAL certification of its Eco<br />
Wrap ® stretch film from TÜV Austria.<br />
Eco Wrap is the world’s first compostable industrialstrength<br />
machine grade stretch film launched by the<br />
company earlier last year. Considering Cortec’s longtime<br />
focus on compostable films and green packaging materials,<br />
this is a huge step forward. Eco Wrap users can benefit from<br />
material/waste reduction in many ways. Most applications<br />
requiring three wraps of standard film can use two wraps of<br />
Eco Wrap without sacrificing strength or protection.<br />
This green packaging solution may allow its users to<br />
avoid tariffs, fines, and tip fees in areas where polyethylene<br />
is prohibited or restricted. Eco Wrap is shelf and curb<br />
stable and will retain its integrity until disposed of properly.<br />
The latest formula of compostable Eco-Wrap uses a<br />
tackifier additive to make an industrial-strength stretch<br />
wrap that can be used on most standard automated stretch<br />
wrap equipment. This is a breakthrough for the industrial<br />
packaging and warehousing industries which rely heavily<br />
on automated stretch wrapping to prepare pallets of goods<br />
for storage, inventory, or shipment.<br />
Eco Wrap can be used in numerous applications where<br />
conventional stretch film is needed, such as:<br />
• Agriculture bundling (e.g., hay bales and lumber)<br />
• Corralling of goods for storage and shipment<br />
• Pallet wrapping<br />
• Luggage wrapping at airports<br />
• Packaging construction materials<br />
• Transporting furniture<br />
Eco Wrap is extremely elastic and works on most existing<br />
automated machines. The film is easily applied by adjusting<br />
the tension. By opting for Eco Wrap, users can improve<br />
their environmental image while getting the necessary<br />
packaging job done. MT<br />
www.ecocortec.hr/eng<br />
46 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Suntory introduces<br />
100 % plant-based PET bottle prototypes<br />
Suntory Group, Tokyo, Japan, announced in early December that, as a crucial step toward its aim to use 100 % sustainable<br />
PET bottles globally by 2030 and eliminate all petroleum-based virgin plastic from its global PET supply, the company has<br />
successfully created a prototype PET bottle made from 100 % plant-based materials. The prototype has been produced for<br />
the company’s iconic Orangina brand in Europe along with its best-selling bottled mineral water brand in Japan, Suntory<br />
Tennensui. This announcement marks a breakthrough after a nearly decade-long partnership with the US-based sustainable<br />
technology company Anellotech.<br />
PET is produced using two raw materials, 70 % terephthalic acid (PTA) and 30 % mono ethylene glycol (MEG). Suntory’s<br />
prototype plant-based bottle is made by combining Anellotech’s new technology, a plant-based paraxylene derived from wood<br />
chips, which has been converted to plant-based PTA, and pre-existing plant-based MEG made from molasses which Suntory<br />
has been using in its Suntory Tennensui brand in Japan since 2<strong>01</strong>3.<br />
“The competitive advantage of Anellotech’s Bio-TCat generated paraxylene is its<br />
process efficiency (it uses a single-step thermal catalytic process by going directly<br />
from biomass to aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylene)), as well as the opportunity<br />
it creates for a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as compared to its<br />
identical fossil-derived paraxylene in the manufacture of PET, especially as it generates<br />
required process energy from the biomass feedstock itself,” said David Sudolsky,<br />
President and CEO of Anellotech.<br />
This technology is one of the latest investments from Suntory in the company’s long<br />
history of addressing the social and environmental impacts of containers and packaging.<br />
In 1997, Suntory established its “Guidelines for the Environmental Design of Containers<br />
and Packaging.” For plastic bottles specifically, it has used its 2R+B (Reduce/Recycle +<br />
Bio) strategy to reduce the weight of containers, including labels and caps, and actively<br />
introduce recycled or plant-based materials in its plastic bottles used globally. Most<br />
significantly, it has created the lightest bottle cap, the thinnest bottle label, and the<br />
lightest PET bottle produced in Japan to date. MT<br />
www.suntory.com | www.anellotech.com<br />
Application News<br />
Sneakers made from fruit waste<br />
Since the textile industry is the second most polluting in the world and intensive farming is a plague for the planet, Italian<br />
sneaker brand ID.EIGHT now launched (first introduced via Kickstarter in 2020) sneakers made from the by-products of the<br />
food industry. The company primarily use four materials drive from apples, grapes, seeds, and pineapples to manufacture the<br />
upper part of the shoe.<br />
Apple skin: In recent years, the amount of agro-food waste used to make sustainable products has increased from 0 to over<br />
30 tonnes per month. A great resource is, for example, the cartamela (apple paper from dried, crushed, and pressed apple<br />
peels)used for handkerchiefs and kitchen rolls, ID.EIGHT uses this material as a component to create the upper part of the<br />
sneakers.<br />
Pinatex, made with the waste leaves of pineapple growing in the<br />
Philippines is also used as a component. The pineapple industry<br />
produces about 40,000 tonnes of leaves every year, and since they are<br />
considered a waste material, they are usually left to rot or burned.<br />
Today it is possible to recover them to create a bio-material. With 480<br />
leaves (16 pineapple plants) you can get 1 square meter of material.<br />
The third component is Vegea, a material derived from the biopolymerization<br />
of grape pomace in Italy. Over 7 million tonnes of<br />
grape pomace are discarded every year by the wine industry. Thus,<br />
grape scrapings, skins, and seeds (part of the pomace), are used in<br />
the form of a durable, flexible material.<br />
The upper sole, laces, and label are made from different recycled<br />
materials. MT<br />
www.id-eight.com<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 47
Application News<br />
Scotch & Soda partners with Tipa<br />
Scotch & Soda (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) is a fashion<br />
brand that champions individuality, authenticity, and the power<br />
of self-expression. Addressing sustainability is also at the core<br />
of the brand’s approach, and begins, for them, with a focus on<br />
materials.<br />
In December 2021, Scotch & Soda announced<br />
their partnership with TIPA (Hod HaSharon,<br />
Merkaz, Israel), and in <strong>2022</strong>, a minimum of one<br />
million of Scotch & Soda’s garments will be<br />
packed in TIPA ® bioplastic bags. For the Spring<br />
and Summer <strong>2022</strong> collections, Tipa bags will<br />
represent 21 % of the total product packaging<br />
and will be used for high volume items, such<br />
as T-shirts, jeans, sweatshirts, sweaters and<br />
shirts, throughout menswear, womenswear, and<br />
kidswear.<br />
Polybags made of polyethylene (PE) are a<br />
low-volume flexible film commonly used in the<br />
fashion industry, and were previously the best<br />
option for product packaging. However, on average, 24 % of<br />
global non-fibre plastic consumption is incinerated while 58 %<br />
ends up in landfill and natural ecosystems, taking hundreds of<br />
years to break down.<br />
Photo Scotch & Soda<br />
When Scotch & Soda looked towards alternatives,<br />
they found there are now innovative materials like<br />
Tipa bags that offer the same level of protection<br />
but are less reliant on fossil fuels return to earth as<br />
nutrient-rich soil at their end-of-life, as opposed to<br />
landfill and incineration.<br />
The integration of Tipa bags is part of Scotch<br />
& Soda’s sustainability mission to contribute to<br />
environmental protection. Through its partnership<br />
with Tipa, Scotch & Soda hopes to inspire customers<br />
to start composting and raise awareness about<br />
the environmental impact of both the production<br />
and end-of-life of conventional packaging. The<br />
brand aims to step away from conventional plastic<br />
polybags for all product categories by 2025. MT<br />
www.tipa-corp.com | www.scotch-soda.com<br />
Pepsico Europe to eliminate<br />
fossil-based plastic in crisp and chip bags<br />
Following the introduction of PepsiCo Positive, the company’s strategic end-to-end transformation with sustainability at the<br />
centre, PepsiCo Europe (Geneva, Switzerland) recently announced that by 2030, it plans to eliminate virgin fossil-based plastic<br />
in all its crisp and chip bags. This ambition will apply to brands including Walkers, Doritos, and Lay’s and will be delivered by<br />
using 100 % recycled or renewable plastic in its packets.<br />
Consumer trials of the packaging will begin in European markets in <strong>2022</strong>, starting with renewable plastic in a Lay’s range<br />
in France in the first half of the year. Later in the year, a range from the Walkers brand in the UK will trial recycled content.<br />
The recycled content in the packs will be derived from previously used plastic and the renewable content will come from byproducts<br />
of plants such as used cooking oil or waste from paper pulp. PepsiCo estimates it may achieve up to 40 % greenhouse<br />
gas emissions reduction per tonne of packaging material by switching to virgin fossil-free material.<br />
Silviu Popovici, Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo Europe commented: “Flexible packaging recycling should be the norm<br />
across Europe. We see a future where our bags will be free of virgin fossil-based plastic. They will be part of a thriving circular<br />
economy where flexible packaging is valued and can be recycled as a new packet. We’re investing with our partners to build the<br />
technological capacity to do that. We now need<br />
an appropriate regulatory landscape in place<br />
so that packaging never becomes waste.”<br />
“Through collaboration and innovation, we<br />
can progress to a viable circular economy for<br />
our food packaging in Europe,” shared Archana<br />
Jagannathan, Senior Director, Sustainable<br />
Packaging, PepsiCo Europe. “Today, the<br />
supply of recycled and renewable materials for<br />
flexibles is limited. The regulatory environment<br />
is very dynamic and we need more clarity on<br />
policy and recognised technologies. If a policy<br />
and waste infrastructure, similar to beverage<br />
bottle packaging, accelerates for flexibles, we<br />
will speed up our plans and go even faster to<br />
meet our commitments.” MT<br />
www.pepsico.com<br />
48 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Recycled ocean plastic<br />
for Ford Bronco<br />
In early December<br />
DSM Engineering<br />
Materials (Emmen,<br />
The Netherlands)<br />
announced that Ford<br />
Motor Company, HellermannTyton,<br />
and<br />
DSM earned an Innovation<br />
Award from<br />
the Society of Plastics<br />
Engineers (SPE)<br />
for the use of Akulon ® RePurposed recycled ocean plastic in<br />
the Ford Bronco Sport. This application was also recognized<br />
by Ford as the first of many potential uses for recycled ocean<br />
plastics in a major vehicle platform.<br />
Ford uses wiring harness clips made of ocean-harvested<br />
plastic ghost gear in Bronco Sport models. Invisible to vehicle<br />
occupants, the wiring harness clips fasten to the sides of the<br />
Bronco Sport second-row seats and guide wires that power<br />
various features in the vehicle’s cargo area. Ford testing<br />
shows that the Akulon RePurposed material, despite having<br />
spent time in saltwater and sunlight, is as strong and durable<br />
as petroleum-based clips. MT<br />
www.dsm.com/akulonrepurposed<br />
PLA water bottle<br />
UK based online retailer DrinkWell has spent the last 12<br />
months developing the UK’s first biodegradable on-the-go<br />
water bottle.<br />
The Eco Bottle was launched in mid-January and is made<br />
from PLA, derived from corn starch. “The great tasting water<br />
comes from a natural spring in Hereford, United Kingdom,”<br />
as Tom Bell, founder and Managing Director of DrinkWell<br />
told bioplastics MAGAZINE.<br />
The new biobased packaging requires 50 % less fossil<br />
fuel for production, compared with fossil-based PET plastic<br />
bottles, and releases 60 % fewer carbon emissions.<br />
The bottle can be fully recycled, will completely compost<br />
within 3–6 months or if incinerated in general waste will<br />
burn completely toxic-free.<br />
DrinkWell is wholesaling the<br />
water directly to the on-trade,<br />
off-trade, and cash & carry<br />
market. It will also be working<br />
with gyms and leisure facilities.<br />
Despite a slightly higher<br />
price, consumers were “willing<br />
to pay more for a product that<br />
is going to be better for the<br />
planet,” Tom explained. MT<br />
www.drinkwelluk.com<br />
Application News<br />
10-12 May – Cologne, Germany<br />
The Answer to Your Hunt for Renewable Materials<br />
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one event hits the mark: bio-based, CO2-based and recycled are the only<br />
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Second day:<br />
• Renewable Polymers<br />
and Plastics<br />
• Fine Chemicals<br />
• Policy and Markets<br />
• Innovation Award<br />
Third day:<br />
• Renewable Plastics<br />
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• Biodegradation<br />
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bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 49
Basics<br />
Biodegradation:<br />
One concept, many nuances<br />
Over the course of the 20 th century, we have become<br />
adapted to plastics and production and consumption<br />
have skyrocketed these past decades. Plastics have<br />
many different properties, are lightweight, can easily be<br />
formed into any shape and most importantly are extremely<br />
durable. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to imagine a<br />
world without plastics. As a small thought experiment, it is<br />
interesting to imagine your room without plastics.<br />
However, it has become clear that the durability of plastics<br />
is also the biggest disadvantage. Unmanaged disposal of<br />
plastic waste in the environment results in visual pollution<br />
nowadays appearing in the news daily. As a consequence<br />
of this pollution, the (micro)plastic accumulation in nature<br />
over time increases.<br />
Over the last few decades, this growing concern about<br />
plastics has encouraged governments and international<br />
governing bodies to implement legislation and directives<br />
with specific requirements on the reduction, re-usage, and<br />
(organic) recycling of plastic products. These legislative<br />
matters together with increasing awareness amongst<br />
consumers and producers emanated the appearance<br />
of (bio)degradable plastics in the market. Nonetheless,<br />
there is currently still a lot of confusion on the definition<br />
of (bio)degradable plastics and their actual behaviour<br />
in the environment. As misinformation might give rise to<br />
greenwashing and incorrect expectations for these products,<br />
causing more harm than good for the environment, clear<br />
terminology and communication between all parties are of<br />
utmost importance. Topics like bioplastics, biodegradability<br />
& compostability will be rolled out in the paragraphs below.<br />
Bioplastics… What’s in a name?<br />
The question “What are bioplastics?” might be more<br />
difficult than it seems. What comes to mind when you think<br />
of bioplastics? Plastics derived from natural materials?<br />
Plastics that can be biodegraded? Or are bioplastics both<br />
of the above? (Fig. 1).<br />
First of all, it is important to note that the nature of<br />
the raw material is not directly connected to its potential<br />
to biodegrade. Plastics of petrochemical origin can be<br />
biodegradable while plastics from natural feedstocks – known<br />
as biobased plastics – are not necessarily biodegradable.<br />
Examples of biobased but non-biodegradable plastics<br />
include bio-PE and bio-PET. Since these have an identical<br />
chemical structure as their petro-based alternatives, these<br />
are not biodegradable and should be managed in the same<br />
way as conventional PET. Vice versa, not all petro-based<br />
polymers are non-biodegradable. Examples like PBAT and<br />
PCL can be biodegraded in compost.<br />
The fact is that the term ‘bioplastics’ is not clearly<br />
defined and can be misleading or confusing to customers.<br />
Therefore, experts are tending towards using biobased<br />
plastics or biodegradable plastics over the term bioplastics.<br />
Complete biodegradability<br />
Biodegradation can be defined as the biochemical<br />
conversion of materials into natural substances like CO 2<br />
and water (and CH 4<br />
if biodegradation is anaerobic) through<br />
the activity of micro-organisms (Fig. 2). It is important to<br />
note that not all organic carbon is converted, as a small part<br />
is assimilated as microbial biomass. To take this biomass<br />
assimilation into account, biodegradation is considered<br />
complete if 90 % conversion of organic carbon to CO 2<br />
is<br />
achieved. It is important to understand this may absolutely<br />
not be seen as 10 % microplastics remaining.<br />
Conversion to CO 2<br />
is the only correct way to quantify<br />
biodegradation. Parameters like visual disappearance of<br />
material, molecular weight reduction, loss of technical<br />
material characteristics are often wrongfully used to make<br />
claims on biodegradation. However, these parameters<br />
only prove biological activity but do not guarantee actual<br />
biodegradation.<br />
Biodegradation and the importance of the<br />
environment<br />
Biodegradation is caused by enzymatic, microbial, and/<br />
or fungal activity. As microbial ecology varies from one<br />
environment to another, it is important to understand that<br />
biodegradability is highly dependent on the environment.<br />
The claim of biodegradability should always be linked<br />
to a specific environment. For instance, lignin-rich<br />
materials (e.g., hardwood) may biodegrade relatively fast<br />
in environments with fungi present like in soil or compost,<br />
while these materials can persist for decades in water or<br />
landfills. There are cases of perfectly conserved newspapers<br />
(high lignin content) from the 1960s found in landfills today.<br />
As another example, standard PLA requires a thermal<br />
trigger (> 50 °C) before the biodegradation process can be<br />
started. These high temperatures are achieved in industrial<br />
composting facilities or anaerobic digesters operating<br />
at high temperatures. However, when thrown in the<br />
composting heap at home this material will not biodegrade<br />
in the required time frame. As this can be very frustrating<br />
for customers it is important for producers to clearly<br />
indicate in which environment the product is biodegradable<br />
and generic claims on biodegradability should not be made.<br />
Composting plants are very diverse and may operate at<br />
a higher or lower technology level, with different loading<br />
rates, process durations, temperatures, etc. Also, our<br />
planet offers a great variety in soils, fresh & marine waters.<br />
Some soils may be extremely hot and dry, while other soils<br />
can be wet and almost anaerobic. It would be impossible<br />
and impractical to have different testing standards for<br />
each possible environment. It is therefore important to<br />
have reliable test methods that can be used to prove<br />
biodegradability of materials in various environments. The<br />
purpose of lab testing is to prove the inherent nature of the<br />
material to biodegrade under a given set of environmental<br />
conditions. It is also important that results are accurate and<br />
50 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
By:<br />
Bruno De Wilde, Managing Director,<br />
Astrid Van Houtte and Tristan Houtteman<br />
Marketing & Sales Engineers<br />
OWS<br />
Gent, Belgium<br />
Basics<br />
reproducible. Lab tests are per definition always optimized<br />
but not accelerated, meaning that all parameters like<br />
temperature, pH, nutrients, etc. are optimized except for the<br />
parameter which is studied. For biodegradation, testing this<br />
limiting parameter will be the carbon source. Furthermore,<br />
a positive reference material (easily biodegradable e.g.,<br />
cellulose) is also included and used to validate the test.<br />
The recurring question often asked is whether materials<br />
that pass testing at optimized test conditions will also<br />
biodegrade in the actual environment. The answer is that<br />
in reality, the same level of biodegradation will be obtained,<br />
yet, the rate will depend on local conditions (temperature,<br />
humidity, etc.).<br />
Composting, so much more than biodegradation<br />
A well-known managed end-of-life environment is<br />
compost. Very often compostability is used interchangeably<br />
with biodegradability. The fact is that compostability is<br />
a much broader concept. One European standard with<br />
requirements on biodegradability is EN 13432 (2000) on<br />
industrial compostability of packaging, covering also<br />
requirements for chemical characteristics, disintegration,<br />
and ecotoxicity. All four requirements must be met before<br />
a product can be considered compostable. Compostable<br />
products will therefore be biodegradable under composting<br />
conditions but not necessarily vice versa (Fig. 3).<br />
During chemical characterization, concentrations<br />
of heavy metal & fluorine are compared to pre-defined<br />
limits. The goal of ecotoxicity testing is to check whether<br />
degraded material, present in the produced compost,<br />
does not exert any adverse effects on test species (plants<br />
and/or earthworms). Biodegradation can be seen as<br />
degradation on a biochemical level, while disintegration is<br />
the physical breakdown or fragmentation of material into<br />
smaller particles. In real-life composting, disintegration &<br />
biodegradation are closely intertwined. To further illustrate<br />
the difference between biodegradation & disintegration one<br />
can take wood as an example. Wood is biodegradable, that<br />
is a fact. However, not all wood is compostable. A small twig<br />
will disintegrate almost directly, while a big tree trunk might<br />
take several decades to disintegrate. Another example is<br />
conventionally non-biodegradable plastics enriched with<br />
additives which are said to improve degradation. These<br />
additives can indeed enhance disintegration of polymers and<br />
are used as a solution for the visual contamination of litter.<br />
However, complete biodegradation is not really proven and<br />
the residual microplastics may persist in the environment<br />
for a very long time. Therefore, these additives are regarded<br />
more as an out of sight, out of mind solution, rather than as<br />
a sustainable solution to combat plastic pollution.<br />
Uncontrolled environments<br />
Not all plastics end up in managed end-of-life sites. Some<br />
materials may unintentionally disperse in uncontrolled<br />
environments like soil, waterways, or marine due to littering<br />
AEROBIC BIODEGRADATION<br />
Fig. 1: biobased plastics, biodegradable plastics<br />
Microorganisms<br />
+ O 2<br />
Biochemistry<br />
CO 2<br />
H 2<br />
O<br />
Humus<br />
Biomass<br />
Fig. 2: “The circle of life”<br />
Environmental<br />
safety<br />
Chemical<br />
characteristics<br />
(Heavy metals)<br />
Ecotoxicity<br />
(Effect on plants)<br />
Fig. 3: All four requirements must be met<br />
Organic matter<br />
Degradation<br />
Biodegradation<br />
(Degradation on<br />
a chemical level)<br />
Disintegration<br />
(Degradationon<br />
a physicallevel)<br />
Basic Photosynthesis<br />
7<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 51
Basics<br />
but also due to their functional use in these environments<br />
(think about horticultural aids, fertilizer coatings, fishing<br />
nets, etc.). Several specific test methods exist to assess<br />
degradability of materials in these uncontrolled environments.<br />
Recently, new test methods have been developed to assess<br />
biodegradability in marine water habitats. The sea is a very<br />
diverse environment with many different habitats, like the<br />
open water, seawater/sediment interface, or the marine<br />
sediment, and there is still a lot of research to be done here.<br />
A standard specification with pass/fail criteria on<br />
biodegradability of products intentionally used on and in<br />
soil did not exist until 2<strong>01</strong>8, at which point EN 17033 (2<strong>01</strong>8)<br />
for biodegradable mulch films was published. Aside from<br />
biodegradability in soil, additional requirements linked to<br />
heavy metals & toxicity are included.<br />
Long-term biodegradation, an opportunity?<br />
Certain products should biodegrade within a short<br />
timeframe as these materials have a short functional life<br />
(e.g., detergents) or as these materials often only spend a<br />
limited time in the processing facility (e.g., food service ware)<br />
like a composting plant or anaerobic digester. The main focus<br />
of current certificates is also on these ready biodegradable<br />
products.<br />
However, ready biodegradability is not always the best<br />
option since certain materials first need to fulfil their (long)<br />
functional life in the environment before biodegrading. This<br />
offers a whole new range of challenges and opportunities<br />
for producers. Examples of such materials can be found<br />
in horticulture. Mulch films should have good mechanical<br />
properties over their operational lifetime (one or multiple<br />
seasons) and the degradation process should only start when<br />
mulch films are ploughed into the soil. Another example from<br />
horticulture is slow-release fertilizers. These polymers should<br />
continuously degrade over a long period of time to guarantee<br />
continuous release of the fertilizer. Also in pisciculture, there<br />
are materials that end up in the ocean and cannot be easily<br />
retrieved. For these materials in situ biodegradation in soil/<br />
water offers an added value.<br />
Day-to-day products like textiles, shoe soles or car tires are<br />
another source of unintentionally dispersed microplastics.<br />
Although these products should not be marketed as<br />
biodegradable, it would be beneficial if these materials<br />
degrade over time and would be non-persistent. For these<br />
types of materials, long-term biodegradation and thus nonpersistency<br />
has an added value.<br />
However, biodegradability should never be used as a license<br />
to litter. Therefore, a distinction should be made between<br />
biodegradability as an inherent product characteristic that can<br />
be communicated on a business-to-business or a businessto-government<br />
level and biodegradability as an end-of-life<br />
option that can be communicated to the public. For example,<br />
it is beneficial if cigarette filters are biodegradable, although<br />
they should not be marketed as such as to not encourage<br />
littering. In a lot of regions, it is therefore also prohibited to<br />
market products as biodegradable.<br />
In summary<br />
If we want to tackle the plastics waste problem, a systemic<br />
approach with regard to waste will be needed. Products<br />
should be designed for reusability & recyclability, however,<br />
for certain applications including highly contaminated waste<br />
like food service ware and coffee capsules, this is not always<br />
possible. In such cases, organic recycling (biodegradation)<br />
is a good alternative. Clear communication between<br />
legislators, producers, consumers, and waste operating<br />
facilities is vital to ensure proper waste management.<br />
Biodegradability is highly dependent on the environment<br />
as it is linked to the activity of different types of microorganisms<br />
present. It is important to select the<br />
environment in which to test the biodegradability based<br />
on the foreseen end-of-life of the product. Managed<br />
end-of-life options include composting and anaerobic<br />
digestion. Unmanaged end-of-life environments include<br />
soil, fresh water, and marine water. Products leaking into<br />
uncontrolled environments should not necessarily be ready<br />
biodegradable, although non-persistency for these types of<br />
products is all the more important.<br />
About the authors<br />
This article was written by Bruno De Wilde (Managing<br />
Director of OWS), Astrid Van Houtte & Tristan Houtteman<br />
(both Marketing & Sales Engineers at OWS). OWS is a<br />
strictly independent testing laboratory and has over 30<br />
years of experience in the field of biodegradability and<br />
compostability testing, for which it is certified & accredited<br />
to ISO 17025. OWS is the only laboratory worldwide that<br />
is recognized by all certification bodies active in the field<br />
of biodegradability and compostability: TÜV AUSTRIA<br />
(Belgium), DIN CERTCO (Germany), BPI (US), JBPA (Japan)<br />
and ABA (Australia). Furthermore, OWS is a (very) active<br />
member of several normalization organizations such as<br />
ISO (international), CEN (European) and ASTM (US) and<br />
is the official Belgian delegate of several ISO and CEN<br />
committees. For more information about OWS, you can visit<br />
their website.<br />
www.ows.be<br />
52 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Automotive<br />
10<br />
Years ago<br />
Published in<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
Rubber from<br />
dandelions<br />
Could Taraxacum koksaghyz<br />
be a future source of rubber<br />
for the tyre industry?<br />
Taraxacum koksaghyz<br />
(photos: Christian Schulze Gronover)<br />
Automotive<br />
E<br />
ven the rubber industry has felt the impact of a shortage<br />
of raw material and so is seeking alternatives to the supply<br />
of natural rubber from the Hevea brasiliensis tree.<br />
This tree grows very slowly and needs about 20 years before<br />
it yields its harvest. “Natural rubber is gaining in interest<br />
because of the price of oil”, says Dirk Prüfer, professor and<br />
head of department at the Institute for Plant Biochemistry<br />
and Biotechnology at the Wilhelms University in Münster. The<br />
amount produced today will hardly be enough to cover demand.<br />
As an alternative dandelions are possibly a solution. During<br />
World War II the Americans, Soviets and Germans were looking<br />
at such alternatives. The idea of using dandelions as a natural<br />
source of raw materials was initiated by the Soviets in the<br />
early 1930s. When the Japanese occupied South-East Asia the<br />
Russians and Americans started to look seriously at producing<br />
a natural product from dandelions. On the occupation of the<br />
region by the Americans the Germans were using the technology<br />
Dandelion produces in its root, amongst other things, natural<br />
rubber, and can be successfully grown in wide areas of Europe<br />
which in other respects are not particularly fertile. If this were to<br />
be done on a commercial scale then the numerous existing wild<br />
species would have to be grown under agricultural conditions.<br />
In particular it will be a case of increasing the yield.<br />
A German group of six research partners have been working<br />
since spring 2<strong>01</strong>1 on the methodical basis of a cultivation<br />
programme for Caucasian or Russian dandelion (Taraxacum<br />
koksaghyz).<br />
The project is being promoted by the German Federal Ministry<br />
of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection (BMELV) via the<br />
Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR).<br />
The first step in the research programme is the adaptation<br />
of existing biotechnical cultivation methods to dandelion<br />
cultivation. Alongside this the researchers want to obtain<br />
seeds in kilogram quantities. The Continental Tyre Company<br />
(Continental Reifen AG), an industrial partner of the group, is<br />
planning tests of the first natural rubber samples.<br />
In terms of cultivation the researchers, unlike in other<br />
European R&D projects on the same topic, are focussing on<br />
two year old plants. They expect to obtain, among other things,<br />
a higher potential yield in the second year. The disadvantage of<br />
a 2-year cycle is that the cultivation takes longer because only<br />
in the second year do the plants produce seed. For this reason<br />
the scientists want to use methods such as special analysis<br />
techniques to accelerate the process as much as possible.<br />
In February of this year, a new project, supported by the<br />
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)<br />
will be launched. The project partners are: Continental Reifen<br />
Deutschland GmbH, Synthomer, Südzucker AG, Fraunhofer<br />
IME & ICB, Aeskulap GmbH, University Stuttgart, Max-Plack-<br />
Institute for Plant Breeding, Julius Kühn Institut, LipoFIT<br />
Analytic GmbH. The goal is the sustainable development of<br />
dandelion as an alternative source to replace natural rubber,<br />
latex and inulin. Stay tuned - bioplastics MAGAZINE will keep you<br />
updated on this project. MT<br />
In January <strong>2022</strong>,<br />
Fred Eickmeyer,<br />
Managing director and plant breeder<br />
Eskusa, Parkstetten Germany<br />
says:<br />
Rubber made from dandelions, dismissed<br />
as a crazy idea around 10 years<br />
ago, is now the basis for the commercial<br />
production of a first bicycle tyre - the Continental<br />
Urban Taraxagum ® . To achieve<br />
this, many innovations were made. First,<br />
using molecular data on rubber biosynthesis,<br />
high-rubber-yielding dandelion lines were established<br />
through knowledge-based breeding<br />
from wild varieties. In parallel, good agricultural<br />
practices were developed for growing dandelions<br />
in the field, from sowing to harvesting seeds<br />
and roots. Field-cultivated plants formed the<br />
basis for the development of an extraction process<br />
that enables the environmentally<br />
friendly extraction of natural rubber<br />
from dandelion roots. Finally, the<br />
process parameters were adapted<br />
so that the new raw material found<br />
its way into industrial bicycle production.<br />
Subsequent tests showed<br />
that the dandelion bicycle tyre performed<br />
optimally in all categories.<br />
And the story continues: currently,<br />
all process steps are being scaled<br />
up so that car tyres made of dandelion<br />
rubber will also be found<br />
on the roads in the future. Local<br />
production of natural rubber with<br />
dandelions will hopefully also<br />
help to stop the further conversion<br />
of unique tropical rainforests<br />
into rubber tree monocultures<br />
- which would be of great<br />
importance for the preservation<br />
of biodiversity and climate stability.<br />
A core team of 5 partners<br />
(Continental Reifen AG, Fraunhofer<br />
IME, WWU Münster, JKI,<br />
ESKUSA) still works with the<br />
same enthusiasm on the development<br />
of dandelion towards<br />
a sustainable industrial<br />
rubber plant. They are supported<br />
by Continental and by<br />
the German Federal Ministry<br />
of Agriculture (BMEL) via the<br />
Agency for Renewable Resources<br />
(FNR).<br />
https://tinyurl.com/dandelion-2<strong>01</strong>1
1. Raw Materials<br />
Suppliers Guide<br />
AGRANA Starch<br />
Bioplastics<br />
Conrathstraße 7<br />
A-3950 Gmuend, Austria<br />
bioplastics.starch@agrana.com<br />
www.agrana.com<br />
Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe<br />
Polyester Co., Ltd.<br />
No. 316, South Beijing Rd. Changji,<br />
Xinjiang, 831100, P.R.China<br />
Tel.: +86 994 22 90 90 9<br />
Mob: +86 187 99 283 100<br />
chenjianhui@lanshantunhe.com<br />
www.lanshantunhe.com<br />
PBAT & PBS resin supplier<br />
Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd.<br />
No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou<br />
Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone,<br />
Guangdong, P.R. China. 510663<br />
Tel: +86 (0)20 6622 1696<br />
info@ecopond.com.cn<br />
www.kingfa.com<br />
BASF SE<br />
Ludwigshafen, Germany<br />
Tel: +49 621 60-99951<br />
martin.bussmann@basf.com<br />
www.ecovio.com<br />
Mixcycling Srl<br />
Via dell‘Innovazione, 2<br />
36042 Breganze (VI), Italy<br />
Phone: +39 04451911890<br />
info@mixcycling.it<br />
www.mixcycling.it<br />
FKuR Kunststoff GmbH<br />
Siemensring 79<br />
D - 47 877 Willich<br />
Tel. +49 2154 9251-0<br />
Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51<br />
sales@fkur.com<br />
www.fkur.com<br />
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For only 6,– EUR per mm, per <strong>issue</strong> you<br />
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field of bioplastics.<br />
Gianeco S.r.l.<br />
Via Magenta 57 1<strong>01</strong>28 Torino - Italy<br />
Tel.+39<strong>01</strong>19370420<br />
info@gianeco.com<br />
www.gianeco.com<br />
Xiamen Changsu Industrial Co., Ltd<br />
Tel +86-592-6899303<br />
Mobile:+ 86 185 5920 1506<br />
Email: andy@chang-su.com.cn<br />
1.1 bio based monomers<br />
1.2 compounds<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
39 mm<br />
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Polymedia Publisher GmbH<br />
Dammer Str. 112<br />
41066 Mönchengladbach<br />
Germany<br />
Tel. +49 2161 664864<br />
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PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd.<br />
info@pttmcc.com / www.pttmcc.com<br />
Tel: +66(0) 2 140-3563<br />
MCPP Germany GmbH<br />
+49 (0) 211 520 54 662<br />
Julian.Schmeling@mcpp-europe.com<br />
MCPP France SAS<br />
+33 (0)2 51 65 71 43<br />
fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com<br />
Microtec Srl<br />
Via Po’, 53/55<br />
30030, Mellaredo di Pianiga (VE),<br />
Italy<br />
Tel.: +39 041 5190621<br />
Fax.: +39 041 5194765<br />
info@microtecsrl.com<br />
www.biocomp.it<br />
Earth Renewable Technologies BR<br />
Estr. Velha do Barigui 10511, Brazil<br />
slink@earthrenewable.com<br />
www.earthrenewable.com<br />
Trinseo<br />
1000 Chesterbrook Blvd. Suite 300<br />
Berwyn, PA 19312<br />
+1 855 8746736<br />
www.trinseo.com<br />
BIO-FED<br />
Branch of AKRO-PLASTIC GmbH<br />
BioCampus Cologne<br />
Nattermannallee 1<br />
50829 Cologne, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 221 88 88 94-00<br />
info@bio-fed.com<br />
www.bio-fed.com<br />
Green Dot Bioplastics<br />
527 Commercial St Suite 310<br />
Emporia, KS 668<strong>01</strong><br />
Tel.: +1 620-273-8919<br />
info@greendotbioplastics.com<br />
www.greendotbioplastics.com<br />
Plásticos Compuestos S.A.<br />
C/ Basters 15<br />
08184 Palau Solità i Plegamans<br />
Barcelona, Spain<br />
Tel. +34 93 863 96 70<br />
info@kompuestos.com<br />
www.kompuestos.com<br />
NUREL Engineering Polymers<br />
Ctra. Barcelona, km 329<br />
50<strong>01</strong>6 Zaragoza, Spain<br />
Tel: +34 976 465 579<br />
inzea@samca.com<br />
www.inzea-biopolymers.com<br />
www.facebook.com<br />
www.issuu.com<br />
www.twitter.com<br />
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Tel: +86 351-8689356<br />
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ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com<br />
Global Biopolymers Co.,Ltd.<br />
Bioplastics compounds<br />
(PLA+starch;PLA+rubber)<br />
194 Lardproa80 yak 14<br />
Wangthonglang, Bangkok<br />
Thailand 10310<br />
info@globalbiopolymers.com<br />
www.globalbiopolymers.com<br />
Tel +66 81 9150446<br />
a brand of<br />
Helian Polymers BV<br />
Bremweg 7<br />
5951 DK Belfeld<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Tel. +31 77 398 09 09<br />
sales@helianpolymers.com<br />
https://pharadox.com<br />
54 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Sukano AG<br />
Chaltenbodenstraße 23<br />
CH-8834 Schindellegi<br />
Tel. +41 44 787 57 77<br />
Fax +41 44 787 57 78<br />
www.sukano.com<br />
Biofibre GmbH<br />
Member of Steinl Group<br />
Sonnenring 35<br />
D-84032 Altdorf<br />
Fon: +49 (0)871 308-0<br />
Fax: +49 (0)871 308-183<br />
info@biofibre.de<br />
www.biofibre.de<br />
Natureplast – Biopolynov<br />
11 rue François Arago<br />
14123 IFS<br />
Tel: +33 (0)2 31 83 50 87<br />
www.natureplast.eu<br />
TECNARO GmbH<br />
Bustadt 40<br />
D-74360 Ilsfeld. Germany<br />
Tel: +49 (0)7062/97687-0<br />
www.tecnaro.de<br />
P O L i M E R<br />
GEMA POLIMER A.S.<br />
Ege Serbest Bolgesi, Koru Sk.,<br />
No.12, Gaziemir, Izmir 35410,<br />
Turkey<br />
+90 (232) 251 5041<br />
info@gemapolimer.com<br />
http://www.gemabio.com<br />
1.3 PLA<br />
Total Corbion PLA bv<br />
Stadhuisplein 70<br />
4203 NS Gorinchem<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Tel.: +31 183 695 695<br />
Fax.: +31 183 695 604<br />
www.total-corbion.com<br />
pla@total-corbion.com<br />
Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co.,Ltd.<br />
No.97 Waisha Rd, Jiaojiang District,<br />
Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China<br />
Tel: +86-576-88827723<br />
pla@hisunpharm.com<br />
www.hisunplas.com<br />
ECO-GEHR PLA-HI®<br />
- Sheets 2 /3 /4 mm – 1 x 2 m -<br />
GEHR GmbH<br />
Mannheim / Germany<br />
Tel: +49-621-8789-127<br />
laudenklos@gehr.de<br />
www.gehr.de<br />
1.4 starch-based bioplastics<br />
BIOTEC<br />
Biologische Naturverpackungen<br />
Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32<br />
46446 Emmerich/Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510<br />
info@biotec.de<br />
www.biotec.de<br />
Plásticos Compuestos S.A.<br />
C/ Basters 15<br />
08184 Palau Solità i Plegamans<br />
Barcelona, Spain<br />
Tel. +34 93 863 96 70<br />
info@kompuestos.com<br />
www.kompuestos.com<br />
UNITED BIOPOLYMERS S.A.<br />
Parque Industrial e Empresarial<br />
da Figueira da Foz<br />
Praça das Oliveiras, Lote 126<br />
3090-451 Figueira da Foz – Portugal<br />
Phone: +351 233 403 420<br />
info@unitedbiopolymers.com<br />
www.unitedbiopolymers.com<br />
1.5 PHA<br />
Kaneka Belgium N.V.<br />
Nijverheidsstraat 16<br />
2260 Westerlo-Oevel, Belgium<br />
Tel: +32 (0)14 25 78 36<br />
Fax: +32 (0)14 25 78 81<br />
info.biopolymer@kaneka.be<br />
TianAn Biopolymer<br />
No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd,<br />
Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800<br />
Tel. +86-57 48 68 62 50 2<br />
Fax +86-57 48 68 77 98 0<br />
enquiry@tianan-enmat.com<br />
www.tianan-enmat.com<br />
1.6 masterbatches<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
Albrecht Dinkelaker<br />
Polymer- and Product Development<br />
Talstrasse 83<br />
60437 Frankfurt am Main, Germany<br />
Tel.:+49 (0)69 76 89 39 10<br />
info@polyfea2.de<br />
www.caprowax-p.eu<br />
Treffert GmbH & Co. KG<br />
In der Weide 17<br />
55411 Bingen am Rhein; Germany<br />
+49 6721 403 0<br />
www.treffert.eu<br />
Treffert S.A.S.<br />
Rue de la Jontière<br />
57255 Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes,<br />
France<br />
+33 3 87 31 84 84<br />
www.treffert.fr<br />
www.granula.eu<br />
2. Additives/Secondary raw materials<br />
GRAFE-Group<br />
Waldecker Straße 21,<br />
99444 Blankenhain, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 36459 45 0<br />
www.grafe.com<br />
3. Semi finished products<br />
3.1 Sheets<br />
Customised Sheet Xtrusion<br />
James Wattstraat 5<br />
7442 DC Nijverdal<br />
The Netherlands<br />
+31 (548) 626 111<br />
info@csx-nijverdal.nl<br />
www.csx-nijverdal.nl<br />
4. Bioplastics products<br />
Bio4Pack GmbH<br />
Marie-Curie-Straße 5<br />
48529 Nordhorn, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 (0)5921 818 37 00<br />
info@bio4pack.com<br />
www.bio4pack.com<br />
Plant-based and Compostable PLA Cups and Lids<br />
Great River Plastic Manufacturer<br />
Company Limited<br />
Tel.: +852 95880794<br />
sam@shprema.com<br />
https://eco-greatriver.com/<br />
Minima Technology Co., Ltd.<br />
Esmy Huang, Vice president<br />
Yunlin, Taiwan(R.O.C)<br />
Mobile: (886) 0-982 829988<br />
Email: esmy@minima-tech.com<br />
Website: www.minima.com<br />
w OEM/ODM (B2B)<br />
w Direct Supply Branding (B2C)<br />
w Total Solution/Turnkey Project<br />
Naturabiomat<br />
AT: office@naturabiomat.at<br />
DE: office@naturabiomat.de<br />
NO: post@naturabiomat.no<br />
FI: info@naturabiomat.fi<br />
www.naturabiomat.com<br />
Natur-Tec ® - Northern Technologies<br />
42<strong>01</strong> Woodland Road<br />
Circle Pines, MN 55<strong>01</strong>4 USA<br />
Tel. +1 763.404.8700<br />
Fax +1 763.225.6645<br />
info@natur-tec.com<br />
www.natur-tec.com<br />
NOVAMONT S.p.A.<br />
Via Fauser , 8<br />
28100 Novara - ITALIA<br />
Fax +39.0321.699.6<strong>01</strong><br />
Tel. +39.0321.699.611<br />
www.novamont.com<br />
Suppliers Guide<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 55
6. Equipment<br />
6.1 Machinery & Molds<br />
10.2 Universities<br />
Suppliers Guide<br />
Buss AG<br />
Hohenrainstrasse 10<br />
4133 Pratteln / Switzerland<br />
Tel.: +41 61 825 66 00<br />
Fax: +41 61 825 68 58<br />
info@busscorp.com<br />
www.busscorp.com<br />
6.2 Degradability Analyzer<br />
MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer<br />
SAIDA FDS INC.<br />
143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu,<br />
Shizuoka,Japan<br />
Tel:+81-54-624-6155<br />
Fax: +81-54-623-8623<br />
info_fds@saidagroup.jp<br />
www.saidagroup.jp/fds_en/<br />
7. Plant engineering<br />
EREMA Engineering Recycling<br />
Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH<br />
Unterfeldstrasse 3<br />
4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA<br />
Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0<br />
Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-23<br />
erema@erema.at<br />
www.erema.at<br />
9. Services<br />
Innovation Consulting Harald Kaeb<br />
narocon<br />
Dr. Harald Kaeb<br />
Tel.: +49 30-28096930<br />
kaeb@narocon.de<br />
www.narocon.de<br />
nova-Institut GmbH<br />
Chemiepark Knapsack<br />
Industriestrasse 300<br />
50354 Huerth, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49(0)2233-48-14 40<br />
E-Mail: contact@nova-institut.de<br />
www.biobased.eu<br />
Bioplastics Consulting<br />
Tel. +49 2161 664864<br />
info@polymediaconsult.com<br />
10. Institutions<br />
10.1 Associations<br />
BPI - The Biodegradable<br />
Products Institute<br />
331 West 57th Street, Suite 415<br />
New York, NY 10<strong>01</strong>9, USA<br />
Tel. +1-888-274-5646<br />
info@bpiworld.org<br />
Institut für Kunststofftechnik<br />
Universität Stuttgart<br />
Böblinger Straße 70<br />
7<strong>01</strong>99 Stuttgart<br />
Tel +49 711/685-62831<br />
silvia.kliem@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de<br />
www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de<br />
Michigan State University<br />
Dept. of Chem. Eng & Mat. Sc.<br />
Professor Ramani Narayan<br />
East Lansing MI 48824, USA<br />
Tel. +1 517 719 7163<br />
narayan@msu.edu<br />
IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics<br />
and Biocomposites<br />
University of Applied Sciences<br />
and Arts Hanover<br />
Faculty II – Mechanical and<br />
Bioprocess Engineering<br />
Heisterbergallee 12<br />
30453 Hannover, Germany<br />
Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 22 69<br />
Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 99 - 22 69<br />
lisa.mundzeck@hs-hannover.de<br />
www.ifbb-hannover.de/<br />
10.3 Other Institutions<br />
Green Serendipity<br />
Caroli Buitenhuis<br />
IJburglaan 836<br />
1087 EM Amsterdam<br />
The Netherlands<br />
Tel.: +31 6-24216733<br />
www.greenseredipity.nl<br />
Osterfelder Str. 3<br />
46047 Oberhausen<br />
Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227<br />
thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de<br />
www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de<br />
European Bioplastics e.V.<br />
Marienstr. 19/20<br />
1<strong>01</strong>17 Berlin, Germany<br />
Tel. +49 30 284 82 350<br />
Fax +49 30 284 84 359<br />
info@european-bioplastics.org<br />
www.european-bioplastics.org<br />
GO!PHA<br />
Rick Passenier<br />
Oudebrugsteeg 9<br />
1<strong>01</strong>2JN Amsterdam<br />
The Netherlands<br />
info@gopha.org<br />
www.gopha.org<br />
Our new<br />
frame<br />
colours<br />
Bioplastics related topics,<br />
i.e., all topics around<br />
biobased and biodegradable<br />
plastics, come in the familiar<br />
green frame.<br />
All topics related to<br />
Advanced Recycling, such<br />
as chemical recycling<br />
or enzymatic degradation<br />
of mixed waste into building<br />
blocks for new plastics have<br />
this turquoise coloured<br />
frame.<br />
When it comes to plastics<br />
made of any kind of carbon<br />
source associated with<br />
Carbon Capture & Utilisation<br />
we use this frame colour.<br />
The familiar blue<br />
frame stands for rather<br />
administrative sections,<br />
such as the table of<br />
contents or the “Dear<br />
readers” on page 3.<br />
If a topic belongs to more<br />
than one group, we use<br />
crosshatched frames.<br />
Ochre/green stands for<br />
Carbon Capture &<br />
Bioplastics, e. g., PHA made<br />
from methane.<br />
Articles covering Recycling<br />
and Bioplastics ...<br />
Recycling & Carbon Capture<br />
We’re sure, you got it!<br />
As you may have already noticed, we are expanding our scope of topics. With the main target in focus – getting away from fossil resources – we are strongly<br />
supporting the idea of Renewable Carbon. So, in addition to our traditional bioplastics topics, about biobased and biodegradable plastics, we also started covering<br />
topics from the fields of Carbon Capture and Utilisation as well as Advanced Recycling.<br />
To better differentiate the different overarching topics in the magazine, we modified our layout.<br />
56 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
Vol. 17<br />
ISSN 1862-5258<br />
Subscribe<br />
now at<br />
bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
the next six <strong>issue</strong>s for €179.– 1)<br />
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1,2) € 99.-<br />
2) aged 35 and below.<br />
Send a scan of your<br />
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or similar proof.<br />
Event Calendar<br />
You can meet us<br />
International Conference on Cellulose Fibres <strong>2022</strong><br />
02.02. - 03.02.<strong>2022</strong> - Cologne, Germany<br />
https://cellulose-fibres.eu/<br />
Forum of Biobased & Biodegradable materials<br />
09.03. - 10.02.<strong>2022</strong> - Shenzhen, China<br />
https://tinyurl.com/bio-shenzhen<br />
bio!PAC 2021/22 (NEW DATE !)<br />
by bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
15.03. - 16.03.<strong>2022</strong> - Online<br />
www.bio-pac.info<br />
Conference on CO 2<br />
-based Fuels and Chemicals<br />
23.03. - 24.03.<strong>2022</strong> - Cologne, Germany<br />
http://co2-chemistry.eu/<br />
PIAE – International professional congress for plastics<br />
in cars<br />
30.03. - 31.03.<strong>2022</strong> - Mannheim, Germany<br />
https://www.vdiconference.com/piae/<br />
CHINAPLAS <strong>2022</strong><br />
25.04. - 28.04.<strong>2022</strong> - Shanghai, China<br />
www.chinaplasonline.com/CPS22<br />
Events<br />
daily updated eventcalendar at<br />
www.bioplasticsmagazine.com<br />
The Renewable Materials Conference<br />
10.05. - 12.05.<strong>2022</strong> - Cologne, Germany<br />
https://renewable-materials.eu/<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE Vol. 16<br />
Bioplastics - CO 2 -based Plastics - Advanced Recycling<br />
Highlights<br />
Coating | 10<br />
Films, Flexibles, Bags | 40<br />
Basics<br />
Cellulose based bioplastics | 50<br />
Bioplastics - CO 2 -based Plastics - Advanced Recycling<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
Cover Story<br />
First straw bans<br />
begin to topple | 7<br />
2007<br />
Highlights<br />
Automotive | 18<br />
Foam | 36<br />
06 / 2021<br />
Basics<br />
Biodegradation | 50<br />
ISSN 1862-5258 ... is read in 92 countries Nov/Dec<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
... is read in 92 countries<br />
Jan/Feb <strong>01</strong> / <strong>2022</strong><br />
7 th PLA World Congress<br />
by bioplastics MAGAZINE<br />
24.05. - 25.05.<strong>2022</strong> -Munich, Germany<br />
www.pla-world-congress.com<br />
Interfoam <strong>2022</strong><br />
15.06. - 17.06.<strong>2022</strong> - Shanghai, China<br />
www.interfoam.cn/en<br />
Plastics for Cleaner Planet - Conference<br />
26.06. - 28.06.<strong>2022</strong> - New York City Area, USA<br />
https://innoplastsolutions.com/conference<br />
Bioplastix India<br />
29.07. - 30.07.<strong>2022</strong> - Bangalore, India<br />
https://bioplastex.com/<br />
Subject to changes.<br />
For up to date event-info visit https://www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/en/event-calendar/<br />
+<br />
or<br />
Use the promotion code ‘watch‘ or ‘book‘<br />
and you will get our watch or the book 3)<br />
Bioplastics Basics. Applications. Markets. for free<br />
(new subscribers only).<br />
1) Offer valid until 31 March <strong>2022</strong>.<br />
3) Gratis-Buch in Deutschland leider nicht möglich (Buchpreisbindung).<br />
Watch as long as supply lasts.<br />
bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17 57
Companies in this <strong>issue</strong><br />
Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert<br />
Adsale / Chinaplas 16 27<br />
Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR) 53<br />
Agrana Starch Bioplastics 54<br />
Amsilk 28<br />
Anellotech 47<br />
Arkema 7,24<br />
Avantium 6,14<br />
Balstic Yacht 26<br />
BASF 12,24,34 54<br />
Bausano 40<br />
Bcomp 30<br />
Beijing Univ. Chem. Tech. 22<br />
Bio4pack 14 55<br />
Bio-Based Industry Joint Undertkaing 23<br />
Bio-Fed Branch of Akro-Plastic 54<br />
Biofibre 55<br />
Biomitive 23<br />
Biotec 4,14 55,59<br />
BluePHA 6<br />
BMEL 30,53<br />
Bonsucro 44<br />
BPI 56<br />
Braskem 24<br />
Buss 13,56<br />
Caprowachs, Albrecht Dinkelaker 55<br />
Cathay Biotech 16,18<br />
ColorFABB 13<br />
Continental 22,53<br />
Cortec Corporation 46<br />
Covestro 36<br />
Crop Energies 30<br />
Customized Sheet Extrusion 55<br />
Danimer Scientific 8<br />
Desserto 28<br />
Dow 2,36<br />
Dr. Heinz Gupta Verlag 35<br />
DrinkWell 49<br />
DSM 49<br />
Earth Renewable Technologies 46<br />
Earthfirst Films by Sidaplax 14<br />
Eastman Chemical Company 24<br />
Eoc-mobilier 36<br />
Erema 56<br />
Eskusa 53<br />
European Bioplastics 5,8,10,11,14,42 56<br />
European Commission 10<br />
Evonik Industries 24<br />
Fabulous 39<br />
FAO 8<br />
FKuR 14 2,54<br />
Ford 30<br />
Four Motors 30<br />
Fraunhofer IME 53<br />
Fraunhofer UMSICHT 56<br />
Next <strong>issue</strong>s<br />
Issue<br />
Month<br />
Publ.<br />
Date<br />
edit/ad/<br />
Deadline<br />
02/<strong>2022</strong> Mar/Apr 04.04.<strong>2022</strong> 04.03.<strong>2022</strong> Thermoforming /<br />
Rigid Packaging<br />
Fraunhofer WKI 30<br />
Futamura 45<br />
Future Market Insights 24<br />
Gehr 55<br />
Gema Polimers 55<br />
Genecis Bioindustries 6<br />
Gianeco 54<br />
Global Biopolymers 54<br />
Go!PHA 56<br />
Goodyear 22<br />
Grafe 54,55<br />
Granula 55<br />
Great River Plastic Manuf. 55<br />
Green Dot Bioplastics 54<br />
Green Serendipity 14 56<br />
Grupo Antolin 34<br />
Gruppo Fabbri Vignola 12<br />
H&S Anlagentechnik 36<br />
Helian Polymers 6,13 54<br />
Hellerman Tyton 49<br />
Hexpol TPE 46<br />
ICC Plus 44<br />
IDPRINT 3D 39<br />
Inst. F. Bioplastics & Biocomposites 56<br />
Institut f. Kunststofftechnik, Stuttgart 56<br />
JinHui ZhaoLong High Technology 54<br />
JKI 53<br />
Joint Research Centre JRC 10,42<br />
Kaneka 38 55<br />
Kingfa 54<br />
Kinner 26<br />
Kompuestos 54,55<br />
Kreyenborg 41<br />
Manthey racing 31<br />
Mercedes-Benz 28<br />
Michigan State University 56<br />
Microtec 54<br />
Minima Technology 55<br />
Mitsubishi Chemical 24<br />
Mixcycling 54<br />
Mylo 28<br />
NaKu 14<br />
narocon InnovationConsulting 56<br />
Naturabiomat 55<br />
Natureplast-Biopolynov 55<br />
NatureWorks 5,14,24,42<br />
Natur-Tec 55<br />
Neste 14<br />
nova Institute 11,14 21,25,49,56<br />
Novamont 14 55,6<br />
Numi Organic Tea 14<br />
Nurel 54<br />
Orrison Chemicals Orgaform 36<br />
OTIZ 22<br />
Edit. Focus 1 Edit. Focus 2 Basics<br />
Additives /<br />
Masterbatch / Adh.<br />
30/<strong>2022</strong> May/Jun 07.06.<strong>2022</strong> 06.05.<strong>2022</strong> Injection moulding Beauty &<br />
Healthcare<br />
04/<strong>2022</strong> Jul/Aug <strong>01</strong>.08.<strong>2022</strong> <strong>01</strong>. Jul 22 Blow Moulding Polyurethanes/<br />
Elastomers/Rubber<br />
05/<strong>2022</strong> Sep/Oct 04.10.<strong>2022</strong> 02.09.<strong>2022</strong> Fiber / Textile /<br />
Nonwoven<br />
06/<strong>2022</strong> Nov/Dec 05.12.<strong>2022</strong> 04.11.<strong>2022</strong> Films/Flexibles/<br />
Bags<br />
Building &<br />
Construction<br />
Consumer<br />
Electronics<br />
OWS 14,5<br />
Pepsoco Europe 48<br />
plasticker 24<br />
polymediaconsult 56<br />
Porsche 30<br />
PTT/MCC 54<br />
PureGreen 14<br />
Refork 13<br />
Renault 30<br />
Ricoh Europe 14<br />
Rodenburg Biopolymers 14<br />
Ronal 32<br />
RSB 44<br />
RWDC 14<br />
SACMI Chocolate 45<br />
Saida 56<br />
Sappi Europe 20<br />
Scotch & Soda 48<br />
Shandong Chambroard 22<br />
Shandong Linglong Tire 22<br />
Solvay 5,24<br />
Sukano 55<br />
Sulapac 14<br />
Suntory Group 47<br />
Superfoodguru 14<br />
Swan 26<br />
Taghleef Industries 14<br />
Tecnaro 55<br />
Teco2il 30<br />
The Vita Group 36<br />
TianAn Biopolymer 55<br />
Tipa 14,48<br />
TNO 14<br />
Total Corbion PLA 6,14,24 55<br />
TotalEnergies Corbion 6,8<br />
Treffert 55<br />
Trillium Renewable Chemicals 5<br />
Trinseo 54<br />
TU Delft 14<br />
TÜV Austria Belgium 38<br />
UBQ 28<br />
United Biopolymers 55<br />
United Nations 8<br />
Univ. Amsterdam 14<br />
Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 56<br />
VDI 9<br />
Volkswagen 30<br />
Vyva Fabrics 28<br />
Wolf Oil Corporation 30<br />
WWF 7<br />
WWK Münster 53<br />
Xiamen Chagsu Industries 23,54<br />
Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe Polyester 54<br />
Yoloha 46<br />
Zeijiang Hisun Biomaterials 55<br />
plastic or "no plastic" -<br />
that's the question<br />
Biocompatability of PHA<br />
FDCA and PEF<br />
Feedstocks, different<br />
generations<br />
Chemical recycling<br />
Trade-Fair<br />
Specials<br />
Chinaplas Preview<br />
Chinaplas Review<br />
K'<strong>2022</strong> Preview<br />
K'<strong>2022</strong> Review<br />
Subject to changes<br />
58 bioplastics MAGAZINE [<strong>01</strong>/22] Vol. 17
SMART<br />
SOLUTIONS<br />
FOR<br />
EVERYDAY<br />
PRODUCTS<br />
• Food contact grade<br />
• Odourless<br />
• Plasticizer free<br />
• Home and industrial<br />
compostable<br />
100%<br />
compostable<br />
(according to EN 13432)
WWW.MATERBI.COM<br />
as orange peel<br />
EcoComunicazione.it<br />
r1_<strong>01</strong>.2020