Issue 03/2023

Bioplastics - CO 2 -based Plastics - Advanced Recycling 

bioplastics MAGAZINE VOL 18 

Highlights 

Injection Moulding | 42 

Joining / Adhesives | 48 

Basics 

Green PE | 58 

...will become 

Show Review 

Cover Story 

Best of nova studies | 26 

ISSN 1862-5258 May/June 03 / 2023

dear 

Editorial 

readers 

There have been a lot of events and developments in the last couple of 

weeks. There was the Interpack with our own bio!PAC conference (see also 

pp. 12 and 33), the PRSE showing everything new from the recycling sector, 

and just a couple of days ago the Renewable Materials Conference (see also 

pp. 16) that unified all sustainable solutions for chemicals and plastics in one 

room. Some things crystallised for me during all these events: Currently, 

everybody claims to be sustainable, and everybody says there is a need 

for more cooperation along the value chain, but I have also seen that a 

lot of companies only seem to do lip service to those ideas. I won’t name 

any names, but if we truly want to change this industry people need to 

change and open up to the reality that the status quo is about to change 

and that business as usual cannot continue. On a hopeful note, during a 

recent press conference, it was stated that things behind the scenes are 

actually changing, that it is becoming more risky to finance conventional 

fossil industries and that there is a growing fear of being left behind if 

you do not invest in renewable and more sustainable solutions. 

There is one other thing, the world of plastics is a very international 

one, and many (myself included) are not native English speakers – this 

diversity is something I really value and enjoy. However, as someone 

with a background in psychology sometimes people mispronouncing 

things set my teeth on edge. So, to my fellow non-natives (and my 

fellow Germans), paralysis (pəráləsɪs) is something very different 

than pyrolysis (pɑjrɔ́ləsɪs), you may fall into a state of paralysis 

when hearing about pyrolysis, but they are very different concepts. 

I know it is just a pet peeve of mine and there are probably a couple 

of things I mispronounce (or misspell) on a daily basis as well, but 

I had to mention it. 

Now to the current issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE. On the cover 

you can see what our new logo, which will come with the official 

rebranding in the next issue, will look like. We also have six people 

on the cover for the first time who are all experts of the industry. The issue 

in your hands (or on your screens) is full of stories and news about recent 

events, Injection Moulding, and Joining/Adhesives. We also have a Basics 

article that I especially like as it tackles the issue of land use and does away 

with many (sadly very common) misconceptions. I am sick of hearing the 

argument of food competition as it always implies “you take food away from 

starving children” which is quite hyperbole and wrong – on the contrary, plastic 

packaging increases the shelf-life of many food products protecting them due 

to e.g. their barrier properties which makes it possible to feed more people. 

But this page is too small for me to rant all day – it is the responsibility of 

the industry to correct these mistakes and communicate clearly and honestly, 

yet beating misinformation is a difficult job. However, if you are reading this 

you are already on a good way to get high-quality, science-based information. 

I hope you enjoy reading the current issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE, perhaps 

in the shade of a tree on a sunny day – because that’s my destination for the 

coming week as I will take a couple of days off to recharge. 

@bioplasticsmag 

Follow us on twitter! 

@bioplasticsmagazine 

Like us on Facebook! 

Sincerely yours 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/23] Vol. 18 

3

Imprint 

Content 

May / June 03|2023 

Publisher / Editorial 

Dr Michael Thielen (MT) 

Alex Thielen (AT) 

Samuel Brangenberg (SB) 

Head Office 

Polymedia Publisher GmbH 

Hackesstr. 99 

41066 Mönchengladbach, Germany 

phone: +49 (0)2161 664864 

fax: +49 (0)2161 631045 

info@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

www.bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Media Adviser 

Samsales (German language) 

phone: +49(0)2161-6884467 

fax: +49(0)2161 6884468 

sb@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Michael Thielen (English Language) 

(see head office) 

Layout/Production 

Philipp Thielen, Michael Thielen 

Renewable Carbon Initiative 

10 Biobased content, compostable plastics, 

and chemical recycling 

Events 

12 bio!PAC review 

15 Chinaplas review 

16 RMC review 

22 Interpack review 

Cover Story 

26 Best of Nova Studies 

Top Talk 

28 Recycling won’t fix it all 

Injection Moulding 

42 Sustainable innovation in injection moulding 

44 Composites from brewery waste 

45 Better machines meet better materials 

46 New injection mouldable seaweed resin 

47 Co-injection moulding with PCR 

Joining / Adhesives 

49 Hotmelt Adhesives 

Materials 

32 Pearlescent masterbatches with without TiO 2 

33 New PBS grades become more attractive for 

industry 

34 Home compostable bioplastics with low 

thermal conductivity 

38 Biobased HFFR long-chain polyamide 

grades for industrial applications 

From Science & Research 

26 Best of Nova Studies 

39 New biobased intermediates 

40 Degradation of Oxo-plastics - 

a review of the evidence 

Advanced Recycling 

43 Sustainable rubber production and 

recycling 

54 Dissolution – between 

mechanical and chemical recycling 

56 Chemical recycling of plastic in action 

Processing 

31 Extrusion processing of increasingly 

green plastics 

Media 

30 Plastics. Climate. Future. 

Podcast with Alex Thielen 

3 Editorial 

5 News 

50 Application News 

58 Basics 

61 10 years ago 

62 Suppliers Guide 

66 Companies in this issue 

Photography 

Philipp Thielen 

Print 

Poligrāfijas grupa Mūkusala Ltd. 

1004 Riga, Latvia 

bioplastics MAGAZINE is printed on 

chlorine-free FSC certified paper. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE 

Volume 18 – 2023 

ISSN 1862-5258 

bM is published 6 times a year. 

This publication is sent to qualified 

subscribers (179 Euro for 6 issues). 

bioplastics MAGAZINE is read in 

100 countries. 

Every effort is made to verify all information 

published, but Polymedia Publisher 

cannot accept responsibility for any errors 

or omissions or for any losses that may 

arise as a result. 

All articles appearing in 

bioplastics MAGAZINE, or on the website 

www.bioplasticsmagazine.com are strictly 

covered by copyright. No part of this 

publication may be reproduced, copied, 

scanned, photographed and/or stored 

in any form, including electronic format, 

without the prior consent of the publisher. 

Opinions expressed in articles do not 

necessarily reflect those of Polymedia 

Publisher. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE welcomes contributions 

for publication. Submissions are 

accepted on the basis of full assignment 

of copyright to Polymedia Publisher GmbH 

unless otherwise agreed in advance and in 

writing. We reserve the right to edit items 

for reasons of space, clarity, or legality. 

Please contact the editorial office via 

mt@bioplasticsmagazine.com. 

The fact that product names may not be 

identified in our editorial as trademarks is 

not an indication that such names are not 

registered trademarks. 

bioplastics MAGAZINE uses British 

spelling. 

Envelopes 

A part of this print run is mailed to the 

readers wrapped bioplastic envelopes 

sponsored by Sidaplax/Plastic Suppliers 

Belgium/USA). 

Cover 

From the left: Pauline Ruiz, Lara Dammer, 

Pia Skoczinski, Christopher vom Berg, 

Lars Krause, Matthias Stratmann(nova 

Institute) (Photo: Raimond Spekking) 

@BIOPLASTICSMAG 

@BIOPLASTICSMAGAZINE

Picks & clicks 

Most frequently clicked news 

Here’s a look at our most popular online content of the past two months. 

The story that got the most clicks from the visitors to bioplasticsmagazine.com was: 

tinyurl.com/news-20230418 

News 

Danimer Scientific, TotalEnergies Corbion announce 

EU-compliant compostable coffee pod biopolymer 

(18 April 2023) 

Danimer Scientific (Bainbridge, GA, USA) and TotalEnergies Corbion 

(Gorinchem, the Netherlands), both leading bioplastics companies 

focused on the development and production of biodegradable materials, 

today announced that they have developed a new compostable coffee pod 

biopolymer that is in compliance with proposed EU packaging regulations. 

In 2021, Danimer and TotalEnergies Corbion entered into a long-term 

collaborative arrangement for the supply of Luminy PLA (...). 

daily updated News at 


Lummus and RWDC Industries cooperate 

Lummus Technology (Houston, TX, USA), a global provider of 

process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, and 

RWDC Industries (Athens, GA, USA), a biotechnology company 

developing biopolymer material solutions, recently signed a 

memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate on global 

PHA deployment initiatives. 

The MOU is an important step toward a joint development 

that will rapidly grow the manufacturing of PHA through global 

licensing opportunities. With Lummus' expertise in process 

technology and RWDC's expertise in PHA production and 

application, the partnership will significantly accelerate global 

availability and mass adoption of PHA. 

“We are excited to combine our collective expertise, 

experience, and resources to commercialize PHAs”, said 

Lummus President and CEO Leon de Bruyn. “Together, we 

can provide eco-friendly biodegradable plastics, while driving 

innovation and advancing the circular economy of our industry”. 

“Our partnership with Lummus is a significant step toward 

enabling PHA to assist our customers", said RWDC CEO Daniel 

Carraway, "and, therefore, consumers – in meeting the global 

challenge of plastics pollution”. 

RWDC uses plant-based oils, including post-consumer or 

waste cooking oils, to produce its proprietary Solon PHA, which 

can be organically recycled or composted in home and industrial 

composting facilities. Products or packaging made with PHA 

that find their way into the environment, therefore, will fully 

biodegrade in soil, fresh water, and marine settings, preventing 

persistent plastics and microplastics from accumulating in the 

environment. Articles produced with PHA also can be recycled, reused, 

or returned to the carbon cycle by way of organic recycling 

or composting systems. 

Lummus' interest in pursuing this partnership is a testament 

to RWDC's attractiveness to licensors, due to its demonstrable 

technology innovation and technical capabilities, commercial 

value proposition and unit economics, and existing global brand 

partnerships that continuously validate market demand. 

RWDC is uniquely positioned as a PHA manufacturer in the 

market to provide scalable and cost-effective biopolymer production 

and first- and best-in-class formulation capabilities and guidance 

on conversion for product development. Licensing and technology 

development through its forthcoming partnership with Lummus 

further enhances RWDC's position as a market leader. AT/MT 

www.lummustechnology.com | www.rwdc-industries.com 

Our frame colours 

Topics related to the 

Renewable Carbon Initiative... 

Bioplastics related topics, i.e. 

all topics around biobased 

and biodegradable plastics, 

come in the familiar 

green frame. 

All topics related to 

Advanced Recycling, such 

as chemical recycling 

or enzymatic degradation 

of mixed waste into 

building blocks for 

new plastics have this 

turquoise coloured frame. 

When it comes to plastics 

made of any kind of carbon 

source associated with 

Carbon Capture & Utilisation 

we use this frame colour. 

The familiar blue 

frame stands for rather 

administrative sections, 

such as the table of 

contents or the 

“Dear readers” on page 3. 

If a topic belongs to more 

than one group, we use 

crosshatched frames. 

Ochre/green stands for 

Carbon Capture & 

Bioplastics, e. g. 

PHA made from methane. 

Articles covering 

Recycling and Bioplastics ... 

Recycling & Carbon Capture 

We’re sure, you got it! 


5

News 



Follow-up strategic 

investment in 

Biofiber Tech Sweden 

Hamburg-based K.D. Feddersen Holding (Germany) 

has, together with other existing shareholders, e.g. 

Almi Invest GreenTech (Stockholm, Sweden), completed 

a follow-up investment in Biofiber Tech, a green tech 

start-up from Stockholm as well. The investment enables 

Biofiber Tech to take the next step and achieve full-scale 

production of their material innovation FibraQ ® as well 

as to strengthen Biofiber Tech’s personnel resources to 

realize these goals. 

The investment will deepen the strategic partnership 

between the Feddersen Group and Biofiber Tech. 

The continued collaboration will focus on sales and 

marketing for FibraQ and the FibraQ compounds, toll 

compounding as well as new product development 

projects with the Feddersen Group companies, AKRO- 

PLASTIC and its branch office, BIO-FED as well as K.D. 

Feddersen Distribution. 

Recently, Biofiber Tech and the Feddersen Group 

presented themselves as forward-looking partners 

at Chinaplas (see p. 15), the leading plastics and 

rubber trade show. The world's first 3D-printed fullsize 

kayak made of wood fibrers and recycled plastic 

compounds was exhibited. 

FibraQ are chemically-modified wood fibres and wood 

fibre compounds that provide optimal compatibility 

with plastics to achieve the best possible properties in 

technical applications in injection moulding, extrusion, 

thermoforming, and 3D printing. Hence, FibraQ can be 

used as a sustainable alternative in multiple products and 

applications to reduce global carbon emissions. 

“We are excited to deepen our partnership with the 

Feddersen Group”, said Eric Zhang, Founder and CEO 

of Biofiber Tech. “This investment will help us achieve 

our large-scale production goals needed to meet the 

market demand and for us to continue to innovate in 

the green tech space”. 

“Striving towards sustainability is a central theme 

within the Feddersen Group. We take our responsibility 

seriously. This is what connects us with Biofiber Tech. 

We are therefore pleased to further and intensively 

support the development of Biofiber Tech and FibraQ 

as a strategic partner that brings many years in the 

conventional business to the table. Coupled with the 

innovative strength of Biofiber Tech, we see a chance to 

expand our portfolio to include further biobased plastics 

of the highest quality”, said Volker Scheel, Managing 

Director of K.D. Feddersen Holding. MT 

www.feddersen.group 

| www.biofibertech.com 

Amorphous PHA in 

FDA’s Inventory of Food 

Contact Substances 

Amorphous PHA produced by CJ Biomaterials (Woburn, 

MA, USA) is now included in the U.S. FDA Administration 

Inventory of Effective Food Contact Substances (FCS). 

CJ Biomaterials’ amorphous PHA, branded PHACT 

A1000P, can now be used to make packaging materials 

sold in the United States that come into contact 

with food, including rigid and flexible packaging, 

serviceware, and other products. 

When combined with other biopolymers, CJ Biomaterials’ 

amorphous PHA enhances the biodegradability 

and compostability of products, including food 

packaging materials. 

Materials are added to the FCS inventory after the FDA 

conducts extensive testing on the safety of the substance 

and after the Agency has determined that it is safe for its 

intended use. The FDA bases its evaluation on the federal 

Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. MT 

www.cjbio.net 

Plastic digesting 

microbes found in 

alpine and arctic soils 

Scientists at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, 

Snow and Landscape Research WSL have discovered 

microbes that degrade plastic at cool temperatures. 

This opens up new perspectives for recycling certain types 

of plastic. Most known microbes require at least 30 °C for 

their decomposition work. 

The researchers buried plastic in soil from the Alps 

and Greenland and examined the bacteria and fungi that 

grew on it over the course of several months. They also 

isolated microbes from plastic buried for one year in 

Greenland and from plastic waste collected on Svalbard 

(Norway). Then they tested their ability to degrade 

different types of plastic in the laboratory under controlled 

conditions. Nineteen strains were able to break down 

biodegradable plastics, but none were able to break down 

convnetionalplastic polyethylene (PE). 

Before the new findings can actually be applied in the 

recycling of biodegradable plastic, the researchers still 

have to tackle some issues: "The next big challenge will 

be to identify the plastic-degrading enzymes produced by 

the microbes and to optimize the process to obtain large 

amounts of enzymes. In addition, further modification of 

the enzymes might be needed to optimize properties such 

as their stability", says Beat Frey, co-author of the study. MT 

https://tinyurl.com/bM-news-0323 

6 bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/23] Vol. 18

TIPA acquired Bio4pack 

TIPA Compostable Packaging (Hod Hasharon, Israel) announced in early May it has acquired Bio4Pack (Nordhorn, Germany) 

a European leader in compostable packaging solutions. Bio4Pack has joined TIPA leadership to create a comprehensive 

compostable packaging portfolio, meeting the ever-growing interest for truly circular packaging solutions on the market. 

The acquisition was signed with Bio4Pack complementing TIPA's offering for the compostable industry as its European endapplications 

solution provider. 

In addition to the wide range of products on offer, customers will now be able to purchase from TIPA three new products: paper 

packaging from agricultural waste, trays, and nets. 

TIPA, a market leader, develops and manufactures ground-breaking flexible compostable packaging that turn into compost 

within a few months, providing a full circular solution for flexible plastic waste. TIPA packaging mimics the high-end properties 

of conventional plastic packaging such as strength, machinability, transparency, and shelf life – but leave zero waste behind, 

just like any other organic waste. Its packaging solutions for the entire supply chain, include films and laminates for packaging 

manufacturers and custom packaging applications for food and fashion brands. 

In the past 15 years, Bio4Pack has also grown to be an industry leader in the field of compostable packaging. It has been 

developing and manufacturing packaging that meet consumers' and producers' desire to reduce harmful plastic packaging waste. 

This has resulted in a complete range of compostable packaging that meets a variety of stringent standards. 

According to Daphna Nissenbaum, CEO & Co-Founder of TIPA, 

“There is a great value and strength in cooperating with other players 

in the sustainable packaging solutions industry. The acquisition of 

Bio4Pack enables us to expand our existing expertise and portfolio 

and continue to grow TIPA’s custom packaging solutions ”. 

Patrick Gerritsen Bio4Pack CEO, says, "It is an honour to be 

acquired by TIPA, as this company is well-known throughout Europe 

– and around the world – for their innovative packaging. With both 

companies# extensive experience in this field, I am confident we will 

be able to significantly reduce plastic pollution on Earth”. MT 

News 



https://tipa-corp.com | www.bio4pack.com 

New bioplastic R&D laboratory in Romania 

KIK Compounds (Dumbrava, Romania), a leading European 

producer of biodegradable bioplastics, member of European 

Bioplastics, recently inaugurated the new wing of its state-ofthe-art 

Research and Development (R&D) laboratory. The new 

facility, located at the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research 

for Science and Technology (ICSTM) within Valahia University 

(Târgoviște, Romania), marks a significant milestone in KIK 

Compounds' commitment to advancing sustainable solutions 

in the plastics industry. 

The inauguration ceremony showcased KIK Compounds' 

dedication to research, experimentation, and assessment 

of the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradability of polymeric 

materials, with the aim of providing industries and consumers 

with eco-friendly alternatives to traditional plastics. 

KIK Compounds enjoys high reputation in the industry, 

catering to a diverse clientele in the sectors of footwear, 

toys, cutlery, and packaging, and that includes prominent 

luxury fashion companies. While maintaining the quality and 

technical features of traditional plastics, KIK Compounds’ 

bioplastics are both recyclable and biodegradable, and 

they are made with recycled vegetable resources, such as 

coffee waste and used corn oil, so as not to contribute to 

deforestation or food insecurity. 

Germano Craia, founder and CEO of KIK Compounds, 

said, "We are extremely proud to inaugurate the new 

wing of our R&D laboratory at ICSTM. This facility 

represents a significant step forward in our mission 

to develop sustainable solutions and ensure a greener 

future. Through our ongoing research and collaboration 

with Valahia University, we strive to push the boundaries 

of innovation and establish new standards for 

biodegradable plastics". MT 

https://kikcompounds.ro 


7

News 



Solvolysis to recycle aeronautic biocomposites 

The aviation industry is increasingly using biocomposite 

materials in its components to mitigate their environmental 

impact. Biocomposites use natural fibres for 

reinforcement and resins from renewable sources. 

However, the novelty and heterogeneous nature 

of these thermoset materials and the fact that they 

lack carbon fibres, which have a high market value, 

make it difficult to find an efficient management 

solution when these materials become waste at the 

end of their useful life. 

AIMPLAS (Valencia, Spain), and the Dutch 

research centre TNO (The Hague) have completed the ELIOT 

Project, which involved carrying out an in-depth review of current 

recycling technologies for the composites and biocomposites used 

in the aeronautics sector in order to analyse the best alternatives 

on a pilot plant scale that are also technically and financially 

feasible. As a result of the study, solvolysis was found to be the 

best method of the 12 technologies analysed for recycling six 

different biocomposites. 

This study helps promote cost-effective recycling technologies 

that enable the aeronautics industry to guarantee the sustainability 

of its components in the search for new solutions aligned with 

the circular economy. The results show that pyrolysis emits 

17 % more carbon dioxide and consumes twice as much heat 

as solvolysis, which entails additional associated 

costs. Solvolysis uses solvents as a substitute for 

heat, but these solvents are recovered with great 

efficiency and reused in the process. The study has 

also shown that solvolysis works even better on 

large biocomposites. 

For both pyrolysis and solvolysis, additional 

purification steps are required to be able to use the 

pyrolysis liquid and the distilled product, respectively. 

These estimates were made based on a processing plant with a 

capacity of 10,000 tonnes of biocomposites per year. 

Other technologies analysed in the study included 

mechanical recycling, dissolution, enzymatic degradation, 

gasification, and composting. 

The ELIOT Project received funding from the European Union’s 

Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme within the 

framework of the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative under 

grant agreement number 886416. AT 

www.aimplas.net | www.project-eliot.eu 

Renewable Materials of the Year 2023 

With the innovation award “Renewable Material of the 

Year 2023”, nova-Institute (organiser – Hürth, Germany) and 

Covestro (sponsor – Leverkusen, Germany) recognise three 

particularly exciting and promising solutions that contribute to 

replacing fossil carbon from the ground. 

The call for submissions was answered by 30 companies, 

three of them were now chosen by the participants of the 

Renewable Materials Conference (see pp. 16). 

The Winner: 

KUORI – Biobased and Biodegradable Elastic Materials 

(KUORI – Basel, Switzerland) 

KUORI are developing and producing biobased and 

biodegradable elastic materials based on food waste such as 

banana peels and nutshells. They are sustainable alternatives 

for conventional elastic materials in various applications. 

Their first use case is shoe soles. They are working together 

with shoe producers who make soles from their materials. 

This avoids the accumulation of persistent microplastics and 

offers an ecological end-of-life perspective for the product. 

Their materials can be fully reintegrated into the biological 

cycle by industrial composting. Hence, their materials enable 

a circular business model for shoe producers and other 

manufacturers of goods. 

Second Place: 

Carbon-light yeast oil (COLIPI – Hamburg, Germany) 

COLIPI develops innovative bioprocesses for the 

transformation of CO 2 

to sustainable carbon-light alternatives 

to plant oils like palm oil. The core innovation and enabler is a 

patented gas fermentation bioreactor that safely unlocks the 

world’s fastest CO 2 

utilizing microorganisms which turn offgasses 

containing CO 2 

(directly), H 2 

and O2 to carbohydraterich 

biomass. These biomasses and/or industrial organic side 

streams serve as feedstock for heterotrophic fermentations, 

e.g. yeast oil fermentation. 

Third Place: 

traceless ® – Natural polymer (traceless 

materials – Hamburg, Germany) 

traceless is part of a new generation of natural polymer 

materials. The material is based on plant residues of the 

agricultural industry and contains 100 % biobased carbon content 

– hereby supporting the transition from fossils to renewables, 

while additionally avoiding direct food conflict. Furthermore, 

traceless is a toxic-free and climate-friendly solution, as the 

production and disposal emit up to 95 % less CO 2 

compared to 

conventional plastics. The patent-pending production technology 

is scalable and efficient, saving on average 83 % of fossil energy 

demand during production. The start-up produces traceless as 

a base material in granulate form. 

Find a more comprehensive report about the 

winners on the website. AT 

https://renewable-materials.eu/award-application 


10-11 Oct 2023 

Atlanta, GA, USA 

Register now! 

organized by 

Confirmed speakers include: Alfa Laval, Beyond Plastic, Bluepha, 

Circularise, CJ Biomaterials, Colorado State University, Danimer Scientific, 

Farrel Pomini, GO!PHA, Jungbunzlauer, Kaneka, National Renewable 

Energy Laboratory, OWS, PHAbuilder, RWDC, TerraVerdae, Tsinghua 

University, University of Queensland, Wageningen University & Research, 

(visit the website for continuous updates on the agenda) 

www.pha-world-congress.com 

Diamond Sponsor 

Gold Sponsors 

Silver Sponsor 

Co-organized by 

Supported by 

Platinum Sponsor 

Bronze Sponsor 

PHA (Poly-Hydroxy-Alkanoates) is a family of biobased 

polyesters. Examples of such polyhydroxyalkanoates are 

PHB, PHV, PHBV, PHBH, and many more. That’s why we 

speak about the PHA platform. 

Depending on the type of PHA, they can be used for 

applications in films and rigid packaging, biomedical 

applications, automotive, consumer electronics, 

appliances, toys, glues, adhesives, paints, coatings, 

fibres for woven and non-woven, and inks. So PHAs cover 

a broad range of properties and applications. 

Also depending on the type, most PHAs are biodegradable 

in a wide range of environments, such as industrial and 

home composting, anaerobic digestion (AD), in soil, 

fresh- and even seawater. 

After the successful first two PHA platform World 

Congresses in Germany, this unique event is now coming 

to the USA. 

10-11 October 2023 in Atlanta, GA / USA 

(subject to changes) 


9

INITIATIVE 

RENEWABLE 

CARBON 

Biobased content, compostable 

plastics, and chemical recycling 

Many opportunities for more innovation and sustainability in the new 

Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) 

In November 2022, the European Commission adopted 

the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament 

and of the Council on packaging and packaging waste, 

amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 and Directive (EU) 

2019/904, and repealing Directive 94/62/EC. The proposed 

regulation includes several rules that would – if implemented 

– push for a much stronger circular economy in the packaging 

sector, due to higher re-use and refill quotas, higher use of 

recycled materials and mandatory composting of certain 

hard-to-recycle products. The Renewable Carbon Initiative 

(RCI) welcomes this proposal and wants to offer several 

suggestions to strengthen it further and get implementation 

closer to the market realities of Europe. 

As a proponent of an accelerated shift from using fossil 

resources to renewable carbon sources in the European 

industry, the Renewable Carbon Initiative promotes recycling, 

biomass, and carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) as 

sustainable carbon sources for sectors that cannot be 

decarbonised due to their very nature – which includes all 

products made from organic chemistry, including packaging. 

All three carbon sources – we call them renewable carbon 

– should receive support to enable a truly circular carbon 

economy that does not require any additional, virgin fossil 

feedstocks from the ground. 

For this reason, RCI calls on policymakers to increase 

efforts in several areas. First and foremost, the PPWR 

proposal should seize the opportunity to boost the potential 

of biomass and direct carbon capture and utilisation 

in contributing to a sustainable packaging industry. 

These materials can offer similar GHG reductions as 

recycled packaging and they offer flexibility for producers in 

implementing sustainable solutions, thus accelerating the 

EU’s green transition and decreasing dependency on fossil 

feedstocks in the packaging sector. RCI, therefore, asks the 

Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council to 

include in the proposal a complementary renewable content 

target promoting the use of bio- and CO 2 

-based feedstocks 

in packaging similar to recycling. 

Furthermore, RCI is delighted to see that Article 8 of the 

Commission proposal requires that certain types of tea 

and coffee packaging, sticky labels attached to fruit and 

vegetables as well as very lightweight plastic carrier bags 

shall be compostable in industrially controlled conditions 

in bio-waste treatment facilities. This provision follows 

scientific evidence that has shown that for certain types 

of packaging, biodegradation or composting offers true 

environmental benefits. RCI, therefore, strongly urges 

policymakers to respect the science and keep Article 8 as it 

is – it is a great step towards a more sustainable packaging 

landscape in Europe. 

RCI is convinced that to actually achieve the ambitious 

recycling quotas and recycled content targets, technologies 

will have to evolve. Mechanical recycling technologies 

undoubtedly provide important and valuable solutions for 

managing plastic waste. They have been well established, 

operate at scale and show lower GHG emissions than 

chemical recycling. However, they also have significant 

limitations. These relate especially to the polymers targeted by 

mechanical recycling, acceptable levels of contamination, and 

the scope is limited to the plastics loop. Advanced recycling 

technologies, such as depolymerisation (thermochemical, 

solvolysis, enzymolysis), gasification, pyrolysis, and others 

offer opportunities to valorise waste streams that cannot be 

recycled by conventional technologies and are able to close 

the polymer, monomer, and molecular loops. 

The new technologies would profit strongly from higher 

political support and RCI calls on policymakers to create 

dependable framework conditions. As one urgent step, 

acceptable mass balance methods for tracing recycled and 

renewable materials through the value chains need to be 

determined by policymakers to provide market security. 

The methodology for calculating and verifying the percentage 

of recycled content recovered from post-consumer waste and 

contained in packaging prescribed in the text of the PPWR 

should account for the mass balance chain of custody models 

and determine appropriate rules. AT 

www.renewable-carbon-initiative.com 

Info: 

The full Position Paper can be downloaded from 

https://tinyurl.com/rci-position-ppwr 


available at www.renewable-carbon.eu/graphics 

O 

OH 

HO 

OH 

HO 

OH 

O 

OH 

HO 

OH 

O 

OH 

O 

OH 

© -Institute.eu | 2021 

Natural rubber 

Cellulose-based 

polymers 

Lignin-based polymers 

PFA 

Casein polymers 

Starch-containing 

polymer compounds 

Unsaturated polyester resins 

Polyurethanes 

Furfuryl alcohol 

ECH 

MPG 

Fatty acids 

11-AA 

All figures available at www.renewable-carbon.eu/graphics 

fossil 


All figures available at www.bio-based.eu/markets 

PE 

Epoxy resins 

Furfural 

NOPs 

PP 

Building blocks 

for UPR 

Glycerol 

Sebacic 

acid 

Castor oil 

DDDA 

PHA 

renewable 

Hemicellulose 

HMDA 

EPDM 

Building blocks 

for polyurethanes 

Casein 

Caprolactame 

PA 

Propylene 

DN5 

APC 

Aniline 

Naphthta 

Natural rubber 

Non-edible milk 

Plant oils 

Lysine 

Isosorbide 

Waste oils 

Lignocellulose 

Sorbitol 

Ethylene 

Starch 

Vinyl chloride 

Saccharose 

Glucose 

Lactic 

acid 

Lactide 

Methyl methacrylate 

Ethanol 

PVC 

Isobutanol 

Itaconic 

acid 

PLA 

Fructose 

Succinic 

acid 

Adipic 

acid 

3-HP 

MEG 

2,5-FDCA 

5-HMF/5-CMF 

Acrylic 

acid 

allocated 

PMMA 

ABS 

1,3 Propanediol 

p-Xylene 

Terephthalic 

acid 

THF 

Levulinic 

acid 

1,4-Butanediol 

FDME 

PEF 

PBS(x) 

Superabsorbent polymers 

PBAT 

PET 

PBT 

PTF 

PTT 

SBR 

© -Institute.eu | 2023 

conventional 


Adipic acid (AA) 

11-Aminoundecanoic acid (11-AA) 

1,4-Butanediol (1,4-BDO) 

Dodecanedioic acid (DDDA) 

Epichlorohydrin (ECH) 

Ethylene 

Furan derivatives 

D-lactic acid (D-LA) 

L-lactic acid (L-LA) 

Lactide 

Monoethylene glycol (MEG) 

Monopropylene glycol (MPG) 

Naphtha 

1,5-Pentametylenediamine (DN5) 

1,3-Propanediol (1,3-PDO) 

Sebacic acid 

Succinic acid (SA) 


Mechanical 

Recycling 

Extrusion 

Physical-Chemical 

Recycling 


Refining 

Dissolution 

Physical 

Recycling 

Polymerisation 

Formulation 

Processing 

Use 

Enzymolysis 

Biochemical 

Recycling 

Depolymerisation 

Solvolysis 

Thermal depolymerisation 

Enzymolysis 

Purification 

Dissolution 

Plastic Product 

End of Life 

Plastic Waste 

Collection 

Separation 

Different Waste 

Qualities 

Solvolysis 

Chemical 

Recycling 

Monomers 

Recycling 

Conversion 

Pyrolysis 

Gasification 

Depolymerisation 

Thermochemical 

Recycling 

Pyrolysis 


Recycling 

Incineration 

CO2 Utilisation 

(CCU) 

Gasification 


Recycling 

Recovery 

Recovery 

Recovery 

CO2 



nova Market and Trend Reports 

on Renewable Carbon 

The Best Available on Bio- and CO2-based Polymers 

& Building Blocks and Chemical Recycling 

INITIATIVE 

Carbon Dioxide (CO 2) 

as Feedstock for Chemicals, 

Advanced Fuels, Polymers, 

Proteins and Minerals 

Technologies and Market, Status and 

Outlook, Company Profiles 

Bio-based Building Blocks 

and Polymers 

Global Capacities, Production and Trends 2022–2027 

Polymers 

Building Blocks 

Mapping of advanced recycling 

technologies for plastics waste 

Providers, technologies, and partnerships 

Diversity of 


RENEWABLE 

CARBON 

Intermediates 

Feedstocks 

Plastics 

Composites 

Plastics/ 

Polymers 

Monomers 

Monomers 

Naphtha 

Syngas 

Authors: Pauline Ruiz, Pia Skoczinski, Achim Raschka, Nicolas Hark, Michael Carus. 

With the support of: Aylin Özgen, Jasper Kern, Nico Plum 

April 2023 

This and other reports on renewable carbon are available at 

www.renewable-carbon.eu/publications 

Authors: Pia Skoczinski, Michael Carus, Gillian Tweddle, Pauline Ruiz, Doris de Guzman, 

Jan Ravenstijn, Harald Käb, Nicolas Hark, Lara Dammer and Achim Raschka 

February 2023 



Authors: Lars Krause, Michael Carus, Achim Raschka 

and Nico Plum (all nova-Institute) 

June 2022 



Mimicking Nature – 

The PHA Industry Landscape 

Latest trends and 28 producer profiles 

Bio-based Naphtha 

and Mass Balance Approach 

Status & Outlook, Standards & 

Certification Schemes 

Chemical recycling – Status, Trends 

and Challenges 

Technologies, Sustainability, Policy and Key Players 

Plastic recycling and recovery routes 

Principle of Mass Balance Approach 

Virgin Feedstock 

Renewable Feedstock 

Feedstock 

Process 

Products 

Monomer 

Secondary 

valuable 

materials 

Chemicals 

Fuels 

Others 

Polymer 

Use of renewable feedstock 

in very first steps of 

chemical production 

(e.g. steam cracker) 

Utilisation of existing 

integrated production for 

all production steps 

Allocation of the 

renewable share to 

selected products 

Primary recycling 

(mechanical) 

Plastic 

Product 

Secondary recycling 

(mechanical) 

Tertiary recycling 

(chemical) 

CO 2 capture 

Product (end-of-use) 

Quaternary recycling 

(energy recovery) 

Energy 

Landfill 

Author: Jan Ravenstijn 

March 2022 



Authors: Michael Carus, Doris de Guzman and Harald Käb 

March 2021 



Author: Lars Krause, Florian Dietrich, Pia Skoczinski, 

Michael Carus, Pauline Ruiz, Lara Dammer, Achim Raschka, 

nova-Institut GmbH, Germany 

November 2020 

This and other reports on the bio- and CO 2-based economy are 

available at www.renewable-carbon.eu/publications 

Genetic engineering 

Production of Cannabinoids via 

Extraction, Chemical Synthesis 

and Especially Biotechnology 

Current Technologies, Potential & Drawbacks and 

Future Development 

Plant extraction 

Plant extraction 

Cannabinoids 

Chemical synthesis 

Biotechnological production 

Production capacities (million tonnes) 

Commercialisation updates on 

bio-based building blocks 

Bio-based building blocks 

Evolution of worldwide production capacities from 2011 to 2024 

4 

3 

2 

1 

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2024 

Levulinic acid – A versatile platform 

chemical for a variety of market applications 

Global market dynamics, demand/supply, trends and 

market potential 

HO 

OH 

diphenolic acid 

H 2N 

O 

OH 

O 

O 

OH 

5-aminolevulinic acid 

O 

O 

levulinic acid 

O 

O 

ɣ-valerolactone 

OH 

HO 

O 

O 

succinic acid 

OH 

O 

O OH 

O O 

levulinate ketal 

O 

H 

N 

O 

5-methyl-2-pyrrolidone 

OR 

O 

levulinic ester 

Authors: Pia Skoczinski, Franjo Grotenhermen, Bernhard Beitzke, 

Michael Carus and Achim Raschka 

January 2021 



Author: 

Doris de Guzman, Tecnon OrbiChem, United Kingdom 

Updated Executive Summary and Market Review May 2020 – 

Originally published February 2020 

This and other reports on the bio- and CO 2-based economy are 

available at www.bio-based.eu/reports 

Authors: Achim Raschka, Pia Skoczinski, Raj Chinthapalli, 

Ángel Puente and Michael Carus, nova-Institut GmbH, Germany 

October 2019 

This and other reports on the bio-based economy are available at 

www.bio-based.eu/reports 

renewable-carbon.eu/publications 


11

Events 

The question of sustainable 

packaging bio!PAC 2023 review 

Almost 90 participants came together in Düsseldorf 

(and online) during the 2023 Interpack trade show to 

take part in the 5 th bio!PAC conference to talk about 

sustainable materials in packaging. The hybrid conference 

was held on the fairgrounds and was broadcasted via ZOOM. 

Caroli Buitenhuis (Green Serendipity) co-organized bio!PAC 

together with the team from bioplastics MAGAZINE from 

planning to execution of the event and moderated most of the 

sessions. The event that filled the mornings of two days was 

well received with many last-minute registrations including 

participants that registered on-site to then watch the event 

on their phone at their booth. 

The conference kicked off strong with Patrick Zimmermann 

(FKuR) who very early on remarked that different markets 

need different solutions and that we cannot look at every 

country through the European glasses as they are often very 

different when it comes to legislation and waste management 

systems that are, or perhaps aren’t, already in place. He also 

criticized that “Everybody talks about sustainability as long as 

it doesn’t have any influence on one’s personal life”. Patrick 

also sees too many “black and white” – “right and wrong” 

discussions trying to address a problem that will not be 

solved with just one solution – which is also why FKuR is now 

offering recycling grades next to their bioplastic solutions. 

Erik Pras (Biotec), who followed Patrick, said that there is 

still a lot of confusion among regulatory bodies regarding 

the properties and benefits of bioplastics because they only 

hear plastic but cannot see beyond the negative biases often 

associated with that term. 

Frédéric van Gansberghe (Futerro) gave an overview of 

different European regulations of the past five years, he then 

quoted parts of the current proposal of the PPWR, “the only 

thing that will be allowed except petrol-based plastic will 

be an innovative polymer”. He then listed what that means, 

an innovative polymer should be: Not chemically modified; 

biobased; is made by replicating/imitating naturally occurring 

processes found in plants, fungi, or bacteria; retains its basic 

chemical structure during any converting process; and never 

contains nor generates persistent synthetic microplastics or 

microparticles during biodegradation. Meaning only starch 

and cellulose will be permitted – it would be “game over” for 

the biopolymers in Europe. 

Martin Bussmann (Neste) and Sven Engelmann (illig) 

closed the first session. Martin talked about the combination 

of recycled and biobased materials and Sven showed how they 

tested and compared renewable PP on their thermoforming 

machines finding no significant differences. 

One of the audience questions was why it takes so long 

for biomaterials to really break through, which also lead to a 

discussion of EU regulations. Frédéric said that “biomaterials 

are a bit like a stone in your shoe – there is something coming 

and EU regulation bodies don’t quite know what to do with it – 

they have a somewhat dogmatic approach towards plastics. 

It’s like they are on a crusade against plastic pollution – which 

is not bad – but we also have to look at climate change and 

that goes beyond just the energy sector and into the chemical 

sector. Plastics are a big part of that, and we do have solutions 

now – they are there. Current regulations, however, seem to 

go against these green technologies instead of promoting 

them”. Here Erik also commented that “there is hope, part 

of Biotec’s business exists because of (good) regulation 

that promotes biomaterials in certain areas, but that many 

customers also choose biomaterials because they believe in 

them”. Martin also commented that “there is no one-sizefits-all. 

It all depends on the end of life your product has, if 

it is recycling maybe a biobased PE makes more sense but 

there are many sustainable solutions”. 

Patrick also said in reaction to a question about why PHA 

is not being accepted in the PPWR that “I think the main 

problem is that plastic is not understood, also not in Europe. 

Biobased, biodegradable – it’s all too complex, recycling is 

easy to understand”. He also added, not without cynicism in 

his voice, that the reason there is still low capacity is “quite 

simple, we are lazy – the status quo is nice to earn money, why 

should we change it?” Frederic echoed Patrick’s remark, “the 

level of consideration on EU level is that in bioplastic there is 

plastic - end of story”. 

The second block began with Mark Shaw (Parkside 

Flexibles) who underscored the value of compostable 

packaging when used in the right areas and gave concrete 

examples, but also said that it is not a silver bullet for 

the plastic problem. 

Then Andy Sweetman (Futamura) opened his presentation 

with the statement “The average person can only remember 

three things from anything you say” – a sentence I had to smirk 

at while being in the process of rewatching many presentations 

to be able to write this review. Andy then explained his three 

reasons why we need compostable packaging: 1. The scale 

of organic waste 2. Flexibles reduce material usage but are 

difficult to recycle and 3. All available options will be needed 

to solve both the plastic and climate crisis. 

Andy was followed by Allegra Muscatello who talked about 

the recent developments of Taghleef Industries, one in the 

area of better home compostability and the other in the area 

of barrier properties. 

Photo: bioplastics MAGAZINE 


By: 

Alex Thielen 

Events 

And finally, Stanley Mitchell talked about an interesting 

material which I love and hate in almost equal parts. One of 

the main “stupid questions” everybody who works in the 

bioplastics industry gets is “Oh bioplastics – can I eat it?” 

and the answer is usually “no.” – however, Xampla’s material 

is actually edible. I think this is a great invention, however, I 

also dread the fact that communication has become more 

difficult because now, technically, I would have to answer 

something like “no – usually you cannot”. Stanley received, 

unsurprisingly, many questions during the Q&A. 

With the PPWR (see also p. 10) so highly discussed during 

the conference it was no wonder that the Q&A session 

landed there again – an interesting comment came from the 

audience, Bruno de Wilde (Normec OWS) who would close 

the first day later on commented that “it’s very worrying, but I 

wouldn’t be too pessimistic, in the original proposal years ago 

compostable materials where not allowed. Now the door is 

open to them. The EU often acts a bit contradictory, on the one 

side they block developments and on the other, they spend 

billions to develop new biodegradable materials. It is very 

worrying – it is embarrassing almost – but it is not a lost game 

yet”. Hugo Vuurens from CJ Biomaterials who would present 

on the second day closed this Q&A with a call to action to 

join and promote existing organizations (like EUBP) that are 

trying to promote bioplastics in Brussels. 

The last session of the day started with Bram Bamps 

(Materials and Packaging Research & Services) who 

talked about projects such as BIO-FUN that focused 

on material FUNctionality of BIOplastics and how to 

achieve good packaging performance through careful 

selection of (bio)materials. 

After Bram, Michael (Cheng) Zhang talked about Bluepha’s 

PHAs and how they perform. Henk Vooijs from Novamont 

took a different, more technical cycle perspective at “closing 

the loop” but he, furthermore, made a very important 

statement: “We can’t recycle our way out of the problem, but 

we also can’t reuse, or compost our way out of it – we need all 

solutions. People always take positions in these discussions 

and most of them are self-referential statements I promote 

e.g. PLA because I make PLA – we are all guilty of that to 

some degree. It’s difficult to step out of that to see a different 

perspective, but if we truly want circularity, we need to stop 

Photo: Messe Düsseldorf, Constanze Tillmann 

being self-referential and focus on best practices – what does 

already work, why, and how do we get there?” 

Bruno de Wilde followed Henk and talked about 

biodegradation – what it really means, and how solutionorientated 

thinking in Italy led to more biowaste being 

diverted from landfill to composting facilities compared to 

a problem-focused (getting rid of waste) system in Germany 

that led to basically no change at all in the timeframe from 

2010 to 2020. He further went into the topic of intentional 

and unintentional leakage of materials into the environment 

(including microplastics), what possible solutions are already 

available, and how to communicate effectively on different 

levels (B2B, B2C, and B2A - business to authority) 

The first session of day two was opened by Taco Kingma 

from the FNLI which represents the Dutch food industry and is 

the connection between industry and government. He talked 

about the challenges of making plastic packaging circular 

and the difficulty of how to combine functionality, essential 

requirements, legal requirements, and societal expectations. 

He sees the solution in both vertical and horizontal 

cooperation throughout the value chain. His formula for 

success lies in polymer purity and recycling percentage 

(quality and quantity) and that the needed new material (due 

to recycling yields) should come from renewable sources. 

He said that the FNLI doesn’t believe in biodegradation as 

a viable end-of-life solution if there is not also a parallel 

recycling stream saying “It is not circular and contaminates 

the composting streams” – this led to a heated discussion in 

the Q&A that would continue throughout the following coffee 

break. The gist of it was that there already is contamination 

of conventional plastic packaging – something that could be 

partially solved with more compostable food packaging. 

Patrick Gerritsen (Bio4pack) said that “we need to break 

current (economic) systems, it’s all about money – be it brand 

owners, retailers, shareholders, or even waste associations 

– they still don’t see the advantage of compostable plastics, 

we need sustainable compostable plastics in this field”. 

Forming almost a direct counterpoint to Taco’s previous 

statement, yet Patrick also said that “recycling is (one of) 

the answer(s) to a sustainable world – however, currently 

recycling is often downcycling which is not circular. 

Recycling still fails to deliver on the sustainability promise”. 

He said there is a “deliberate ignorance when it comes to 

bioplastics, like the statement of yesterday that bioplastics 

contain plastics which completely ignores their sustainability 

advantages”. Another example for Patrick is the Deutsche 

Umwelthilfe who he can’t “take seriously any longer”. 

The cover story of the last issue in 2022 Fail to test or test 

to fail is a great example for that (bM 06/22). He said that 

“innovation should be embraced, not blamed!” 

After Patrick, François de Bie (TotalEnergies Corbion) 

started with a recent quote from António Guterres, UN 

Secretary-General, “Humanity is on thin ice – and that ice is 

melting fast … our world needs climate action on all fronts 


13

Events 

– everything, everywhere, all at once!” (Sidenote – it’s also a 

great movie). François then went on to show the advantages 

of PLA and that it can be combined with mechanical 

and chemical recycling. 

One of the most asked-after presenters was Todd Fayne 

from Pepsico – obviously the opinion of such a big brand holds 

great weight for the other players. Todd was kind enough 

to shorten his hour-long presentation to fit our format 

– distilling it down to the most important aspects. One of 

the packaging solutions he talked about is the often-used 

example of a potato chips bag which is next to impossible to 

recycle. From a material point of view, it is a great product 

packaging 400g of product with 12g of material “You’ll never 

get a better ratio than that”. He then addressed the issue 

of GHG “With a company the size of Pepsi the main part of 

GHG is agriculture – flexible packaging is 1 %, maybe – so in 

the grand scheme of things you cannot move the needle all 

that much we are still doing it but we are not really worried 

about it due the relative impact of it”. Yet, he said that Pepsi 

is focusing on PHA as a potential solution because it is soil 

and marine degradable – Todd said the main problem with a 

lot of their packaging is that it is light, which leads to a lot of 

unintentional littering and leakage – PHAs could be a solution 

for that. However, price is still an issue – compounding helps 

with that as well as with material properties. 

Bineke Posthumus (Avantium) talked about PEF, a biobased 

alternative to PET with a 10x better oxygen barrier and 16-20x 

better CO 2 

barrier. She also laid out the scale-up strategy 

with their own flagship plant and a licencing agreement with 

Origin. She also mentioned that up to 5 % PEF can be recycled 

together with PET without affecting performance. 

Hugo Vuurens started his presentation by introducing 

CJ, which is well-known in Asia but not so much in Europe. 

He continued to talk about the different kinds of PHA CJ 

Biomaterials produces and their differences as well as the 

advantages of PHA-PLA blends. 

Brendan Hill’s presentation focused to a large degree on the 

issue and misconceptions about land use and competition to 

food production. As there is a three-page basics article about 

that topic (page 58) I will not go into detail here, however, 

Brandan also briefly mentioned Braskem’s WENEW portfolio 

of products made from recycled materials as well as their 

chemical recycling ambitions to divert 1.5 million tonnes of 

plastic waste away from landfill and incineration by 2030. 

In the Q&A Brendan pointed out that there is now for the 

first-time legislation (in the Netherlands) that says “recycled 

or biobased content” in the requirements. 

Lorena Rodríguez Garrido from AIMPLAS talked about 

natural polymers which she defined as polysaccharides, 

proteins, and lipids – while placing PHAs on the synthetic 

side – something many of the people in the room are likely 

to disagree with. Lorena also talked about the difficulties to 

comply with the SUP (European Single Use Plastic Directive) 

when it comes to modifying material properties. 

The last block started with Davide Gatto and Alberto 

Marcolongo (Sirmax) they talked about, among other things, 

their three new sustainable business lines, thermoplastic 

elastomers, post-consumer circular polymers, and 

biocompounds. They showed some examples in more detail 

in the context of the European legislation. 

After the Sirmax duo, it was time for Ruud Rouleaux (Helian 

Polymers). He pointed out that his presentation would be a bit 

different from the very technical previous presentations, and 

that his goal was to inspire. He talked about how we are still 

in a linear system and that changing that is not easy, but that 

PHAs can help. He went into more detail about e.g. what you 

need to consider when you want to colour PHA as not every 

colourant will comply with composting regulations. 

Lauren Mooney (Bunzl) started her presentation with a 

splash and talked about legislation and the SUP directive in 

particular – for example how unclear wording in the legislation 

led to some companies claiming their product (drinking cups) 

was plastic-free even though in the lining of cups was plastic 

– the problem here is not the plastic but the mislabelling. 

She said that legislation needs to make steps gradually so 

that the industry has time to catch up with innovation. 

Last but not least, Srivatssan Mohan (Unilever) 

emphasized the importance of designing packaging based 

on the principles of the waste hierarchy and making the 

right choices and investments to drive innovation and boost 

conversion efficiencies. He envisions a world where plastics 

are not found in the environment, and through collaborations, 

they can close the loop on packaging and waste. 

One topic of the last Q&A session was about paper 

packaging as an alternative and one of the answers given 

here was that PHA actually enables paper packaging 

giving it better barrier properties while not negatively 

affecting the repulpability. 

One central topic overall was understandably the 

highly discussed and controversial PPWR and how 

biobased and biodegradable plastic will fit into the 

future of packaging in Europe. If this review made you 

curious about the event, you can still get access to 

the recordings of all presentations. Just contact us at 

mt@bioplasticsmagzine.com or go to the website. 

www.bio-pac.info 

Photo: Caroli Buitenhuis 

Photo: Messe Düsseldorf, Constanze Tillmann 


Chinaplas 2023 

By: 

John Leung, Biosolutions, Hong Kong 

and Michael Thielen 

Events 

The largest ever CHINAPLAS was successfully concluded 

at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, 

China on April 20. The show results were impressively 

indicating a great surge with 3,905 exhibitors from 38 

countries and regions around the world. The show occupied 

380,000 m² and recorded an attendance of 248,222 visitors 

from 149 countries and regions. Compared with the 2019 

Guangzhou Exhibition (before Corona), the total number of 

visitors increased by 51.99 %, and compared with the 2021 

Shenzhen Exhibition, it increased by 63.16 %. 

The concept of low-carbon and environmental protection 

was prevailing, while bioplastics were in the spotlight. 

Innovative applications of biodegradable plastics and postconsumer 

recycled plastics were shining in various sectors. 

Even though it looks like the economy is booming, 

however, not in the field of biodegradable plastics, it seems. 

Companies in China are currently producing all kinds of 

biodegradable plastics including PBAT, PBS, PHA, PLA, and 

PGA but the total numbers of domestic customers seems 

more or less the same as five years ago. They are either 

exporting their end products to overseas markets or local 

brand names using small volumes of biodegradable products 

to demonstrate that they are socially responsible. The reason 

behind this seems that the Chinese government only pushes 

different legislation policies into the market but does not 

really support the construction of e.g. anaerobic digestion 

plants. Although waste classification is very popular now 

in China, nobody is really treating this seriously even the 

government. Even if there are five different waste collection 

bins for sorting the waste surprisingly all waste is collected 

by just one truck and goes to landfill, as can be observed 

in many cases. Thus, no value chain is created and the 

consumers wonder why they have to pay more to use 

biodegradable plastics which may have quality issues. 

The PBAT production capacity is 10 times higher than the 

global world demand. Although some new players switch to other 

products like PBT and old players with less than 20,000 tonnes 

capacity are leaving the market because of scale. There are still 

10 players in the market, they are all big in size - not only in the 

field of biodegradable plastics. They enjoy tax reductions and 

low land prices from government and therefore they will not quit 

so easily. In fact, at least some PBAT producers have stopped 

production since the second half of 2022. Due to the Russian war 

of aggression against Ukraine, energy costs, labour costs, etc, 

producing PBAT in Europe is not competitive and the market has 

been totally captured by Chinese manufacturers. 

Since there is demand for PBAT, there must be demand for 

biodegradable plastic compounds and end products. Due to cost 

factors, in the near future, these markets will be taken over by 

Chinese manufacturers. It has not happened yet just because of 

the following two factors: 

Factor one is the marketing channels: compounders and end 

product manufacturers are normally too small to open sales 

offices in Europe or the USA or to use local agents. The profit 

margin is so small that they can only use B2B channels. 

The second obstacle factor is quality. Since everyone is using 

PBAT from China, it is proven that the PBAT quality is acceptable 

at least. Technically speaking, compound or end product quality 

is highly dependent on raw material quality. If PBAT does not 

show any quality problems, the question remains why there are 

quality problems with compounds or end products. Certainly, 

starch compounds seem to be the best in terms of cost and 

physical properties but starch compounds are not popular in 

the Chinese market because of their natural colour and smell. 

The real obstacle seems that what Chinese manufacturers 

are producing does not match the demand of European or 

American customers. 

www.chinaplasonline.com 

Source: www.adsalecprj.com 


15

Events 

Renewable Materials 

Conference 2023 - Review 

The hugely successful Renewable Materials Conference 

was hosted in its third edition, this time in Siegburg 

(Germany) from the 23 rd to the 25 th of May 2023. 

It attracted over 450 participants who came to see the latest 

developments in bio- and CO 2 

-based chemicals, plastics, and 

other materials as well as advanced recycling technologies 

– all representing non-fossil solutions. A whopping 80 

presentations and 41 exhibitors from leading companies 

presented their innovative products and strategies, and a 

bunch of workshops. 

And not just the conference rooms were packed, the 

conference itself was packed with more information than 

one person alone could take in, literally. Next to frequent 

parallel sessions, there were also workshops on offer that 

made you wish you could not just split yourself in half, but 

into three or four people to take in all the information and 

network with all the other interesting participants running 

around on top of that. 

The first session on day one already touched on some 

interesting points that went beyond just feedstock and 

material considerations. Jennifer Lovell (New Normal) for 

example talked, among other things, about the need for a 

change of leadership styles that should be more solutionoriented. 

Peter Nieuwenhuizen made a similar point, the 

need to think ambidextrous combining the drive and flexibility 

of an innovative start-up with the knowledge and proven 

competence of the older (albeit often slower) established 

industries. Rafael Cayvela (Dow) talked about the massive 

opportunities for growth that renewable materials and 

chemicals offer, and Michael Carus (nova-Institute) closed 

the first block by explaining again the concept of Renewable 

Carbon and the vision of a Circular Economy seen by the 

Renewable Carbon Initiative. 

The second block of the first day already presented a 

dilemma, choosing which presentation to go to – should 

it be Christopher vom Berg (nova-Institute) who talked 

about Biomass Utilisation Factor (BUF), a new metric 

for the Circular Economy or would the presentations 

from Jo-Ann Innerlohinger (Lenzing) about circularity of 

cellulose fibre production and Peep Pitk (Fibenol) about 

lignocellulosics derived biomaterials and biochemicals 

be more interesting. BUF (and Carbon Flows – the topic 

of the other two presentations in the parallel session) won 

in the end. Both presentations by Ferdinand Kähler (novainstitute) 

and Ronja Minds (Carbon Minds) focused on the 

data that show to where and for what we need carbon in 

chemistry and materials, but also where the opportunities 

lie for potentially not just climate neutral but climate 

positive chemistry. These models are a great starting point 

to better understand these really complex and far-reaching 

mechanisms that will hopefully help policymakers to make 

better, science-based decisions. The concept of BUF was also 

interesting – the central idea is that the initial sustainability 

advantage will cascade every time a material is reused before 

an ultimate end-of-life. 

While BUF focuses on biomass as a starting point 

Christopher also said that the same methodology could, 

theoretically, be applied to other Renewable Carbon sources 

as well, such as recycled or CO 2 

-based materials. 

The next blocks asked the fundamental question of 

Chemical Recycling vs PHA – not which one is better mind 

you, but which one you want to hear more about, a really 

tough decision as on the one hand Chemical Recycling is a 

topic I am very interested in while PHA, albeit more familiar to 

me, also holds specific opportunities as we organize our very 

PHA-platform World Congress later this year – thankfully I 

was not alone and Michael could go to the PHA session while 

I joined the one on recycling. 

Christian Krüger from BASF started the session with a 

meta-analysis of LCAs of chemical recycling – the results 

were that the recycling technologies always outperformed 

incineration (which was the baseline they were compared to), 

however, how much better they are depends on the individual 

country and the energy mix that is used there. Christian said 

that in the case of a country that uses 100 % fossil-based 

energy an incineration plant with energy recovery might score 

better – but that is not the case in most European countries. 

One of Borealis’ innovations that Floris Buijzen talked 

about was a foam-based cup that is lighter than paper and 

both reusable and recyclable. The following topic was about 

a specific kind of pyrolysis that uses molten metal (like zinc) 

that can e.g. break down a whole tyre in 15–20 minutes. 

Sandra Weinmann (IKT) presented very interesting findings 

on the recycling of airbag waste, which is especially difficult 

due to the material makeup airbags have – mixing PA66 

and silicone. However, the IKT found viable solutions to the 

problem, sadly she could not go into detail about what would 

happen with the recycled material as the project partner 

is currently engaged in discussions with a third party for 

a potential end-use. 

And as if to mock my eagerness to make the most of 

this event the nova-institute chose to torture me once 

more with another choice of old familiar friend vs new and 

shiny. Either discuss the pros and cons of biodegradable 

plastics (and I do love a good debate) or learn more about 


By: 

Alex Thielen 

Events 

a new proposed Renewable Carbon label, PEF (Product 

Environmental Footprint – not the bioplastic), and Mass 

Balance. In the end, I went with new and shiny and learned 

about the proposed Renewable Carbon label. It is meant to 

simplify communication to consumers about the amount 

of sustainable content in a product that encapsulates all 

Renewable Carbon sources (biomass, recycled, or CO 2 

- 

based), and also make communication to policymakers 

simpler who often have to understand that you cannot 

decarbonise chemicals and plastics (as in make them without 

carbon) – the sustainable solution lies in Renewable Carbon. 

Ivana Krkljus started her talk about PEF with an inspiring 

quote “The strength of the bioeconomy lies in its diversity”. 

She talked in detail about the challenges involved with a more 

sustainable future, and that the methodology of PEF can help 

but that a methodology by itself is not enough. As an example, 

she pointed out that it is basically impossible to talk about 

achieving certain material targets (be they about recycled 

content or biomass) if you don’t have the feedstock to do so. 

An interesting point made by Michael Carus during the 

Q&A session was that, as mentioned in a press conference 

earlier that day, there seems to be a shift happening – while 

in the past new sustainable ideas might have been more of 

an investment risk, it seems now that not investing in such 

innovations is the risk and that some financial investors 

want to push the renewables even more. Wouldn’t that be a 

nice change of pace? 

Day two started off difficult once more Renewable 

Chemicals and Building Blocks vs Bioplastics. Here, however, 

the focus on CCU in the chemical session won over my 

old familiar friend. 

Yet, the block started with a biobased topic by Patrick van 

Waes (CovationBio) – he talked about regenerative farming 

of industrial corn as feedstock – this made me remember a 

statement by Hao Ding (CovationBio) during our recent bio!TOY 

conference “99 % of corn in the US is used for industrial 

applications”, which once again showed how misinformed the 

whole competing with food argument really is. Keith Wiggins 

(Econic Technologies) talked about the need to “redeem CO 2 

”, 

a statement that highlights the need for clear and honest 

communication not just for CO 2 

but also for chemicals and 

plastics – all three are bad words because of the negative 

aspects connected to them while the positive aspects are 

often forgotten or ignored. But he also said, “As someone 

who has worked his entire career in the chemical industry, 

I know about all the good it does – (however) it doesn’t 

move that quickly”. Johann Kirchner (bse Methanol) joined 

digitally and talked about their CO 2 

to methanol production 

that originated from the CO 2 

waste stream of their bioethanol 

production, he said he only needs “two feedstocks, power and 

CO 2 

”. The session was closed by an incredibly informative 

presentation of Doris De Guzman (Tecnon OrbiChem) that I 

won’t even attempt to summarise in two or three sentences – 

one statement that stuck with me, however, was the need for 

competition as one of the reasons why big bottle producers 

(like e.g. Coca Cola or Pepsi) are going the recycling route 

rather than the biobased route for their PET bottles is that 

there is only one major supplier for bio-MEG. 

Then came the second block with my bread-and-butter 

topic Renewable Polymers and Plastics here Martin 

Clemesha (Braskem) was particularly important as his 

presentation addressed a lot of misconceptions about land 

use – check out our basics article on page 58 for a more 

detailed look at it. Christian Lenges from IFF talked about how 

biotechnology can be an enabling tool but also about social 

aspects such as that consumers will almost always choose 

performance over sustainability – the sustainable choice 

needs to be attractive because it is the better choice not just 

for the environment but overall, especially in markets that 

are expected to rapidly grow in the future such as Africa and 

Asia. During the Q&A session he also fired back against the 

widespread and often misguided criticism of using biomass 

(including 1 st generation feedstocks) “People often ignore the 

positive side – by using biomass we are also engaging with 

the agricultural sector and bring opportunity for growth and 

income diversification” he also called for an open, honest, 

and fair engagement with the topic. Jean-Jacques Flat 

(Arkema) talked about the “magic bean” – castor – that is the 

backbone of PA11 and Mariana Paredinha Araujo (Avantium 

Chemicals) presented a topic combing two of our core topics, 

CCU and bioplastics. She talked, among other things, about 

the different chemical pathways one can use to utilise CO 2 

. 

The third block for once made the choice easier here the 

PEF (this time it is the bioplastic) was simply more relevant 

for me than Fine Chemicals. 

Jean-Paul Lange (Shell Global Solutions) opened the 

session with the topic of furfural manufacturing presenting 

new technologies that have great potential for more 

sustainable fuels and chemicals that have so far been 

hampered by low yields of just 50 % – the new pathway he 

laid out is much more efficient offering a continuous process 

that is more easily scalable. Jian Zhang (Sugar Energy 

Technology) talked about the different ways to synthesize 

FDCA from HMF but also talked about the difficulties of 

finding the right feedstock and that while fructose is the 

best – the necessary volumes are currently not available. 


17

Events 

John Zhang (Zhongke Guosheng) talked about the Chinese 

market and how both brand owners and legislation help in 

pushing the development he also talked about how prices will 

fall once HMF is produced at scale. Tom Claessen (Avantium 

Renewable Polymers) talked about the opportunities of 

furanic humins in e.g. thermoset applications. 

And finally, the Innovation Award for the Best Renewable 

Materials 2023 goes to KUORI – Biobased and Biodegradable 

Elastic Materials, COLIPI took 2 nd place with their carbonlight 

yeast oil, and traceless the 3 rd place with their natural 

polymer based material (see page 8). 

The last day started with a “Best of nova” where the 

nova-institute could show off its expertise across the whole 

value chain(s) of renewable materials (next to another 

parallel session about New Technologies for Efficient 

Renewable Processes). To avoid brushing over the six very 

informative presentations you can read about them on 

page 26 in more detail. 

The Best of nova was followed by a session about 

Policy & Brands View. 

Algreit Dume from the European Commission, DG Grow, 

talked about the transition pathway for the chemical industry 

towards a more sustainable future. He invited everybody who 

is interested to a workshop later on the same day. 

Decathlon, L’Oréal, and Procter & Gamble (P&G) talked 

about their achievements and ambitions in the sustainability 

sector. You can read more about one of P&G’s technologies, 

Dissolution (PureCycle), on page 54. 

The last (split) session of Renewable Plastics and 

Composites and Biodegradation, Custom-made Biomaterials 

and Certification was at the same time as the workshop 

by Algreit Dume & Maarit Nyman (DG Grow, European 

Commission) about the Transition Pathways for the Chemical 

Industry and while that topic is a bit too far away from our core 

topics it was nice to see something like this was being offered. 

Maarit Nyman was also a familiar face as she spoke at our 

very own bio!TOY conference just two months ago (bM 02/23). 

The Renewable Plastics session was opened up by Patrick 

Zimmermann (FKuR) who argued for better and clearer, 

truthful, and measurable communication when it comes 

to green claims, “on social media, there are only black and 

white arguments – it seems like people are trying to sell the 

holy grail, the 100 % perfect solution that simply doesn’t 

exist – it’s better to accept small steps that are already 

possible”. Clear and correct communication is extremely 

important to avoid even unintentional greenwashing, Patrick 

said that FKuR offers consulting to their clients on how to 

correctly communicate. This echoed with a statement Lars 

Börger (NESTE) made in the 2022 RMC, “Communicating on 

these topics to the end consumer is important – however in 

the attempt to make things ‘easy’ you also often get them 

‘wrong’”. What really resonated with me was Patrick’s 

no-nonsense approach “We need to also talk about our 

weaknesses too – nobody is perfect, nor are there perfect 

solutions – openly admitting where we can still improve is a 

sign of competence”. 

The next speaker, Juul Cuipers, spoke about Sappi’s 

journey from a purely paper and pulp company to one that 

also works with fibre materials that are, among others, used 

in the automotive sector. 

Then the second part of the split session started and 

Miriam Weber from HYDRA (who are very much the opposite 

of the MARVEL villains) talked about biodegradation in a 

marine environment and also argued for three categories of 

degradation: slow, medium, and fast. She also commented 

that “every input we bring to the environment is waste and 

does harm, and we cannot neglect that – the main difference 

is how long it remains in the environment and how long it 

takes for the organism or ecosystem it affected takes to 

recover – that is not yet reflected in current frameworks”. 

After Miriam Stefaan De Wildeman said in his talk that we 

need to be “brave enough to gamble” on new technologies 

and solutions because the problems we are facing are not 

going away with the solutions we have. “Microplastics are in 

our skin, lungs, blood, even embryos – we have to do better, 

we have to try”. (We recently visited B4Plastics, see bM 1/23). 

Last but not least Enrico Miceli from Din Certco presented 

two very new certificates about biodegradability in 

marine environment. 

Overall, it was once again impressive to see such a huge 

amount of high-quality information, squeezed into “just” 

three days. This review is but a glimpse at what was on offer 

and who you could meet, it was certainly worth attending but 

given that I am writing this review mere days before going into 

print might have added a level of stress I do not appreciate – 

so please you lovely people of the nova-institute please plan 

according to my personal schedule next time. All jokes and 

half-sincere moaning aside: This was a great event that will 

be food for thought for many for a while – trying to combine all 

these topics under one umbrella is a tightrope act not many 

could master with such skill and finesse. As somebody who 

knows first-hand what the other side of organizing such an 

event looks like I salute you, friends of the nova-institute. 

I am already looking forward to moaning half-sincerely about 

the next great event of your making that I get to write about. 

https://renewable-materials.eu 

All photos: ZWEILUX, Uwe Weiser 


PLAST 2023 is back in Milan 

Events 

After a 5-year hiatus, due to the pandemic, the 

international trade fair PLAST is finally back 

on the starting blocks, ready to take place on 

5-8 September 2023. 

This is an unusual period of the year for the event, which 

had always been held in the spring. However, this choice 

allows to avoid any conflict with other major fairs while 

also taking advantage of the pleasant September weather, 

which will only help attract visitors from abroad. Not only 

will they be able to profit from the opportunity to visit the 

halls and stands at the fair, but they can also enjoy the many 

beautiful sights in Italy. 

PLAST 2023 will offer operators a broad and varied 

technology showcase, especially as regards the core of the 

exhibition, i.e., the machinery, auxiliaries, and moulds for 

plastics and rubber processing. 

In keeping with previous editions, the content of PLAST 2023 

will not be limited to machinery but range from innovative 

materials to cutting-edge production processes, and from 

high-tech finished products to personalized services. 

Moreover, the solutions that will be proposed at PLAST 

2023 – all addressing sustainability – will meet the needs 

of operators from all application sectors of the plastic 

and rubber industry: from packaging to automotive, from 

construction to electronics and medical equipment. 

Don’t miss visiting the booth of bioplastics MAGAZINE aka 

Renewable Carbon Plastics. We will keep you updated about 

the hall and booth number. 

There are currently one thousand participants registered 

for PLAST and nearly a third of them are from abroad, from 

dozens of different countries. 

Most of the companies that took part in the 2021 edition 

have confirmed their presence this year as well, while a 

large number of companies are exhibiting for the first time. 

This makes the content of the exhibition even more complete 

and exhaustive than it has been in the past. 

The exhibition layout at PLAST 2023 comprises six halls: 

Halls 9 and 11 will be mainly occupied by raw materials 

suppliers (also gathered in the satellite-show PlastMat, 

focusing on innovative polymers) but will also host different 

types of machines and the other satellite-show RUBBER; 13 

and 15 will be dedicated to extrusion, welding, recycling; and 

22 and 24 will focus on injection moulding, blow-moulding, 

and auxiliaries, besides the third satellite-show 3Dplast. 

A new layout with demo areas equipped with operational 

processing lines and company presentation spaces will be 

developed. Thanks again to the support of ICE the Start-Up 

area will be present at the 2023 edition to highlight budding 

companies in the sector and the innovative solutions they 

propose. Filled with conferences, workshops, and exhibitor 

press conferences, the events calendar is still a work in 

progress but the organizers are working to offer participants 

many new and significant opportunities. 

In parallel, The Innovation Alliance, a partnership 

project between PLAST, IPACK-IMA, PRINT4ALL, and 

INTRALOGISTICA ITALIA, is working on a new concept. 

Considering the reworking of the trade fair calendar 

necessitated by the pandemic, the organizational offices 

are exploring a possible reinterpretation of the initiative, 

organizing it into different sections that address current 

themes and bridge all participating market segments, 

thus consolidating the message of a unified value 

chain that underpins it. 

The organizer is investing a great deal in communication 

and internationalization, and the intention is to be able to 

receive increasingly large and qualified delegations of buyers 

from some thirty nations. 

Application for exhibitors and pre-registration for 

visitors are still open. MT 

www.plastonline.org 


19

Events 

Advancing innovation 

Learn from 12 EU-funded projects presenting outstanding results 

after the 2023 interpack in Düsseldorf, Germany. 

BIOnTop Home compostable tea 

bag with improved aroma barrier 

properties 

BIOnTop trays and films for berries 

with an increased degradability 

By: 

By Chiara Bearzotti and Estela López-Hermoso 

EU Project Manager 

European Bioplastics, 

Berlin, Germany 

In the past few years several projects funded by the Biobased 

Industries Joint Technology Initiative such as 

BIOnTop, Usable Packaging [1], CelluWiz [2], and MANDALA 

[3] have developed novel alternative solutions to eco-design 

packaging products to avoid the incineration and landfill 

routes at their end-of-life phase, rerouting them instead 

towards approved and accepted applications, where they 

can add value without adding an environmental burden. 

These four projects and other eight EU-funded projects 

joined forces on 11 May 2023 for a joint conference organised 

by European Bioplastics, ENCO (Naples, Italy) and AIMPLAS 

(Valencia, Spain) to present their latest results and exchange 

with their peers on future applications of bioplastics and 

biobased materials. The conference also saw several 

successful contributions of other EU-funded projects such as 

PRESERVE, SEALIVE, GLAUKOS, Polybioskin, REPuropose, 

RECOVER, ECOFUNCO, and NENU2Phar. Back in 2018, the 

consortia of BIOnTop, CelluWiz, MANDALA, and USABLE 

PACKAGING responded to a call of the Bio-based Industries 

Joint Undertaking (BBI JU)/European Commission related 

to the development of biobased packaging products that are 

biodegradable/compostable and/or recyclable. The specific 

challenge of these twin projects was to make the end-of-life 

phase for packaging significantly more sustainable. 

Over the past years, all these projects designed new 

processing systems for functional biobased packaging 

products that are reusable, recyclable, and/or compostable 

and biodegradable, as an alternative to the currently identified 

benchmark products. The projects addressed the production 

process, including the necessary improvements to lamination 

and coating steps to obtain the target end-products and their 

specifications. One of the biggest challenges addressed 

was the one posed by multi-layer products: The twin 

projects considered the feasibility of producing multi-layer/ 

single-polymer solutions and ensured that the required 

functionalities and outperform state-of-the-art alternatives 

for sustainability were met. 

Along with the environmental sustainability of the developed 

solutions, other factors – such as innovation in functionality 

and production – were considered in these proposals. 

Any potential hazards associated with the developed 

processes and products were analysed to ensure that the 

products comply fully with REACH legislation and other 

toxicity requirements, safety requirements, and any relevant 

EU legislation. Industrial stakeholders actively participated 

in the four consortia, and demonstrated the potential for 

integrating the developed concepts into current industrial 

landscapes or existing plants so that the concepts can be 

deployed more quickly and scaled up to apply industrial-wide. 

Within their lifetime, the projects have proven that 

the packaging products are recyclable or compostable/ 

biodegradable in various environments to reduce their 


with novel 

sustainable 

materials 

Category 

overall environmental footprint. A more circular 

packaging production is possible. The benefits of a 

circular packaging production are tangible, and this 

has been demonstrated by providing evidence of novel 

processing solutions and products, all developed 

by involving consumer organizations, recyclers, and 

composting plant representatives. The commitment 

of these projects to assessing the environmental 

impacts of the developed processes or products has 

been demonstrated by using LCA methodologies based 

on available standards, certification, accepted and 

validated approaches. In some of these projects, e.g. 

in BIOnTop, the teams have also included pre- and conormative 

research necessary for developing the needed 

product quality standards. All in all, these projects have 

also included an economic viability performance check 

(e.g. value chain and market analysis) of the developed 

products and processes, along with an analysis of social 

impacts where applicable. 

Proceedings and presentations can be accessed on 

the project website. 

www.biontop.eu 

[1] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/836884 

[2] http://www.celluwiz.eu/ 

[3] https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/837715 

REGISTER 

NOW! 

For your registration scan this QR code 

or go to www.european-bioplastics.org/ 

events/ebc/registration 

Project meeting audience in-person 

12 – 13 Dec 2023 

Titanic Hotel, Berlin, Germany 


21

Interpack Review 

Interpack in Düsseldorf, Germany delivered what 

it promised and exceeded exhibitors’ expectations: 

the world’s largest and most relevant packaging 

trade fair set standards yet again from 4 to 10 May, 

connected the industry on a global level and acted 

as both a marketplace and content hub. Visitors 

from 155 countries, many with firm intentions to buy, 

came to Interpack 2023. 2,807 exhibitors showcased 

the power and creativity of the packaging industry 

with their technologies and solutions. What was 

easy to see were the numerous impulses, ideas and 

concrete business deals which will be implemented 

over the coming years. 

More than 60 exhibitors, most of them in hall 9, 

presented products and services around renewable 

carbon plastics based packaging. In this review we 

present just a few highlights. More comprehensive 

articles will follow in the coming issues of bioplastics 

MAGAZINE - Renewable Carbon Plastics. 

On the 8 th and 9 th of May, bioplastics MAGAZINE again 

hosted a successful conference on bioplastics and 

packaging. Al,ost 90 participants, the majority onsite 

in Düsseldorf listened and discussed 24 high 

class presentations in the hybrid bio!PAC 2023. Find 

a comprehensiove report on pages 12-14. MT 

Jonatura 

The compostable packaging shrink film from jonatura 

(Möhnesee-Echtrop, Germany) was one of the top products 

at the Interpack trade fair 2023. 

The shrink film was nominated for the German 

Sustainability Award 2023 and was among the five finalists. 

The film is starch-based and can be processed on all 

packaging machines. The shrink film has been certified by 

TÜV-Austria for its compostability. It offers a sustainable 

alternative to POF shrink film or LDPE shrink film. 

jonatura extrudes the film at its own production site in 

Germany. The young company with experienced employees 

who come from the packaging industry and have set 

themselves the goal of fulfilling customers’ packaging 

needs in a sustainable and environmentally friendly 

manner, produces a wide range of compostable and biobased 

flexible packaging. 

www.jonatura.com 

Gema Polymer 

GEMA POLIMER (Istanbul, Türkiye) has nearly 40 years 

of experience in the production of Technical Compounds 

& Masterbatches and has been manufacturing biobased, 

compostable compounds under the brand GEMABiO 

for the last 10 years. Gemabio Biobased and Gemabio 

Compostable Series are certified according to EN 16640, 

ASTM D6866 and EN 13432, ASTM D6400, respectively. 

Gemabio Biobased Series are hybrid plastic 

compounds, containing natural fibres (NF) obtained 

from agricultural by-products. These compounds reduce 

the fossil-based plastic consumption and provide an 

aesthetic appearance for injection moulding applications. 

Gemabio Compostable Series are bioplastic 

compounds for various applications such as blown & 

cast film extrusion, injection moulding, thermoforming, 

etc. Some of the main grades are Gemabio F 2990 

(shopping bag applications), Gemabio F 3171 (mulch film 

applications), Gemabio E 2924 (cutlery), Gemabio T 2882 

(thermoforming/coffee lids), and Gemabio P 2884 (straws 

& 3D filament). All these grades are OK COMPOST 

INDUSTRIAL certified and reduce CO 2 

emissions thanks 

to their renewable contents. 

www.gemabio.com 


interpack 

CornPack 

Not exactly a bioplastic product Corn Pack (Lübeck, 

Germany) is a very good and innovative solution to get away 

from fossil carbon based packaging. The new material 

is inherently sustainable and can be used wherever 

conventional, petroleum-based packaging materials, such 

as Styrofoam, have been used up to now. It is exclusively 

made from residual materials from the food industry, no 

actual foodstuffs are used. 

In addition to standardised moulded parts, Corn Pack is 

also made to measure – creating a customised solution for 

each customer’s individual packaging challenge. 

The advantage: After use, each Corn Pack package can be 

easily disposed of in an organic waste bin or added to garden 

compost. Of course, industrial composting is also possible. 

Corn Pack is ideal for individual transport protection, 

such as inlays, transport packaging, and press seals, e.g. 

for spice jars but also for passive insulated protection for 

food, drugs, or pet food. 

www.corn-pack.com 

2023 

Serim B&G 

Since 2003, Serim B&G (Pyeongtaek-si, South Korea) 

provides sustainable packaging solutions under the 

philosophy that considers nature and the environment. 

Focusing especially on producing biodegradable, 

compostable, and recyclable products such as food 

containers and film applications. Through extensive 

research & development, various ranges of products are 

constantly upgraded and expanded. 

The compounds used in their products are plantbased 

biodegradable bioplastic resin made from corn 

starch and other biologically sourced polymers. They 

can be decomposed within 6 months having superior 

decomposition ability. 

Tested by independent certification bodies, such as TÜV 

Austria (Belgium). DIN Certco (Germany) all products 

are certified to EN 13432 and also comply with American 

standard ASTM D 6400. 

https://serimbng.co.kr 


23

Futamura 

Futamura (Wigton, Cumbria, UK), a world leading manufacturer 

of sustainable cellulose packaging films, showcased a broad 

selection of its renewable and compostable NatureFlex range. 

Made from responsibly sourced wood pulp, NatureFlex films meet 

all global standards for industrial composting, including EN13432 

and are independently certified for backyard composting, while 

many grades also comply with the French AGEC Law. Due to the 

continued rise in demand for NatureFlex films, Futamura has 

recently made a significant investment in a new production line at 

its European manufacturing facility. The new casting machine has 

boosted production capacity by around 25 %, reducing Futamura’s 

lead times while increasing the quantities of film that it can 

offer the marketplace. 

Interpack visitors saw the latest in cellulosic innovation, 

such as the recently launched NVO microwavable and ovenable 

multi-layer films and an array of branded packaging examples 

from around the world. 

Amaia Cowan, Business Development Manager, Futamura 

EMEA, said, “There have been many advances in the compostable 

packaging market recently and we wanted to inspire retailers, 

brand owners and manufacturers of the many benefits of choosing 

NatureFlex for their packaging portfolio. We are proud to have 

showcased those best-fit applications – where it really makes sense 

to use compostable packaging – like fruit 

labels, coffee capsules, and small format 

solutions”, Amaia added. “This show has 

been a long-time coming and we’re happy 

to see many familiar faces, as well as 

making new contacts”. 

Around Blue 

CLC (Hwaseong-si, South Korea) is one of the 

world’s first covalently bonded cellulose-based 

polymers that use natural biomass as a raw 

material. It is made by Around Blue’s own interfacial 

polymerization technology. CLC biobased plastic can 

be processed in both injection moulding and extrusion 

using wood powder, rice husk, corn flour, coffee 

grounds, or beer grounds as a biomass raw material. 

CLC is an eco-friendly/non-toxic biobased plastic 

that can be easily moulded without a complicated 

extraction process from natural raw material. It still 

fulfils international environmental standards with 

quality while providing cost-effectiveness, productivity 

and efficiency at the same time. CLC does not meet 

the biodegradation certification standard (90 % for 6 

months) but will decompose after being used for a 

necessary period. The property of being decomposed 

within a reasonable period (about 30 years or so) 

according to the principles of nature when discarded 

is CLC’s own philosophy. 

www.aroundblue.net 

beer 

grounds 

rice husk and corn flour 

rice husk 

coffee 

grounds 

www.futamuragroup.com 

TotalEnergies Corbion 

In addition to its Luminy ® PLA portfolio made from annually 

renewable biomass, TotalEnergies Corbion (Gorinchem, 

the Netherlands) also offers recycled Luminy rPLA, which 

contains 20 % and 30 % post-industrial and post-consumer 

recycled content in line with ISO 22095 standard. rPLA is 

sourced from a mix of pre- and post-consumer recycled 

materials. The material quantification is based on a massbalance 

allocation accessed and validated by third-party 

certification body SCS Global Services. 

“As part of our Stay in the Cycle campaign we have set up 

a number of closed loop systems where for example Luminy 

PLA cups and bottles are collected, sorted and cleaned and 

again used as raw material to make virgin quality Luminy 

PLA”, said François de Bie, Senior Global Marketing Director. 

He added, “Already ahead of impending Packaging and 

Packaging Waste regulations we are offering 20 % and 30 % 

recycle content containing Luminy PLA to interested parties.” 

The third-party certified rPLA is commercially available, has 

identical properties as virgin Luminy PLA, and comes with 

food contact certifications. Companies like Coexpan, Sansu 

and Esol are already actively offering products made from 

Luminy PLA containing up to 30 % PLA recycle. 

Alternatively, a viable end-of-life option for PLA is 

composting. “While compostable tea bags and coffee pods 

are already widely in use in the Netherlands, we see now 

an EU wide adoption advancing rapidly”, said François. 

Compostable tea bags and coffee pods reduce plastic 

contamination of compost and prevent valuable organic 

biomass from ending up in landfill or incinerated. Recently, 

our collaboration with Danimer Scientific resulted in the 

launch of home compostable compounds for a range of 

packaging applications, which are available in the market. 

At their booth, TotalEnergies Corbion showcased these 

innovations, including Group Ati coffee pods made using 

Luminy PLA and PLA compostable ice cream cups and 

spoons by Florida SRL. 

www.totalenergies-corbion.com 


BASF 

BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany) extends its ecovio ® 

portfolio for extrusion coating on paper and board by adding 

a certified home as well as industrial compostable grade 

for cold and hot food packaging. The new extrusion coating 

grade ecovio 70 PS14H6 is food contact approved and shows 

excellent barrier properties against liquids, fats, grease, 

and mineral oil as well as temperature stability at boiling 

water (up to 100°C). It is also characterized by outstanding 

adhesion to many types of paper and board. It thus enables 

paper applications like cups and pots for dairy products (also 

frozen), wrappings for sandwiches and cereal bars, bowls and 

trays for sweets and snacks as well as to-go cups for hot/ 

cold drinks and soup. After usage, food packaging made of 

paper coated with ecovio 70 PS14H6 can be composted either 

in garden home compost or industrial composting facilities 

according to national legislation. The new home-compostable 

biopolymer thus supports organics recycling and helps to 

close the nutrient loop to achieve a circular economy. 

Excellent processability in mono or coextrusion 

without adhesives 

The new home-compostable grade shows better 

performance than currently available biopolymers on the 

market. It allows the coating of paper and board packaging for 

food applications to achieve additional barrier properties by 

mono or multi-layer extrusion without adhesives. The paper 

coating can be done with a coating line speed comparable 

to polyethylene (PE). The material shows no adhesion to 

chill roll and outstanding sealing and printing 

properties. It is also possible to achieve coating 

weights like PE depending on application 

and equipment so that it can also be used to 

manufacture very thin coatings. 

“By being certified home as well as industrial 

compostable, our new ecovio grade extends the 

end-of-life options for paper-based packaging”, 

says Michael Bernhard Schick from global 

marketing Biopolymers at BASF. “There is a 

big trend in society, in some countries driven by 

legislation, to move from pure plastic to paperbased 

packaging, which in itself is not suitable 

for a lot of different foods, especially with liquid 

or fatty ingredients. We offer a strong and at 

the same time sustainable packaging solution 

for hot, frozen or chilled food, which can stand 

usage temperatures from -40 bis +100°C. 

ecovio 70 PS14H6 thus combines excellent technical 

performance with the decisive added benefit of homecompostability 

for paper packaging, supporting organics 

recycling of food waste”. The new biopolymer is available 

with a bio-based content between 70-80 % of renewable 

resources according to ASTM D 6866. It complements the 

ecovio portfolio for paper coating which consists of tailored 

industrially compostable grades with properties adjusted to 

different market needs. 

BASF’s biopolymers enable organics recycling 

BASF’s biopolymer ecovio is certified compostable in 

accordance with standards such as DIN EN 13432. It is a blend 

of BASF’s PBAT ecoflex and renewable raw materials. Typical 

applications for ecovio are organic waste bags, cling film, fruit 

and vegetable bags, as well as agricultural mulch films and 

food packaging applications. Studies show the advantages 

of ecovio for production, packaging and shelf life of food as 

well as for the collection of food waste. These advantages are 

based on the material’s certified biodegradability in industrial 

and home composting as well as in agricultural soil: Food 

waste is reduced, nutrients are returned to the soil by means 

of greater volumes of compost – and the accumulation of 

persistent microplastic in agricultural soil is avoided. This 

contributes to a circular economy by closing the nutrient cycle 

via organics recycling. 

www.ecovio.com 

will become 


25

From Science& Research 

Best of nova studies 

During the Renewable Materials Conference from 23 rd 

to 25 th May 2023 (RMC) in Siegburg (near Cologne, 

Germany) the nova institute (Hürth, Germany) 

presented the newest updates on the various areas the 

nova institute has to offer. As to not overload or skip over 

these in the RMC review (pp. 16) they are laid out below in a 

more comprehensive form. 

Market update on biobased polymers: Global 

capacities, production, and trends 2022-2027 

By Pia Skoczinski 

Pia Skoczinski presented the 

global biobased building blocks 

and polymers market data. In 

2022, the total installed capacity 

was 4.9 million tonnes with an 

actual production of 4.5 million 

tonnes, which is 1 % of the total 

production volume of fossil‐based 

polymers. An increase to 9.3 

million tonnes capacity in 2027 is expected, indicating an 

average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 14 

%, significantly higher than the overall growth of polymers 

(3–4 %). Biobased epoxy resin production is rising, and PTT 

regained attractiveness after several years of constant 

capacities. PE and PP made from biobased naphtha are 

being further established with growing volumes. Increased 

capacities for PLA are ongoing, as well as current and 

future expansions for biobased polyamides and PHAs. 

Additionally, also, biobased PET is produced again at higher 

volumes. Asia is the leading region, which has installed the 

largest biobased production capacities worldwide with 41 

% in 2022, Europe follows with 27 %, North America shares 

19 % with major installed capacities for PLA and PTT and 

South America 13 %, mainly based on PE. The less than 1 

% share of Australia/Oceania is based on starch-containing 

polymer compounds. More information can be found in the 

nova report “Bio-based Building Blocks and Polymers – 

Global Capacities, Production and Trends 2022–2027” 

available online (see also p. 11). 

Status and outlook for CO 2 

-based 

building blocks and polymers 

By Pauline Ruiz 

Pauline Ruiz presented the 

status and outlook for CO 2 

- 

based building blocks and 

polymers. Several successfully 

implemented technologies 

for CO 2 

utilisation are used at 

commercial level and many 

more at the laboratory and 

pilot phase. The production 

capacity in 2022 of 1.3 million tonnes/a is dominated by 

the production of CO 2 

-based aromatic polycarbonates, 

ethanol, aliphatic polycarbonate, methanol, and polyols. 

By 2030, the capacity outlook for CO 2 

-based products 

is expected to exceed 6 million tonnes/a of CO 2 

-based 

products. High dynamic growth is observed for methanol 

projects, methane plants, ethanol, and hydrocarbons – the 

latter especially for the aviation sector. The potential of CCU 

has also been recognised by several global brands which 

are already expanding their feedstock portfolio. In Europe, 

investments and prospects for CO 2 

utilisation are largely 

undermined by a lack of political support. In contrast, we 

see supportive policies in China as well as in the US with 

the Inflation Reduction Act. Such smart policies are needed 

to bridge the gap between now and 2050 for companies to 

remain competitive in the sustainable transformation. 

More information can be found in nova’s new report 

“Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 

) as Feedstock for Chemicals, 

Advanced Fuels, Polymers, Proteins and Minerals – 

Technologies and Market, Status and Outlook, Company 

Profiles” available online (see also p. 11). 

Policy updates – how will PPWR, ESPR, 

and Green Claims Initiative impact 

renewable materials? 

By Lara Dammer 

This presentation highlighted 

nova’s work around policy, 

providing an overview of 

some of the most impactful 

EU policy initiatives for 

renewable carbon plastics. 

The proposed Packaging and 

Packaging Waste Regulation 

(PPWR), the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation 

(ESPR) and the Green Claims Initiative are just a few 

examples of the multitude of policies currently discussed in 

the EU that are expected to contribute to the green transition 

of the chemicals and plastics sector. After a comprehensive 

overview of policy initiatives on the table and expected 

timelines, Lara’s talk zoomed in on these three examples. 

Both PPWR and ESPR heavily focus on increasing 

recycled content in plastics, but there are opportunities 

to also promote bio- and CO 2 

-based content with the 

same dossiers. Lara Dammer pointed out some of the 

most relevant issues for the renewable carbon industry 

and provided up-to-date information on the status quo 

of political negotiations. Especially the PPWR is heavily 

debated among Commission, EP, and Council at the 

moment. A separate target for biobased content is being 

promoted by some stakeholders, while others are also open 


to a combined quota of recycled and biobased content. The 

outcome is still very much open. 

Another hotly discussed topic is how to claim 

environmental benefits of renewable carbon-based 

materials and the role of the EU’s Product Environmental 

Footprint (PEF). The PEF is expected to become an important 

instrument under the ESPR and the Green Claims Initiative. 

Lara Dammer showed potential advantages and pitfalls as 

well as alternative options. 

Tech4Biowaste – A dynamic database of 

technologies for biowaste utilisation 

By Lars Krause 

1. Avantium YXY ® Technology – PEF-based bottles 

2. BASF Chemical recycling technology 

for mixed plastic waste 

3. IFF Designed Enzymatic Biomaterials 

4. Lenzing Viscose, Modal and Lyocell Fibres 

5. Neste NEXBTLTM Technology 

These five “case studies”, which summarise important 

aspects of full peer-reviewed life cycle assessments (LCAs) 

also serve as an example of how difficult it is to communicate 

sustainability claims in an appropriate format. Matthias 

Stratmann went into some more detail about the PEF-based 

bottles and PEF-based bottles and the fibres by Lenzing, 

but all products through the bench showed a better carbon 

footprint than conventional alternatives. 

From Science& Research 

The Tech4Biowaste project 

developed a database on biowaste 

valorisation technologies. It 

covers Technology Readiness 

Levels (TRL) 4 and higher, relevant 

feedstocks, and products. The 

database contains up-to-date 

information, is user-friendly and 

accessible to everybody. 

Technology providers have the opportunity to show their 

technology and find new business partners. Technology 

searchers have the opportunity to understand capabilities 

and working principles for different technologies, they will 

be able to search, find, and compare technologies as well 

as make new contacts. A feedstock-product matrix makes 

navigating the database easy while giving a good overview 

of what information is already available. 

Currently, there are 45 technologies on the platform 

from over 100 different companies that participated in the 

project. While the project is finished current plans are to 

keep the database up for at least 5 years. 

Peer-reviewed case studies 

on renewable materials 

By Matthias Stratmann 

Renewable carbon-based 

products often show benefits 

with regard to Greenhouse Gas 

emissions in scientific studies. 

However, these results are well 

hidden in long reports and difficult 

to understand for many readers. 

The Renewable Carbon Initiative 

commissioned nova-Institute to 

summarize the climate impacts of five renewable carbonbased 

products and technologies in well-readable and 

concise reports. The topics of the reports are: 

Carbon footprint fossil vs. biobased materials 

By Christopher vom Berg 

This short presentation took a look at the different 

treatments of biobased and fossil-based materials in 

environmental assessments and LCAs. A key finding is that 

new solutions, such as biobased materials, are subject to 

much greater scrutiny in order 

to assess their environmental 

impact in a transparent and 

detailed manner, while established 

materials are not subject to a 

similarly critical assessment. Such 

critical assessments are, in theory, 

an inherently good approach to vet 

technologies, however, it would 

make more sense to also assess existing technologies by 

similar standards. There are 3 main key takeaways. There is 

a discrepancy in the attention to detail, biobased materials 

are excessively scrutinized while many environmental 

uncertainties are considered “negligible” for oil. There are 

detailed sustainability certificates for biomass that take the 

specific factors of the region of origin into account, no such 

certificates exist for petroleum. And lastly, in comparison to 

alternative feedstocks, the environmental footprint of fossil 

feedstocks is less transparently screened and currently 

openly debated in science. These current differences have 

far-reaching consequences when comparing different 

materials, which can become an obstacle to the overall goal 

of defossilisation, i.e. the substitution of fossil carbon with 

renewable carbon, which can come from biomass, for carbonbased 

materials. Despite this, recent scientific publications 

still highlight that biobased products have, on average, lower 

environmental impacts than their fossil counterparts. AT 

https://renewable-carbon.eu/commercial-reports 

https://tech4biowaste.eu 


27

Top-Talk 

Recycling won’t fix it all 

In a recent announcement, Danimer Scientific (Bainbridge, 

GA, USA) announced a cooperation with TotalEnergies 

Corbion (Gorinchem, the Netherlands) for a new biopolymer 

for compostable coffee pods that comply with the proposed 

EU packaging regulation. 

Many will have already heard about the recent proposal of the 

European Commission that will require the plastic packaging 

of a handful of applications will have to be compostable – 

among them are coffee pods. The new formulations, blending 

Danimer’s Nodax ® PHA and TotalEnergies Corbion’s Luminy ® 

PLA, have already been tested and certified (TÜV Home 

Compostable) and it is only a matter of time until they hit the 

market in coffee pod applications. 

This partnership that reaches across the pond reflects 

the hopeful attitude that the US-based company has 

for the European market and EU legislation as a whole. 

Stephen Croskrey, Chairman and CEO of Danimer 

Scientific, sat down with bioplastics MAGAZINE to talk about 

his vision for the future and what Danimer will be able to 

offer moving forward. 

Danimer Scientific can be considered one of the old guard 

of the bioplastics industry. bioplastics MAGAZINE founder 

Michael Thielen already visited Meredian and DaniMer 

Scientific when they were still two separate entities in 2014 

for an on-site report at their plant in Bainbridge (bM 02/14). 

They merged into Meredian Holdings Group shortly after and 

are now known for quite a while as Danimer Scientific. 

It seems the stubborn belief in bioplastics having a future 

is finally going to pay off for Danimer. A lot has changed 

since Michael made the trip across the pond. Recently US 

President Biden signed an executive order on biotechnology 

and biomanufacturing that seeks to replace 90 % of fossilbased 

plastics with biobased plastics over the next 20 years. 

Stephen was one of the experts that were invited to the 

White House for the high-level Summit on Biotechnology & 

Biomanufacturing last year which was probably a big influence 

for said executive order. And the winds of change are not only 

blowing in the US, as European legislation, which seemed to 

exclusively favour recycling as the holy grail solution, begins 

to open up to bioplastics as another, parallel, option. 

These developments are obviously welcomed by Danimer 

who is locked and loaded for a more biobased future. “My 

opinion on the recent developments will not come as a 

surprise to you”, Stephen starts the conversation with us. “It 

seemed to me that the EU is going down the recycling path 

seeing it as the ultimate solution and don’t get me wrong 

– recycling is great and we certainly need to do more of it, 

but if you look at the statistics it is simply not a workable 

long-term solution”. 

The problem isn’t even the low recycling rates of at best 

8 %, Stephen points out, but that, according to the Ellen 

McArthur Foundation, 32 % of plastics packaging – which 

makes up a huge amount of plastic products overall – is 

escaping, meaning it is either not properly collected or 

lost before it can be either recycled, burned, or landfilled. 

More recycling will not fix that leakage problem. 

“What we see now is a positive change for the bioplastics 

industry as people start to notice that recycling won’t work for 

every problem, we think it is excellent that things like tea bags 

and coffee pods will now be made from biomaterials but we 

also don’t miss the irony the original (recycling only) solution 

is not all-encompassing enough to really fix the problem”. 

Stephen comments, hopeful that people will start to see fully 

degradable plastics materials like PHAs as viable solutions 

that are also recyclable. “The main difference compared to 

(most) fossil-based plastics is that in the case these materials 

are escaping into nature they do go away in the presence of 

bacteria. Here we would still have a circular system as the 

released carbon came originally from the atmosphere”. 

Stephen considers these legislative changes as a good first 

step, “it’s progress, certainly a better position than we were 

before”. When asked what he hopes for future developments 

he stated rather matter-of-factly, “We are in it for the long 

run. We see the development of the coffee pods as a foot in 

the door for us. PHAs are a fantastic solution to the plastic 

problems that we face. In the medium term, these changes 

mean a considerable opportunity in the European market – 

we are already working with 3 of the 4 largest users of coffee 

pods in the EU. We already have a considerable amount of 

expertise in this area, more from the PLA side of the business 

but PHA is actually much better suited for this application 

due to its heat tolerance and some of the barrier properties”. 

The collaboration with TotalEnergies Corbion is one 

example of already making use of these opportunities. 

Currently, Danimer’s recently retrofitted fermentation facility 

in Kentucky can produce currently about 19,200 tonnes per 

annum but if run at full capacity the production volume could 

go up to around 30,000 tonnes per annum (50 % PHAs and 

50 % other biomaterials). The plant will be capable of running 

at full capacity by the end of 2023. 

“We are currently in the financing phase of another facility 

in Georgia and are hoping for a substantial investment. 

And we are excited about the opportunity created by the 

current administration as we are in the sweet spot for both 

the bioindustry and renewable chemistry. If everything goes 

smoothly the Georgia facility will be up and running in 2025 

with double the capacity of the one in Kentucky”, Stephen 

says and continues, “we are also working on another project 

with P3HP. P3HP (poly(3-hydroxypropionate) a member of the 

PHA family) is made via a catalytic process with a significantly 


By Alex Thielen 

Top-Talk 

lower cost profile than fermentation. It doesn’t have the 

same performance range as our Nodax PHA, but it makes 

a great film – for film, it is actually a better polymer than 

many other biopolymers due to its great barrier properties. 

For that plant, we are in negotiations with a strategic partner 

and if everything goes smoothly the P3HP facility will be up 

and running by 2025 as well, with an annual capacity of 

around 75,000 tonnes”. 

According to Stephen, it is not only the production cost of 

P3HP that is more affordable but scale up as well. “Producing 

P3HP costs about half as much as the PHA made via 

fermentation, but the capital needed for scale up, on a perpound 

basis, lies at around 20 % of that of fermentation”. 

From a strategic perspective, the scale-up of P3HP makes a 

lot of sense as it is very suitable to blend with other marine 

degradable PHAs as it does not decrease their performance 

and shares the marine degradability. 

Stephen said he is looking forward to the PHA World 

Congress we will host in Atlanta later this year and invited 

bioplastics MAGAZINE for an on-site report in Kentucky. 

www.danimerscientific.com 

To celebrate Earth Week, the New York Stock Exchange invited 

Stephen to ring the closing bell on Monday, April 17, 2023. 


29

Media 

Plastic. Climate .Future 

A podcast for activists and executives 


In mid-April, I sat down with Mateusz (Mat) Wielopolski 

and John Sewell who host the podcast Plastic. Climate. 

Future. to talk about bioplastics MAGAZINE, the concept of 

renewable carbon and bioplastics overall. Mat is a circularity 

and materials expert and consultant who has worked in 

the field of sustainability for over a decade now, and John 

is currently knee-deep involved in the topic of chemical 

recycling as a representative for Chemical Recycling 

Europe, he has previously worked for companies like Dow, 

Borealis, and Neste. 

As with every piece of information and entertainment 

always have a specific target audience, and podcasts such 

as this neatly bridge that gap, but what is the target audience 

of Plastic. Climate. Future.? 

The answer to this is twofold, even described by Mat and 

John as seemingly polar opposites. In general, the intended 

audience is everyone interested in climate, the environment 

and how plastics – for better or worse – fit into that. So that 

means on the one hand climate activists, passion-fuelled 

people willing to take to the streets to demand that things 

change now – because they need to change. And on the other 

hand, members of the plastic industry, including everybody 

from executives over researchers to whoever mans the front 

and back office of any kind of plastic company (they even 

sometimes invite humble journalists). 

Combining these two sides is not an easy feat, the executive 

of a big chemical company rarely meets up with a climate 

activist for a coffee and a chat. The key to bringing these two 

sides together on any form of common ground is, according 

to Mat and John, three pillars: good faith and respect, science 

and reason-based argumentation, and a desire to move 

beyond greenwashing. 

“We talk about moving beyond greenwashing, but is the 

industry more so fooling itself in thinking that it is considering 

the apparent unending growth of fossil-based plastics 

without increasing replacement of it by bioplastics (which 

are still only between 1 and 2 % of 

all plastics)? And on the activist side, 

are we kidding ourselves or even just 

virtue signalling by rejecting plastics, 

not recognizing the value of plastics, 

and insisting on total rejection of 

plastics? Is the idea of a balanced 

approach just a cop-out?” asked Mat 

and John added, “At Plastic. Climate. 

Future., we aim to talk about this. To 

touch on these difficult points. We don’t 

have all the answers, but we believe 

that by prompting such questions, 

however sensitive they may be, for both sides, we 

increase our chances of finding real answers and moving 

forward together. We believe that there are common ways 

forward. We all, after all, share the same environment. 

That is not feel-good talking, that is simply a fact”. 

They go on to point out that it is “Important to realize that 

the cynicism goes both ways. The activist to the industry 

member and the other way around. The activist thinking 

that it is all about money and profit. And the industry noting 

that consumers are not willing to pay for the added cost of 

sustainability. There needs to be a discussion here. Who 

pays? Maybe the best way forward is that both pay more”. 

Next to the importance of good faith and respect it is also 

important to be honest – especially with yourself, on both 

sides. “No BS. No self or other deception. We believe that 

greenwashing is done by those who have no real answers 

or who are not serious-minded about talking about the 

challenges”, the podcast hosts and industry experts add. 

Previous episodes featured, for example, Danimer 

Scientific where the topic was the “nine-syllables word 

– polyhydroxyalkanoates” or as you and I call them, PHAs 

– or Circularise where they discussed digital product 

passports, traceability, transparency, and what the heck 

a blockchain even is. 

In this episode of Plastic. Climate. Future., I talked with 

Mat and John about how I ended up joining the family 

business bioplastics MAGAZINE and how a publication of 

a niche market decided to broaden its field of topics to 

include the other two legs that make up the concept of 

Renewable Carbon: Carbon Capture & Utilization (CCU) and 

Chemical/Advanced Recycling. 

The conversation developed from what bioplastics are 

and that the term bioplastics is in and by itself problematic 

as it describes two different things, where it comes from 

(biobased) and what it does (biodegradation). What the future 

of bioplastics holds and how things like 

recycling, be it mechanical or chemical, 

fit into the mix – as these are not and 

have never been either-or decisions. 

But without spoiling too much you can 

hear the episode following the QR-code 

below, searching for Plastic. Climate. 

Future. on Spotify, or just going to Mat 

and John’s webpage. I already look 

forward to (hopefully) being invited 

again – as with such topics, one episode 

is barely even enough to scratch the 

surface of these topics. 

www.plasticclimatefuture.com 


Extrusion processing of 

increasingly green plastics 

Processing 

Today, more than ever, the plastics industry is showing 

increased sensitivity to environmental issues with a 

view to fostering a circular economy, in terms of plastic 

production and consumption. In this sense, the need emerges 

to adopt a unified strategy that tackles the challenge in a 

synergetic manner, focusing on three pillars: reducing the 

consumption of virgin polymers, recycling post-industrial and 

post-consumer waste, and replacing its use with bioplastics 

made from plant-based raw materials. 

“We are facing a real paradigm shift that is influencing the 

development of the latest generation of extrusion machines 

capable of operating with even greener formulations”, 

says Massimiliano Fenili, Technical Manager of Bausano 

(Rivarolo Canavese, Italy), who continues, “Our customers 

are becoming increasingly environmentally aware and are 

investing in advanced technologies and in a virtuous policy 

of recovery and recycling”. And he concludes, “In this 

scenario, Bausano is at the forefront, alongside the sector’s 

operators, to respond to the market’s new requirements, 

with ad hoc designed technologies that implement innovative 

transformation methods, which are also energy-saving”. 

With this in mind, Bausano, a leading international player 

in the design and production of customised extrusion lines for 

plastics processing, in addition to the already popular plant 

fibre-plastic composites, designs innovative extrusion lines 

that can also process blends that integrate environmentally 

sustainable plastics, such as PLA, with the plant component 

(rice husks, coffee grounds, banana peels, seaweed, almond 

shells, avocado kernels, cork, and other plant residues). 

A further case of excellence, in terms of sustainable 

innovation by Bausano, is the processing of an even more 

sustainable formulation of Wood Plastic Composite (WPC), no 

longer only obtained from a combination of PVC and sawdust, 

rice husks, etc., but also from plastic waste together with 

the plant component. 

In such a scenario, Bausano’s added value, in addition 

to the technological core of its extruders, lies in product 

engineering with tests aimed at creating customised 

configurations capable of securing a competitive advantage 

for its customers, such as: 

• ABS, LDPE, and HDPE post-consumer materials 

• PLA-based WPC, with polylactic acid component 

required by the customer between 60–80 % and 

sawdust component between 20–40 %, for an output 

of 100 kg/h with MD series twin-screw extruders; 

• Biodegradable PBAT (adipic acid copolyester) 

thermoplastic, generates 900 kg/h for the production 

of flexible packaging. 

Several critical issues have been resolved by Bausano in the 

course of these extrusion processes. Firstly, post-consumer 

waste, besides being characterised by a great variability of 

characteristics, is often affected by oxidation-degradation 

processes, which can alter its physical and mechanical 

properties. Secondly, materials from renewable sources pose 

just as many challenges, stemming from the complex handling 

of their rheology and the limited thermal processing range. 

“The most recent guidelines issued at European level 

show that the reduction of virgin plastic consumption is 

one of the cornerstones of the new directives. Among the 

sectors in which plastics volumes remain particularly high 

is packaging. In order to limit the exploitation of natural 

resources, it is therefore essential to promote the use of 

viable alternatives, which are both environmentally friendly 

and high-performance”, says Massimiliano Fenili, Technical 

Manager at Bausano, who continues, “In this context, 

corporate strategies must also be renewed to contemplate 

long-term sustainable development goals, considering 

these changes as an opportunity to search for novel and 

pioneering solutions”. MT 

www.bausano.com 


31

Materials 

Pearlescent masterbatches 

with without TiO 2 

The deliberate avoidance of titanium dioxide in the 

Caprowax masterbatches by Albrecht Dinkelaker. 

Polymer and Product Development (Frankfurt/Main, 

Germany) enables environmentally friendly and soil-friendly 

applications. The pearlescent masterbatches without the 

addition of TiO 2 

are laboratory prototypes based on natural 

mica and different inorganic pigments for the colouration 

of bioplastics, as well as biocomposites or blends. 

Different shades of matte gold, silver, and bronze are available 

along with pearlescent neutral, white, and red. 

Only harmless, biobased, inorganic, mineral, and soil 

improvement pigments are used. Calcined kaolin allows 

moderate brightening. The compostable carrier material 

is waterproof and consists of an aliphatic polyester that is 

certified marine biodegradable, home – and industrial 

compostable, and modified, readily biodegradable, 

renewable, GMO-free plant oil. 

“After a first consultation about the targeted applications 

we offer test material to potential customers”, says 

Albrecht Dinkelaker. 

With these masterbatches, the colouration of biopolymers 

complies with the specification of DIN EN 13432. 

The masterbatches are suited for specific or universal 

pearlescent colouration of thermoplastic bioplastics, 

blends, biocomposites, or even filaments. The colourable 

materials include PLA, PBS, PHA, PCL, CAPROWAX P 

blends and BioMineralComposites, polysaccharides and 

derivates, PVAc/Bioplastic-Blends, PVOH, Bio-NFC/WPC, 

Bio-UPR, Bio-TPE, and NIPU. 

“Non-migratory, temperature stable, insoluble in water 

the masterbatches are comparable with natural, mineral 

pigments and they already mineralized”, as Albrecht 

Dinkelaker points out. 

The masterbatch pellets can be added to the different 

bioplastics in the range of 2 – 4 %. The processing 

temperature range is from 90° to 200°C, with short-time 

resistance up to 220°C. 

In the coloured final products, the content of each separate 

pigment is below or up to 1 %. MT 

www.caprowax-p.eu 

generic photo 

Magnetic 

for Plastics 

www.plasticker.com 

• International Trade 

in Raw Materials, Machinery & Products Free of Charge. 

• Daily News 

from the Industrial Sector and the Plastics Markets. 

• Current Market Prices 

for Plastics. 

• Buyer’s Guide 

for Plastics & Additives, Machinery & Equipment, Subcontractors 

and Services. 

• Job Market 

for Specialists and Executive Staff in the Plastics Industry. 

Up-to-date • Fast • Professional 


New PBS grades become 

more attractive for industry 

Materials 

In the RUBIO project, 18 partners are turning the vision of 

a sustainable plastics industry into reality. Their goal is to 

use regionally available plant residues to create versatile, 

sustainable products that are recyclable and biodegradable. 

As part of the project, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied 

Polymer Research IAP (Potsdam, Germany) is developing new 

types of bioplastic polybutylene succinate (PBS) so that it can 

be used for significantly more applications. Together with the 

company Polifilm Extrusion Weißandt-Gölzau, Germany), the 

Fraunhofer IAP has developed an initial commercial product. 

Despite the high potential, there are a number of factors 

that prevent companies from manufacturing their products 

from bioplastics: This includes in many cases higher costs 

and a too limited choice of different types of bioplastics to 

realize the wide range of possible applications. In addition, 

there is a need for technical improvement and it is often not 

clear for which specific applications bioplastics are suitable. 

New PBS types enable more diverse 

areas of application 

Therefore, the need for developments in this field is 

great. Experts from the Fraunhofer IAP are tackling 

these hurdles together with partners from science and 

industry in the project “RUBIO (Regional Entrepreneurial 

Alliance for the Development of Value Added Chains for 

Technical Bioplastics in Central Germany), funded by 

the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research 

(BMBF). Thomas Büsse, who coordinates the joint project 

Processing at RUBIO and heads the Processing Pilot Plant 

for Biopolymers (located in Schwarzheide, Germany) of 

Fraunhofer IAP, explains: “Depending on the application 

or processing technology, the plastic used must be hard 

or soft, perhaps also high or low viscosity can be required. 

However, there are only three types of PBS on the market, 

and these are suitable only for a limited number of 

processing methods and applications”. For this reason, the 

team in Antje Lieske’s department Polymer Synthesis of 

Fraunhofer IAP in Potsdam is developing entirely new types 

of PBS that can be processed using a much wider range 

of methods – for instance from film blowing over blow 

moulding to injection moulding. Thus, the researchers are 

also increasing the portfolio of possible applications. 

The know-how of the polymer specialists at the Fraunhofer 

IAP goes far beyond the mere development of synthesis 

processes for new types of bioplastics. In the synthesis 

pilot plant of the Fraunhofer Pilot Plant Centre for Polymer 

Synthesis and Processing PAZ in Schkopau, Germany 

the team led by Ulrich Wendler, head of the Synthesis and 

Product Development department at the Fraunhofer IAP, is 

transferring the results from the laboratory and pilot plant 

to an industrial pilot scale. The question of how the newly 

developed plastic types and blends can be thermoplastically 

processed is being intensively investigated in the processing 

pilot plant. Tests on biodegradability, printability, sealability, 

or machinability are also carried out here – criteria that the 

researchers can set individually at the customer’s request. 

Recyclability is also tested in the RUBIO consortium. “The 

important thing is that bioplastics can and must be recycled. 

Degradability only comes into play for certain applications 

or when large or small plastic particles are lost during use 

and thus end up in the environment”, Büsse emphasizes. 

Within the framework of the RUBIO project Fraunhofer 

IAP and Polifilm Extrusion have achieved a first success. 

The German company produces plastic films for various 

applications in the packaging, construction, agricultural, 

automotive and other sectors on more than 80 extrusion 

lines. The partners have developed a PBS film that can be 

used for shipping bags. “This cooperation is an important 

step towards sustainability and allows us to offer products 

made from regional waste materials that are recyclable 

and additionally biodegradable. Another advantage is the 

processing on common extrusion lines so that nothing stands 

in the way of the triumphal march of PBS materials“, explains 

Tobias Otto, Project Manager R&D at Polifilm Extrusion. 

Even more sustainable due to 

regional plant residues 

The development of the new PBS film goes even further 

because so far the bioplastic is not yet based on regional 

raw materials. But that will change in the further course of 

the cooperation. Plant residues from the region will be the 

raw material in the future. “In principle, all materials that 

contain cellulose or lignocellulose can be used. This includes 

unrotted fermentation residues from biogas plants, residues 

from farms that occur in a variety of forms, or theoretically 

even waste from paper production”, explains Thomas Büsse. 

Ideally, the use of regional residual materials has another 

advantage in the long term: Shorter transport routes can 

lead to lower prices and greater sustainability of the plastic 

products produced. MT 

www.iap.fraunhofer.de | www.polifilm.com 

The bioplastic films made from PBS developed as part of 

the RUBIO project are recyclable, biodegradable and can be 

processed on standard extrusion lines. (Photo: Polifilm) 


33

Materials 

Home compostable bioplastics 

T 

he BIO-BOX Project, led by the company Spanish 

Bandesur, with the participation of six other 

companies (Gaviplas, Guerola, Lisart, Miarco, 

Plásticos Compuestos and Taghleef Industries S.L.), together 

with the collaboration of AIMPLAS as the main technology 

centre, develops new products with improved compostability 

for a variety of packaging applications. 

On 8 April 2022, a Spanish law was passed on waste and 

contaminated soils for a circular economy. The main aim of 

this new law is to reduce as much as possible the negative 

effects of generating and managing waste on human health 

and the environment, taking into account the principles of 

the circular economy, for more efficient use of resources. 

The law is also designed to help in the fight against climate 

change and the protection of the marine environment, thus 

contributing to compliance with the Sustainable Development 

Goals (SDGs) included in the 2030 Agenda. 

This law transposes the European SUP directive, in force 

since June 2021, which prohibits the manufacture of some 

single-use plastic (SUP) items. This law directly affects these 

single-use plastic products, which include packaging for hot 

and cold food requiring no preparation, as well as containers 

for holding fast food, fruit, vegetables, and other food items. 

It is important to bear in mind that between 80 % and 85 % 

of marine litter is plastic waste and half of that waste is made 

up of single-use plastic products. 

In accordance with the abovementioned legislation, the 

bio-box project is working on the development of new homecompostable 

materials with low thermal conductivity for the 

production of new single-use packaged food products. These 

new materials must also be processable using conventional 

technologies and provide the same or better properties 

than current products. 

Description of the problem 

and proposed solution 

The main objective of the bio-box project is to develop new 

home-compostable biopolymers that can be used to make 

different single-use products, thus anticipating the changes 

that will become effective when the new law is enacted. 

The specific objectives of the project are: 

• To develop new biodegradable and homecompostable 

materials through modification of the 

biodegradable materials selected according to the 

technical requirements of each defined case study. 

These materials must be suitable for making different 

single-use products that withstand and maintain 

temperatures for cooling, freezing, heating, and 

outdoor consumption. 

• To develop home-compostable hot-melt adhesives for 

use in converting processes in the manufacture of new 

sustainable products. 

• To produce flexible bag-type packaging for packaged 

frozen products, foam packaging, takeaway food 

packaging boxes (e.g. hamburgers, pizzas) and frozen 

products, laminated film with paper substrates for 

primary packaging, adhesive tapes for industry and 

mainly for food packaging and poster products for the 

graphic arts sector. These products are expected to come 

from new materials developed with home-compostability 

properties in order to limit the presence of plastic 

waste in the environment. 

Businesses Consortium 

All of this work is being carried out within the framework of 

the CIEN Project, funded by the Centre for the Development 

of Industrial Technology (CDTI), by a consortium of seven 

companies that cover the entire value chain for research, 

development and future marketing of new products made of 

compostable materials. 

The table on the next page provides a summary of the goals 

of each company in the consortium of the bio-box project. 

Any new developments in compostable materials 

for packaged products must withstand and maintain 

temperatures for cooling, freezing, heating, and outdoor 

consumption, so these products must have low thermal 

conductivity. It must also be possible to process them using 

different standard transformation technologies. 


with low thermal conductivity 

Materials 

Company 

Plásticos Compuestos 

Gaviplas 

Bandesur 

Taghleef Industries 

Guerola 

Lisart 

Miarco 

Specific technical goals 

Development of new compostable materials in home compost conditions that can be used to make 

different single use-products that can withstand and maintain temperatures for cooling, freezing, 

heating, and outdoor consumption. Producing new compounds to develop foam products. 

Development of compostable films using blown film extrusion technology and subsequent lamination 

and printing to make flexible, bag-like packaging for frozen products. 

Development of compostable laminates using extrusion technology of foam laminate sheets and 

subsequent thermoforming processes to produce thermoformed packaging and make boxes without 

cardboard for takeaway food packaging (e.g. hamburgers, pizzas), and/or frozen products (e.g. 

ice cream, shellfish). 

Development of films using extrusion-coating technology to produce a combined film-substrate 

structure that meets the requirements defined in the case studies for the development of posters. 

Development of compostable hot-melt adhesive materials that can be used for folding and assembling 

imitation cardboard boxes, closing fishmongers’ pouches, and developing adhesive tapes. 

Development of structures laminated with compostable paper and film, and producing 

fishmongers’ pouches. Assessment and optimization of converting facilities. Hot-melt application 

for container closure. 

Development of structures made of compostable plastic and adhesives. Assessment and 

optimization of the development of demo models in converting installations and during winding and 

unwinding processes. 

A flow chart of the technical execution of the project 

and the relationships between companies in the 

consortium is shown below: 

Maintain thermal stability at operating 

temperature λ< 0,1 W/(m·K) 

Flexible box 

NEW BIOPOLYMER 

PELLETS 

Extrusion Coating 

Blown-film 

extrusion 

Flat sheet 

extrusion 

POSTERS 

PAPER-PLASTIC 

PACKAGING AND 

FILM FOR TAPES 

Flexible 

packaging 

Foam laminate 

Extrusion + laminate 

+ printing 

PACKAGING 

LIKE PS FOAM 

PACKAGING LIKE 

CARDBOARD BOX 

Thermoformed 

FOLDING 

ASSEMBLY 

Hot-melt adhesives 


35

Materials 

Project Development 

The case studies with the product 

to be packaged and the current 

requirements that packaging must 

fulfil are shown in this table: 

Case studies 

Frozen films Foam packaging Cardboard boxes 

Posters Laminated pouches Adhesive tapes 

Results 

During the project, the technical requirements of the 

materials were defined and different materials and additives 

were selected for the development of the defined case studies. 

Work was done to develop different grades of home 

compost for different applications, such as formulations 

of hot-melt adhesives. 

The transformation processes used in the industrial tests 

were blown film coextrusion, foams extrusion, extrusion 

coating, lamination of complex films using adhesives, 

and orientation of laminates. Photographs taken during 

the process of assessing the developed materials are 

shown below (green box). 

Producing compounds Hot melt developments Coextrusion of blown film 

for frozen food packaging 

Laminated foam for 

making trays and boxes 


Materials 

Preliminary assessment of disintegration 

With the aim of ensuring that the developed compounds 

fulfil the compostability requirements under industrial 

composting conditions, preliminary biodegradability studies 

were carried out to assess the degree of disintegration 

pursuant to standard UNE: EN ISO 20200. This made it 

possible to select the most suitable formulations to make 

the different demo models on an industrial scale. 

The following photographs show that the film developed 

fulfilled the disintegration requirement because more than 

90 % of the pieces were smaller than 2 mm in six months. 

Other structural characteristics were also assessed to 

ensure they met the established functional requirements, 

such as mechanical properties, water vapour and oxygen 

barrier, surface tension for lamination, printing and coatings, 

and suitability for food contact in accordance with current 

European legislation, among others. 

Once optimized for development at the pilot plant scale, 

different demo samples will be made on an industrial scale 

at the facilities of the companies of consortium members. 

www.aimplas.es 

By: 

Nuria López Aznar 

Packaging Group researcher 

AIMPLAS,Plastics Technology Centre 

Valencia, Spain 

Extrusion coating for thermolamination with cardboard Extrusion and lamination with paper Extrusion of film 

and orientation 


37

Materials 

Biobased HFFR long-chain 

polyamide grades for 

industrial applications 

F 

rench advanced materials leader Arkema (Colombes, 

France) launched new biobased and Halogen Free Fire 

Retardant HFFR high-performance materials for the most 

demanding industrial applications. 

Polyamide 11, a unique Advanced 

Bio-Circular (ABC) Material 

Arkema’s engagement with the castor plant has a long history 

beginning in 1947. Castor beans are the raw material used 

to manufacture Rilsan ® Polyamide 11, a high-performance, 

100 % bio-sourced and 100 % recyclable (1) polymer. 

What makes polyamide 11 unique? It comes from a plant 

that does not compete with the human or animal food chain 

and does not cause deforestation. Castors plant grow mainly 

on semi-arid soil in the Gujarat region in India and serve as an 

additional source of income for farmers. In addition, Arkema is 

a founding member of the Pragati Project (Progress in Hindi) 

together with BASF, Jayant Agro-Organics and Solidaridad to 

make castor production even more sustainable [2]. 

Rilsan PA11 MB3000 is a well-established HFFR 

solution, especially for railway battery casing rated V0 

under UL94 at 0.8 mm thickness (LOI > 32 %). Arkema 

has enlarged its HFFR biobased portfolio, a more viscous 

and flexible grade is now offered to meet the latest 

EN45545 European regulation in the Railway industry 

for hose and corrugated pipes. The company has gone 

a step further to create a 40 % glass fibre reinforced 

HFFR Rilsan Polyamide 11 adapted to automotive and 

industrial connectors and enclosures. MT 

[1] Virtucycle programme, https://hpp.arkema.com/en/sustainability/ 

virtucycle 

[2] https://castorsuccess.org 

[3] https://hpp.arkema.com/en/product-families/rilsan-polyamide-11- 

resins 

https://hpp.arkema.com/en 

Biobased, high-performance and 

HFFR Rilsan Polyamide 11 

Rilsan Polyamide 11 has been the material of choice in 

various applications for its low moisture uptake, lightweight, 

high resistance to impact especially at low temperatures, 

creep resistance, ductility, and chemical resistance [3]. 

Today some industries are demanding flame-retardant 

material properties, especially for applications such as cable 

sheathing, hose and corrugated tubes or industrial connectors. 

To fulfil this market need, Arkema has completed its product 

portfolio with two new Halogen Free Fire Retardant (HFFR) 

Rilsan polyamide 11 grades: a flexible solution for extrusion 

applications and a reinforced material grade adapted to 

injection moulding. 

Adobe Stock 

Table 1 : Main properties of Arkema HFFR Rilsan Polyamide 11 solutions 

Grade 

Rilsan PA11 MB3000 

for injection 

Rilsan PA11 HFFR, 

flexible for extrusion 

Rilsan PA11 HFFR 

40 % Glass Fiber 

reinforced for injection 

Flexural 

Strain at break 

Modulus – 23°C 

(%) 

(MPa) 

Stress at break 

(MPa) 

Charpy V-notched 

impact strength – 

23°C (kJ/m²) 

1140 >50 45 4 V0 (0.8 mm) 33 

460 >200 24 46 

UL94 LOI (%) Application 

V0 (3.2 mm) 

V2 (1.6 mm) 

11000 3 120 13 V0 (1.2 mm) - 

>28 

Cable sheathing, 

enclosures, industrial 

connectors 

Hose and corrugated 

pipes 

Industrial connectors, 

enclosures. 


New biobased intermediates 

The European Bio-Uptake project will develop biobased intermediates 

to manufacture eco-orthopaedic insoles and eco-container lids 

In recent years, biobased materials have become popular 

at industrial level due to their multifunctionality and high 

performance. In this context, and with the aim of further 

improving the properties of the products of the future, 

the European project Bio-Uptake, coordinated by Aitiip 

Technology Center (Zaragoza, Spain) and funded by the 

European Union with almost EUR 6 million, will develop a 

set of advanced intermediate products, which aim to change 

the paradigm of industry and consumption. These biobased 

composites will be eco-engineered and intrinsically adapted 

to optimize circular manufacturing processes with bioplastics 

and their subsequent recycling. 

Bio-Uptake materials will combine different raw materials 

that can be separated and reused. The project will also develop 

three specific smart systems to support the manufacture and 

handling of biobased thermoplastic and thermoset products 

demanded by the market. 

The project’s biobased materials portfolio is varied: 

from reversible adhesives to reinforced filaments, pellets, 

or foils. Intermediates that can be used as a base for the 

construction, packaging or medical sectors. To validate this 

innovative solution, three biobased demonstrators will be 

developed within the framework of Bio-Uptake: orthopaedic 

insoles, container lids, and prefabricated bathroom ceilings. 

The material for the orthopaedic insoles will be based 

on PLA and PCL mono- and multicomponent compounds. 

A composite based on biopolyamide as matrix, reinforced 

with wood fibre, extracts from recycled furniture, and short 

lignin-carbon fibre will be developed for the eco-container 

lids. And the prefabricated bathroom ceilings will be made of 

sandwich panels based on flax fabric pre-impregnated with 

biobased 3R-CANs (covalent adaptable networks)-Epoxy, 

from vanillyl alcohol-DGEVA coming from lignin and a wood 

core with bonding-debonding reversible adhesive (CANs). 

In addition, as part of the project, two training programs 

and a comprehensive digital platform will be created that 

will collect all the data generated during the manufacturing 

processes and will allow simulations to be carried out. 

The overall objective of the Bio-Uptake project is to ensure 

a sustainable adoption of bioplastic composites by driving 

a dual green and digital transformation in the European 

manufacturing industry. 

Bio-Uptake, within the framework of the Horizon Europe 

program, involves 13 European partners from 6 different 

countries. The Bio-Uptake Consortium is made up of research 

organizations, technology centres, academia, and industrial 

clusters: Centexbel (Belgium), Cidetec (Spain), Specific 

Polymers (France), Northwest Metallurgical Research 

Association (Spain), IRI Technology Solutions (Spain), Simcon 

(France), Podcomp (Sweden), Confii (Denmark), Limerick 

University (Ireland), Polimeris (France), Spanish Association 

for Standardization and Certification (AENOR). MT/AT 

www.aitiip.com 

www.bio-uptake-project.eu 



39


Degradation of Oxo-plastics - 

a review of the evidence 

P 

ro-oxidant additive containing (PAC) plastics (socalled 

oxo-degradable or oxo-biodegradable 

plastics) are designed to degrade in the 

unmanaged natural environment through oxidation and 

other processes. While there is evidence that a new standard 

PAS 9017 : 2020 is relevant to predicting the timescale for abiotic 

degradation (mechanical fragmentation) of PAC plastic in hot 

dry climates under ideal conditions,there is no reliable data 

to date to show that the new standard predicts the timescale 

for abiotic degradation of PAC plastics in cool or wet climatic 

regions such as the UK. A comprehensive review [1] was recently 

published by University College London (UK) in the journal of The 

Royal Society. The paper also concludes that sufficient scientific 

evidence for the complete biodegradation is still missing. 

Introduction 

Polyolefins, the largest class of commodity thermoplastic 

polymers, are resistant to attack by microbial enzymes, light, 

water etc., but have also created serious environmental problems. 

Therefore, polyolefin-based materials have been designed 

to degrade more quickly in the air under UV light and heat. 

These materials are known as oxo-degradable or oxobiodegradable 

plastics, and more recently as biotransformation 

additives, and more generally as pro-oxidant additive 

containing (PAC) plastics. 

For over 40 years, PAC plastics have been marketed as a 

solution for soil and marine littering. However, concerns have 

been raised for many years about the degradation of PAC 

plastics and the contamination of composting and recycling 

streams by PAC plastics. 

In 2021, the European Union banned the use of PAC plastics 

and this provoked interest from other governments seeking to 

protect the environment from plastic waste. 

The paper addresses the evidence for four outstanding 

questions regarding PAC plastics, including whether laboratory 

weathering tests can accurately predict how PAC plastics will 

behave in the unmanaged natural environment, and whether 

microplastics are formed during the degradation of PAC plastics. 

It then synthesizes the evidence for policymakers. 

The biodegradation of pro-oxidant 

additive containing plastics 

Biodegradation is a complex process that generally happens 

in three stages: abiotic and biotic deterioration, biodeterioration, 

and bio-fragmentation. Biodegradation is achieved when 

the monomers are assimilated by microbial organisms and 

converted into biomass, CO 2 

and H 2 

O in the presence of oxygen 

(aerobic conditions), or methane (CH 4 

) in the absence of oxygen. 

The rate of abiotic degradation (mechanical fragmentation) 

of polymers containing pro-oxidants is analysed in terms of 

their loss of mechanical properties, reduction of molecular 

weight, increase of the carbonyl index (CI), and other 

complementary techniques. 

To study the biodegradation of PAC plastics, it is best to expose 

the plastic material to natural weathering conditions and monitor 

the abiotic and biotic degradation in the real environment. 

However, accelerated laboratory tests are normally preferred 

to facilitate the introduction of a new material onto the market. 

In controlled environments, such as composting facilities or 

anaerobic digesters, the biodegradation of a plastic material 

can be determined under standardized procedures allowing 

reproducibility across different laboratory studies. In the 

unmanaged natural environment, the rate of degradation will 

depend on several environmental factors. 

Standards for biodegradation of pro-oxidant 

additive containing plastics 

Standards can be divided into two categories: test methods 

and specifications. Certification labels are used to provide 

clear information to customers on the conformity of a product 

to accepted standards. 

Tier 1: abiotic degradation, Tier 2: biotic degradation, Tier 3: 

ecotoxicity: the final product is tested on plants and earthworms. 

The Swedish SPCR 141 and the French AFNOR AC 

T51 808 specify pass criteria, but the Eunomia report 

provides a detailed table. 

Mechanisms of pro-oxidant additive containing 

plastics degradation 

PAC plastics can degrade into lower molecular weight 

fragments upon exposure to light and heat. The oxidative 

mechanisms are now well understood. Several papers have 

studied the biodegradation of PAC plastic by microorganisms 

following fragmentation. The levels of biodegradation observed 

in these studies vary from 5 % to 60 %, depending on the 

experimental conditions, nature and concentration of the prooxidant, 

and chemical structure of the polyolefin. 

Some authors have measured the biodegradability of 

PAC plastics by measuring the change in the CI, decrease in 

molecular weight and mechanical properties, and the formation 

of a biofilm. There is no current consensus that characterization 

techniques of abiotic and biotic deterioration stage can predict 

complete biodegradation. Incubation with Pseudomonas 

aeruginosa resulted in a biofilm formation on the surface of oxo- 

PE, but no further degradation of the polymer.Biodegradation of 

PAC plastics has been studied in complex media like soil, river 

and sea water, and under controlled experimental conditions, 

e.g. with identified microbial strains. However, the rate of 

biodegradation could be overestimated in laboratory tests due 

to the production of new biomass. Alternatively, some studies 

have used ATP/ADP (adenosine triphosphate and adenosine 

diphosphate) measurements to correlate the degree of 

bioassimilation with the metabolic activity of microorganisms. 

However, the ATP/ADP method has been criticized for not giving 

an indication of the absolute levels of biodegradation. 

Studies within the OXOMAR project found that marine 

microorganisms colonized several plastics, including PAC 


plastics, and that UV-aged oxo-PE was very breakable 

after 3 days but did not completely biodegrade after seven 

months. Note that the oxo-PE was aged before being sent to 

testing in the marine environment. This, however, does not 

reflect real conditions. 

Summary and conclusion 

Two studies published in 2021 provide evidence for the abiotic 

degradability of PAC plastics under the conditions specified in 

the PAS standard. However, further investigation is needed to 

understand if the endpoint reached by the films after weathering 

confers soil biodegradability properties. 

Both studies from 2021 showed that abiotic degradation of film 

samples upon accelerated laboratory weathering and outdoor 

exposure in the South of France and/or Florida according to the 

criteria of PAS 9017 : 2020 takes four months or 90 days. 

There is little data to substantiate the claim that PAC plastics 

fully biodegrade after the abiotic degradation stage, and there is 

no evidence that the formation of waxes after abiotic degradation 

is equated with the claim of biodegradability. 

Are microplastics formed during the degradation of 

pro-oxidant additive containing plastics? 

Few studies have been carried out to assess the formation 

of microplastics arising from PAC plastics. The biodegradability 

of three commercial mulch films sold as soil biodegradable 

including a PAC plastic was investigated by visual inspection and 

optical polarized microscopy. 

Yang et al. exposed four types of mulch films to UV light and 

found that the biofilm had the highest rate of microplastics with 

475 particles cm 2 on the 70 th day of UV ageing. 

Microplastics may be formed during the degradation of 

PAC plastics, but analyses were not reported to confirm this. 

The morphology and structure of microplastics may also be 

different from that of unaged plastics or larger debris. 

Yang et al. found that the crystallinity of plastic increases 

with UV exposure times, which means that the polymer is more 

accessible to microorganisms and that further degradation by 

both abiotic and biotic factors is likely to decrease. 

Summary and conclusion 

Microplastics are formed during the biodegradation of all 

plastics in the open environment, including PAC plastics. 

More work needs to be done to assess the formation and lifetime 

of microplastics created from PAC plastics. 

Transition metals will end up in the environment and leaching 

of potentially toxic chemicals resulting from fragmentation of 

the PACs upon abiotic treatment has received little attention. 

High concentrations of Co stearate and Pb could have adverse 

effects on seed germination. 

One report found that PAC plastics were not toxic to tomato 

plants or earthworms, and the average plant growth levels 

were the same. Schiavo et al. tested leachates from 1.6 mm 

fragments of different PAC plastics for potential toxicity to 

bacteria, crustaceans, and plants. They found that pro-oxidants 

increased the release of metals and potentially other toxic 

compounds, increasing adverse effects compared with the 

respective virgin polymers. 

There are few systematic studies of the ecotoxicity of PAC 

plastics, but metal additives from the PAC plastics do end up in 

the soils and water, sometimes in high proportions that exceed 

recommended or permitted concentrations. 

Implications for policymakers 

The paper reviews the evidence to understand whether 

PAC plastics can be part of a waste strategy that lets plastics 

biodegrade in the open unmanaged environment. 

There is no data as yet that PAC plastics biodegrade 

effectively in the unmanaged natural environment. However, 

there is evidence that PAC plastics undergo accelerated abiotic 

degradation (mechanical fragmentation – the first stage of 

biodegradation) in laboratory tests, and this is correlated with 

outdoor exposure in the South of France and/or Florida. 

The authors, however, raise concerns about the choice of 

testing sites and how this related to the generality of claims 

about the performance of PAC plastics. As a result, although 

manufacturers claimed 100 % biodegradability because their 

materials passed the laboratory test, the reality was that most 

of the plastics did not biodegrade in real-world settings. Reliable 

results can only be achieved by field testing. 

The authors state that they do not really know how many 

microplastics are formed when PAC plastics degrade in the 

environment, but they do know that PAC microplastics have a 

different fate depending on where they are buried, blown in the 

wind, or become part of a body of water. 

Little data was found assessing the risks of ecotoxicity from 

PAC plastic additives entering the environment. However, 

the authors advise caution until the risks of ecotoxicity and 

microplastics of PAC plastics are better known. 

The full paper [1] was published under the terms of the 

Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons. 

org/licenses/by/4.0/. MT 

https://royalsociety.org 

[1] Sciscione F, Hailes HC, Miodownik M. 2023 The performance and 

environmental impact of pro-oxidant additive containing plastics in the 

open unmanaged environment—a review of the evidence. R. Soc. Open 

Sci. 10: 230089. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.230089 

Info: 

The complete paper can 

be downloaded from 

tinyurl.com/bm 2303oxo 



41


Sustainable innovation in 

injection moulding 

T 

he injection moulding industry plays an 

important role in the production of various plastic 

products due to its highly repetitive and accurate 

manufacturing method, but the environmental impact of 

using petrol-base polymer has become a growing concern. 

As sustainability takes centre stage, companies like Beyond 

Plastic (Commerce, CA, USA) are leading the way by driving 

innovation in injection moulding. With a focus on ecofriendly 

materials, innovative technologies, and collaborative 

partnerships, Beyond Plastic is revolutionizing the industry 

and shaping a greener future. 

Trends in sustainable moulding 

Sustainable injection moulding is witnessing exciting trends 

and advancements that align with environmental goals. 

There is a notable shift towards biobased and biodegradable 

materials. Biobased materials, such as PHA and PLA, offer 

advantages like renewability, 

biodegradability, and reduced 

carbon footprint. Additionally, 

the industry is placing 

greater emphasis on the use 

of recycled and recyclable 

plastics to minimize waste and 

promote a circular economy. 

Sustainable solutions 

The company specializes 

in developing and utilizing 

eco-friendly materials, 

particularly PHA and PHB 

compounds that are tailored 

for specific applications. 

These materials, derived from 

renewable resources, 

offer biodegradability and 

compostability, ensuring 

a reduced environmental impact 

throughout their lifecycle – especially when it comes to their 

end-of-life options. As we all know, PLA does have a great 

story to tell, but is very limited on its end of life being subject 

to specific industrial composting methods that are not always 

available to all. Beyond Plastic’s sustainable materials are 

not only environmentally friendly through multiple end-oflife 

options, but also meet the performance requirements of 

various applications. 

Case studies 

Successful applications of sustainable injection moulded 

parts: Beyond Plastic has a multitude of success stories that 

showcase the tangible impact of sustainable manufacturing. 

One notable example is the co-development of custom 

cosmetic jars, consisting of three pieces in various sizes. 

Initially, these jars were made from petroleum-based PP. 

However, the Beyond Plastic engineering team successfully 

tailored two different compounds to directly replace the 

original materials. One compound provided the necessary 

flexibility for the inner shell, while the other incorporated 

added barrier properties suitable for beauty care products. 

For the success of this conversion from PP to PHAs, it 

was crucial to consider all critical factors that can directly 

affect material sensitivity. And pay attention to such details 

as variances in shrink ratios and the control of crystallization 

rates. In addition to controlling mould surface temperatures 

and material moisture contents. 

This innovative approach not only aligns with 

sustainability objectives but also offers functional and 

aesthetically pleasing solutions. 

These case studies serve as 

inspiring examples of the positive 

outcomes achievable through 

t h e adoption of sustainable 

materials suited for injection 

moulding manufacturing. 

While the end-product 

retains identical functionality, 

appearance, and feel to its 

previous petrol-base iteration, 

it now offers several new endof-life 

disposal methods that 

were previously unavailable. 

And while it is important to note 

that Beyond Plastics does not 

condone littering; the greatest 

achievement of this progress 

to a more sustainable material 

is its ability to avoid causing or 

generating persistent microplastics if accidentally discarded 

within our ecosystems. 

Conclusion 

In conclusion, Beyond Plastic is driving the industry 

forward by championing sustainable innovation in injection 

moulding. Through their leadership, they inspire others to 

adopt environmentally friendly practices, accelerate the 

transition to a circular economy, and create a greener future. 

With their unwavering dedication and a continued focus on 

research, development, and collaboration, Beyond Plastic is 

shaping an industry where sustainability is not just a goal but 

a fundamental principle. MT 

https://beyondplastic.com 


Sustainable rubber production 

and recycling 

Vibracoustic, (Darmstadt, Germany), a leading global 

automotive noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) 

expert, is implementing new processes to sustainably 

source, manufacture, and recycle the rubber used in its 

products. The Green Rubber Project is a comprehensive 

program to find, validate, and utilize sustainable materials, 

processes, and technologies throughout Vibracoustic’s global 

production network to contribute to a circular economy. 

As the automotive industry undergoes a monumental 

technological shift towards electrification, sustainability is 

high on the agenda. While much of the focus is on emissions 

reduction, equally critical to minimizing humanity’s impact 

is the sourcing of materials, recycling, and the pursuit of 

a circular economy. This is where Vibracoustic as a global 

expert in the development of rubber compounds for complex 

automotive applications comes in. The company is perfectly 

positioned to also provide a significant part to drive what is 

required to make automotive NVH more sustainable. 

Currently, the international rubber industry is far from 

circular, generating large quantities of discarded material. 

Besides continuous improvements regarding waste reduction, 

new recycling strategies must also be at the heart of any 

attempt to address rubber waste. That is why Vibracoustic’s 

Material Technologies Team has launched the Green Rubber 

Project – a program intended to identify sustainable sources 

of rubber supply, sustainable alternatives to standard rubber 

additives, and investigate innovative methods to recycle 

natural rubber waste. 

A more sustainable sourcing 

When the project was initially kicked off in 2016, the 

Material Technologies Team first developed guidelines to 

source sustainable natural rubber, including processes 

to help utilize renewable, recycled, and non-hazardous 

substances for green rubber compounds. Through rigorous 

research and testing, the Team was able to develop rubber 

compounds with up to 75 % sustainable content without any 

compromise in performance, durability, or manufacturing – a 

substantial and important success. 

An area of clear interest was natural rubber, as it can 

cut reliance on synthetically produced rubber derived from 

fossil fuel-based raw materials. With a clear CO 2 

footprint 

advantage, natural rubber harvested from the Hevea 

Brasiliens tree is deemed to be far more sustainable, though 

the Team highlighted the importance of closely monitoring 

the natural rubber’s origin. This concern comes from both an 

environmental impact perspective, as well as a consideration 

of fair working conditions in harvesting and production. 

To that end, Vibracoustic has invested in materials certified 

by the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification 

(PEFC), a leading global alliance of national forest 

certification systems. The PEFC promotes sustainable forest 

management through independent third-party certification 

throughout the entire forest supply chain to ensure that forestbased 

products are produced with respect for the highest 

ecological, social, and ethical standards. Vibracoustic is also 

a member of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural 

Rubber (GPSNR), an international organization focused on 

improving the socioeconomic, ethical, and environmental 

performance of the entire natural rubber value chain. 

Carbon black from tires 

Carbon black is a key raw material for the rubber industry, 

used to strengthen and colour rubber. Derived from fossil 

fuels, it is used extensively in the production of tires, one of 

the largest contributors to rubber waste in the world. As part 

of the Green Rubber Project, Vibracoustic has investigated 

recovered carbon black from tires, as well as innovative, 

renewable plasticizers. Both of these materials result in 

carbon footprint reduction and help contribute to a circular 

economy for rubber. As part of this project, Vibracoustic is 

also working to eliminate hazardous substances in rubber 

compounds, thus improving the working conditions and 

safety of production workers. 

Biotechnical recycling 

Central to the circular economy is effective and 

comprehensive recycling. To date, this is one of the greatest 

challenges facing the global rubber industry, including 

automotive applications. Biotechnical recycling provides 

great potential in this matter. This breakthrough technology, 

a collaboration project between Vibracoustic, Freudenberg 

Technology Innovation, and ASA Spezialenzyme, enables 

the effective recycling of rubber waste. Also, the German 

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) 

supports this project. 

During the process, called BioReNa, vulcanized ground 

rubber is treated with enzymes, which functionalize the 

surface of the rubber, converting it into valuable material 

that can be reused for new rubber compounds and products. 

By reusing its own waste, Vibracoustic can simultaneously 

reduce the carbon footprint of new products while cutting 

the waste generated by its own production processes – the 

benefits of a circular product lifecycle. 

Melanie Graefen, Head of Material Technologies at 

Vibracoustic, commented: “As a major producer of rubberbased 

components and a global market leader in the 

development of automotive NVH rubber compounds, we 

have an important responsibility to discover and implement 

processes and practices that are more sustainable. The Green 

Rubber Project is a pivotal program to investigate today’s and 

future possibilities of modern technology and supply chains 

to integrate innovative as well as sustainable ideas and 

systems into our global production network”. MT 

www.vibracoustic.com 



43


Composites from brewery waste 

Plastics are everywhere, from Mt. Everest to the deepest 

ocean crevices. New solutions are needed yesterday. 

To tackle the plastic problem, we need multiple 

solutions and fast adoption. Granulous’ (Vuokatti, Finland) 

first material SG40_HC aims to be one of these solutions. 

The plug-in solution for the injection moulding industry 

shall help reducing CO 2 

emissions and waste. Based on the 

customer feedback Granulous is one of the best materials 

in this segment to process. It can be processed on existing 

machinery and moulds with good technical properties 

compared to PP or PE. 

Where there is a will, there is a way 

The primary waste from the brewing industry is BSG 

(brewers spent grains). By 2018 the scale of global brewery 

waste was 40 million tonnes a year. There must be a better 

way to utilise the abundant, consistent, and low-cost raw 

material for better use. 

A project proposal of Granulous in 2020 to the VTT Technical 

Research Center of Finland resulted in a new material. 

Its base is the grains, which have been processed through 

a partner malting house in northern Finland. In the next 

scaling step, Granulous will develop its own processing 

line to get it more efficient with process and business. 

The grain process material is compounded with other plantbased 

ingredients to match technical parameters for many 

different end uses. The general-purpose grade is designed 

for injection moulding with visual fibres that give products a 

natural look and warm haptics. The best applications to date 

are non-technical short-life products. Because of its natural 

look and verifiable low environmental impact, it is well suited 

for consumer products such as toothbrushes, pens, razor 

handles, phone cases, and durable packaging. 

The fibres from the spent grain reinforce the biobased 

and home-compostable base material and thereby 

improve the strength and stiffness of the moulded product. 

The mechanical properties of the material are close to those 

of polypropylene. The flow rate when moulding is good for 

a reinforced material, and the material has been used for 

mouldings with a wall thickness of just 0.8 mm. 

LCA 

A life cycle analysis was made on the product lifecycle for 

raw material, production, and packaging. Results detailed 

that compounded and packaged Granulous SG40_HC 

emissions are around 80 % less than standard fossil fuelbased 

polymers. The LCA went further to review the planned 

scaled production solution so the emissions can be lowered 

close to zero in the future. 

And that is just the carbon emission side during production. 

In addition, at the end of life, the material can be recycled, 

industrial or home composted and will leave no microplastics 

or toxic leaching behind. 

Going live 

Launched in Messukeskus Plast Expo, Helsinki, Finland, 

in May 2021, the general response was extremely positive. 

From opening to closing each day Granulous were inundated 

with enquiries, and were even awarded the most interesting 

new product of the show. 

Following the launch last year, the company has followed 

up the mountain of leads and continued collaborations and 

testings on a wide variety of applications and industries. 

Scaling up 

Granulous is now looking for partners and interested 

investors to expand the business to the next level. 

The transformation from idea to reality has been an eyeopening 

ride but now the company is ready for saving the 

world one grain at a time. MT 

www.granulous.com 


Better machines meet 

better materials 

INEOS Styrolution (Frankfurt am Main, Germany) has 

recently announced that they are working together 

with Arburg (Loßburg, Germany), a leading global 

manufacturer of plastic processing machines, to combine 

innovative sustainable injection moulding machines with the 

world’s broadest sustainable styrenics polymer portfolio. 

Demonstrations will be done at FAKUMA 2023 (October 17– 

21, Friedrichshafen, Germany). 

Arburg’s new anniversary 

machine ALLROUNDER 470 H 

Two hybrid Allrounder 470 H machines set the stage 

for new machine technology at the first anniversary 

event in February 2023. The machines in the Comfort and 

Premium performance variants are particularly energysaving, 

resource- and production-efficient, user-friendly, 

and reliable. Compared to a hydraulic machine, the new 

Allrounder 470 H boasts an energy footprint that is up to 

50 % better and can save up to 12 tonnes of CO 2 

per year. 

The hybrid machine incorporates many technical innovations 

that are only available from Arburg. A new oil management 

concept, for example, reduces the oil requirement by around 

35 %. Flow rate splitting enables simultaneous movements 

of hydraulic auxiliary axes. The dry cycle time is also reduced 

by about one third. The Arburg servo-hydraulic system (ASH) 

permits particularly energy-efficient and low-emission 

operation. “Electric drives are becoming increasingly 

important, not least in terms of energy efficiency”, Gerhard 

Böhm, Managing Director Sales and Service, points out. “In 

the new Allrounder 470 H, we have created precisely the hybrid 

machine that users need today and in the future; a machine 

that has not yet been available on the market in this form.” 

Ineos Styrolution’s styrenics ECO portfolio 

The company’s ECO portfolio ranges from Styrolution ® 

PS ECO across a range of ABS, ASA (acrylonitrile styrene 

acrylate), SAN (styrene acrylonitrile copolymer), and SMMA 

(styrene methyl methacrylate) grades to SBC (styrene 

butadiene copolymers) ECO solutions. 

The Terluran ECO sustainable product portfolio includes 

both mechanically-recycled and bio-attributed alternatives to 

conventional ABS. Mechanically-recycled grades contain up 

to 70 % post-consumer recycled content. The bio-attributed 

grades (ISCC-certified) range all the way to a complete bioattributed 

solution (Terluran ECO B100) with bio-attributed 

content from all three monomers (styrene monomer, 

butadiene, and acrylonitrile), which leads to a negative 

product carbon footprint for the B100 version. 

NAS ECO is an ISCC-certified bio-attributed SMMA 

material, popular for its excellent transparency, an extremely 

low haze and good thermal and chemical resistance. 

The material provides a carbon footprint reduction of up to 

99 %. Like its conventional equivalent NAS, it is also suitable 

for food packaging solutions. 

Most importantly, all ECO products perform on the same 

level as their respective conventional counterparts. AT 

www.ineos-styrolution.com | www.arburg.com 



45


New injection mouldable 

seaweed resin 

At the recent 2023 Rethinking Materials Innovation and 

Investment Summit, Loliware (San Jose, CA, USA), North 

America’s fastest-growing seaweed materials company, 

announced the launch of its newest seaweed resin for injection 

moulding. This new bioplastic will power the company’s firstever 

Seaweed Utensil Set and can be manufactured on standard 

plastics injection-moulding equipment. 

“We’re thrilled to launch our second regenerative, 

compostable resin”, said Loliware founder and CEO Sea F. 

Briganti. “It unlocks hundreds, if not thousands, of new products 

to replace single-use plastics at scale using the industry’s 

existing equipment”. 

These new products will easily fill a market gap created by the 

UK’s recent ban on single-use utensils, in addition to the ban on 

single-use plastics under the EU Plastics Directive. These new 

utensils represent Loliware’s formal launch into the European 

and UK markets, meaning their products will be widely available 

for businesses to purchase or license. 

At the event, Loliware also introduced its newest advisory 

board member Jeff Wooster, the former Global Sustainability 

Director at Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics, and offered 

demonstrations of the new products. Company officials also 

met with potential distribution partners for the company’s new 

line of Seaweed Utensil Sets, as well as its popular Seaweed 

Straws in all sizes – standard, jumbo, boba, and cocktail. 

“Creating a seaweed resin that was compatible with injection 

moulding machinery proved to be a challenging task, as seaweed 

has unique properties and stringent performance requirements 

had to be met for the resulting parts”, said Loliware Chief 

Technology Officer Victoria Piunova in her address at the 

materials industry’s premier annual event. “Loliware’s utensils 

function similarly to their conventional plastic counterparts but, 

by composting naturally, are literally Designed to Disappear ® ”. 

Founded in 2016, Loliware is a leader among a growing 

number of regenerative businesses focusing on materials that 

support a stronger ecosystem. Loliware’s seaweed-derived 

resins are fully compatible with existing manufacturing plastic 

extruding equipment, providing a unique, cost-effective way 

to replace single-use plastics at scale. The seaweed can be 

processed into Loliware’s materials at local facilities and 

made into a wide array of products which compost easily and 

enrich the soil. Utensils and injection moulding resins are 

ready for pre-order. AT 

www.loliware.com 

ADVANCED 

RECYCLING 

Conference 2023 

28–29 November 

Cologne (Germany) 

Hybrid Event 

advanced-recycling.eu 

Diversity of 


of Plastic Waste 

All you want to know about advanced recycling technologies 

and renewable chemicals, building-blocks, monomers, and polymers 

based on recycling 

CALL FOR 

ABSTRACTS 

Submit your Abstracts 

until 30 August 2023 

Contact 

Dr Lars Krause 

Program 

lars.krause@nova-institut.de 

TOPICS OF THE CONFERENCE 

• Markets and Policy 

• Circular Economy and Ecology of Plastics 

• Physical Recycling 

• Biochemical Recycling 

• Chemical Recycling 

46 bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/23] Vol. 18 

• Thermochemical Recycling 

• Other Advanced Recycling Technologies 

• Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) 

• Upgrading, Pre- and Post-treatment 

Technologies 

Dominik Vogt 

Conference Manager 

dominik.vogt@nova-institut.de 

Organiser

Co-injection moulding 

with PCR 

Mold-Masters (Georgetown, ON, Canada) is an industry 

leader with deep application knowledge and success 

in developing solutions that utilize sustainable 

materials, including bioplastics and post-consumer recycled 

material (PCR). When it comes to these applications and 

the necessary processing solutions, Mold-Masters has 

the proven capability. 

One such solution utilizes the company’s industry-leading 

co-injection multi-layer technology that offers the ability to 

combine two separate resins into a single 3-layer melt flow. 

This makes it possible to inject high PCR content as the core 

layer up to 50 % of the total part weight without sacrificing 

part quality or cycle time. Processing economical, low-grade 

PCR (with contaminants) is also possible. This processing 

solution is suitable for a wide range of applications. For 

packaging products, it can accommodate everything from 

small (5g) to larger containers (700g+) such as 20 L (5 gal) 

pails. In many cases, existing tooling can be re-used. 

For the most recent production application, Mold-Masters 

implemented a 2-cavity co-injection system for producing 

20 L (5 gal) pails. Each of these 700g pails incorporated 50 % 

PCR as the core layer. Using this technology to increase PCR 

content has the potential to generate significant savings for 

the moulder (based on current resin prices) by reducing the 

use of virgin material and white colour masterbatch (TiO 2 

) 

(compared to traditional mono-layer pails). These significant 

savings and favourable ROI show that sustainability initiatives 

can also make good financial sense. 

What sets Mold-Masters technology apart is the ability 

to precisely control the distribution and thickness of 

the core layer, which allows customers to inject a high 

percentage of PCR content. Maximizing PCR core helps 

ensure sustainability targets can be met and improves 

implementation ROI. Mold-Masters precise process control 

allows customers to achieve more consistent and fuller core 

fill, ensures uniform distribution and provides complete 

coverage of PCR resins (prevents contact of PCR with the 

product). On packaging applications, this technology has the 

ability to keep any PCR core away from the injection point to 

avoid moulded in stresses which can cause brittleness and 

result in drop test failures. 

When injecting PCR/scrap/regrind the core material 

is often the same material as the skin, however, as PCR 

material properties vary it can have different MFI (melt flow 

index) characteristics. The special co-injection hot runner 

systems have individual temperature and process control 

that is separate for skin and core materials. 

Mold-Masters hot runners, controllers, co-injection, and 

auxiliary equipment have been successfully used to process 

a range of sustainable PCR and bioplastic applications. 

The presented technology is designed to incorporate 

a range of solutions that are well suited to overcome the 

processing challenges associated with bioplastics including 

shear and temperature-sensitive characteristics. In many 

cases, Mold-Masters’ standard products are well-suited to 

processing these applications. 

For example, Mold-Masters iFLOW Manifold Technology 

offers enhanced management of melt characteristics 

including shear, temperature, pressure drop and more. MT 

www.moldmasters.com 


Virgin Resin 

Skin Layer 

Virgin Skin 

Recycled Core 

Virgin Skin 

Recycled Resin (PCR) 

Mold Masters Co-Injection 

Core Layer 

Inject PCR as 

the core layer 

of up to 50% 

of total part 

weight 


47


Subscribe now 

the next six issues for €179.– 1) 

+ 

Special 

Use the promotion code ‘book‘ and you will get the basics 

book 3) Bioplastics Basics. Applications. Markets. 

for free. (New subscribers only) 

Tell us the desired language by e-mail (DE, EN, ES, FR, CN, or PL) 

2) Offer valid until 31 July 2023. 

3) Gratis-Buch in Deutschland leider nicht möglich (Buchpreisbindung). 


offer 

for students and 

young professionals 1,2) 

€ 99 

1) aged 35 and below. 

Send a scan of your 

student card, your ID 

or similar proof.

Joining / Adhesives 

Hotmelt 

adhesives now 

TÜV-certified 

Avery Dennison (Oegstgeest, the Netherlands) is 

pleased to announce that the vast majority of its 

rubber-based hotmelt adhesives have been certified 

for biobased content by renowned European certifying 

body TÜV Austria (Rotselaar, Belgium). The certification 

guarantees that these adhesives contain a minimum 

of 20 % renewable raw materials and reflects the 

company’s commitment to continue using renewable 

content in its products. 

Demand for products based on renewable raw materials 

is growing, thanks to increased environmental awareness 

among consumers. Rubber hotmelt adhesives, used in 

applications such as shipping and logistics, are no exception. 

TÜV Austria offers its “OK biobased” certification as an 

independent guarantee of the percentage of renewable 

content in products. Products can be certified as one-, two- 

, three-, or four-star biobased, depending on their content. 

The new certification applies to 98 % of Avery Dennison’s 

rubber-based hotmelt adhesive volume. Most adhesives, 

such as S2045N, S2047N, and TS8000, received the 2-star 

certification (guaranteed minimum of 40 % renewable 

content), while adhesives S2065N and C2075N received a 

1-star certification (minimum of 20 % renewable content). 

Note that the adhesive formulations remain unchanged. 

“Getting this certification reflects our ongoing efforts 

to become a more sustainable supplier”, says Maarten 

Zubli, Marketing Manager Paper and Variable Information 

Products at Avery Dennison. “More importantly, it will help 

us support brand owners in their own journeys to become 

more sustainable by raising awareness of opportunities to 

use biobased adhesives in their packaging”. 

Alena Maran, Avery Dennison’s Director of Marketing 

Strategy and Sustainability, adds, “Increasing our use of 

recycled and renewable content is a major pillar of our 

sustainability strategy. This certification demonstrates our 

commitment to developing even more sustainable solutions 

and doing our part to advance the circular economy”. AT 

www.averydennison.com | www.tuv-at.be 

COMPEO 

Leading compounding technology 

for heat- and shear-sensitive plastics 

Uniquely efficient. Incredibly versatile. Amazingly flexible. 

With its new COMPEO Kneader series, BUSS continues 

to offer continuous compounding solutions that set the 

standard for heat- and shear-sensitive applications, in all 

industries, including for biopolymers. 

Category 

• Moderate, uniform shear rates 

• Extremely low temperature profile 

• Efficient injection of liquid components 

• Precise temperature control 

• High filler loadings 

www.busscorp.com 


49

Application News 

New generation of 

home-compostable 

coffee capsules 

Recyclable, safe, and particularly tasteless and 

odour-neutral – ALPLA (Hard, Austria) presents a 

new generation of biodegradable coffee capsules for 

the Blue Circle brand. 

The global packaging company has taken an organic 

material and developed a home-compostable solution 

with a barrier. The certified system consisting of a 

capsule and a sealing foil minimises the effects on the 

capsule contents and the unwanted migration of coffee 

aroma to the environment. 

With the innovative Blue Circle capsules, Alpla is 

offering coffee suppliers, wholesalers, filling companies 

and roasting plants a resource-conserving alternative. 

“Around the world, consumer behaviour is becoming more 

and more sustainable. We see ourselves as pioneers and 

are developing the packaging solutions of the future. With 

the biodegradable coffee capsule, we are not only helping 

our customers achieve their sustainability targets but are 

also acting in line with the new EU Packaging Regulation, 

which will require compostable solutions for individual 

coffee portion packaging in the future”, emphasises 

Nicolas Lehner, CCO at Alpla. 

Enjoyment and safety 

The capsules are injection-moulded using the 

company’s own facilities and are produced in the 

familiar Blue Circle design for the best results in terms 

of compatibility and handling. Here, Alpla is processing 

a newly developed organic bioplastic material which 

is not at odds with food and feedstuff production. “The 

combination of the material, design and production 

process is key to the capsules’ stability, leak tightness and 

barrier. Our technological expertise and experience result 

in the optimum solution for unadulterated enjoyment”, 

adds Lehner. Which bioplastic material was used, was, 

however, not disclosed. 

The entire bioplastic-based packaging including sealing 

foil and contents has been awarded the OK compost 

HOME and OK compost INDUSTRIAL certification marks 

by TÜV Austria. The Blue Circle coffee capsules can 

therefore simply be disposed of via home compost or in 

the organic waste bin (where permitted). AT 

www.alpla.com | www.bluecircle-packaging.com 

Bioplastic medical 

devices 

Recently, Wellspect HealthCare, a MedTech business 

in Mölndal, Sweden, announced the introduction of bioattributed 

raw materials into one of its products; a female 

urinary catheter with the name LoFric Elle. 

In an industry that is heavily reliant on fossil-based raw 

materials for its plastic, the announcement raises the stakes 

for medical device manufacturers. 

“Finding more sustainable raw material sources to 

produce medical plastic devices is a game-changer. By 

replacing fossil raw materials with biobased raw materials, 

we reduce the end products’ environmental footprint without 

jeopardizing the product’s clinical performance”, says Svenn 

Poulsen, Group Vice President at Wellspect HealthCare. 

The original LoFric Elle catheter, launched in 2019, 

was manufactured solely from conventional fossil-based 

raw material sources. Wellspect says that using the new 

bioplastic in its product has cut the carbon footprint by 

55 % compared to the original product. The company is 

using a mass-balance approach to allocate the biobased 

raw materials and to ascertain the same medical grade 

quality for the plastic. 

Over the past couple of years, Wellspect has been 

scrutinizing its material sources, introducing more 

sustainable options where such are feasible. Cooperation 

across the supply chain has been crucial says Wellspect, 

crediting suppliers LyondellBasell (Rotterdam, the 

Netherlands) and Neste (Espoo, Finland), frontrunners in 

renewable plastics solutions, for its break-through. 

Replacing fossil with bio-attributed materials is just one 

part of Wellspect’s road map to net-zero. The MedTech 

company, which has a vision of becoming a sustainability 

leader in its industry, is undertaking hefty investments to 

speed up its transition towards more responsible production 

and to meet its emission reduction targets. 

“As businesses, we must deploy the available technologies 

at the pace and scale required to meet our climate goals. 

We must also leverage our supply chain to explore more 

environmentally responsible sourcing. That is how we can 

make a real difference”, concludes Svenn. AT 

www.wellspect.com 


Biobased and compostable PHBH event cup line 

Better for All (Pasadena, CA, USA) enters the market with two initial cup sizes, a 16/18 oz (532ml) beer cup intended for 

stadiums, festivals, and other large events, and a 7/9 oz (266ml) companion cup also suitable 

for hotel room in-service. Both cups are thin-walled and certified home and industrially 

compostable. Better for All cups are also notable for their high heat tolerance, the 

PHBH material they are made from is heat tolerant up to 105°C (220°F), can be dishwashed 

and survive summer temperature transit and warehousing. 

Better for All Event Cups were showcased at the March 2023 Natural Products 

Expo West show (Anaheim, CA, USA) and won the 2023 NEXTY Award for Best New 

Natural Living Product. 

Kaneka Biopolymers’ (Tokyo, Japan) Green Planet PHBH , 

made through the process of fermentation, is a medium-chain 

member of the PHA family of biopolymers. Kaneka developed 

PHBH over the course of several decades of research and 

development, and has trademarked the resulting manufacturing 

grades under the trademark Green Planet. Kaneka Green Planet 

PHBH is TÜV-certified in the following categories: 100 % biobased, 

soil biodegradable, industrially compostable, home compostable, and 

marine biodegradable. 

Better for All Event Cups are currently in the process of achieving 

BPI Certification in the US for home and commercial compostability. MT 


www.betterforall.co | www.kanekabiopolymers.com 

First biobased Nylon shirts 

In April, lululemon (Vancouver, BC, Canada) launched its first products made from renewably sourced, plant-based nylon. As 

part of a long-term partnership with sustainable materials leader Genomatica (aka Geno from San Diego, CA, USA), the new 

material behind the high-performance shirts delivers the same feel as the lightweight, quick-drying material lululemon customers 

love. The innovation is an example of the brand’s Be Planet goals in action, paving the way to making 100 % of their products with 

sustainable materials by 2030. 

lululemon announced its first-ever equity investment in sustainable materials company, Geno, in 2021. In partnership, lululemon 

and Geno have re-envisioned the decades-old method of nylon production by replacing petroleum from the fabric’s origin with plants, 

creating a lower-impact alternative to an important material in the performance apparel industry. 

Geno’s proprietary technology converts renewable carbon (sugar made from plants) into the precursor to nylon, resulting in a 

100 % renewable carbon-based nylon-6. More specifically, Geno’s technology is used to produce the precursor to plant-based nylon-6 

(caprolactam) and plant-based nylon-6,6 (HMD). 

Esther Speck, Senior Vice President, Global Sustainable Business and Impact at lululemon, said “We’ve been working on 

plant-based nylon with our partner Geno for almost two years, testing ways to integrate this 

groundbreaking material with our product philosophy of creating products to help our guests 

feel their best. The launch of our first plant-based nylon products is an example of lululemon’s 

environmental commitments in action, and what’s to come on our journey toward net zero”. 

Sustainable innovation will play a key role in the future of retail and apparel, and this new 

fabric innovation demonstrates lululemon’s commitment to creating a healthier environment 

through advancements in product development. The feel of lululemon fabrics is key to what 

makes its products resonate with so many, and the new Plant-Based Nylon Metal Vent and Swiftly 

Tech Short Sleeve Shirts bring the same feel and quality guests expect from lululemon, while 

increasing the use of renewable resources. 

lululemon is committed to making products that are better in every way, by setting sciencebased 

targets that are the foundation of the climate action goals outlined in the brand’s Impact 

Agenda. Coupled with advancements through lululemon’s Like New re-commerce program and 

funding in the Apparel Impact Institute Fashion Climate Fund, lululemon is reinvesting profits into 

additional sustainability initiatives as it works toward its goal of a circular ecosystem by 2030. MT 

https://corporate.lululemon.com | www.genomatica.com 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/23] Vol. 18 51


New biobased cups made from recycled PLA 

TotalEnergies Corbion (Gorinchem, the Netherlands) and Coexpan (Madrid, Spain) launch a PLA biobased cup using 

chemically recycled PLA, available in both white and high transparency. After completing all tests at Coexpan´s Innotech centre 

full validation was achieved for line speeds and output using FFS technology. 

In the context of responsiveness packaging design complying with the new sustainability demands, Coexpan and Innotech 

are continuously researching for options to reduce the footprint of the products they offer. With this solution, TotalEnergies 

Corbion, Coexpan & Innotech are creating a new package and contributing actively to one of today’s main challenges in terms 

of sustainability. “Another milestone has been achieved! We are very proud to include in our portfolio a new sustainable product 

that increases the number of technical solutions we can put on the market, a clear added value for all our customers. Having 

used this material for more than 10 years, we are undoubtedly the leading PLA resin converter in the FFS market”, said Gonzalo 

Sanchez, Coexpan’s recycling manager. 

Derek Atkinson, Senior Director Sales and Business Development, added: “providing PLA solutions to our customers with 

their existing technology is a priority for TotalEnergies Corbion. We have a team of specialized engineers to work with our 

partners and develop the right Luminy ® PLA grades. And we also buy back the used PLA to recycle it at our facilities. Advanced 

recycling of PLA is a much more energy-efficient process in comparison with other plastics. We appeal to all PLA users to get 

in touch and set up a collection structure”. 

Environmental stresses have increased pressure to meet recycling and 

sustainability targets. With the readily available recycled rPLA, brands can offer 

consumers sustainable options, without additional investment or significant 

changes in existing FFS facilities. 

Luminy rPLA is a biobased polymer produced from sugarcane. The carbon 

captured from the atmosphere by the sugarcane is kept in the cycle with 

advanced recycling. The rPLA has the same properties as virgin PLA, including 

food contact approval in the EU (EC No. 10/2011), the USA (FDA 21 CFR), and 

China (GB 9685-2016). MT 

www.totalenergies-corbion.com | www.coexpan.com | www.coexpan-emsur.com/innotech 

Karma Baker shifts to plant-based packaging 

Good natured (Vancouver, BC, Canada), a North American leader in plant-based products is providing Karma Baker 

(Westlake Village, CA, USA), a leading all-vegan and gluten-free bakery, with plant-based packaging solutions for its nationwide 

distribution of baked goods. 

Karma Baker has taken the nation by storm with their delectable and health-conscious baked goods, thanks to their commitment 

to sustainability and high-quality ingredients. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, Karma Baker rose to the occasion 

and expanded their reach beyond Los Angeles County, offering nationwide shipping through their own ecommerce site. 

To maintain their standards of providing wellness-minded treats with minimal environmental impact, Karma Baker turned to 

good natured ® for their 99 % plant-based packaging. These BPI-certified compostable products boast a sturdy crush-resistant 

construction with snug-fit tabs in a deep enclosure, which not only showcases the delicious baked goods in all their glory but also 

provides reliable protection during shipping. With no chemicals of concern, Karma Baker’s packaging ensures that customers 

can indulge in their treats with peace of mind, knowing that they are making a positive impact on the environment. 

“Choosing plant-based packaging to pack and ship our products safely across the nation is as important as the ingredients 

we choose to put in our baked goods”, said Celine Ikeler, Founder of Karma Baker. “We wouldn’t want it any other way for our 

customers, it’s just good Karma!” 

The global plant-based food market size is expected to reach USD 162 billion within the decade according to a report by 

Bloomberg Intelligence, with more than 50 % of millennials trying to incorporate plant-based and unprocessed foods into their 

diet. As a result, plant-based food businesses are shifting from a niche focus on allergens to 

reaching a greater market of consumers who prioritize great-tasting food with less impact on 

the planet. These wellness-minded, plant-based food companies think about sustainability 

all through their supply chain to include packaging like those from good natured. 

“We’re excited to provide eco-friendly packaging to Karma Baker who is marrying 

sustainability with innovation to bring their great products to market in refreshing new 

ways”, said Paul Antoniadis, CEO of good natured. “By using their strong influence for 

positive change, they’re showing how we can achieve big, audacious sustainability goals 

and maximize our collective positive environmental impact”. AT 

www.karmabaker.com | www.goodnaturedproducts.com 


BOOK STORE 

3 rd 

Edition 

NEW 

NEW 

NEW 

NEW 

This book, created and published by Polymedia Publisher 

– maker of bioplastics MAGAZINE, is available in English 

and German (now in the third, revised edition), and 

brand new also in Chinese, French, Spanish and Polish. 

Intended to offer a rapid and uncomplicated introduction 

to the subject of bioplastics, this book is aimed at all 

interested readers, in particular those who have not yet 

had the opportunity to dig deeply into the subject, such 

as students or those just joining this industry, as well 

as lay readers. It gives an introduction to plastics and 

bioplastics, explains which renewable resources can be 

used to produce bioplastics, what types of bioplastics 

exist, and which ones are already on the market. Further 

aspects, such as market development, the agricultural 

land required, and waste disposal, are also examined. 

The book is complemented by a comprehensive 

literature list and a guide to sources of additional 

information on the Internet. 

The author Michael Thielen is the publisher of 

bioplastics MAGAZINE. 

He is a qualified mechanical design engineer 

with a PhD degree in plastics technology from 

the RWTH University in Aachen, Germany. He 

has written several books on the subject of 

bioplastics and blow-moulding technology 

and disseminated his knowledge of plastics 

in numerous presentations, seminars, guest 

lectures, and teaching assignments. 

3 rd 

Edition 

ORDER 

NOW 

www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/en/books 

email: books@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

phone: +49 2161 6884463 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/23] Vol. 18 53


Dissolution – 

between mechanical and 

chemical recycling 

The previous issue of bioplastics MAGAZINE (2/23) 

included a review of the book Recycling of Plastics 

which focused mainly on the chemical or advanced 

recycling technologies. Yet this terminological difference 

is not merely a USA vs Europe thing. While it is true that 

most North American companies seem to prefer the term 

“advanced” avoiding the term “chemical” (probably due to the 

potentially negative association attached to the term) there 

is also a slight difference in the scope – what might more 

easily be included in the term. bioplastics MAGAZINE chose 

the term “Advanced Recycling” for our communication as 

we also talk about, e.g. enzymatic recycling which is rather 

a biological process than a chemical (but we are always 

open putting a chemist and biologist in a ring and let them 

fight it out) – although some might argue that technologies 

like “pyrolysis” are hardly “advanced” in the sense of new 

and innovative, sadly terminology is often far from perfect 

(like bioplastics with its split definition – which was also 

a topic of the Plastic. Climate. Future. podcast, see p.30). 

Another technology, next to enzymatic recycling, that does 

not quite fit into the “chemical” category is dissolution: 

solvent-based plastic recycling. 

PureCycle (Orlando, FL, USA) is a company that is currently 

in the process of scaling-up dissolution technology, however, 

as a trip to Orlando involves a serious carbon footprint, Alex 

Thielen chose to meet with Wiebe Schipper, PureCycle’s Vice 

President of European Operations, in Rotterdam instead. 

“Dissolution is often falsely placed in the category 

of chemical recycling, which it is not”, Wiebe starts his 

explanation. “While it is a process that involves chemicals – 

solvents – it is a fundamentally different process than what 

we understand as chemical recycling. In chemical recycling 

the polymer is broken down into smaller building blocks, 

which often means their monomers (e.g. solvolysis, another 

solvent-based recycling technology does that) or an oillike 

feedstock. What dissolution does instead is a solventbased 

physical cleaning process – it does not break down 

the carbon chains of the polymer material. The end product 

is still a polymer”. 

There are additional reasons why Wiebe dislikes the 

categorisation of PureCycle’s process as chemical recycling. 

Chemical recycling is often criticized for its energy intensity. 

“The LCA of our first plant in Ohio shows that the process 

is 79 % less energy intensive than the production of virgin, 

fossil-based, polypropylene (PP) – and energy efficiency is a 

top priority in all our future projects as well, this is not just 

for ecological carbon footprint related reasons – it’s simply 

also more economical to be as energy efficient as possible”. 

Another point lies in regulation, currently, chemically recycled 



Stay informed 

the fastest way! 

Category 

material is not officially recognised as recycled material 

for EU-recycling quotas (which might change in the near 

future), but Wiebe is not worried, “Our process is a physical 

recycling process – we expect our resin will count towards 

EU recycling targets”. And high-quality recyclates are in 

high demand – especially food-contact grades which are 

currently the holy grail of the industry and PureCycle is 

also active on that front. “In the US we already have a letter 

of no objection for certain applications from the FDA for 

our material and we are working on expanding the existing 

list of allowed applications”. 

Dissolution is, therefore, more of a deep cleaning process 

of a waste material, which means that the properties of 

the resulting product depend on the properties of the 

original feedstock. PureCycle calls their product Ultra- 

Pure Recycled (UPR) resin because, “in a way, our material 

is cleaner than fossil-based polymers as the cleaning 

process can get rid of all unwanted contamination, 

including oligomers and catalyst residue”, Wiebe said. “The 

hydrocarbon solvent, which is not so different from very 

common household products you use at home, removes 

all odours, colours, and other contaminations from the PP 

waste stream our technology focusses on – the result is 

an ultrapure resin”. 

When asked why they chose PP as a target material 

to recycle Wiebe pointed out that PP is one of the most 

common and least recycled plastics worldwide – the 

technology PureCycle is based on is an invention patented 

by Procter & Gamble that was designed to purify PP-waste. 

Even the by-products of the process, a polyethylene-rich 

stream, hold value to players in the plastic industry. 

PureCycle already has a plant in Ironton (OH, USA) 

which was just completed on April 25, the plant will have 

a capacity of around 49,000 tonnes of recycled material 

output per annum and is anticipated to start initial pellet 

production at the end of the second quarter of 2023. 

PureCycle plans to build a bigger plant in the NextGen 

District, located at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, – a very 

strategic position as the Belgian port is Europe’s second 

largest seaport. This new plant will start with an expected 

annual capacity of 59,000 tonnes and has the opportunity 

to grow over time to up to four production lines which 

would eventually lead to a total overall capacity of 240,000 

tonnes per annum. The construction of the Belgian plant 

is expected to begin upon completion of the permitting 

process, which is currently anticipated in 2024. Next to the 

above-mentioned projects, PureCycle has a couple of other 

irons in the fire that range from further projects in the US 

to projects in South Korea. 

Oh, and it‘s 

for FREE... 

Subscribe to our 

Newsletter 

https://www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/en/newsletter/ 

NEWS 

www.purecycle.com 


55


Chemical recycling 

of plastic in action 

How four companies teamed up to turn industrial production waste 

into valuable products 

Imagine you’re a producer of pipes for housing and 

construction purposes. Although you have already 

optimized your processes to a very high degree, some 

inevitable material losses remain with the production of every 

pipe: a small portion of production scrap. The problem with 

this scrap is that there is not really any use for it. 

The situation described above is one that the Finnish 

sustainable water solutions company Uponor was facing. 

Among a wide range of other products, Uponor is producing 

pipes for heating and plumbing. These pipes are made 

of a specific type of polymer: cross-linked polyethylene, 

often referred to as “PEX”. The PEX pipes are an important 

contributor to energy efficiency and safety. They are robust, 

temperature-resistant, and long-living. They basically bring 

all the properties you want to see in the pipes transporting 

water through a building. 

These properties go back to the cross-linking characteristic 

of the polyethylene. Cross-linking refers to the forming 

of connections between molecules in the polyethylene. 

Creating these “bonds” makes the polymer more durable, 

damage-resistant, and flexible – making it a great choice 

when in need of a durable product. Unfortunately, it also 

came with a downside in the past: PEX is considered 

nearly impossible to recycle with conventional recycling 

technologies. When producing the PEX pipes, Uponor was 

left with no alternative but to collect the PEX production 

scraps and dispose of them. They were either incinerated 

or landfilled. That’s why the team looked for a more 

resource-efficient alternative – and found one after bringing 

together the right partners. 

“PEX has a lot of versatile application uses. 50 years of 

PEX piping speak for themselves”, says Thomas Fuhr, Chief 

Technology Officer at Uponor. “Our goal is to use 100 % of 

our PEX waste material through closed-loop recycling. To get 

there, we had to start somewhere – and that’s why we started 

discussions with chemical recycling companies”. 

Making plastic waste run fluidly 

In Nokia, a small city 150 km north of Helsinki, the Finnish 

company Wastewise Group uses pyrolysis to turn solid 

plastic waste into a liquid. In a reactor, the waste plastic is 

subjected to very high temperatures of nearly 500 °C. To avoid 

burning the plastic in the process, oxygen is removed from 

the reactor: no oxygen, no fire. 

The liquefied waste plastic isn’t a very homogenous mass. 

While the pyrolysis process gets rid of certain impurities in 

the original plastic waste (food leftovers, soil, paper), it is still 

a mix of all kinds of materials or chemicals that were former 

additives to plastic products. In a way, the liquid resembles 

fossil crude oil – and it doesn’t stay liquid unless it’s kept 

at certain temperatures. A part of it, however, is now PEX 

production waste from Uponor as the Wastewise team was 

able to use Uponor’s production waste in their pyrolysis plant. 

“PEX has been on a list of materials giving recyclers 

a headache”, says Kaisa Suvilampi, Managing Director 

and Partner at Wastewise. “Instead of focusing on already 

recyclable waste, our goal has always been turning hardto-recycle 

plastic waste into pyrolysis oil of sufficient quality 

for further processing. And that’s exactly what we did with 

Uponor’s waste PEX”. 

Kept warm and cosy, the crude oil resembling pyrolysis oil 

is then transported to Neste’s refinery in Porvoo, Finland. 

On the site, Neste has been running a conventional crude 

oil refinery for more than 50 years, but the company is 

currently in the process of evaluating ways to turn its Porvoo 

refinery entirely into a circular and renewable products 

Production scrap from Uponor’s PEX pipe production. 

Source: Uponor 

Wastewise facility in Nokia. 

Source: Wastewise 


manufacturing site [1] that would eventually phase out fossil 

crude oil as input for the refinery. A portion of the crude oil 

is already today replaced by liquefied waste plastic such as 

the pyrolysis oil from Wastewise. Hence, PEX waste turned 

into pyrolysis oil is being used as input for the refinery and 

co-processed together with crude oil and into Neste RE, a 

raw material for new plastics. 

“Using liquefied waste plastic directly in the refinery works 

at smaller volumes”, says Heikki Färkkilä, Vice President 

Chemical Recycling at Neste. “Going forward with larger 

volumes, we’ll need novel refining operations to upgrade the 

quality of the oil and make it a drop-in quality for plastics 

production. Capacities for that are to be built up at the 

Porvoo refinery in the upcoming years. We’ll then be able 

to process hundreds of thousands of tonnes of liquefied 

waste plastic each year”. 

In the course of project “PULSE” – backed by the EU 

Innovation Fund with EUR 135 million – Neste is targeting 

pre-treatment and upgrading capacities of 400,000 tonnes 

per year, which are to be gradually reached by 2028. By 2030, 

the company intends to process 1 million tonnes of waste 

plastic per year globally. 

Back to the roots of plastics 

The output of processing the pyrolysis oil in the refinery 

is a high-quality recycled feedstock that can be turned into 

new plastics. Technically, the feedstock – basically very long 

chains of hydrocarbons – could now be turned into new 

plastics for all kinds of applications. However, as the goal 

of this particular project was to close the circularity loop for 

PEX plastics, the recycled feedstock is further transported 

to Borealis’s steam cracker in Porvoo, Finland. The steam 

cracker turns these long chains into smaller chains, one 

of them being ethylene. With ethylene, the circle is almost 

closed. What remains to be done is turning the ethylene 

monomers into polyethylene polymers. This is done by 

Borealis in Porvoo as well. 

“We were able to integrate chemically recycled PEX 

pipe waste plastic as a raw material into our established 

manufacturing processes”, says John Webster, Global 

Commercial Director Infrastructure at Borealis. “As this 

doesn’t require additional tests, approvals, or validation, it 

made it quite easy to get this project rolling. Hard-to-recycle 

waste plastic as input and high-quality polymers as output is 

not in contradiction anymore”. 

The polyethylene is then heading back to Uponor’s facility 

in Virsbo, Sweden. The cross-linking of the polyethylene 

takes place with the help of peroxide. The result is PEX which 

Uponor can now use to produce new PEX pipes. While using 

production scrap in the initial phase of the cooperation, this 

could very well be extended to other waste streams going 

forward. Eventually, old PEX pipes that are currently still used 

in buildings may be recycled in a similar fashion. 

By joining forces and working together, the four partners 

thereby provided the basis for the circularity of polymers that 

were so far stuck in a linear value chain. AT 

www.neste.com 

www.uponorgroup.com 

www.borealisgroup.com 

www.wastewise.fi 

[1] Neste launches a strategic study on transitioning its Porvoo refinery to a 

renewable and circular site and ending crude oil refining in the mid-2030s; 

https://tinyurl.com/bm2303porvoo 


Neste’s refinery site in Porvoo, Finland. 

Source: Neste 

Borealis plant in Porvoo, Finland. 

Source: Borealis 


57

Basics 

Shining a light on Brazilian 

biobased plastics 

C 

rushing sugarcane to make biobased plastics 

since 2010, Braskem is now squashing the 

misconceptions around their sustainable 

plastics range, I’m green TM . 

I’m green is Braskem’s range of biobased plastics, 

made entirely from Brazilian sugarcane ethanol. 

Instead of using fossil fuels, Braskem has been using 

bioethanol from sustainably sourced sugarcane as an 

alternative raw material and feedstock. By producing 

plastics using ethanol from sugarcane instead of from 

fossil fuels, approximately 5 kg of CO 2 

per kg of plastics 

is avoided. Not only that, I’m green is fully recyclable in 

existing waste streams. This hugely successful range 

of products, including polyethylene and, more recently, 

EVA, has been in hot demand since its first sales in 2010. 

At the same time though, many misconceptions about the 

sustainability profile of biobased plastics have also spread. 

Is the sugarcane used for I’m green sustainably sourced? 

What even are the benchmarks for sustainable agricultural 

growth? What about the rainforest and deforestation? 

Doesn’t the use of a food crop mean that I’m green 

competes with food production? 

All valid questions – and ones we must continue to ask 

for developing biobased technologies – but I’m green is 

an example of how working with an existing ecosystem, 

both economically, communally, and in nature, can result 

in a product that generates value for society without 

compromising our environment. 

The successful case of sugarcane in Brazil 

Brazil has been growing sugarcane since the 16 th century and 

it has the most advanced agricultural technology in the world 

for this crop. Nowadays, while occupying around 1 % of the 

country’s land, sugarcane supplies over 16 % of Brazil’s energy 

while producing 36 % of the world’s sugar exports [2] (Fig. 1). 

Not only does sugarcane capture CO 2 

as it grows, but the 

production of sugar and ethanol has been streamlined, 

optimised, and decarbonised. 

The sugarcane industry in Brazil has evolved remarkably 

since the 1970s and producers have learnt to make sugar, 

ethanol, and electricity with just this one crop. In modern 

mills, the first press squeezes out sugar juice that goes for 

sugar production. Subsequent presses with hot water extract 

residual sugars that are blended with molasses in fermentation 

tanks producing a kind of wine. In the distillery, the ethanol is 

extracted and shipped to Braskem where it is then converted 

into ethylene – the building block that makes I’m green 

polyethylene. Ethanol production generates a residue called 

vinasse. This residue which is rich in potassium and organic 

matter is either applied directly to the field as a source of 

water and nutrients or is used to produce biogas and compost. 

Another abundant by-product from the mill is cane pulp, also 

known as bagasse, which is used for energy which powers 

the production, with the excess being sold back to the grid. 

Nothing is wasted, and the value extracted from sugarcane is 

maximised as illustrated in Fig. 2. 

Vinasse, ashes and filter cake reduce fertilizer consumption in 60% 

MATTER 

ELECTRICAL ENERGY 

THERMAL ENERGY 

VINASSE 

FILTER 

CAKE 

SUGAR CANE 

JUICE* B 

MOLASSE 

ETHANOL 

PRODUCTION 

INDUSTRIAL 

ETHANOL 

GREEN 

ETHYLENE 

GREEN 

POLYETHYLENE 

SUGAR 

CANE 

SUGAR CANE 

CRUSHING 

ASHES 

BAGASSE 

ENERGY 

SUGAR CANE 

JUICE* A 

SUGAR 

PRODUCTION 

SUGAR 

SUGAR 

REFINERY 

ETHANOL 

FUEL 

* Usually there are 5 (five) sugarcane crushing cycles, 

the sugar juice extracted from the first and second 

crushing cycles (sugar juice a) is used in sugar 

production, whilst the more diluted ugar juice extracted 

with hot water from the last 3 (three) crushing cycles 

(sugar juice b) is mixed to the molasses and used in 

ethanol production. 

Figure 2: Efficient use of ressources. 


By: 

Anisa Gallagher, External Affairs Strategist 

Martin Clemesha, Technical Advocacy Lead 

Yuki Kabe, Technical Advocacy Biopolymers 

Basics 

Braskem 

São Paulo Brazil 

Forest 

Native 

Pasture 

Agruculture 

Sugarcane 

Silviculture 

Mosaic of uses 

No vegetation 

Water bodies 

Other 

60 % 

6% 

18 % 

6% 

1% 

1% 

5% 

2% 1% 

0% 

Land use [3] Energy matrix [4] Oil 

11% 

34 % 

16 % 13% 

9% 

9% 

6% 

1% 

1% 

LGN 

Other 

Nuclear 

Coal 

Wind & Solar 

Wood 

Hydro 

Sugarcane 

Figure 1: Land use and energy matrix for Brazil: 1% of the land delivers 16% of the energy consumed 

Misconception one: The expansion of 

agricultural crops for materials is not 

sustainable and bad for biodiversity. 

In the state of São Paulo, where 60 % of the country’s 

sugarcane is planted, crop rotation with leguminous 

vegetables is a common practice that helps fix nitrogen in 

the soil. Between 15 % and 20 % of sugarcane-producing 

areas are also used for the cultivation of soybean, beans, 

and peanuts, which supply the food market. 

Brazil also has an incredibly advanced biological pest 

control program. There are more than 3 million hectares 

where ‘natural enemies’ are used to protect and control 

the sugarcane plants. This significantly reduces the use 

of chemical pesticides, the use of which is also a concern 

for soil and waterways. In order to preserve and restore 

biodiversity, some farms have established green corridors 

linking two protected areas, allowing for local fauna and flora 

to thrive. Brazil has used their sugarcane production as an 

opportunity to improve biodiversity, working with nature to not 

only produce, but to restore. 

Misconception two: Competition 

between sugar and ethanol. 

As sugarcane is crushed multiple times, the first crush 

extracts a sweeter sugar juice that requires less energy 

to concentrate and crystalise the sugars, so it’s used 

3 

to make sugar for us to enjoy in our food and drinks. 

During the following crushes, hot water is used to extract 

the residual sugar and this more dilute juice is then mixed 

with molasses for ethanol production. Therefore, sugar and 

ethanol are co-products. 

The ratio of sugar and ethanol produced is also somewhat 

malleable allowing producers some flexibility to meet market 

demands with ease, whilst also granting them access to more 

2 

Bee population [5] 

monitoring & 

beekeepers 

support 

Safe 

working 

conditions 

Figure 3: Sustainable practices in the field 

Crop rotation [7] 

with 

soy & beans 

Vinasse 

fertigation 

Natural 

pest control 

Recovery [5] 

springs & riparian 

native vegetation 

Straw [10] 

cover 

Figure 4: Sustainable practices that promote healthy soil. 

Green [6] 

corridors 

Tilage free [8] 

planting 

Filter cake [9] 

nutrient cycling 

than one market. This added resilience stemming from the 

co-production of sugar and ethanol is often overlooked, but 

one which has been, and still is, integral to the success of 

sugarcane in Brazil. 


59

Basics 

Misconception three: Brazilian 

sugarcane contributes to deforestation 

Deforestation is, understandably, a large concern 

for many. Brazil has also been surrounded by 

controversy for the continued loss of the Amazon 

rainforest, one of the world’s greatest carbon 

reservoirs. Its unparalleled biodiversity as well as 

and its role in regulating the climate in southern 

parts of South America, should rightly be protected. 

That being said, it’s a common misconception that 

the rainforest is being cut down for agriculture, 

which is rarely the case. Recent studies have shown 

that over 95 % of all deforestation in the region is 

illegal (e.g., logging, mining, and “land grabbing”). 

Brazil is a vast country, its northern most point 

is closer to Canada than it is to its own southern 

border. Climate and soil in the northern rainforest 

are less suited to agriculture and legislation 

requires farmers to keep 80 % of their properties 

preserved. This makes the region less attractive 

to responsible farmers compared to the southern regions 

where Brazil has pioneered and mastered the development 

of tropical agriculture. It’s here, at the centre-south of the 

country, 2000 km away from the rainforest where almost 

all sugarcane production takes place and where Braskem 

sources their sugarcane from. 

www.braskem.com 

[1] Savings equate to the difference between the average carbon footprint 

of PE in the EU (Plastics Europe) and I’m green PE as per specialist 

reviewed LCA Report on GREEN HDPE and FOSSIL HDPE carried out 

by ACV Brasil following ISO 14040. 

[2] https://www.cnabrasil.org.br/cna/panorama-do-agro 

[3] https://plataforma.brasil.mapbiomas.org, 

[4] www.epe.gov.br/pt/abcdenergia/matriz-energetica-e-eletrica 

[5]: https://www.sugarcane.org/sustainability-the-brazilian-experience/ 

initiatives/ 

[6]: Shades of Green, Sustainable Agriculture in Brazil, Evaristo de 

Miranda 

[7]: https://www.sindacucar-al.com.br/galerias/feijao-com-cana/ 

[8]: https://www.agric.com.br/sistemas_de_producao/o_que_e_plantio_ 

direto.html 

[9]: http://www.canaonline.com.br/conteudo/a-aplicacao-de-torta-defiltro-no-canavial-alem-de-nutrir-ajuda-a-reter-a-umidade-no-solomas-e-essencial-ser-aplicada-com-o-equipamento-correto.html 

[10]: Shades of Green, Sustainable Agriculture in Brazil, Evaristo de 

Miranda 

[11]: NIPE—Unicamp, IBGE and CTC. Elaboration: UNICA) 

Figure 5: Land use: 

Almost 92 % of sugarcane production is harvested in South-Central Brazil, and the remaining 

8 % is grown in the Northeast region. This means all the areas cultivated for sugarcane 

production are located almost 2,000 km from the Amazon, roughly the same distance 

between New York City and Dallas, or Paris and Moscow. 

Source: [11] 


www.newlight.com 

10 

Years ago 

In May 2023, Mark Herrema, Co-founder and 

CEO of Newlight technologies, said: 

Published in 

bioplastics MAGAZINE 

The past 10 years have been 

an extraordinary journey as we 

have continued to scale up our 

technology, culminating in the past 

few years with the construction 

and commissioning of our first 

fully-integrated commercialscale 

AirCarbon production plant, 

Eagle 3. Today, we are delivering 

millions of AirCarbon-based 

products to customers around the 

world from Eagle 3, from cutlery 

to sunglasses to coated paper 

products. Now, we are preparing 

to build our next and largest AirCarbon production 

plant, Eagle 4. We look forward to sharing more 

news in the months ahead. 

www.newlight.com 

Report 

Greenhouse 

gas-based PHA 

A Breakthrough In Yield, A New 

Paradigm in Carbon Capture 

by Karen Laird 

Report 

to produce greenhouse gas-based PHA plastic at scale. 

“Obviously, more expensive PHA wasn’t something that could 

move at meaningful scale on the market,” said Herrema. “In 

W 

hen Mark Herrema and Kenton Kimmel set out in 

2003 to develop a technology to convert greenhouse 

emissions into useful materials, they were armed 

with optimism, idealism, a healthy measure of self-confidence 

and the resolution to succeed. Today, ten years, ten 

patents and millions of dollars in research and development 

later, they’re the founding partners of Newlight Technologies 

LLC, a company specialized in high yield greenhouse gasto-PHA 

conversion and functionalization technologies, that is 

fast overturning all preconceptions about biopolymers. 

“When we started, our goal, simply put, was to reverse 

climate change by using carbon emissions to produce 

materials on a global scale,” says Mark Herrema. “Not only 

were we seeking a way to turn carbon emissions into plastics 

that actually removed more carbon from the air than they 

produced, we also knew that the only way we could do this on 

a commodity scale was if our material could out-compete on 

its own merits, without reference to environmental benefit.” 

In other words, the plastic materials Newlight produced 

would need to match oil-based plastics on performance 

and out-compete on price, definitely not features that had 

characterized most bioplastics up until now. 

Technological hurdles 

Kimmel and Herrema soon discovered that the idea of 

converting carbon-containing gases into plastics - in this 

case, PHA bioplastic - was not a new one; indeed, it was an 

ongoing object of study at companies in countries around 

the world, from Germany to the US to China. Everywhere, 

however, everyone kept running up against the same, 

seemingly insurmountable hurdle: yield. 

All currently available technologies had thus far failed 

to deliver a cost-effective and economically viable process 

addition, we found that the performance of the PHAs produced 

via the greenhouse gas route needed to be significantly 

improved to render these functionally competitive with oilbased 

plastics.” 

Next to these yield and performance limitations, Newlight 

also encountered new challenges, such as gas mass transfer 

conversion efficiency—that is, the amount of energy required 

to make greenhouse gases chemically accessible. Herrema: 

“Basically we realized that we were facing the task of having to 

develop new technology, which meant generating novel methods 

to approach yield, performance, and mass transfer efficiencies, 

and capabilities in catalyst engineering, reactor design, and 

polymer performance.” 

Breakthrough 

“It took years, and it was far from easy”, said Mark Herrema. 

“But we finally cracked it.” 

The central problem, as Newlight had discovered in the 

course of its work, was the fact that the company’s proprietary 

biocatalyst, developed to convert air and greenhouse gasses, 

such as methane and carbon dioxide into PHA, was controlled 

by a negative feedback control loop. This meant that when the 

concentration of plastic produced reached a certain maximum 

level, it would stop making plastic. 

To address this, Newlight developed a set of novel catalyst 

engineering tools, aimed at producing a biocatalyst with a 

malleable overproduction control switch—that is, the ability 

to turn off this negative feedback response. By turning off 

this response, the catalyst would overproduce PHA, thereby 

fundamentally altering the yield profile of the process. “That, 

at least, was the theory,” said Herrema. “Getting it to work in 

practice was trickier. “ 

Yet ultimately, work it did, and with dramatic results, as 

illustrated by the immediate 500% increase in yield performance 

compared to before. The net result was that Newlight had 

At the same time, Newlight also developed a suite of 

polymer functionalization tools, and teamed with key 

partners to improve the performance of its resins, addressing 

classical PHA functional challenges, such as strength, 

flexibility, thermal stability, molecular weight, and aging. 

As a result, the company was able to develop the ability to 

tailor its materials to meet a wide range of performance 

specifications, spanning replacements for various grades of 

polypropylene, polyethylene, ABS, and TPU, in both durable 

and biodegradable grades. 

New challenges: sales and capacity 

expansion 

In 2012, Newlight began selling its Airflex (also known 

as AirCarbon) plastics for the first time. Since the 

commencement of sales, demand for Newlight’s materials 

has grown significantly in excess of capacity, with over 

5,700 tonnes of material now under executed letter of 

intent for purchase. “The response of the market has been 

overwhelming - we’ve been inundated with applications. 

In fact, everything we make is presold,” said Herrema. 

Moreover, in recognition of the company‘s technological and 

commercialization achievements in 2012, Newlight‘s plastic 

was named „2013 Biomaterial of the Year“ by the nova- 

Institut at an international biomaterials conference in April 

2013 (see p.9). 

Newlight’s customers and product development partners 

already include some of the largest manufacturers in the 

world, including Fortune 500 companies, brand-name market 

leaders, and an $8 billion consumer goods manufacturing 

company—making everything from chairs and containers to 

caps and bags. “We’re getting ready for a number of product 

launches,” said Herrema. “We’re preparing to launch a 

furniture line in the course of this year.” 

The company’s new focus is on growth and expansion, in 

successfully developed a market-driven solution to capturing 

order to be able to keep up with demand and, ultimately, to 

carbon: technology able to produce plastic from greenhouse gas 

accomplish its founding objective: to use its carbon-negative 

plastics as a market-driven tool to reverse climate change. 

for significantly less than the cost to produce plastic from oil. In 

short, a PHA plastic offering a revolutionary value proposition. 

Newlight has its eye on a number of sites for a facility with 

Herrema: “Explaining it like this makes it sound so simple. 

a multi-thousand tonne per year projected annual capacity 

But an incredible amount of time and R&D ten years and 

of. A first step in this direction is the capacity expansion that 

millions of dollars - went into this development, and it unlocked 

Newlight will have in place by the end of this year. “We’ve got 

the technology,” said Herrema. “The next challenge is to get 


something tremendous.“ 

it out to the market at large scale. That’s our mission now.” 

The breakthrough had immediate and profound impact. “We 

were able to reduce our unit operations by a factor of 3, the 

company’s capital equipment cost dropped by a factor of 5, and 

total operating costs were dramatically reduced.” 

bioplastics MAGAZINE [03/13] Vol. 8 15 

https://tinyurl.com/newlight2013 


61

Suppliers Guide 

1. Raw materials 

AGRANA Starch 

Bioplastics 

Conrathstraße 7 

A-3950 Gmuend, Austria 

bioplastics.starch@agrana.com 

www.agrana.com 

Mixcycling Srl 

Via dell‘Innovazione, 2 

36042 Breganze (VI), Italy 

Tel.: +39 04451911890 

info@mixcycling.it 

www.mixcycling.it 

Biofibre GmbH 

Member of Steinl Group 

Sonnenring 35 

D-84032 Altdorf 

Tel.: +49 (0)871 308-0 

Fax: +49 (0)871 308-183 

info@biofibre.de 

www.biofibre.de 

39 mm 

Simply contact: 

Tel.: +49 2161 6884467 

suppguide@bioplasticsmagazine.com 

Stay permanently listed in the 

Suppliers Guide with your company 

logo and contact information. 

For only 6,– EUR per mm, per issue you 

can be listed among top suppliers in the 

field of bioplastics. 

For Example: 

Polymedia Publisher GmbH 

Hackesstr. 99 

41066 Mönchengladbach 

Germany 

Tel.: +49 2161 664864 

Fax: +49 2161 631045 

info@bioplasticsmagazine.com 


Sample Charge: 

39mm x 6,00 € 

= 234,00 € per entry/per issue 

Sample Charge for one year: 

6 issues x 234,00 EUR = 1,404.00 € 

The entry in our Suppliers Guide 

is bookable for one year (6 issues) 

and extends automatically if it’s not 

cancelled three months before expiry. 

Arkema 

Advanced Bio-Circular polymers 

Rilsan ® PA11 & Pebax ® Rnew ® TPE 

WW HQ: Colombes, France 

bio-circular.com 

hpp.arkema.com 

BASF SE 

Ludwigshafen, Germany 

Tel.: +49 621 60-76692 

joerg.auffermann@basf.com 

www.ecovio.com 

Gianeco S.r.l. 

Via Magenta 57 10128 Torino - Italy 

Tel.: +390119370420 

info@gianeco.com 

www.gianeco.com 

Tel.: +86 351-8689356 

Fax: +86 351-8689718 

www.jinhuizhaolong.com 

ecoworldsales@jinhuigroup.com 

Bioplastics — PLA, PBAT 

www.lgchem.com 

youtu.be/p8CIXaOuv1A 

bioplastics@lgchem.com 

PTT MCC Biochem Co., Ltd. 

info@pttmcc.com / www.pttmcc.com 

Tel.: +66(0) 2 140-3563 

MCPP Germany GmbH 

+49 (0) 211 520 54 662 

Julian.Schmeling@mcpp-europe.com 

MCPP France SAS 

+33 (0)2 51 65 71 43 

fabien.resweber@mcpp-europe.com 

Xiamen Changsu Industrial Co., Ltd 

Tel.: +86-592-6899303 

Mobile: +86 185 5920 1506 

Email: andy@chang-su.com.cn 

Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe 

Polyester Co., Ltd. 

No. 316, South Beijing Rd. Changji, 

Xinjiang, 831100, P.R.China 

Tel.: +86 994 2716195 

Mob.: +86 186 99400676 

maxirong@lanshantunhe.com 

www.lanshantunhe.com 

PBAT, PBS, PBSA, PBST supplier 

Zhejiang Huafon Environmental 

Protection Material Co.,Ltd. 

No.1688 Kaifaqu Road,Ruian 

Economic Development 

Zone,Zhejiang,China. 

Tel.: +86 577 6689 0105 

Mobile: +86 139 5881 3517 

ding.yeguan@huafeng.com 

www.huafeng.com 

Professional manufacturer for 

PBAT /CO 2 

-based biodegradable materials 

1.1 Biobased monomers 

1.2 Compounds 

Earth Renewable Technologies BR 

Estr. Velha do Barigui 10511, Brazil 

kfabri@ertbio.com 

www.ertbio.com 

eli 

bio 

Elixance 

Tel.: +33 (0) 2 23 10 16 17 

Tel PA du +33 Gohélis, (0)2 56250 23 Elven, 10 16 France 17 - elixb 

elixbio@elixbio.com/ www.elixbio.com 

www.elixance.com - www.elixb 

FKuR Kunststoff GmbH 

Siemensring 79 

D - 47877 Willich 

Tel.: +49 2154 9251-0 

Tel.: +49 2154 9251-51 

sales@fkur.com 

www.fkur.com 

P O L i M E R 

GEMA POLIMER A.S. 

Ege Serbest Bolgesi, Koru Sk., 

No.12, Gaziemir, Izmir 35410, 

Turkey 

+90 (232) 251 5041 

info@gemapolimer.com 

http://www.gemabio.com 

Global Biopolymers Co., Ltd. 

Bioplastics compounds 

(PLA+starch, PLA+rubber) 

194 Lardproa 80 yak 14 

Wangthonglang, Bangkok 

Thailand 10310 

info@globalbiopolymers.com 

www.globalbiopolymers.com 

Tel.: +66 81 9150446 

www.facebook.com 

www.issuu.com 

www.twitter.com 

www.youtube.com 

Microtec Srl 

Via Po’, 53/55 

30030, Mellaredo di Pianiga (VE), 

Italy 

Tel.: +39 041 5190621 

Fax: +39 041 5194765 

info@microtecsrl.com 

www.biocomp.it 

BIO-FED 

Member of the Feddersen Group 

BioCampus Cologne 

Nattermannallee 1 

50829 Cologne, Germany 

Tel.: +49 221 88 88 94-00 

info@bio-fed.com 

www.bio-fed.com 

GRAFE-Group 

Waldecker Straße 21, 

99444 Blankenhain, Germany 

Tel.: +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 


Green Dot Bioplastics Inc. 

527 Commercial St Suite 310 

Emporia, KS 66801 

Tel.: +1 620-273-8919 

info@greendotbioplastics.com 

www.greendotbioplastics.com 

a brand of 

Helian Polymers BV 

Bremweg 7 

5951 DK Belfeld 

The Netherlands 

Tel.: +31 77 398 09 09 

sales@helianpolymers.com 

https://pharadox.com 

Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd. 

No.33 Kefeng Rd, Sc. City, Guangzhou 

Hi-Tech Ind. Development Zone, 

Guangdong, P.R. China. w 

Tel.: +86 (0)20 6622 1696 

info@ecopond.com.cn 

www.kingfa.com 

Natureplast – Biopolynov 

6 Rue Ada Lovelace 

14120 Mondeville – France 

Tel.: +33 (0)2 31 83 50 87 

www.natureplast.eu 

NUREL Engineering Polymers 

Ctra. Barcelona, km 329 

50016 Zaragoza, Spain 

Tel.: +34 976 465 579 

inzea@samca.com 

www.inzea-biopolymers.com 

TECNARO GmbH 

Bustadt 40 

D-74360 Ilsfeld. Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0)7062/97687-0 

www.tecnaro.de 

Trinseo 

1000 Chesterbrook Blvd. Suite 300 

Berwyn, PA 19312 

+1 855 8746736 

www.trinseo.com 

1.3 PLA 

Shenzhen Esun Industrial Co., Ltd. 

www.brightcn.net 

bright@brightcn.net 

Tel.: +86-755-26031978 

TotalEnergies Corbion bv 

Stadhuisplein 70 

4203 NS Gorinchem 


Tel.: +31 183 695 695 

www.totalenergies-corbion.com 

PLA@totalenergies-corbion.com 

Zhejiang Hisun Biomaterials Co.,Ltd. 

No.97 Waisha Rd, Jiaojiang District, 

Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, China 

Tel.: +86-576-88827723 

pla@hisunpharm.com 

www.hisunplas.com 

1.4 Starch-based bioplastics 

Sunar NP Biopolymers 

Turhan Cemat Beriker Bulvarı 

Yolgecen Mah. No: 565 01355 

Seyhan /Adana,TÜRKIYE 

info@sunarnp.com 

burc.oker@sunarnp.com.tr 

www.sunarnp.com 

Tel.: +90 (322) 441 01 65 

UNITED BIOPOLYMERS S.A. 

Parque Industrial e Empresarial 

da Figueira da Foz 

Praça das Oliveiras, Lote 126 

3090-451 Figueira da Foz – Portugal 

Tel.: +351 233 403 420 

info@unitedbiopolymers.com 

www.unitedbiopolymers.com 

1.5 PHA 

Bluepha PHA 

A Phabulous Blend With Nature 

contact@bluepha.com 

www.bluepha.bio 

CJ Biomaterials 

www.cjbio.net 

cjphact.us@cj.net 

Kaneka Belgium N.V. 

Nijverheidsstraat 16 

2260 Westerlo-Oevel, Belgium 

Tel.: +32 (0)14 25 78 36 

Fax: +32 (0)14 25 78 81 

info.biopolymer@kaneka.be 

GRAFE-Group 



Tel.: +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 

Treffert GmbH & Co. KG 

In der Weide 17 

55411 Bingen am Rhein; Germany 

+49 6721 403 0 

www.treffert.eu 

Treffert S.A.S. 

Rue de la Jontière 

57255 Sainte-Marie-aux-Chênes, 

France 

+33 3 87 31 84 84 

www.treffert.fr 

2. Additives/Secondary raw materials 

GRAFE-Group 



Tel.: +49 36459 45 0 

www.grafe.com 

3. Semi-finished products 

3.1 Sheets 

Customised Sheet Xtrusion 

James Wattstraat 5 

7442 DC Nijverdal 


+31 (548) 626 111 

info@csx-nijverdal.nl 

www.csx-nijverdal.nl 

4. Bioplastics products 


Plásticos Compuestos S.A. 

C/ Basters 15 

08184 Palau Solità i Plegamans 

Barcelona, Spain 

Tel.: +34 93 863 96 70 

info@kompuestos.com 

www.kompuestos.com 

Sukano AG 

Chaltenbodenstraße 23 

CH-8834 Schindellegi 

Tel.: +41 44 787 57 77 

Fax: +41 44 787 57 78 

www.sukano.com 

BIOTEC 

Biologische Naturverpackungen 

Werner-Heisenberg-Strasse 32 

46446 Emmerich/Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0) 2822 – 92510 

info@biotec.de 

www.biotec.de 

Plásticos Compuestos S.A. 

C/ Basters 15 

08184 Palau Solità i Plegamans 

Barcelona, Spain 

Tel.: +34 93 863 96 70 

info@kompuestos.com 

www.kompuestos.com 

TianAn Biopolymer 

No. 68 Dagang 6th Rd, 

Beilun, Ningbo, China, 315800 

Tel.: +86-57 48 68 62 50 2 

Fax: +86-57 48 68 77 98 0 

enquiry@tianan-enmat.com 

www.tianan-enmat.com 

1.6 Masterbatches 

Albrecht Dinkelaker 

Polymer- and Product Development 

Talstrasse 83 

60437 Frankfurt am Main, Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0)69 76 89 39 10 

info@polyfea2.de 

www.caprowax-p.eu 

Bio4Pack GmbH 

Marie-Curie-Straße 5 

48529 Nordhorn, Germany 

Tel.: +49 (0)5921 818 37 00 

info@bio4pack.com 

www.bio4pack.com 

Minima Technology Co., Ltd. 

Esmy Huang, Vice president 

Yunlin, Taiwan(R.O.C) 

Mobile: (886) 0-982 829988 

Email: esmy@minima-tech.com 

Website: www.minima.com 

w OEM/ODM (B2B) 

w Direct Supply Branding (B2C) 

w Total Solution/Turnkey Project 


63


Naturabiomat 

AT: office@naturabiomat.at 

DE: office@naturabiomat.de 

NO: post@naturabiomat.no 

FI: info@naturabiomat.fi 

www.naturabiomat.com 

Natur-Tec ® - Northern Technologies 

4201 Woodland Road 

Circle Pines, MN 55014 USA 

Tel.: +1 763.404.8700 

Fax: +1 763.225.6645 

info@naturtec.com 

www.naturtec.com 

NOVAMONT S.p.A. 

Via Fauser , 8 

28100 Novara - ITALIA 

Fax: +39.0321.699.601 

Tel.: +39.0321.699.611 

www.novamont.com 

6. Equipment 

6.1 Machinery & moulds 

9. Services 

Osterfelder Str. 3 

46047 Oberhausen 

Tel.: +49 (0)208 8598 1227 

thomas.wodke@umsicht.fhg.de 

www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de 

Innovation Consulting Harald Kaeb 

narocon 

Dr. Harald Kaeb 

Tel.: +49 30-28096930 

kaeb@narocon.de 

www.narocon.de 

nova-Institut GmbH 

Tel.: +49(0)2233-460 14 00 

contact@nova-institut.de 

www.biobased.eu 

Bioplastics Consulting 

Tel.: +49 2161 664864 

info@polymediaconsult.com 

10. Institutions 

10.1 Associations 

Institut für Kunststofftechnik 

Universität Stuttgart 

Böblinger Straße 70 

70199 Stuttgart 

Tel.: +49 711/685-62831 

silvia.kliem@ikt.uni-stuttgart.de 

www.ikt.uni-stuttgart.de 

Michigan State University 

Dept. of Chem. Eng & Mat. Sc. 

Professor Ramani Narayan 

East Lansing MI 48824, USA 

Tel.: +1 517 719 7163 

narayan@msu.edu 

10.3 Other institutions 

Green Serendipity 

Caroli Buitenhuis 

IJburglaan 836 

1087 EM Amsterdam 


Tel.: +31 6-24216733 

www.greenseredipity.nl 

10.3 Other institutions 

Buss AG 

Hohenrainstrasse 10 

4133 Pratteln / Switzerland 

Tel.: +41 61 825 66 00 

info@busscorp.com 

www.busscorp.com 

6.2 Degradability Analyzer 

BPI - The Biodegradable 

Products Institute 

331 West 57th Street, Suite 415 

New York, NY 10019, USA 

Tel.: +1-888-274-5646 

info@bpiworld.org 

GO!PHA 

Rick Passenier 

Oudebrugsteeg 9 

1012JN Amsterdam 


info@gopha.org 

www.gopha.org 

MODA: Biodegradability Analyzer 

SAIDA FDS INC. 

143-10 Isshiki, Yaizu, 

Shizuoka, Japan 

Tel.: +81-54-624-6155 

Fax: +81-54-623-8623 

info_fds@saidagroup.jp 

www.saidagroup.jp/fds_en 

European Bioplastics e.V. 

Marienstr. 19/20 

10117 Berlin, Germany 

Tel.: +49 30 284 82 350 

Fax: +49 30 284 84 359 

info@european-bioplastics.org 

www.european-bioplastics.org 

7. Plant engineering 

10.2 Universities 

EREMA Engineering Recycling 

Maschinen und Anlagen GmbH 

Unterfeldstrasse 3 

4052 Ansfelden, AUSTRIA 

Phone: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-0 

Fax: +43 (0) 732 / 3190-23 

erema@erema.at 

www.erema.at 

IfBB – Institute for Bioplastics 

and Biocomposites 

Heisterbergallee 12 

30453 Hannover, Germany 

Tel.: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 22 69 

Fax: +49 5 11 / 92 96 - 99 - 22 69 

lisa.mundzeck@hs-hannover.de 

www.ifbb-hannover.de/ 


You can meet us 

China Sustainable Plastics Summit 

20.06. - 21.06.2023, Shanghai, China 

http://www.ecvinternational.com/SustainablePlastics/ 

10 th Circular Biobased Products (CBP) Symposium 

22.06.2023, Wageningen, The Netherlands 

https://event.wur.nl/cbp2023 

Plastics for Cleaner Planet 

26.06. – 28.06.2023, New York City Area, USA 

https://innoplastsolutions.com/conference 

Interfoam Vietnam 2023 

23.08. – 25.08.2023, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 

www.interfoamvietnam.com 

3rd PHA platform World Congress – 2023 USA 

10.10. – 11.10.2023, Atlanta, USA 

by bioplastics MAGAZINE 

www.pha-world-congress.com 

The Greener Manufacturing Show North America 

11.10. – 12.10.2023, Atlanta, USA 

www.greener-manufacturing.com/usa 

The Greener Manufacturing Show Europe 

08.11. – 09.11.2023, Cologne, Germany 

www.greener-manufacturing.com 

European Congress on Biopolymers and Bioplastics 

16.11. - 17.11.2023, Rome, Italy 

https://scisynopsisconferences.com/biopolymers 

European Bioplastics Conference 

12.12. – 13.12.2023, Berlin, Germany 

www.european-bioplastics.org/events/ebc 

ArabPlast 

13.12. – 15.12.2023, Dubai, UAE 

https://arabplast.info 

Upcoming Events 

Subject to changes. 

For up to date event-info visit https://www.bioplasticsmagazine.com/en/event-calendar/ 

Suppliers Calendar Guide 

daily updated eventcalendar at 


Next issues 

Issue 

Month 

Publ. 

Date 

edit/ad/ 

Deadline 

Edit. Focus 1 Edit. Focus 2 Trade Fair Specials 

04/2023 Jul/Aug 07.08.2023 07.07.2023 Blow Moulding Biocomposites / Thermoset 

05/2023 Sep/Oct 02.10.2023 01.09.2023 Fibres / Textiles / Nonwovens Polyurethanes / Elastomers 

06/2023 Nov/Dec 04.12.2023 03.11.2023 Films / Flexibles / Bags Barrier materials 

01/2024 Jan/Feb 05.02.2024 23.12.2023 Automotive Foam 

02/2024 Mar/Apr 10.04.2024 10.03.2024 Thermoforming / Rigid Packaging Masterbatch / Additives NPE Preview 

Subject to changes. 


65

Companies in this issue 

Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert Company Editorial Advert 

AENOR 39 

Agrana 62 

AIMEN 39 

AIMPLAS 8,14,20,34 

Aitiip Technology Center 39 

Akro Plastic 6 

ALPLA 50 

Arburg 45 

Arkema 17,38 62 

Around Blue 24 

ASA Spezialenzyme 43 

Avantium 14,18,27 

Avery Dennison 49 

B4Plastics 18 

Bandesur 34 

BASF 16,25,27,38 62 

Bausano 31 

BBI-JTI 20 

Better for All 51 

Beyond Plastic 42 

Bio4Pack 7,13 63 

Bio-Fed 6 62 

Biofiber Tech 6 

Biofibre 62 

Biosolutions 15 

Biotec 12 63,6 

BluePHA 13 63 

BMBF 33,43 

Borealis 16,30,57 

BPI 64 

Braskem 14,17,58 

bse Methanol 17 

Bunzl 14 

Buss 49,64 

Caprowax Dinkelaker 32 63 

Carbon Minds 16 

Centexbel 39 

Chinaplas 15 

Cidetec 39 

CJ Biomaterials 6,13 63 

Coexpan 24 

COLIPI 8,18 

Confii 39 

Corn Pack 23 

CovationBio 17 

Covestro 8 

Customized Sheet Extrusion 63 

Danimer Scientific 5,24,28 

Decathlon 18 

DIN Certco 18 

Dow 16, 30 

Earth Renewable Technologies 62 

EC DG GROW 18 

Econic Technologies 17 

Elixance 62 

Erema 64 

Esol 24 

European Bioplastics 20 21,64 

Fibenol 16 

FKuR 12,18 2,62 

FNLI 13 

Fraunhofer IAP 33 

Fraunhofer UMSICHT 64 

Freudenberg Technol. Innov. 43 

Futamura 12,24 

Futerro 12 

Gaviplas 34 

Gema Polimers 22 62 

Genomatica 51 

Gianeco 62 

Global Biopolymers 62 

GO!PHA 9 64 

good natured 52 

Grafe 62,63 

Granulous 44 

Green Dot Bioplastics 63 

Green Serendipity 64 

Guerola 34 

Helian Polymers 14 63 

HYDRA 18 

IFF 17,27 

Illig 12 

INEOS Styrolution 45 

Innotech 52 

Inst. f. Bioplastics & Biocomposites 64 

Institut f. Kunststofftechnik 16 64 

IRI Technology Solutions 39 

Jayant Agro-Organics 38 

JinHui ZhaoLong 62 

Jonatura 22 

K.D. Feddersen 6 

Kaneka 51 63 

Karma Baker 54 

KIK Compounds 7 

Kingfa 63 

Kompuestos 34 63 

KUORI 8,18 

Lenzing 16,27 

LG Chem 62 

Limerick University 39 

Lisart 34 

loliware 46 

L'Oréal 18 

lululemon 51 

Lummus Technology 5 

LyondellBasell 50 

Miarco 34 

Michigan State University 64 

Microtec 62 

Minima Technology 63 

Mixcycling 62 

Mold-Masters 47 

MPR&S 13 

narocon InnovationConsulting 64 

Naturabiomat 64 

Natureplast-Biopolynov 63 

NaturTec 64 

Neste 12,18,27, 

30,50,56 

New Normal 16 

Newlight Technologies 61 

Normec OWS 13 

nova-institute 8,16,26 11,46,64 

Novamont 13 64,68 

Nurel 63 

Parkside Flexibles 12 

Pepsico 14 

PLAST Milan 19 

Plastic. Climate. Future. 30 

plasticker 25 

Plásticos Compuestos 34 63 

Podcomp 39 

Polifilm 33 

Polimeris 39 

polymediaconsult 64 

Procter & Gamble 18,55 

PTT/MCC 62 

PureCycle 18,54 

Renewable Carbon Initiative 10,16 

RWDC Industries 5 

Saida 64 

Sansu 24 

Sappi 18 

Serim B&G 23 

Shell Global Solutions 17 

Shenzhen Esun Industries 63 

Simcon 39 

Sirmax 14 

Solidaridad 38 

Specific Polymers 39 

Sugar Energy Technology 17 

Sukano 63 

Sunar 63 

Symphony Technology 41 

Taghleef Industries 12,34 

Tecnaro 63 

Tecnon OrbiChem 17 

Tianan Biologic’s 63 

TIPA 7 

TNO 8 

TotalEnergies Corbion 5,13,24, 63 

28,52 

traceless 8,18 

Treffert 63 

Trinseo 63 

TÜV Austria 49 

Unilever 14 

United Biopolymers 63 

Univ. Stuttgart (IKT) 46 64 

University College London 40 

Uponor 56 

Valahia Univ. 7 

Vibracoustic 43 

VTT 44 

Wastewise 56 

Wellspect HealthCare 50 

WSL 6 

Xampla 13 

Xiamen Changsu Industries 62 

Xinjiang Blue Ridge Tunhe 62 

Zeijiang Hisun Biomaterials 63 

Zeijiang Huafon 62 

Zhongke Guosheng Tech. 17 


NEW 

BIOPLAST 800 

bioplastics MAGAZINE VOL 18 

Compostable Heat Stable >60% BBC 

Thermoforming Rigid Food contact 

www.biotec.de

_01.2023

Issue 03/2023

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?